Charter Schools

[Salty]

In June, an Oklahoma state education board approved an application to create the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School, an online Catholic school that would be the country’s first taxpayer-funded religious school


This Link includes the following paragraph:
Supporters of schools like St. Isidore, including Oklahoma’s Republican governor and state superintendent, say faith-based charters will empower parents by giving them more opportunity to choose what kind of education they want their kids to receive.

Should the government fund Charter Schools?

Even if they are Christian (Muslim, Catholic, Wica) schools?

Should charter schools be required to accept physically/mentally disabled students/faculty

By having Charter Schools - is it taking money away from public schools?

To what extreme should the (so-called) separation of church & state be taken for education?

Are charter schools trying to destroy public schools?

Would charter school be endorsing discrimination - and if so to what extent?
a) could a charter school - say only hire men to be principals?
b) would a charter school ban trans-gender or hom0se/al students/faculty
c) could a charter school have less interscholastic sports for girls
d) could a charter school require Bible reading/chapel/ confession
e) (fill in the blank)


Do parents have a right to have a proper education for their children, if they believe that the public
school is not providing?


Comment on one or all of the above questions!

Open for discussion!

 

[Scarlett O.]

Charter schools ARE public schools. The government does fund them.

The major difference between charter and traditional public schools is that teachers in charter schools are allowed the freedom to teach math, ELA, science, and all the social studies and more in the way they see bests suits their students.

They don't have to use the state-approved texts. If they can find a better one - one that serves their students better - they can use it.

In return for that, those test scores had better be up.

I have never heard of a religious charter school.

All of the charter schools in the state of Louisiana MUST have a percentage of students with disabilities in proportion to disabled persons in their parishes.

 

[Salty]

I have never heard of a religious charter school.

That was the genesis of this thread -
That Oklahoma want to allow a charter school to be religious.!

Should be an interesting event - if fully approved.

 

[canadyjd]

That was the genesis of this thread -
That Oklahoma want to allow a charter school to be religious.!

Should be an interesting event - if fully approved.

Terrible idea. Muslims will be getting approved to teach Sheiara Law with tax payer money. The Grand Order of Satan Lovers will sue if turned down for tax payer money.

Terrible idea to fund religion with tax payer money.

peace to you

 

[Salty]

Terrible idea. Muslims will be getting approved to teach Sheiara Law with tax payer money. The Grand Order of Satan Lovers will sue if turned down for tax payer money.

Terrible idea to fund religion with tax payer money.

and that is exactly how atheist feel about Charter schools that would basically be Christian!
And Christian schools (including Catholic, and possibly Mormon*) which would make up the vast majority of religious charter schools.

* Granted, we may not see Catholics, Mormons, ect as Christians; but to an atheist and some others, we are all the same.

 

[DaveXR650]

All successful charter schools succeed by having a better selection process for students than the general area where the school is located. In addition, they have more ability to weed out misbehaving and underperforming students than the area public school because by definition it is voluntary even if state supported. This should guarantee success but surprisingly, charter schools based on sports or performing arts have failed in my state in spite of the advantages.

 

[KenH]

Ideally, there should be a complete separation of education and state. It is not one of the three natural functions of government.

However, a state's constitution might empower government to be involved in education.

I am not unreasonable and will compromise on the issue. I can go alone with government involvement in education, but only at the county and local level, where all revenue and decisions are kept close to where the students are.

 

[Salty]

...but surprisingly, charter schools based on sports or performing arts have failed in my state in spite of the advantages.

But then again - the purpose of school is the 3 R's -
Sports and arts are extra.

(to discuss sports paid by tax payers - click here)

 

[Salty]

I am not unreasonable and will compromise on the issue. I can go alone with government involvement in education, but only at the county and local level, where all revenue and decisions are kept close to where the students are.

I can understand that the State/Commonwealth should have some standards -
but I do agree that most decisions should be made by the county and/or school distirct.

 

[KenH]

I can understand that the State/Commonwealth should have some standards

Why? Can't the standards be local?

 

[DaveXR650]

But then again - the purpose of school is the 3 R's -
Sports and arts are extra.

Nah. Even back in the sixties they were getting us ready to fight the Rooskies. I remember we practiced this in gym and one night the whole community came out to watch us do calisthenics to this record.

 

[Salty]

Nah. Even back in the sixties they were getting us ready to fight the Rooskies. I remember we practiced this in gym and one night the whole community came out to watch us do calisthenics to this record.
]

Apples and oranges

 

[Salty]

Why? Can't the standards be local?

One reason -
School A - says you must have 1 unit of math to grad
Two years later you move 20 miles away -
School B says you must have 4 untis of math

School A Says 7th grade you teach US History
but school B says 7 grade - you teach World history
and you move during the Christmas break.

Many more examples.

Granted - the same can happen when you move from on State/Commonwealth
to another S/C - but not as often.

 

[KenH]

Nah. Even back in the sixties they were getting us ready to fight the Rooskies. I remember we practiced this in gym and one night the whole community came out to watch us do calisthenics to this record.

The Nanny State has been around a long time.

 

[KenH]

One reason -
School A - says you must have 1 unit of math to grad
Two years later you move 20 miles away -
School B says you must have 4 untis of math

School A Says 7th grade you teach US History
but school B says 7 grade - you teach World history
and you move during the Christmas break.

Many more examples.

Poor examples. I moved about two months into my junior year in high school to a larger school district with a different structure, as it had advanced classes in addition to the regular classes. I think I adjusted well enough to a different situation.

 

[Salty]

some do - some dont

but standards is a good thing

 

[DaveXR650]

The Nanny State has been around a long time.

Correct. That's all I was trying to say. In 1961 the government took over our gym class, made the school devote itself to mass physical fitness. At the same era we had government subsidized milk (2 cents a carton) and our gym got a bunch of high grade equipment including gymnastics equipment as well as an Olympic trampoline. The school was delighted and we were on our way.

 

[KenH]

but standards is a good thing

Yes, as long as they are local. We will just have to disagree on this item.