In this article, we’ll be looking at Public vs Charter schools pros and cons. It is the wish of every parent or guardian to put their wards in a school where they are going to have a high-quality education and reach their full academic potential.
Public schools are schools that are managed by the government and admissions are given to students who live within the designated location of the school, while charter schools, on the other hand, are schools that operate independently.
They do not operate under the rules of the government. In this article, we’ll be looking at public Vs. charter schools pros and cons and I’m sure at the end of the article, you’ll be able to make a pick between a public school and a charter school.
Public vs. Charter Schools Pros and Cons: What Are Public Schools?
What are Public schools? Public schools are schools that are funded and governed by the government, usually at the state or local level. Public schools are free, students do not have to pay any fees because the cost of attending a public school is free. Remember, public schools are fully funded by the government and they are open to all students living in the district.
Since public schools have no independence and are controlled by the government, they must follow every rule and regulation laid down by the government, and they are also accountable to the government.
Public schools are mandated to admit all students within their designated zones without considering the academic abilities or physical disabilities of the students. When it comes to the education of students with special needs, English language learners, and civil rights, public schools are expected to follow the rules laid down by the state and federal governments.
Public schools foster a sense of community among students through the availability of extracurricular activities and the diversity of the school; they also provide other services to students like health screenings, meals, and after-school programs.
Public vs. Charter Schools Pros and Cons: What Are Charter Schools?
Now let’s talk about charter schools. The word “charter” in charter schools refers to the contract or agreement between these public schools and the state or local government. This contract spells out the school’s goals, missions and how school performance will be assessed and measured. It also talks about the school’s autonomy, including how it will be funded and how it will operate.
Charter schools are public schools that agree to produce certain results in exchange for certain educational independence. The performance and results of these schools are assessed and the schools are expected to meet certain goals or performance standards that have been spelled out in the contract.
Unlike public schools that are funded by the government and are under the control of the government, charter schools have the freedom to elect their heads and leaders and most of the people selected to form these governing boards are parents of registered students in the school and community leaders.
Public vs Charter Schools Pros and Cons
I’m sure by now you have a good understanding of what public schools are and what charter schools are. Now let’s look at Public vs Charter schools pros and cons.
1. Funding
Public schools are funded by all levels of government. The federal, state and local governments all provide funds for the public schools. Public schools also get funds from donations, awards and grants from the public.
Charter schools, on the other hand, are funded by state tax revenue, grants, awards, and donations. While Public schools fully depend on the government for funds, Charter schools depend on families and the community for donations and fundraising
2. Admissions
The next Public vs. Charter Schools Pros and Cons is on the school’s admission process. Public schools are mandated to admit all students within their designated zones without considering the academic abilities or physical disability of the students. Public schools cannot deny any student admission as long as that student lives within the designated geographical area of the school.
While in charter schools, students can be denied admission if they do not meet the minimum grade requirements or attendance requirements. When charter schools receive a lot of applications from students who want to attend the school, they make use of the lottery system to eliminate students.
3. Social Life of Students
Charter schools are known for their small class sizes, which foster close-knit communities. There is a platform for support where the older kids in school help guide and assist the young ones. There are few extracurricular activities in most of the charter schools, unlike public schools.
Public schools are known for their large class sizes. This helps aid networking amongst students since they get to meet other kids from different backgrounds with different experiences. It is important to know that a greater diversity of people leads to more social opportunities. In public schools, there are a lot of extracurricular activities that keep the students engaged and connected. There are after-school programs, different clubs for students to join and also various sports teams.
4. Transportation Options
The transportation option is another thing to be considered in assessing the public vs charter schools pros and cons. For public schools, there are school buses available to convey the students to and from school since all the students are from a designated area, while for charter schools, there is no provision for transportation. Transportation arrangements are made by the parents and guardians of students.
5. Good Teachers
In public schools, teachers must meet all the requirements of the state and be highly knowledgeable in their subject area. Teachers in public schools must have a bachelor’s degree with a major in their subject; most of the teachers also have a master’s degree.
Since charter schools have independence in the way they operate, they hire teachers based on the school requirements. They also have records of having high-quality certified teachers. It depends on the school. Some of these charter schools may require the same certification and qualifications as public schools.
6. Autonomy and Flexibility Of The Schools
The autonomy and flexibility of schools are one of the major differences between public schools and charter schools. Charter schools run more independently than traditional public schools. They are not bound by any rules and regulations from the government as to how they should operate; this has helped the school become flexible and come up with innovative and creative ways on how they can meet the needs of the classroom. Public schools are expected to follow all the rules laid down by the government. They have no freedom to do what works, like the charter schools.
7. Diversity
The Diversity of the schools is another factor to consider when looking at Public vs Charter Schools Pros and Cons. There is more diversity in public schools than in charter schools since public schools do not have the right to reject the application of any student. They are mandated to admit all students within their designated zones without considering their academic and physical abilities.
On the other hand, there’s a lack of diversity in the charter schools. The charter school chooses the kind of students they want to admit there. During their admission and selection process, they could only pick out students who had good academic records and had extraordinary abilities and experiences.
Students from families with low income, who have English as a second language (ESL), and students who have physical disabilities may not be admitted into some charter schools or the acceptance rate for these categories of students may be very low. Some charter schools have claimed that they do not have the resources to provide for children who are disabled and that is why they don’t accept their submissions.
Conclusion
In this article we’ve looked at public schools and charter schools, and also the Public vs charter schools pros and cons.
Charter schools have greater operating freedoms than public schools since they run independently; they are not controlled by the government, unlike public schools but charter schools may be closed down if they are being evaluated and assessed and it’s been discovered that they are not meeting standards. The performance of students in charter schools is closely monitored by external bodies; this helps to give more information about the school’s performance.
Both public and charter schools receive a lot of applications every year. While public schools are mandated to admit students within their stipulated zones regardless of their physical abilities or academic records, charter schools have the free will to eliminate students who do not meet the academic requirements, and they even reject students with disabilities. Some may even use the lottery system to determine which students can enroll in their programs.
If you’re a parent or guardian reading this article, I’m sure after seeing the Public vs charter schools pros and cons, you can make the best choice of school to send your wards to. Remember, the cost of attending a public or charter school is completely free. You don’t have to pay any tuition.
