<p>Hmmmm . . . might we by any chance have some public school teachers posting on this thread? Please.</p>
<p>I’m not a public school teacher, and I am alarmed about what is happening in Louisiana and in other states with the expansion of charter schools. This is something that should concern ALL of us.</p>
<p>This is sick. These are the kids who need the most help, not alienation. </p>
<p>I wonder if Louisiana is also an abstinence only education state as well…</p>
<p>When the student goes to the charter school, the state money follows the student. When the student goes back to the public school, what happens to that funding?</p>
<p>Hmm looks like charters really aren’t about choice.
<a href=“http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/schools-without-diversity[/url]”>http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/schools-without-diversity</a></p>
<p>lol, Emerald! National Education Policy Center! Now there’s an unbiased voice in the debate. Ridiculous.</p>
<p>Sorry but the reason charter schools have emerged is because of (1) squandering of public funding by those in the public schools, and (2) poor outcomes in the public schools.</p>
<p>If you want to make charter schools go away, work on the public schools, starting with tenure reform and thorough reviews of administrative budgets.</p>
<p>To couch attacks on charter schools in terms of concern for “the kids” is not going to work. The public school franchise has eroded all faith in that notion.</p>
<p>The net results of Charters are good and very promising. It’s absurd to hunt down tales of bad charter schools to try to prop up public schools.</p>
<p>Really, sew? Iirc, most places have charter schools with mixed results at best.</p>
<p>And they just get rid of undesirables…</p>
<p>Yeah, really, roman.</p>
<p>If they were so lousy families would not be trying to win the lottery to get into them.</p>
<p>And seriously, to look at studies at “articles” by education professors at places like UC, Boulder as if these are unbiased observers is preposterous.</p>
<p>[Charter</a> Schools Celebrate Test Score Gains ? SchoolBook](<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2012/07/17/charter-schools-celebrate-test-score-gains/]Charter”>http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2012/07/17/charter-schools-celebrate-test-score-gains/)</p>
<p>Sew happy, don’t understand your complaint?</p>
<p>Could you answer my question about what happens to the public money when the student leaves the charter?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>*Leading Education Researchers Announce Creation of National Education Policy Center</p>
<p>NEPC Focuses on High-Quality Education Research on Policy</p>
<p>BOULDER, CO (September 20, 2010) – With the demand for education research at its highest level in a generation but growing concern about the quality of such research, experts and researchers from across the United States today announced the establishment of the National Education Policy Center (NEPC). Housed in the School of Education at the University of Colorado at Boulder, NEPC (nepc.colorado.edu) stands at the forefront of efforts to bring the highest quality education policy research to bear on policymaking and public understanding of key schooling issues.</p>
<p>The NEPC Fellows, a network of 100 mostly university-based education policy scholars, will work with NEPC because they care about the goal of bringing quality research to the task of policymaking. These Fellows include some of the most accomplished and knowledgeable researchers in the nation, and they will assist NEPC in meeting the national demand for education reform and improvement. “The national need for progress in our schools makes it more important than ever that policy be based on reliable research,” Welner said. “NEPC is committed to providing researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and the community at large with policy analyses and recommendations based on high-quality social science research.”“We are launching NEPC at an important time for American education research and policy,” said Kevin Welner, NEPC director and Professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. “Policy decisions are too often made without supporting research, or even in conflict with what the research tells us. To help push research to the fore, the National Education Policy Center brings together some of the most important education research and analysis currently being conducted across the nation and around the world.”*
<a href=“http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2010/09/introducing-national-education-policy.html[/url]”>http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2010/09/introducing-national-education-policy.html</a></p>
<p>In my area some of the charter schools offer options completely different from what the public schools offer. For example, one in my area has done a good job with middle to high school aged kids who have psychological issues. They are simultaneously getting help AND doing a college prep curriculum. There are also some that focus on a particular culture or language, which is a nice option.</p>
<p>I think ultimately it should be the parents’ choice and that, yes, the money should follow the child. Interestingly, in my specific area, the public high schools have become such powerhouses of academics, sports and art that their spectacularness has caused the closing/consolidation of some private schools and has kept the number of charter schools down. I don’t know how anyone could complain about that.</p>
<p>I’m not a teacher either. Sewhappy, you have apparently bought into the anti-union rhetoric as the talking points are in place. There are issues with teacher tenure in some areas but most of the stories have been trumped up by those with privatizing agendas - the likes of the biggest liar of them all, Michelle Rhee. In the vast majority of districts, tenure offers very little protection to teachers. They can be fired just like anyone else. To do away with it completely opens up a different and more dangerous can of worms. Good, experienced teachers would be routinely replaced by younger, cheaper teachers because of budget considerations. Many districts already accomplish getting rid of more expensive experienced teachers by transferring them over and over until they quit. That is what running schools like businesses would bring.</p>
<p>Gosh, Emerald, I would certainly hope that “the money” as you delicately put it does not return to the public system which obviously lost the confidence of the student and her family in the first place. Let that system focus on doing a better job and they will earn back students instead of having to confiscate tax dollars from an unwilling public weary of their incompetence.</p>
<p>I have no issue with charter schools. I think people should have options. However, results overall are mixed (some are doing fabulously) and none should be kicking out students for anything that a public school can’t kick out for or else the money should immediately go with the student… at the very least. Really,I don’t agree with kicking them out period over this.</p>
<p>
Louisiana does not require sex education in schools, however if it is taught they require it to be abstinence only education.</p>
<p>[Louisiana[/url</a>]</p>
<p>You can look up the policy for other states here:</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/for-professionals/sex-education-resource-center/766?task=view]State”>http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/for-professionals/sex-education-resource-center/766?task=view]State</a> Profiles](<a href=“Media Center - Advocates for Youth”>Media Center - Advocates for Youth)</p>
<p>edit to add disclaimer: I was interested as well and found this while googling. I am going to assume the information is up to date, but can’t make any promises.</p>
<p>No doubt there are good and bad and great and terrible charters. The great thing is that the kids and their families have a choice whereas they have been locked into a monopoly in the past. This terrifies many who derive their incomes from that monopoly. They will (hopefully) come to realize that they can survive and flourish and be part of a much better education product by competing honestly for the students.</p>
<p>Thanks, blue. That’s kind of what I expected.</p>
<p>Emerald, just saw your post directed at me. Oh my goodness. Seriously, a think tank from the education department at the University of Colorado, Boulder??? And this you think is even remotely unbiased on the debate?</p>
<p>Sigh.</p>
<p>At the risk of shocking, let me go on record as stating that in my humble opinion education in this country would be hugely improved if we no longer had education departments offering degrees in education. The whole notion of an education degree is preposterous, in the view of some of us.</p>
<p>The NEPC is comprised of (no doubt) tenured profs at a state U who churn out education majors and indoctrinate them in their views, and thus perpetuate the franchise.</p>
<p>Regarding sex education in public schools . . . uh, it’s kind of weird to me why our public schools seem to take so serious their responsibility to educate our kids on birth control but not so seriously on academics.</p>
<p>I think birth control should be free and available to kids. And yes, they should know it’s available and where to get it. I don’t think our schools are the right place to be handling this though. The whole notion that somehow those who are critical of public education are against providing kids with these choices (that great word again!) is nonsensical.</p>
<p>roman - It boggles the mind. I guess I’m a different kind of mother, but I make it part of everyday conversation so it’s not taboo. My 19 & 17yo boys were nerf sword fighting in the great room last night (yes, some things never change) and I told them to take it outside. My 17yo quipped the sword was protection. Without skipping a beat I said “A condom is protection, that sword is going to knock over my lamp. Now go outside.” We all laughed and moved on. It can’t be something that is mentioned once a year and is uncomfortable. That doesn’t mean we don’t encourage abstinence, but we don’t omit safe sex either.</p>
<p>Okay, off my soapbox, back to charter schools…</p>
<p>Because, sew, sex health is a part of overall health. Just as important as everything else. Nothing more, nothing less.</p>