No Child Left Behind is placing much pressure on schools to achieve high test scores for all students. However, NCLB has authorized parents to select an alternative when a local school is failing to achieve high results.
Charter Schools are Well-Established Alternatives
Charter Schools are nothing new. Parents have been choosing an alternative to public schools for generations. These schools were not called charter schools but parochial schools. Today, many parochial schools are being used as charter schools. Some parochial schools are dropping religion classes, restructuring, putting up a charter school sign and are totally supported by public funds.
Wisconsin’s Voucher Plan in Place for over 20 Years
Milwaukee schools are in a transition period. While the public school system has declining enrollment, vouchers are enabling public school students to attend private schools, many of them parochial because of parental choice. When a public school is failing children, parents have the option of using the alternative choice for success for their children.
Milwaukee has over 20,000 students attending schools other than Milwaukee Public Schools. The alternate choices for an education involve private and parochial schools. The voucher system has been in place over 20 years and competition drives the movement. School choices are in the form of “vouchers” where each family can take tax dollars and choose which school is the best match for their family.
Are the private and parochial schools always better options for families? Not always. Some of the schools in Milwaukee have not been academically sound and soon closed. Wisconsin’s voucher program has withstood the test of time.
Texas Charter Schools Partner with Religious Groups
Texas is opening the doors to charter schools with 20% of charters connected to religious institutions. Bruce Cooper, professor of Education at Fordham University’s Graduate School, states “The church-state line is beginning to blur. We may be coming to a midpoint between the best of what is private and the best of what is public.” [1]
Dan Quinn, spokesman for Texas Freedom Network based in Austin, says, “You have to wonder what the impetus is. What is the catalyst for becoming a charter because at this point they’ve abandoned the mission of being a religious institution?” [1] Texas Freedom Network is a watchdog group that focuses on church-state issues.
Charter schools in Texas are public schools run by private or religious groups and approved by the State Board of Education. These schools are not exempt from accountability. Students attending charter schools must take the same exams as students attending public schools. Both charter and public schools are funded by taxpayers.
Lawrence Weinberg, who wrote one of the first books on religious charters, sees these connections as an inevitable part of public-private relationships. As long as they don’t force faith on students, he also sees them as hope. “Urban education is in crisis. If public schools are not doing their job and religious organizations are willing to make a partnership and education these kids, be happy. That’s the starting point.” [1]
While No Child Left Behind initially intended to create better public schools, a byproduct has been to create privately operated charter schools as an alternate option and creating competition in a former monopoly.
[1] Meyers, Jessica. “Charter schools with ties to religious groups raise fears about state funds’ use,” Dallasnews.com, November 22, 2010.
Barbara Pytel - Email me Experience Although I was never particularly fond of going to school as an ELL student, I ironically became a teacher, ...
