Many private schools are non-profits. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I attended a private high school with a budget substantially less than that of the local public schools, and yet it had much better outcomes. If private schools, charters, or other options don't do a better job then parents can pull their kids and go elsewhere. Some charter schools have failed whereas others have succeeded. The charter schools in my area outperform the other public schools. YMMV. I don't understand what's so scary about giving ALL parents, regardless of wealth, choices for their kids education.
Well, here's two perspectives and they both mention some of the same things, though one is more positive about the concept than the other: http://www.alternet.org/education/how-do-charter-schools-succeed-cutting-loose-students-who-arent-good-enough http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/upshot/a-suburban-urban-divide-in-charter-school-success-rates.html
With charter schools, there is concern that special education students, students whose parents can't or don't support their academics (by going to the right meetings, participating in the charter school, etc), even students who just lose the lottery for admission will be overlooked. The more charter schools are set up, the fewer resources remain for the neighborhood public school, which HAS to accommodate all of the above students. There is also concern that the charters look good compared to the average in large part because they select the top, above average students (probably with above-average family support as well). Or because, as the first article criticizes at length, they drop any students who are not successful.
I think I agree with the author of the NYT article. These schools make sense in an urban environment, where between high population density and public transit (for older students), families can have access to a lot of schools. But in a suburban or rural area, it becomes impractical to provide that degree of choice; people just aren't willing to drive that far to take their kids to school; you already have to gather all the children from a large area to organize a (high) school with good offerings (AP courses, electives) and make it cost-effective. I wonder if online options can be harnessed for these communities to provide additional advanced and elective choices. 1 computer lab and 1 supervising teacher to cover 30-40 students learning different subjects, each of 6-8 class periods?
Forcing a kid to stay in a school for the benefit of the whole is a terrible approach. How would you feel if you were told you had to sacrifice your child's education for the sake of the community? The wealthy just pay for private or move to a different area. The urban locations are now some of the wealthiest, whereas many rural and suburban areas are the new poor. If the issue is with too much demand and too little supply (hence a lottery) then the solution is to increase supply until demand can be matched.
As for dropping unsuccessful students, I think the public schools should do this more often. This may sound harsh, but some kids simply don't want to be there and will do everything possible to avoid learning. The state is essentially providing expensive day care in these cases, and these students negatively impact the performance of others. I have no issue with having some schools designated for students who want to be there, who want to learn (even if their grades are not great), and then having other schools for kids who just need to be watched while the parents are at work.
Hmm. This is a tough one though.
Our public school system struggles with a wide income disparity, and English language disparity, and ability disparity. There's a lot of "white flight". (And open transfers, but only if there is space.)
For example, there are some schools that are "magnet" for different groups. The school my son attends (we transferred in), is a magnet program for the developmentally disabled/ special ed kids. Other schools also have special ed kids, but we have more of them, and parents can opt to send their kids here - where we have more resources.
There is also a GATE (gifted and talented) magnet program at the wealthiest school. Most GATE testing is done in 2nd grade, district wide. There are 25 spots and a lottery for them. (You can opt to join the lottery or stay in your home school). The # of students increases to 30 from 3rd to 6th.
So. What does this do, really? Well, the magnet program really decimates some of the local schools, particularly ours, which is 1/2 mile away. Many (most?) GATE identified students in our school transfer. One of the parents (her boys and my son are both GATE and have not transferred) is making it her goal to disband the program. It makes it *very* difficult for the students who don't transfer - as there is little incentive for the home schools to develop and maintain a program. (They are too busy working on the EL's).
A site-based cluster program or site-based pullouts will do just as well. Why do so many people transfer? This perception that the school isn't great. Because: test scores. But as I've said before, the test scores of our English speaking kids are AS HIGH as the test scores of the wealthier school. But the overall school scores aren't great. Why? Well for one thing, they test the special kids, some of whom can't even hold a mouse. And all of these scores are averaged into the school score. The school with the GATE magnet program? Scores are averaged in. So 1/3 of all of the 3rd graders are GATE kids taken from ALL the schools in the district. That artificially inflates their scores.
There's a difference between "holding your kids back" by having them in a dismally failing school, and keeping your kid at a neighborhood school that is JUST FINE. I don't know what the heck these rich white kids are going to do when they get to middle school and they are the minority.
I was having a conversation with one of the 5th grade teachers (that I hope my son gets) next year, and she said it's sad how many students are "done" in 5th grade. They've check out. Completely. At age 10. Why? I wish I knew the answer to that.