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The Impact of Local Charter Schools
Education Feb 24, 2017
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– Courtesy photo
By Mary McNulty
With the Vice President Mike Pence casting the deciding vote, Betsy DeVos was recently confirmed as President Trump’s Secretary of Education. One of the challenges the nominee faced is her outspoken support for charter schools.
The local school districts in and around Pasadena have a number of approved charter schools serving an ethnically diverse population. Parents and students have the ability to choose a school that covers Elementary or High school.
Charter Schools Are Often Small With Low Student Teacher Ratios
One of the advantages to many local charter schools is the size and the student/teacher ratio. A great example is Rosebud Academy located in the Pasadena Unified School District. Working with kindergarten through grade 8, the student population is less than 200. The student teacher ratio is low at 1 to 14 and the academic achievements are high.
Academics are the primary focus. The mission of the Rosebud Academy is to create critical thinkers.
“Getting students to become critical thinkers involves strengthening the four language skills: reading comprehension, writing, listening, and speaking.”
Parents approve of the family oriented nature of the school and firmly believe it has contributed to its success. One parent commented-
Love this school! It’s not only an institution of academic excellence, but it’s also well organized and family oriented. Just as I was beginning to worry that the academic expectations might be too demanding for my kindergarten child, she exceeded my expectation with the help of Rosebud’s organized curriculum and caring teachers. I am very thankful that our family is a part of this academic community.
Charter Schools Can Provide an Alternative for Those Having Difficulty
Face it, many students have difficulty performing well in the traditional school environment. Charter schools can fill the gap. An excellent example is Learning Works. The school’s population is 90% low income and school scores fall well below the average—Science at 5% vs 50% statewide-English 7% vs 48% statewide and even worse Math at 0% vs 37% statewide.
In addition, the school faces the challenge of inexperienced teachers. Roughly a third of the teachers have less than three years in the classroom. Statewide the average is just 9%. The good news is the number of counselors far exceeds the state average. There are 188 students per Counselor. At the state level, the number is an unbelievable 830 students.
According the website,
The mission of the Learning Works Charter School (LW) is to provide a personalized, rigorous academic program and relevant life skills to traditionally under-served students in grades 7-12. Our students are not “at-risk”, but rather “in-crisis”; many have been through the legal system, have dropped out at some point, are living in poverty, have children, or are any combination of these.
Parent reviews tend to support the school and the ability to help those who desire a second opportunity. One parent commented with her family’s success story below:
I believe Learning Works is a great program for those kids that cannot attend regular school and are dropouts. The people there especially the founder makes these kids feel important and it give them a second chance. I sent my step son there after he came to live with us at the age of 19 hadn’t finish even ninth grade within one year he received all his credits and graduated.
Charter Schools Operate at Both Ends of the Academic Spectrum
Charter schools provide the educational resources necessary for the star student or those who have fallen behind academically. It is important to do the proper research.
Insure the school still has a valid charter. Many have been revoked or are under investigation.
Verify the school offers the proper resources—English learners etc.
Get involved- charter school often offer an opportunity for increased family input.
