Charter Schools Benefit Students and Society

• Most charter schools are full of poor children, minorities, and ex-drop outs; these students are typically underserved in regular schools. Being in charter schools allows them the specialized education they deserve (Finn, 2006).

• Charter schools differ greatly in their rigorousness and programs. Although some tests show that charter schools perform below public schools, many perform substantially higher. It is unfair to group academically rigorous charter schools with charter schools with very low standards (Finn, 2006).

• Statistics about the performance level of students at charter schools are unfair because they are one time snapshots of performance based on National Assessment of Educational Progress tests but they don’t show how far students have come. Even though a students score may be lower than average, it could be a dramatic improvement from when they first started at the school (Finn, 2006).

• There is currently about $200 million available to states to fund charter schools (Richard, 2004).

• A new bill allocates $56 million to help charter schools pay for classroom space. States apply for the aid and then give it to charter schools so they can apply it to rent, leases, or purchase of new school buildings (Richard, 2004).

• Because charter schools are held to the standards of parents, parents must be more involved. Having more control over how schools are run is good for children because having involved parents is crucial to student achievement (Hanushek, 2006).

• Charter schools also are beneficial to a town with public schools because higher performing charter schools put pressure on public schools to increase their effectiveness, as well (Hanushek, 2006).

•  “Approximately 9 in 10 public charter school students are African-American and Latino. Roughly 76 percent of public charter school students are eligible for the Free and Reduced Lunch program.” (Graves, 2007)

• In NYC most students in charter schools outperform students in public schools in their district. According to the State Education Department and the NYC Department of Education charter school students scored eight to twelve points higher on standardized tests than their peers in public schools (Graves, 2007).

• Charter schools are good for educational standards because charter schools are held to higher standards than traditional schools. They are held to higher standards because if they under perform they risk being closed down (Graves, 2007).

• A driving force behind charter schools is the fact that parents want them. Parents have the right to choose what kind of school their child goes to, as long the basic academic standards are met (Glen, 2006).