by Blake Herzog
Arizona has one of the most active charter school communities in the nation with more than 500 schools, which creates an exciting and sometimes bewildering range of options for parents and students.
Western Pinal County has 11 charter schools, and there are dozens more in the Phoenix metro area that could be accessible, depending on available transportation.
Several factors need to be taken into consideration because the charter school movement is not about one-size-fits-all. It’s predicated on individual choice and has advantages and disadvantages that every student and family need to consider:
- Charter schools offer different choices for instruction — Many were founded to provide a more “traditional” curriculum and structure, but check whether their definition aligns with your own.
Others offer newer, less-tested methods that could work wonders with your child but may seem like more of a risk.
- Many offer specialized programs — Charter schools can choose to focus on areas like agriculture, aviation, the arts — you get the idea. When the focus matches your child’s interests and vision it can be an incredible opportunity.
- Class sizes are often smaller — This is one way many charters differentiate themselves from what traditional district schools can offer. They draw students who struggle without more individualized attention from teachers but may cap enrollment to make that possible.
- Resources may be limited — Charter schools don’t get the same amount of funding as district schools, so they may not offer the same level of transportation, counselors, extracurricular activities and other features.
- Admission isn’t guaranteed — Schools that get more applicants than they can accommodate use a lottery system to determine which students can enroll, so trying to get into one that’s in high demand can be frustrating and make planning ahead a little more difficult.
Charters are only as good as their instructors, staff and fiscal management, so you’ll need to investigate to ensure they’re as rigorous and stable as your child needs them to be.
The ways you can do this include:
- Research — Like all other research these days this will begin online as you browse the schools’ websites to learn about their educational mission, philosophy, curriculum and activities, as well as state-level standardized test scores and ratings on the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools’ website, asbcs.my.site.com.
Knowing what the schools’ staffing, class sizes, culture and priorities are to allow your student to thrive are at least as important as test scores.
- Center your child’s needs — Talk with your children, and consider what past teachers have told you about the learning environment that suits them best and the subjects they are most excited and passionate about, including extracurricular activities.
Do they work best in smaller classes with more one-on-one time or bigger classes with more diversity and opportunity to work with their peers?
- Visit the campus — Visit the school if possible, and bring your child if she or he is available. You should be able to talk to administrators and teachers, ask any questions you have and tour the facilities.
You don’t want to disrupt classes while doing this, but if the staff you talk to is too guarded that could be a red flag.
- Talk to other parents — This can be done online to a certain degree but you may run into quite a few “keyboard warriors” who end up funneling their outrage at the school administrators and teachers. Try to engage with some who post little or nothing online to get their perspective.
