Who and why protesting charter schools? (Chicago, Cherry: neighborhood, elementary schools, tax)

[chicagobear]

Well, maybe I am confusing the magnet and charter schools. I don't have children, but based on what I've seen, a lot of white people will only stay in the city if they can get their children into the magnet schools (unless they are Catholic in which case they don't care).

[treemoni]

Yeah, magnets are different than charters. Magnets are still CPS schools.

I also think opening these charters is a way to bust the union. So it's a win-win for the politically connected and the mayor.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by Larry Siegel

I still think that increasing competition in the school system is likely to produce improvements.

No. For starters, more than 75% of parents aren't "shopping" for schools at all, they just go to whatever school is closest. The parents who are putting time and research into choosing a school already have a lot of options (at the elementary level at least). CPS allows all neighborhood schools to accept students from outside their attendance boundaries, as long as they have the space available. Magnets, cluster magnets, and SEES schools obviously accept kids from all over the place.

The worst part about it being a "competition" is that the real competition is between schools for the best students. That just clusters the under-performing students in failing schools, which does nothing to produce improvements. You just end up exacerbating an existing problems - the kids who need the most help end up in the worst schools.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by chicagobear

I've always assumed that the purpose of these schools was to create majority white schools so white families would stay in the city rather than move to the suburbs.

Nope. Npnparents.org is the most active discussion board about schools, and the membership is primarily upper middle class and white. There is absolutely zero discussion of charter schools on that site. There are a few dozen schools that are frequently brought up, and they're all neighborhood, magnet, or SEES schools. Magnets and SEES schools have policies in place geared towards having a socio-economic mix of students (the tier system) which effectively creates a racial and ethnic mix as well. There are very few schools in CPS that are majority white, and that's basically due to attendance boundaries. There's no way for parents to create a majority anything school without changing the makeup of families in the attendance boundaries.

Many white parents do choose magnets because they have some semblance of balance. Even in predominantly white neighborhoods like Andersonville, Bucktown, and Wicker Park there are neighborhood schools that are 80-90% Hispanic, with a strong focus on ESL.

[bobisinthehouse]

I read an article that said that Bell School K-8 was the best school in the city, but I also read that every home in that area is worth around 475,000. The homes are all old ones. Then you have homes in Lincoln Park area the are up in the 900,000 and more range and the schools don't perform as well. go figure.

[LittleMartha]

Originally Posted by treemoni

Charters hire young "teachers" with very little experience in the classroom, and they have young people in positions that would otherwise take an educator years of experience and education to attain. Those who don't quite realize how bad they are will understand in time.

CPS schools also hire teachers with very little classroom experience. The teachers studied at traditional universities, but are also from programs such as Teach for America and Chicago Teaching Fellows.

[jman07]

It is without a doubt a Union thing. You don't see this much protesting in areas with a smaller union presence. The Teachers Union is freaking out because charters aren't unionized, and this is a threat to their union and union jobs. Why is Gods name else would teachers be outside protesting opening schools?

And charter schools DO outperform public schools when you look at students who went to public schools who are then put in charter schools. Many charter opponents try to reference bogus studies, where when you read the fine print and analyze them, they don't prove anything. Example: They will just compare overall charter performance vs public school performance, but this is irrelevant if the public schools compared to already have stellar or at least better students. Whats relevant is directly comparing individual student performance before and after charter school enrollment.

A big issue I have is taking away the public's freedom of choice. If you truly think charters are inferior, then find, put your kids in a CPS school, if not, then don't try to tell others how to educate their own kids. I've never seem people so passionate about telling people how to educate their own kids until it involves unions. Definitely a union propaganda thing.

[jman07]

Originally Posted by Attrill

No. For starters, more than 75% of parents aren't "shopping" for schools at all, they just go to whatever school is closest. The parents who are putting time and research into choosing a school already have a lot of options (at the elementary level at least). CPS allows all neighborhood schools to accept students from outside their attendance boundaries, as long as they have the space available. Magnets, cluster magnets, and SEES schools obviously accept kids from all over the place.

The worst part about it being a "competition" is that the real competition is between schools for the best students. That just clusters the under-performing students in failing schools, which does nothing to produce improvements. You just end up exacerbating an existing problems - the kids who need the most help end up in the worst schools.

So you know better than other peoples kids own parents???? Who are you and who made you the decider of what is better for other peoples kids? Most importantly, why do you care so much??? HMMMM. Maybe you have an alternative agenda or group to defend. Maybe the CTU??

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by jman07

So you know better than other peoples kids own parents???? Who are you and who made you the decider of what is better for other peoples kids? Most importantly, why do you care so much??? HMMMM. Maybe you have an alternative agenda or group to defend. Maybe the CTU??

It sounds like you're pretty thick on propaganda yourself, with all the anti-union stuff. Parents of children in CPS are also outraged that there schools are being de-funded to support the charter schools

All charter schools do is siphon off better students form the lesser ones, leaving neighborhood schools that are in more dire need and now have less funding.

[jman07]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

It sounds like you're pretty thick on propaganda yourself, with all the anti-union stuff. Parents of children in CPS are also outraged that there schools are being de-funded to support the charter schools

All charter schools do is siphon off better students form the lesser ones, leaving neighborhood schools that are in more dire need and now have less funding.

What anti union stuff? Don't be so dramatic. The poster asked why they were protesting so much because it seems odd. I gave the answer. Charter schools are perceived as a threat and embarrassment to the teaches union, and that is the true reason for the over the top protesting and anti charter propaganda campaign.