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I'm not too keen on the idea of not having to buy school supplies. Everything can't be a handout.
I can understand that. I'm not looking for a "handout". Every year we pay a $75 "registration fee" which goes towards trips, supplies, etc. Plus the fund raising, - so it's not like we don't spend money on our school. I simply mentioned it to support my point about Charter schools getting less funding, yet doing More with the little they have. I know not all charter schools are great, but I can't understand why they are demonized when they provide parents and children a better CHOICE! The only issue I have with charters is that, some of them share building space with regular public schools. I have my reasons why I don't think that should happen, but perhaps if they had better funding, they wouldn't need to share a space with other schools. I don't have that issue, my child's school has it's own building, but I can understand why some parents are not happy about it. Other than that though, I am all for Charters! Nobody wants their child in a sh*tty school but not everyone can afford private school...
I can understand that. I'm not looking for a "handout". Every year we pay a $75 "registration fee" which goes towards trips, supplies, etc. Plus the fund raising, - so it's not like we don't spend money on our school. I simply mentioned it to support my point about Charter schools getting less funding, yet doing More with the little they have. I know not all charter schools are great, but I can't understand why they are demonized when they provide parents and children a better CHOICE! The only issue I have with charters is that, some of them share building space with regular public schools. I have my reasons why I don't think that should happen, but perhaps if they had better funding, they wouldn't need to share a space with other schools. I don't have that issue, my child's school has it's own building, but I can understand why some parents are not happy about it. Other than that though, I am all for Charters! Nobody wants their child in a sh*tty school but not everyone can afford private school...
Those same people crying for choice refuse to get involved in their kids zoned school. Every well functioning school system has strong parental involvement especially at home. Sh**** schools wouldn't happen if parents got involved. If they can't afford private, then I shouldn't have to pay for them because they won't get involved.
A lot of people here seem to hate charter schools, but I am soooo grateful that I was able to get my child in one. Living in the south Bronx ALL the public schools in my area have bad ratings. It's the worst district. It's so bad that they actually ended the mandatory rules about attending your zoned school. I believe it is one of the few districts in NYC that allow you to pick any school as opposed to your zoned school. My child attended the zone school for one year and though she was lucky enough to have a great teacher, the school itself was horrible. The PTA meetings were a waste of time and a lot of the kids were getting bullied. As if that wasn't bad enough, I was even there when a TEACHER was fighting a student! Who wants their kid in that environment- The teachers can't even set a good example! Those that complain about money, don't even go there...Charter schools get less funding than regular public schools and you know what? Some actually do more with the little they have. In public school we had a huge list of supplies we had to buy in the beginning of the year plus replenish items, while in my child's school they don't have to bring anything! Not even a pencil lol. We do fund raisers throughout the year to support the school and even do collections for charity. They have macbooks to use on a daily basis, have excellent teachers and staff that know every students name. This is an elementary school and they already learn about and visit colleges! They do independent testing to see how the students are doing compared to other schools nationwide and they always come out on top! I can go on and on about this school, but my point is- If you have a great zone school, congratulations! consider yourself lucky, for the rest of us- We NEED charters to provide better options for our children.
As I said before, you need to get more involved in your neighborhood schools or just move. Charters don't take special ed or discipline problem students which cost a lot more money and they also take private donations, so stop with the "get less money" crap. Why didn't you do fundraising at your zoned school? Do you not realize that the tests they do rank high because they only teach easy-to-teach kids with involved parents??? Talking about college in first grade? Be careful with that because not all kids are going to college and you don't necessarily need college to lead a successful life. Charters sell college excitement usually to parents who never went to college and can be easily mislead into thinking they aren't capable of guiding their childrem. My oldest is graduating from a school with a high drop out rate, but he's still going to college with a pretty good package. My second is in a suburban high school with a good reputation. The academics have been the same. Have some faith in your parenting and pride in where you live. Every community needs a good school and good schools only happen when the community is on board. Taxpayers shouldn't fund your child's private education at an unproven charter school who has no accountability to the taxpayer.
You don't have the right to take away other people's rights. Taxpayers should have a say as to how their public education dollars are spent and the majority of the population support schools that are not run by corrupt city education lifers who care more about their teachers rights and paychecks than actually teaching kids and preparing them for college and the workforce.
Thank god you're not the dictator/emperor of NYC
Seriously?? Charters take public money without having any accountability to you the taxpayer. Charter teachers have less ability to stand up for what's righ tin a charter. No one has the right to take public money, not answer the public, and MAKE a ton of money off of that. Charters may have public relations agents, but it's always proven that they are not as amazing as they advertise themselves to be.
Seriously?? Charters take public money without having any accountability to you the taxpayer. Charter teachers have less ability to stand up for what's righ tin a charter. No one has the right to take public money, not answer the public, and MAKE a ton of money off of that. Charters may have public relations agents, but it's always proven that they are not as amazing as they advertise themselves to be.
Excuse me? You think NYC traditional public schools which still after decades have a 65% graduation rate are "accountable to the taxpayer"???? Pull the other one! You think the NYC Dept. of Education is accountable? Then it should be put in jail by now due to its chronic, scandalous failure to educate more than half the children who pass through it. And dangerous and low-performing traditional schools (among the good traditional ones) that have been limping on for decades - do you think they are "accountable"?
DeBlasio is certainly accountable to Mr. Mulgrew - as shown by the huge lobbying payments to his affiliated organizations.
No-one has the right to "take public money." They are given public money, by those who understand there's more than one way to get a good education. Especially in NYC. Do you count Union pension shortfall millions coughed up by the city to not teach children as "taking money." They certainly aren't accountable - and you get nothing in return.
Charter schools need to be accountable to their students, not to red-herring throwing anti-choice fanatics. Get on with fixing the traditional schools instead of bitching about an alternative that people show they want by having their kids on the wait list.
God, the pompous righteousness. How noble of you to defend our taxes.
Those same people crying for choice refuse to get involved in their kids zoned school. Every well functioning school system has strong parental involvement especially at home. Sh**** schools wouldn't happen if parents got involved. If they can't afford private, then I shouldn't have to pay for them because they won't get involved.
Mostly right, but try getting some of the dumbest parents in the city to get involved. I'm talking about parents who tell off and flip the finger at the principal when they come in asking why their child got in trouble for not doing homework or showing up for class. These are the parents who directly cause their kids to ruin it for everyone in the classroom. Their kids are disruptive and poison the learning atmosphere and there's almost NOTHING YOU CAN DO to get these kids out of the class. You can get involved and have the greatest fundraisers and extra curricular programs started but none of that will stop your kid from ending up at community college because the teacher was too busy yelling and chasing after the bad apples with rotten parents
i worked in both...the charter was a new school, not doe charter, and the space was limited (no gym/auditorium) he had no art/music classes... the Principal was nice, but the there was a push or a style of teaching and curriculum that isn't effective everywhere, yet it was forced and practiced because some places had results with it.
at the doe school there is more freedom for the teacher to use what works for each class and the teacher as well, and no way that a teacher leaves at 2:15 daily...mondays it is PD til 340, tuesdays we stay wil 330 and there after its 225 at earliest.
as a teacher i feel better at the doe school.
like numerous ppl. said both schools have potential to educate your kids, but if you expect them to also discipline and raise your kid......
As I said before, you need to get more involved in your neighborhood schools or just move. Charters don't take special ed or discipline problem students which cost a lot more money and they also take private donations, so stop with the "get less money" crap. Why didn't you do fundraising at your zoned school? Do you not realize that the tests they do rank high because they only teach easy-to-teach kids with involved parents??? Talking about college in first grade? Be careful with that because not all kids are going to college and you don't necessarily need college to lead a successful life. Charters sell college excitement usually to parents who never went to college and can be easily mislead into thinking they aren't capable of guiding their childrem. My oldest is graduating from a school with a high drop out rate, but he's still going to college with a pretty good package. My second is in a suburban high school with a good reputation. The academics have been the same. Have some faith in your parenting and pride in where you live. Every community needs a good school and good schools only happen when the community is on board. Taxpayers shouldn't fund your child's private education at an unproven charter school who has no accountability to the taxpayer.
First of all, with rising rents, it's not so easy to just get up and move. I stumbled upon this website because I've been looking to move for years now. Honestly, even though I'm in the South Bronx, my neighborhood is not too bad. As a single, hard working mother, I got involved in my daughter's school as much as I could, but it was a waste of time. I agree parent involvement is crucial, but the school staff/faculty is the foundation of a great school. If they are not working together, if no one cares, guess what? Nothing is going to change. I was not going to sit around waiting for other people to get it together, when all I wanted was a safe learning environment for my child. That crap about charters only teaching "easy-to-teach kids" is BS and doesn't apply to my daughter's school. There are kids there with learning disabilities as well as behavioral. If your child needs the extra help, guess what? even if they're in kindergarten, they will be left back, not because they are hard to teach, but because they need to be prepared for the next grade instead of falling behind....As far as college, there is nothing wrong with introducing them to something positive at a young age. I come from a family that emphasized the importance of an education, did i listen? No, due to many reasons I only have an associates degree, but I surely wish I was in schools that encouraged higher education at a younger age. The atmosphere is so different from her previous school. I have faith in my parenting, that's what has taken her this far, I like where I live, but I can't force people to care about their community, their kids, or their schools....
I would never send my child to a charter school. I have friends who work there. We all send our kids to private school. If I didn't I would live in a area with good zoned schools.
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