When America first established its independence in 1776, there were no public schools. Parents or private institutions were the primary educators of children. Parents clearly understood that producing educated offspring was entirely up to them.
As the public school paradigm became more and more common in the 1800’s, the educational goals of parents and public schools generally coincided. This was so true that, over time, parents gradually relinquished responsibility for their children’s education to the government.
However, as the moral, cultural, and philosophical fiber of America continued to diverge from a general norm, some parents became concerned that the public school’s educational goals did not align with their own. Unfortunately, many concerned parents could not afford to send their children to private schools that they approved of. As a result, America’s homeschool movement rapidly grew in the latter half of the 20th century.
The government became more and more concerned as parents, teachers, and students grew increasingly dissatisfied with the public school system. They sought to introduce an alternative public education system that would allow innovations in educational approaches, emphases, and goals; an approach that would satisfy teacher, parent, and student desires and would also challenge the established public school system, pushing it to new levels of performance. Thus the charter school system was adopted in the 1990’s.
Suddenly, anyone could start a public school. Well-intentioned parents and teachers could join forces to create charters that addressed the shortcomings they had long lamented in the conventional public school system.
Although most charter schools continued to function within the established paradigm of classroom instruction, some charter state laws permitted independent study programs (ISP’s): public school in the comfort of one’s own home. Parents often ended up functioning as the primary educators of their children, but credentialed teachers still oversaw student performance.
In states such as California that permitted independent study charters, traditional homeschool parents began to conceive of an unprecedented opportunity: they could continue to homeschool as they always had but with the benefit of the use of public funds. Curriculum, private classes, and field trips could all be paid for by the government. Why not benefit from the taxes one paid into the education system?
Unfortunately, it wasn’t just homeschool parents who thought to take advantage of this opportunity. Since anyone could start a charter, ambitious individuals jumped on the bandwagon because they foresaw numerous ways to legally siphon millions of education dollars into their pockets. Why not open a charter that would hire vendors owned by the creative entrepreneur? Or how about having the charter school lease property the entrepreneur owned? Because of convoluted charter laws and the infrastructure of how charter schools are run, enterprising entrepreneurs found and continue to find unprecedented opportunities to benefit monetarily from the charter system. The sky is the limit for the creative entrepreneur.
Tragically, well-meaning individuals often started charters only to unwittingly partner with these sheep-in-wolves-clothing, who had their own agenda for supporting the school.
Based on the current situation with charter schools, can any of the vast number of charter schools opening around the country be trusted? The reality is that many of the top performing schools in the country are charter schools. Does their performance prove that their educational intentions are pure? Not necessarily. Charters get paid based on enrollment; the higher the enrollment, the more money they receive from the government. The reality is that if an individual(s) or corporation is heavily benefiting financially from a given charter, it is in their best interest to have the charter succeed academically; long-term success increases student enrollment which increases financial benefit to the one who is profiting. And isn’t that just capitalism at its best — thoroughly satisfy one’s customers while making a killing?
The greater risk to unsuspecting students who are enrolled in a specific charter and to unsuspecting teachers who have been hired by the same charter comes from entrepreneurs who follow a different approach: start a charter, boost enrollment as quickly as possible, and make a financial killing before the school is audited. Charters are audited every few years. If they are falling short in some unforgivable way, they will eventually be shut down. However, get-rich-quick entrepreneurs can still make their money and move on. Often they move on to start or fund other corrupt charters!
Homeschool parents looking to enroll their children in a charter or teachers looking to be hired by a charter could unwittingly get lassoed in by one of these short-term charters that is destined to fail. How can they protect themselves from this risk? Although there is no bullet-proof way to ensure they will not become victims, there are some red flags they can look for to reduce their risk.
Does the school strongly encourage standardized testing? Charter schools are public schools. Public schools are required to administer standardized testing. Although certain states such as California have opt-out options for parents who simply refuse to have their children tested, teachers and administrators are expected to discourage the practice of opting out. Believe it or not, standardized tests are not intended to pinpoint failing students; they are intended to pinpoint failing schools. How else can a remote, impersonal “parent” like the government expect to determine if it is throwing funds at schools that are failing to educate its citizens?
Thus, if parents hear of an independent charter school that is wishy-washy about requiring standardized testing, that’s a red flag that some person(s) in charge of the school couldn’t care less about establishing a school that will stand the test of time. Something is wrong. No well-intentioned charter would risk its standing with the state and federal governments by taking standardized testing lightly.
Is the school strict about curriculum vendors, ensuring that no members are using school funds to purchase curriculum that promotes a particular religious worldview? Public schools are not permitted to use religious curriculum. Thus, if a particular school has a reputation for funding the purchase of such products, something is wrong.
How long has the charter been around? If the charter fits into the get-rich-quick scheme, it probably will not last long. Unfortunately, this obviously isn’t necessarily a good way to gauge a school’s intentions. Every school has to have a starting point. But when combined with one or both of the above points, it is an even greater red flag that something is likely wrong with the school.
The reality is that homeschool parents want freedom and flexibility in their schooling. The reality is also that, by definition, public schools limit certain freedoms. A reputable charter knows that it’s under the microscope, and it will do its best to cross its t’s and dot its i’s. This attention to the finer points of the law will likely annoy a homeschool parent who is used to the freedoms of a private homeschool program. But in this case, one can’t have it both ways. If a parent chooses to enroll their children in a charter school, they must also accept the limitations and requirements imposed by a responsible charter. Unfortunately, when it comes to homeschooling through a charter school, responsible individuals can’t have their cake and eat it too.