5 comments:

• Patrick W Maple posted at 7:23 pm on Thu, Aug 19, 2010.

  Posts: 1795

  What Mr Reid fails to mention is that most of the kids who attend charter schools...are in general the most academically gifted and motivated. That necessarily skews test scores. Further, private schools have a leg up on public schools because the kids have to perform/conform or they are tossed out. Not so in public schools...they are obligated by law to educate a child until they are 18...even if they are in jail. Sometimes numbers aren't so simple. It is interesting too, that when teachers can work "outside the box" there seems to be more interest from the students, no matter what the setting is. This type of thinking goes back to the Board and administration. Not all catepillars need to wear the same size shoes.

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• Darrell Baumbach posted at 1:44 pm on Thu, Aug 19, 2010.

  Posts: 9403

  Many teachers prefer to teach at charter schools as this kind of school need not follow state guidelines as the public schools do.

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• Darrell Baumbach posted at 1:41 pm on Thu, Aug 19, 2010.

  Posts: 9403

  By Keith Reid, The Record, Stockton, Calif.

  Feb. 21--LODI - Three charter schools sponsored by Lodi Unified School District are excelling on state tests while regular district schools are scrambling to raise standardized test scores amid added pressure to improve in English and language arts.

  The charter schools - University Public School, River Oaks and Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy - have met their growth targets, overshadowing Lodi Unified schools by nearly 100 points. Their average Academic Performance Index in 2005 was 788, with University Public at 844, River Oaks at 770 and Benjamin Holt at 751, according to the California Department of Education.

  Those scores tell a different story from Lodi Unified's 47 regular schools, which have an overall average API of 688, with a high school average of 694. The general goal for all state schools is 800.

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• Patrick W Maple posted at 12:22 pm on Thu, Aug 19, 2010.

  Posts: 1795

  Even after the school opens the District will still have some oversight and a lot of responsibility to the students. I don't believe that charter schools are much better than public schools (in some cases worse), even test scores show that. However, in this case they are offering something that is being cut from schools. So, why not? As long as the school serves ALL those who wish to attend and as long as the core academics are rigorous (as all curriculums should be), and they can demonstrate success in all the areas of academia, more power to them. Let's not forget either, that most teachers are just as dedicated and work just as hard to teach the core subjects to our students as those who work in independent settings.

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• Darrell Baumbach posted at 8:39 am on Thu, Aug 19, 2010.

  Posts: 9403

  Trustees make the ultimate determination whether a charter school can open within the district, and must do so within 60 days, according to state education law.

  It is a shame that the public school system has control of this. Charter schools are less expensive and provide more opportunity of educational diversity. An analogy might be: Maybe Berger King should be in charge of deciding if McDonalds can open shop next door to them.
  

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