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I’m baffled by this. My wife worked at a charter school and it was nothing like this. The teachers were constantly trying to get certain kids out of their class

by et1337 2y ago

I’m baffled by this. My wife worked at a charter school and it was nothing like this. The teachers were constantly trying to get certain kids out of their classroom who were actively threatening staff and other students, and the administration would never do anything. The assumption being that losing a kid would hurt numbers and impact funding.

Glyptodon 2y ago
Your wife needed to know how to demand special ed evaluations most likely (or get the parents to), since that would create costs and cause action. What you're reporting is typical for a profit driven charter that doesn't have much pressure to show high academic performance and is driven by profit motive. Keeping the kids in the seats keeps money coming in. Probably didn't have much of a wait-list to give them more discretion with behavioral bouncing.
- robertlagrant 2y ago
  Don't state schools also get money per-child in the US? They do in the UK.
  - giantg2 2y ago
    Funding varies by locality, but yes, the public schools get funding from the federal government, the state government, and the local government. Most local funding is provided by property taxes, which can vary by local housing valuations. Most state funding programs try to allocate funds to equalize the per student funding across the state to help correct the discrepancy by locality. Federal funds are usually grant related, but oftentimes those grants are need-based or targeted to higher needs groups (% on IEP).
- et1337 2y ago
  Half of her kids had special education needs. You “demand special ed evaluations” and the result is, the kid comes back to your class with an IEP and congratulations, you now have to create an alternate version of each lesson plan. The parent comment captures the education system’s attitude toward teachers perfectly. The problem is always due to a shortcoming of the teacher, and the solution is always the responsibility of the teacher.
  - Glyptodon 2y ago
    TBH that sounds a lot more similar to the average public than most charters I've heard employees discuss. Do you have pull out programs, self contained classrooms, etc.? How common is it to have manifestation hearings for the kids your wife thinks are risky in the classroom?
    - et1337 2y ago
      I’m realizing the term “charter school” is probably overloaded. The charter school my wife taught at (in CA) had to prove itself to the district and fight for public dollars, hence the inability to lose any kids (and dollars). The charter school I went to years ago sounds more like the kind you’re talking about. Basically a private school that received no public funding.
      - Glyptodon 2y ago
        Huh, I've never heard of a charter model where the local district had any oversight. To me a charter is just a school that is privately run, usually for either ideological or profit motives, or both, that parents can choose to send their kids to instead of a public school, and which gets money from the state, usually a bit less than a public school would, for each attending child. In turn, the charter school is usually subject to different and less stringent oversight and standards than the public school. Unlike publics, usually charters do not have to accept mid-term enrollment and parents have to figure out transportation. In demand charters can cap their enrollment and use a lottery for admissions.
        et1337 2y ago
        Okay, I think that probably describes the charter school my wife taught at, though it was not run for ideological or profit motives, it was inner-city. The key though is this point: > gets money from the state, usually a bit less than a public school would, for each attending child So the charter is under the same pressure as the public school since compensation is directly tied to headcount, the top priority is keeping kids or you won’t survive. I’m not sure how the schools you’re mentioning are able to push kids out and not lose money. Maybe they’re just in affluent areas. All that to say, I’m not a huge fan of charter schools but I doubt they’re the source of our problem.

by et1337 2y ago

Glyptodon 2y ago

Your wife needed to know how to demand special ed evaluations most likely (or get the parents to), since that would create costs and cause action. What you're reporting is typical for a profit driven charter that doesn't have much pressure to show high academic performance and is driven by profit motive. Keeping the kids in the seats keeps money coming in. Probably didn't have much of a wait-list to give them more discretion with behavioral bouncing.

robertlagrant 2y ago
Don't state schools also get money per-child in the US? They do in the UK.
- giantg2 2y ago
  Funding varies by locality, but yes, the public schools get funding from the federal government, the state government, and the local government. Most local funding is provided by property taxes, which can vary by local housing valuations. Most state funding programs try to allocate funds to equalize the per student funding across the state to help correct the discrepancy by locality. Federal funds are usually grant related, but oftentimes those grants are need-based or targeted to higher needs groups (% on IEP).
et1337 2y ago
Half of her kids had special education needs. You “demand special ed evaluations” and the result is, the kid comes back to your class with an IEP and congratulations, you now have to create an alternate version of each lesson plan. The parent comment captures the education system’s attitude toward teachers perfectly. The problem is always due to a shortcoming of the teacher, and the solution is always the responsibility of the teacher.
- Glyptodon 2y ago
  TBH that sounds a lot more similar to the average public than most charters I've heard employees discuss. Do you have pull out programs, self contained classrooms, etc.? How common is it to have manifestation hearings for the kids your wife thinks are risky in the classroom?
  - et1337 2y ago
    I’m realizing the term “charter school” is probably overloaded. The charter school my wife taught at (in CA) had to prove itself to the district and fight for public dollars, hence the inability to lose any kids (and dollars). The charter school I went to years ago sounds more like the kind you’re talking about. Basically a private school that received no public funding.
    - Glyptodon 2y ago
      Huh, I've never heard of a charter model where the local district had any oversight. To me a charter is just a school that is privately run, usually for either ideological or profit motives, or both, that parents can choose to send their kids to instead of a public school, and which gets money from the state, usually a bit less than a public school would, for each attending child. In turn, the charter school is usually subject to different and less stringent oversight and standards than the public school. Unlike publics, usually charters do not have to accept mid-term enrollment and parents have to figure out transportation. In demand charters can cap their enrollment and use a lottery for admissions.
      - et1337 2y ago
        Okay, I think that probably describes the charter school my wife taught at, though it was not run for ideological or profit motives, it was inner-city. The key though is this point: > gets money from the state, usually a bit less than a public school would, for each attending child So the charter is under the same pressure as the public school since compensation is directly tied to headcount, the top priority is keeping kids or you won’t survive. I’m not sure how the schools you’re mentioning are able to push kids out and not lose money. Maybe they’re just in affluent areas. All that to say, I’m not a huge fan of charter schools but I doubt they’re the source of our problem.