W. Patric Gregory on the Benefits of Charter Education

There are more than 6,900 charter institutions encompassing 3.1 million students. In fact, charter schools -- the first of which was founded in 1991 -- have tripled in the past ten years and claim about 6% of the nation’s student population.

The rapid growth is testament to the power and popularity of charter schools, but it can be argued that adoption should be even more rapid. That’s because, of all the educational formats – from online to conventional brick and mortar – charter schools present advantages that, if understood and appreciated, would likely create an even broader groundswell of support.
Here are five of those advantages, which singly or collectively may make a compelling case for your child:

Freedom to choose
Too many students live in areas with substandard public schools, and for many if not most of them, private school is not an option. Charter schools fill the gap. They provide the opportunity for academic choice and rigor, without the prohibitive price tag. With charter schools as an option, parents no longer need to settle for schools that are financially unstable and academically deficient.

Personalization
The freedom to choose also extends to students once they’ve joined a charter school. Because many of these schools specialize in particular fields, such as science and technology or performing arts, charter students can often tailor their curriculum to their specific interests. That improves the odds of academic success because, with this personalization, they tend to be more invested in their education. Unlike conventional public schools, some charter schools even allow students to choose a major, thereby giving them greater opportunity to align their studies with their inclinations and aspirations.

Diversity
While public schools reflect the ethnic composition of only their immediate surroundings, charter schools foster inclusion by representing student populations across a broader geographic area. In fact, charter schools are on average much more integrated than public schools and typically exhibit some of the most racially and financially diverse student populations in the country.
In large measure, this is because charter schools are overrepresented in urban centers where the student population is majority African-American and Hispanic and is more likely to be economically disadvantaged. A 2011-2012 study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education found that charter schools include more African-American and Hispanic students than most traditional public schools.

Increased attention
Because charter schools have smaller class sizes than traditional public schools, they typically are synonymous with increased one-on-one interaction between students and teachers. With fewer students to focus on, teachers are able to adapt their lessons to meet each student’s individual needs and ensure that all students are receiving an equal share of attention.

Independence with accountability
Greater choice and fewer curricular constraints hardly means relaxation of standards. With increased freedom comes corresponding accountability. Charter schools are, after all, public schools and therefore are required to follow most of the same applicable regulations and laws. They also need to establish specific goals for academic achievement, and those that don’t measure up risk losing their charters. In addition, because participation is voluntary, students and their parents can vote with their feet: the free market demands ongoing excellence, or else.

But while charter schools are subject to oversight, which is needed and even welcome, they’re also less likely to become entangled in the red tape that plagues entrenched school systems. This allows them to invest more of their resources and energy in their curricula, their programs and in helping students achieve educational excellence.

Charter schools may not be right for everyone, but when you add it all up – the freedom to choose, a diverse student population, the ability to tailor individual study, one-on-one attention, and independence with oversight – well, maybe they are.

About the Author

W. Patric Gregory is an experienced business professional from Glastonbury, Connecticut. Patric currently serves as the owner and CEO of Highway Safety Corp, a company that has contributed to the highway construction industry for over 40 years. As leader of the company's senior management team, Patric is a seasoned strategist and innovator in his field.

To learn more about W. Patric Gregory, click here.