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is a
charter
school
right for my child? by valerie comeaux, phd s chool choice. two words brought up frequently in louisiana among politicians in discussions about how to improve our state?s educational system. they are also two words that arouse curiosity in parents when considering decisions for their families. but what does ?school choice? really mean? many may think of school vouchers, magnet programs, homeschooling, and private schools
when considering educational options. east baton rouge parish has, for the last decade, offered parents another option: charter schools. while most are familiar with the traditional public school?the ones students attend based on residence?confusion remains about how a charter school is different from a neighborhood school, and what the pros and cons are of our area?s current charter schools. we wanted to shed some light on this o?- misunderstood choice. what is a charter school anyway? about 20 percent of the east baton rouge public school system?s 42,000 enrolled students choose to attend a magnet program or a charter school as opposed to the traditional public school. charter schools are public schools, which means students attend them free of tuition, but they operate independently of the parish school system. instead, a non-profit board which represents a corporation or some other entity, enters into a contract?or charter?with the state. since charter schools are publically funded, louisiana has laws providing for the minimum requirements a proposed charter school must meet before being approved for operation. the louisiana department of education defines any charter school functioning in this state as an independent public school that provides a program of elementary and/or secondary education to provide a learning environment that will improve pupil achievement. pros choice. according to the louisiana association of public charter schools (lapcs), more than 78,000 students attend 147 charter schools in 25 parishes across louisiana for the current 2017-2018 school year. east baton rouge parish school system prides itself on allowing parents to select where their child attends instead of being assigned a school based on where they live. and since they are funded by state and local taxes, charter schools are considered public schools and cost nothing to attend. flexibility. at their core, every charter school is created to serve as an innovative and independent public school for the students in louisiana. charter schools are largely free to decide their own curriculum, teaching materials, 4 8 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 8
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