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Kamaldeep
17 August, 2024
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Charter schools have started to gain attention in today’s education landscape. However, in India, this concept is new. In contrast the concept is pretty common in the United States. Charter schools are basically independently operated. They aim to promote innovation in the public education system and offer alternative learning opportunities. Charter schools are also controversial to a certain extent predominantly due to their independent nature and different instruction modes. In this blog, we have analysed the impact of US charter schools on Public education and how they can be useful in the Indian context.
Charter schools are mainly public-owned schools, established by a charter. They have slightly different rules and regulations than normal government or private schools. They may receive funding from the government but operate independently. Charter schools have different missions, visions, educational policies and curricula. India has made enormous progress in guaranteeing that everyone has access to elementary education, but there are still some serious problems with quality that need attention. If you visit a local government school, you will have a clear understanding of how our public school system is currently experiencing a crisis.
If we talk about a particular day, roughly 30% of teachers are absent, and the majority of those who do show up to work only teach for two hours in the classroom before spending the remainder of the day handling administrative duties. More than half of the students in class 5 are unable to read textbooks from class 2, and more than 75% of them are unable to complete a two-digit multiplication problem.
Background: After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans changed the structure of its public education system, moving mostly toward a charter-based approach. Most of the city’s public schools were taken over by the Recovery School District (RSD), which turned them into charter schools.
Impact on Public Education:
Academic Performance: While conducting the research it produces contradictory findings. In terms of standardised test scores, some charter schools have outperformed regular public schools, while others have not demonstrated appreciable gains.
Equity and Access: Some children, especially those with special needs, have had trouble accessing the right services, raising concerns about equity.
Parental Satisfaction: A large number of parents expressed gratitude for the range of school options made available as well as the apparent improvements done to school safety and culture.
Result: This case study makes it obvious that New Orleans would not exist as the school choice model that it does today without the enormous power vested in the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).
Learning For Indian Schools: The New Orleans case study shows that a proper school structure is a must. A proper foundation helps in managing education also.
Background : With a huge number of charter schools coexisting with regular public schools, New York City has one of the biggest and most varied charter school systems in the US.
Impact on Public Education:
Academic Performance: Overall, comprehensively, Charter schools in New York City are generally more effective in their performance than District schools and they are, for instance, effective in gaining higher standardised examination results. Success Academy that is one of the largest charter networks in the city is often noted to have very high scores on tests.
Funding and Resources: Some of the conversations have surfaced regarding the distribution of resources and the impact on other traditional public schools have been triggered by the co-location of Charter schools in public school facilities.
Student Demographics: This is a concern because it may give the impression that charter schools perform better than regular public schools when in a real sense they don’t enroll as many students with high learning needs.
Learning For Indian Schools: Indian schools can learn meta-analysis from this case study. Indian schools can follow a proper governance structure to enhance the quality of education.
Background : This qualitative study compared the reading proficiency of a randomly selected sample of urban public school academies (charter schools) in Wayne County, Michigan, to that of a randomly selected sample of traditional urban public schools in the same geographic area during the seventh grade. The reading test results from the fall 2012 Michigan Educational Assessment Programme (MEAP), as provided by the Michigan Department of Education, were used in this investigation. Eleven public charter schools were chosen, accounting for 15% of all public charters serving middle school-aged students in Wayne County.
Impact on Public Education:
Academic Performance: Generally, there is performance differentiation among charter schools in Detroit. Some were stated to be even performing better than conventional public schools, although this was not the case with all of the schools.
Financial Strain: This is where the Detroit Public Schools Community District has felt the pressure of chartered schools within the state adding to the problems that it experiences.
Impact on the Community: When public and charter schools compete for students and funding, it creates tension and conflicts, ultimately damaging community relationships and weakening support for education.
Learning For Indian Schools: The Michigan case is mainly on good administration, which contributes to good education performance of children.
Background:
The charter school movement in California is a case study of possibility. It is a group effort to raise charter performance for the benefit of many students, a movement supported by the growth of all kinds of charter schools and the education of our most marginalised students. It’s a story of group courage, where educators and administrators unite to hold one another responsible.
Impact on Public Education:
Academic Performance: In standardised assessments, several LA charter schools have shown excellent academic outcomes, with some even surpassing regular public schools.
Teacher and Union Relations: Tensions between teachers’ unions and charter schools have developed, mostly over benefits, compensation, and working conditions.
Diversity and Inclusion: While LA charter schools have been commended for their creative initiatives, they have also come under fire for their uneven approaches to teaching English language learners and students with disabilities.
Learning For Indian Schools: US charter schools have a strong grasp of students and teachers. They have unique approaches to student regulations in transformative education.
Also Read: US Online Education Market To Reach $144.30 Bn & 87.6 Million Users By 2029
In the US, charter schools have a complex and wide-ranging effect on public education. It is clear from these case studies from New Orleans, New York City, Detroit, and Los Angeles that charter schools can have a major positive impact on student achievement and parental choice. This can also be implemented in India. To guarantee a fair and balanced education system for all children, the debate must consider both the advantages and disadvantages of charter schools.
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