Florida Charter Schools Receive Mixed Reviews
By Mimi Rothschild
Seventy-eight charter schools have closed in Florida between 1996 and 2006. Ronnie Blair of The Tampa Tribune gives charter schools a mixed report for the first ten years charter schools have operated in Florida. Blair writes that “charter schools are public schools funded by taxpayers but operated by private individuals, organizations or other public entities. They are free from government regulations other than testing, health and safety requirements.”
Most charter schools aren’t significantly different than public schools. While on the surface, some charter schools may appear to be successfully educating students, it only seems successful when comparing it to the abysmal public school system. Since charter schools are less regulated than public schools there is more of a chance for mass cheating, like charter schools in Texas, or other disreputable activities.
Blair notes that failing grades and mismanagement of schools were two big reasons why so many charter schools in Florida were shut down. Too many times people with good intentions, but no business-sense or background in education try to save children from public schools by opening up a charter school. In the end, though, some charter schools end up being worse than public schools.
The most effective alternative to the public school system is homeschooling. A charter school that is recognized as being successful still only offers one-size fits all curriculums. Charter school classrooms are just a little less crammed than those of public schools. Homeschools don’t have to deal with any of these problems and homeschooling delivers higher quality educations too. Homeschooling statistics prove that homeschooling is an all around better alternative to public schools than charter schools.
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