Charters in the News

Are they answer to political bias in schools? Or are they just a different flavor for education?

We learned from The New York Times this week that Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian school in Michigan, is going all-in creating charter schools in public school districts around the country. Tennessee has contracted with them in creating 50 schools across the state, using public money to do so, so that the state can fight perceived liberal bias, “progressive” curricula and “leftist academics.”

On the flip side, the North Carolina Board of Education shut down a charter school in Raleigh because it posed an “immediate threat,” engaged in “egregious misconduct,” suffered from a “complete lack of oversight” and a “complete abdication of its responsibility.” In addition, the state board cited poor student performance, violations of federal and state laws, and violations of the school’s own charter.

Here’s what you can do: 

Perform a Google search “Do charter schools perform better than public schools?”

If you look at the studies that pop up, you’ll get a sense of how complicated that question is. In some cases, students at charter schools have started to do better than their other public-school peers. (Keep in mind that charter schools are public schools, but they often operate under a different set of rules.)

But is that just a factor borne from parents who are engaged enough in their children’s education to choose a charter school? Or is it tied to the rules and regulations that charter schools do or don’t have to follow in the same way as regular public schools?

Here’s a good interactive guide to school choice laws in the U.S. by state.

What are the laws in your state? How do charter schools operate differently than other public schools? Do they pay the teachers the same? Are the lessons that much different? Can charter schools advocate for a particular religion? Are we headed to a place in the U.S. where students at one type of school have a totally different view of the world and of truth than students at another type of school? Is that good for our democratic republic?

But data isn’t where this story’s heart is, though it is important. If you’re in a charter school, visit a regular public school to tell the stories of the people who work and study there. If you’re in a regular public school to do the same.

Check in with a faculty member at a school of education at a local university to see how they might be able to add context to the data you’ll find in studies.

Spring Religious Holidays

Ramadan, Easter and Passover weekends allow journalists a chance to highlight diversity

April is the time that at least three of the world’s major religions celebrate holidays central to their faiths:

• We’re in the middle Ramadan, which began April 2 and ends May 2. Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sex during daylight hours as a means to focus on spiritual reflection and growth.
• Passover, the Jewish celebration that commemorates their escape from Egyptian slavery, begins with a seder this Friday, April 15 and another on Saturday, April 16. The holiday ends April 23 in most of the world, and on April 22 in Israel.
• Christians celebrate Easter, the culmination of a six-week period in which Christians prepare to celebrate the resurrection of their savior, Jesus Christ, and the promise of eternal life in heaven.

Here’s what you can do: 

Of course, any explanation of other faiths requires a lot of careful homework. If you choose to give an overview of each religion, double-check with an expert on that religion to make sure you have the details correct. Tell stories about the human side of fasting, of release from slavery, of the celebration of eternal life and what all of those means to the followers of that religion.

Has anyone done a survey of religious beliefs in your school? How diverse are you according to faith — or non-faith? How many believers are there in the three major religions?