Are Charter Schools Private or Public?
When it comes to your child's education, it is important to know the options available to you within your community. Enrollment in charter schools is on the rise and learning more about them can help decide which school fits your needs the best. Let’s break down what charter schools are if they fall into the private or public category, and how they benefit the community.
Charter Schools: Private or Public?
One of the biggest questions parents and potential students have about charter schools is whether they are categorized as private or public institutions. Although charter schools have been around since 1999, they are still relatively new compared to the public and private forms of education that most people are accustomed to. Therefore, some people may not know what charter schools are or how they function within our communities.
Being a charter school ourselves, Clackamas Middle College is here to help answer those questions and shed some light on what sending your child to a charter school looks like. From how charter schools are built, to the benefits they bring to a community, it’s important to understand the educational choices available to you and your family so you can pick the best path for student success!
Charter School 101
Let’s start with the basics. Simply put, charter schools are neither public nor private but fall within their own category. Like public schools, charter schools operate through state-funded dollars. Meaning you don’t have to pay tuition as you would in a private institution. Unlike public schools, however, charter schools are run autonomously. This means that they have greater flexibility to create curriculum, guidelines, staffing ratios, and make other decisions that uniquely fit their students’ needs instead of following regulations set by the public school districts.
Charter schools are named as such because they are funded through “charters” or agreements that are created between the school and the local government. The state sets certain rules and student performance standards that charter schools must adhere to. Other than that, charter schools are able to tailor everything from their classrooms to their schedules to match their particular educational focus. In this way, each charter school is entirely unique.
How Charter Schools Benefit Our Communities
Charter schools fill a need in our communities for an alternative approach to education. Charter schools began to give students and parents more choice in the educational options they had. Before the advent of charters, students either went to the public school in their district or had to pay thousands of dollars for a private institution (if one was available). What did you do if none of these options worked for your child or your family?
Although private schools are great for some, others are not able to afford such high tuition fees or are looking for a new approach to education altogether. Charter schools bridge that gap, helping to educate students through innovative learning styles that are not found in traditional school settings with the goal of improving academic performance and decreasing academic disparities between groups of students. Today, there are over 7,800 charter schools in the United States, with the number growing every year.
Life at Clackamas Middle College
At Clackamas Middle College our mission is the prepare students for college and life beyond. To do this, we developed five unique academic programs centered on college and career readiness. These programs encourage our group of students to be independent learners, critical thinkers, and high achievers.
When you apply to CMC, you are matched with the program that fits you best and given the chance to alter that schedule based on academic performance, educational goals, and teacher evaluation. As a charter school, we have the freedom to let students take control of their learning, encouraging participation in every aspect of their education with flexible instruction.
Although it works for some, one-size-fits-all education doesn’t benefit everyone. From classes to college guidance, students deserve to have programs that match their academic goals. Charter schools offer families that choice and so much more.
-
Ready to find out if CMC is the charter school for you? To request more information on enrollment requirements and how to apply, please visit the Clackamas Middle College website!