On this page:
Do charter schools
handpick its students?
Does my charter
school take away from
yours?
Do charter schools
"cream for the best
students?
Do charter schools
handpick its students?
Does my charter
school take away from
yours?
Do charter schools
"cream for the best
students?
More school myths
Ask Karin about her
presentation on school
mythology
Ask Karin about her
presentation on school
mythology
The Education Choice Expert Myths
Do charter schools handpick its students?
Choosy moms choose charter schools. But do choosy
charter schools choose its students?
Charter schools are becoming increasingly popular with
parents and political leaders. Over the course of two
decades, these innovative public school options have
come to represent the improvement and change America
is seeking for its national education. More kids are
graduating and going to college with the help of charter
schools, some are functional as a tool of closing
achievement gaps, while other charters have different
proven advantages. What’s there not to like?
For one, critics say, charter schools show such promise
and shiny results because they cherry pick their students.
Do they? Of course not! They let my kids in.
All joking aside, charter schools cannot choose their
students by law. Charter schools are public schools and
must follow the same anti discrimination laws as
everyone else.
Charter schools usually admit students using either a
first-come-first-serve policy or lottery system. There may
be a few variances for siblings and children of school
staff, but none of these policies permit enrollment based
on gender, ethnicity, country of origin, or even abilities.
And no, there is no charter school litmus test.
Charter schools admit anyone.
However, there are a fistful of charters that serve unique
purposes that may pre-admit test students.
In Colorado there are more than one hundred and fifty
charter schools and only one charter which may pre-
admission test its incoming students. The charter school’s
name is Stargate.
Stargate is a gifted and talented program which was
founded in 1994 by two educators as a response to the
school district cutting such services from the public
schools. Stargate has served as a brilliant solution for the
school district to retain families who would otherwise
have needed to seek solutions beyond public schools.
But before you break out your label maker, let me tell you
what other demographic Stargate serves. In addition to
the gifted and talented kids, Stargate has a significant
number of students with learning disabilities. You see
what is defined as gifted and talented or special
education (SPED) can overlap. For example, a child with
asperger’s syndrome may have extraordinary talents and
a high IQ. The term Stargate uses is “twice exceptional
students.”
The point is that charter schools are doing well, but not
thanks to an advantage in enrollment policies. Charter
schools do well because they teach their students well.
Period.
So back to charter enrollment policies.
Have I heard of families accepting charter enrollment for
an older child so that a sibling can get in? Yes.
Have I heard of someone seeking employment at a
charter school in effort of assuring enrollment for their
child? Yes.
Have I ever known of a charter school tipping the scales
in favor of a family due to status, bribes, or threats?
Never!
Choosy moms choose charter schools. But do choosy
charter schools choose its students?
Charter schools are becoming increasingly popular with
parents and political leaders. Over the course of two
decades, these innovative public school options have
come to represent the improvement and change America
is seeking for its national education. More kids are
graduating and going to college with the help of charter
schools, some are functional as a tool of closing
achievement gaps, while other charters have different
proven advantages. What’s there not to like?
For one, critics say, charter schools show such promise
and shiny results because they cherry pick their students.
Do they? Of course not! They let my kids in.
All joking aside, charter schools cannot choose their
students by law. Charter schools are public schools and
must follow the same anti discrimination laws as
everyone else.
Charter schools usually admit students using either a
first-come-first-serve policy or lottery system. There may
be a few variances for siblings and children of school
staff, but none of these policies permit enrollment based
on gender, ethnicity, country of origin, or even abilities.
And no, there is no charter school litmus test.
Charter schools admit anyone.
However, there are a fistful of charters that serve unique
purposes that may pre-admit test students.
In Colorado there are more than one hundred and fifty
charter schools and only one charter which may pre-
admission test its incoming students. The charter school’s
name is Stargate.
Stargate is a gifted and talented program which was
founded in 1994 by two educators as a response to the
school district cutting such services from the public
schools. Stargate has served as a brilliant solution for the
school district to retain families who would otherwise
have needed to seek solutions beyond public schools.
But before you break out your label maker, let me tell you
what other demographic Stargate serves. In addition to
the gifted and talented kids, Stargate has a significant
number of students with learning disabilities. You see
what is defined as gifted and talented or special
education (SPED) can overlap. For example, a child with
asperger’s syndrome may have extraordinary talents and
a high IQ. The term Stargate uses is “twice exceptional
students.”
The point is that charter schools are doing well, but not
thanks to an advantage in enrollment policies. Charter
schools do well because they teach their students well.
Period.
So back to charter enrollment policies.
Have I heard of families accepting charter enrollment for
an older child so that a sibling can get in? Yes.
Have I heard of someone seeking employment at a
charter school in effort of assuring enrollment for their
child? Yes.
Have I ever known of a charter school tipping the scales
in favor of a family due to status, bribes, or threats?
Never!
Does my charter school kid take away
from yours?
It happened again.
I was standing in line at my favorite coffee shop when I
ran into a mom from years back.
We hugged, air kissed, and OMG’d before asking about
each other’s families. We soon determined that neither of
us had moved and still lived within a couple of miles. She
casually asked:
“Where do your kids go to school?”
“We’re in the charter school,” I replied. “And yours?”
Her smile had frozen slightly as she answered the name
of the neighborhood school.
“You know, you are responsible for taking away funds
from our school by going to that charter school,” she said
straight faced.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, since your kids are supposed to be at my kid’s
school and the per-kid-money goes to the school your kid
goes to—my kid’s school is affected when you defect,”
the woman explained.
“Oh that,” I answered. “In that case your kid is taking
away from my charter school by not attending there.”
She did not see the parallel.
But isn’t that the truth? If we follow the logic that every
child who does not attend the same school as our kids is
“taking away” from the schools which they don’t attend—
doesn’t that formula work the same in reverse?
Yes, state and federal funding--per pupil revenue (PPR)—
follows the student to the public school which they are
enrolled. But doesn’t that just plain make sense? Isn’t it
the school which our student attends that actually pays
for the expense of educating the kid?
The only solution to have all funding go to one single
school--would be to only have one school for all the kids
in the state.
Boy! That would sure save us a lot of money. I can see it
now; hundreds of thousands of kids filing single line into
an education super dome to be schooled by one teacher
at the fifty yard line. It would certainly solve that all
state, federal, local tax, grants and donations went to
the same facility.
That would be a swell idea if education quality was not
an issue. But good education is not possible if the good
for the child is not being considered.
And I can guarantee that it was the good our children
which both the coffee shop mom and I had in mind when
we both enrolled in two different schools.
There is not one school which is perfect for all kids. A
parent’s right to choosing the best education fit for
his/her children should never be reduced to an issue of
your kids versus mine.
from yours?
It happened again.
I was standing in line at my favorite coffee shop when I
ran into a mom from years back.
We hugged, air kissed, and OMG’d before asking about
each other’s families. We soon determined that neither of
us had moved and still lived within a couple of miles. She
casually asked:
“Where do your kids go to school?”
“We’re in the charter school,” I replied. “And yours?”
Her smile had frozen slightly as she answered the name
of the neighborhood school.
“You know, you are responsible for taking away funds
from our school by going to that charter school,” she said
straight faced.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, since your kids are supposed to be at my kid’s
school and the per-kid-money goes to the school your kid
goes to—my kid’s school is affected when you defect,”
the woman explained.
“Oh that,” I answered. “In that case your kid is taking
away from my charter school by not attending there.”
She did not see the parallel.
But isn’t that the truth? If we follow the logic that every
child who does not attend the same school as our kids is
“taking away” from the schools which they don’t attend—
doesn’t that formula work the same in reverse?
Yes, state and federal funding--per pupil revenue (PPR)—
follows the student to the public school which they are
enrolled. But doesn’t that just plain make sense? Isn’t it
the school which our student attends that actually pays
for the expense of educating the kid?
The only solution to have all funding go to one single
school--would be to only have one school for all the kids
in the state.
Boy! That would sure save us a lot of money. I can see it
now; hundreds of thousands of kids filing single line into
an education super dome to be schooled by one teacher
at the fifty yard line. It would certainly solve that all
state, federal, local tax, grants and donations went to
the same facility.
That would be a swell idea if education quality was not
an issue. But good education is not possible if the good
for the child is not being considered.
And I can guarantee that it was the good our children
which both the coffee shop mom and I had in mind when
we both enrolled in two different schools.
There is not one school which is perfect for all kids. A
parent’s right to choosing the best education fit for
his/her children should never be reduced to an issue of
your kids versus mine.
Do charter schools "cream" for the best
students?
Do you know which schools are never accused of
“creaming” for enrollment?—Crappy schools.
I have never, not once, heard of a school with an awful
reputation and terrible academic ratings be charged with
attracting the best students. Suppose it would be difficult
to imagine a school drawing the best of the best and
achieve the worst of the worst education results.
What does the word “creaming” mean anyways?
Answers.com defines the term as:
The yellowish fatty component of un-homogenized milk that
tends to accumulate at the surface
The FREE dictionary has the same definition as well as this
explanation:
The choicest part: the cream of the crop.
When it comes to public schools of choice, the first
definition can hardly be used. I have yet to see a charter
school with accumulating fat layers of either money or
unnecessary administration.
Instead “creaming” is a term sometimes hurled at charter
schools by its non-supporters as an attempt to play down
the school’s successes.
The tale goes that the charters achieve such shiny results
by simply attracting the highest performing students
because they are the best program in town.
Before we begin chatting about this claim, let’s clarify a
couple of facts—charter schools are public schools and
must abide by the same anti-discrimination laws as any
other public school. Secondly, the word "creaming" is
sometimes incorrectly used interchangeably with the
phrase "hand picking." Technically these are two
separate* accusations and today we are only covering
the term creaming.
As my regular readers know by now, I am not against
anyone’s choice of schooling "type" for their child. Charter
schools are our family’s choice and passion, but I don’t
intentionally walk around and knock other people’s
preferences.
High and low quality schools come in all sorts of titles. So
to level the playing field let’s just take the word charter
out of the statement and reduce it to its true origin.
Do high quality schools attract better students?
Personally I have a problem with labeling anyone better
or worse. In my mind we all have strengths and
weaknesses and all students are loaded with potential.
But given the choice the majority of families would choose
a proven school over the one ridden with problems. It’s
just human nature. I mean, when you’re in the produce
department do you gravitate toward the banged-up
rotting fruit, or the orchard fresh selection? Do you read
labels or check the expiration date? What if they cost the
same to the customer? Which one do you think would fly
off the shelves faster? Did the quality product attract the
better consumer, or just more satisfied consumers? Shall
we all stock our grocery shelves full of nasty produce just
to prove a point? Which point?
Good schools will always be more popular than the bad
ones regardless of what “type” of school it is. In an area
where neighborhood schools are thriving, property values
and home sales tend to do the same. A top notch private
school usually carries a lengthy wait list. And where there
are high caliber charter schools you can count on a whole
lot of families filling out interest in enrollment forms.
In conclusion, the word “creaming” is a weird form of back
handed compliment.
So the next time someone says my school is creaming
(translated: the more popular choice as it is a quality
school) I will practice my new reply--"Well, thank you."
Stay tuned this week as we will define the term "hand
picking" and explore the different types of charter school
enrollment procedures. Not only will this be an insider's
guide to how to enroll your child in a charter school, but it
will dispel the fallacy of the "charter school litmus test."
If you are interested in what President Obama had to say
about the myth of charter school cherry picking, read this
weekend’s post here.
*Creaming refers to a school attracting good students. Hand
picking means that the school chooses which students get to
attend. Huge difference.
students?
Do you know which schools are never accused of
“creaming” for enrollment?—Crappy schools.
I have never, not once, heard of a school with an awful
reputation and terrible academic ratings be charged with
attracting the best students. Suppose it would be difficult
to imagine a school drawing the best of the best and
achieve the worst of the worst education results.
What does the word “creaming” mean anyways?
Answers.com defines the term as:
The yellowish fatty component of un-homogenized milk that
tends to accumulate at the surface
The FREE dictionary has the same definition as well as this
explanation:
The choicest part: the cream of the crop.
When it comes to public schools of choice, the first
definition can hardly be used. I have yet to see a charter
school with accumulating fat layers of either money or
unnecessary administration.
Instead “creaming” is a term sometimes hurled at charter
schools by its non-supporters as an attempt to play down
the school’s successes.
The tale goes that the charters achieve such shiny results
by simply attracting the highest performing students
because they are the best program in town.
Before we begin chatting about this claim, let’s clarify a
couple of facts—charter schools are public schools and
must abide by the same anti-discrimination laws as any
other public school. Secondly, the word "creaming" is
sometimes incorrectly used interchangeably with the
phrase "hand picking." Technically these are two
separate* accusations and today we are only covering
the term creaming.
As my regular readers know by now, I am not against
anyone’s choice of schooling "type" for their child. Charter
schools are our family’s choice and passion, but I don’t
intentionally walk around and knock other people’s
preferences.
High and low quality schools come in all sorts of titles. So
to level the playing field let’s just take the word charter
out of the statement and reduce it to its true origin.
Do high quality schools attract better students?
Personally I have a problem with labeling anyone better
or worse. In my mind we all have strengths and
weaknesses and all students are loaded with potential.
But given the choice the majority of families would choose
a proven school over the one ridden with problems. It’s
just human nature. I mean, when you’re in the produce
department do you gravitate toward the banged-up
rotting fruit, or the orchard fresh selection? Do you read
labels or check the expiration date? What if they cost the
same to the customer? Which one do you think would fly
off the shelves faster? Did the quality product attract the
better consumer, or just more satisfied consumers? Shall
we all stock our grocery shelves full of nasty produce just
to prove a point? Which point?
Good schools will always be more popular than the bad
ones regardless of what “type” of school it is. In an area
where neighborhood schools are thriving, property values
and home sales tend to do the same. A top notch private
school usually carries a lengthy wait list. And where there
are high caliber charter schools you can count on a whole
lot of families filling out interest in enrollment forms.
In conclusion, the word “creaming” is a weird form of back
handed compliment.
So the next time someone says my school is creaming
(translated: the more popular choice as it is a quality
school) I will practice my new reply--"Well, thank you."
Stay tuned this week as we will define the term "hand
picking" and explore the different types of charter school
enrollment procedures. Not only will this be an insider's
guide to how to enroll your child in a charter school, but it
will dispel the fallacy of the "charter school litmus test."
If you are interested in what President Obama had to say
about the myth of charter school cherry picking, read this
weekend’s post here.
*Creaming refers to a school attracting good students. Hand
picking means that the school chooses which students get to
attend. Huge difference.
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