School Options for Parents? It Is Your Choice

Dear Editor:

Over the last several years Michigan residents have experienced financial challenges in all facets of life.  The field of education is no different. Public education in the US alone is a multi- trillion dollar industry, $12 billion in Michigan alone with an average foundation allowance allotment of approximately $7700 per child(our tax dollars) representing over 1,500,000 K-12  students.  For-profit organizations want a piece of the pie. Legislators have been lobbied by for-profit business organizations offering lower cost alternatives to teaching our children. Legislators have responded by passing new legislation increasing multiple educational options that include public, charter, and cyber schools, under the banner of “parental choice”. These options will be funded by tax dollars in the form of a foundation allowance.  The Rochester Community Schools’ PTA Council Legislative Committee, which represents each of our schools, meets on a monthly basis to keep the public informed on how legislation is impacting our kids under the parent empowerment legislation.  One of the committee’s main goals is to educate parents on how to make good decisions regarding their children’s education by providing unbiased information. 

Charter Schools and Cyber Schools are the hybrids of a new generation of schooling that requires solid research before parents make educational decisions for their child.  The PTA Council Legislative Committee has decided the best way to inform parents is through a cross comparison of the public K-12 schools, charter schools and cyber schools.  The committee focused on transparency, accountability, authenticity, and parent involvement.  Keep in mind this will mean different things to different people based on experience levels.  Let us start with what the schools in question are before we make a decision on what is better for our kids.

Public Schools have been around since 1835 and when legislation was passed back then it said that any township having 50 families must have a schoolmaster.  It is a proven system, not perfect by any means but definitely not as broken as some legislators will lead you to believe.  A free and public education is one of the cornerstones of our democracy and as such is paid for primarily by your tax dollars in Michigan through both federal and state grants.  In Rochester Community Schools the current foundation allowance from the state is $7878. This is approximately the median for Oakland County.

Charter Schools were developed as a pilot program in the early 1990’s to allow educators more flexibility to be more innovative through experimentation and collaboration without barriers of the traditional ways of educating.  The goal was to create a better, more balanced education.  Charter schools have a little more flexibility as far as allocating their financial resources but still are primarily funded by the state. 

Cyber Schools is the latest buzz word in education.  It is on-line learning, virtually eliminating the traditional brick & mortar school setting and creating an environment in our most comfortable environment, which is the home, currently for a small % of students.  Depending on a child’s grade level it is designed to allow parents to act as learning coaches working with teachers from afar to teach daily lessons where the student can learn at his or her own pace.  This new phenomena has the attention of our legislators since it has been alleged that it will save substantial tax payer dollars and expand parental choice.  The how much is still in question and continues to be a debate. 

As a legislative group, we are respectfully suggesting that parents who may be contemplating a change in how their children are educated follow these suggestions to make an informed choice about your child’s educational options. We believe a sound decision requires research.  We respectfully suggest the following:

1. Create a side-by-side chart of what you perceive as advantages and disadvantages of the school you are using now and the one you may be considering.  See comparison below as a possible guide:

Perceived Advantages

Community Schools

1. Transparency, compliance with open meetings act, budget on website, subject to Freedom of Information Act requests, publicly elected board
2. Board Meetings open to the public and decisions are made at a public meeting by publicly elected board
3. Educate every student in the community regardless of ability or need
4. Transportation typically provided
5. Certified Teachers likely of a higher caliber because better pay/benefit structure
6. Special Education programs and services offered are extensive, more than just resource room
7. Music, Band, Theater, Athletic and other after school programs that help expand learning for students and translates into  a positive impact on the community
8. Benefit the community at large because people want to live in communities with quality  schools which  has a direct impact on property values

Charter Schools

1. Offer a specific curriculum and stricter behavior standard
2. For profit, so higher expectations but less public scrutiny than public schools
3. Greater efficiency
4. Can open in any community and no residency rules for enrollment
5. Can pick and choose students and limit the number of students who can enroll
6. Innovative through experimentation and more flexible
7. More parent involvement
8. School of choice so parents and students want to be there

Cyber Schools

1. Lower cost alternative, less expensive to operate
2. Free computers and internet access at home
3. Learn anytime, anywhere, anyplace
4. Learn at your own pace
5. Greater accessibility to teachers and subjects
6. More control
7. Do not need as many teachers and teachers you have are experts in their field
8. No transportation costs

Perceived Disadvantages

Community Schools

1. Limited resources based on budgets
2. Not as flexible because have to follow all rules and regulations
3. Less strict on behavioral issues and bullying
4. Not consistent with family/cultural beliefs
5. Limited parent involvement
6. Larger classrooms
7. Unions 

Charter Schools

1. Transparency not guaranteed when under management company
2. If you don’t like it leave approach, can remove child from school if not meeting expectations
3. Typical charter school contracts are 3-5 years so school could close
4. Not required to use certified teachers and teachers pay/benefits substantially less
5. More likely that students in the school are from the same race or culture, the school community is more homogeneous
6. No transportation
7. Limited after school programs
8. Limited special education programs and services

Cyber Schools

1. Virtually unregulated and lack of transparency
2. Little supervision as to assuring student is doing their own work
3. Virtually no face to face contact between teacher and students and other students, therefore socially isolated
4. Actual cost to run school is unclear
5. Little accountability
6. Lack of research to verify effectiveness
7. No after school programs and no special education programs and services

2. If it appears that a change in schools is warranted, you owe it to yourself and the child to evaluate the school you are considering.  We would respectfully suggest isolating each school and asking a series of questions that may include the following:

• How long has the school been around and what is the mission statement?    If visiting a school what does the atmosphere look like?  Do the people appear happy?  Conduct a walk thru (if applicable)
• Who are the teachers?  What are their backgrounds?  How long have they been teachers?  What is the employee turnover like?
• What kind of a time commitment will be expected from you as a parent? Get feedback from other parents that have already experienced a year or two
• What out of pocket costs can you expect for the year?
• Authenticity - how will you know your child is doing his or her own work and how will it be monitored? How often?  By whom?
• Accountability - Who are your accountability partners and how and when can you have issues addressed when there are concerns?  Are the teachers accessible?
• How will the change affect your child socially?

These are just a few of the common questions that will help you feel good about making a decision, no matter what you decide.  Your child’s foundational education is K-12 and you cannot afford even one bad year.  Studies have shown that one poor year of education takes three years to recover from.  If parents are going to make a good decision about their child’s school setting, the decision should result in an overall improvement in the learning environment, or what is the point of changing?  As a legislative committee we support your decision and wish you the best of luck if and when you are ever faced with this decision.

Thank you,

Rochester PTA Council Legislative Committee Chairs (with members representing all 20 Rochester Community Schools)

Have an opinion? Share your letter to the editor with editor Kristin Bull at kristin.bull@patch.com