Charter School What the heck is it ?!?!

The Charter School concept is quickly gaining popularity in Duval County.  But what the HECK is it exactly?!

Here is how the Duval County School Board describes it:
Charter schools are public schools that operate on a performance contract, or “charter,” with the Duval County School Board and are intended to expand school choice options for students. Charter schools are freed from many of the regulations that govern traditional public schools, but they are held accountable for academic and financial results. Charter schools must hire certified teachers, and they are evaluated and assigned a school grade using the same standards and criteria as traditional public schools.

So What are the real differences between the two?  During my research, I found that these were the main questions I sought to answer:

*** Curriculum***

The most important question I had was about the curriculum.  Let's face it, everyone that has a child attending public school HATES common core! So do charter schools teach Common Core or NOT? I had a difficult time getting a straight answer.  

When you go to Duval Charter School's website the explanation is as follows:

      "Our Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum is aligned to specific Common Core State                   Standards and is the framework of what is taught at each grade level."

I interpreted that as, YES they do follow common core curriculum.  However, when I called the school for clarification, they told me that they DO NOT.  That they follow "state guidelines".  Smells  like they found a loop hole to me!  I love loop holes, as long as no one ends up pulling them closed.

 

Basically charter schools do use common core framework but implement it with their digression, while touching on bases required to meet state standards.  Also, according to a teacher friend of mine, a lot of the controversial materials that are being used in traditional public schools are absent in the charter school.

My research lead me to believe that basically charter schools claim to take a more traditional approach to curriculum and to private school feel without the private school price.  Are charter schools better than traditional public schools?  Probably not, but that really depends completely upon personal beliefs and preferences.  

 

After you read about my "St. Johns County Sales Tax Increas"  Take a look at some less serious content on my personal blog at www.thebusyhummingbird.blogspot.com

St. John's county sales tax increase

So many clients I work with are SO anxious to purchase a home in St. Johns County for the school district and it's success in the state.  As a result of the influx in population to the area, around 44% in the last 10 years, the need for more schools is undeniable.  To accomidate the countys need to build and improve so many schools, a one half cent sales tax was proposed and voted upon Tuesday. 

St. Johns County voters passed the ballot measure imposing this half-cent sales tax increase to accommodate the county's rapid growth, with more than 60%  voting in favor of the tax. The new tax increase will begin the first of the year and has a life span of 10 years.  Although, as we all know, once a tax increase happens.....it very seldom goes back down. 

All in all, if the monies are allocated correctly, this is pretty good news for those residents that have children in the county.  Over crowding is a problem as so many children have been moved to portable units.  These units are not only expensive to rent but in my opinion, pretty unsafe when you consider the weather we have to sustain at times in Florida.  My own children were in portable units at their school during a tornado warning last year.  The idea that they were in an aluminum building, braced 2 feet off the ground by some cinder blocks was, shall we say, less than comforting. 

As expected, there were people on both sides of the issue.  After all, NO ONE likes to pay more taxes but when it was all said and done, those in favor won by a substantial margin.  This is not a surprising outcome as an overwhelming amount of the counties population is composed of families with two or more school aged children according to the us census.