The children of today will become the lawyers, doctors, and even the presidents of tomorrow. It should be imperative that our children’s education is a top priority. What does it mean for a student to have a good education today? Is there a better approach to education, and if so, what would it look like? There is strong belief that charter schools could possibly be the change our education system needs. Charter schools are schools that are public but are independently operated. This allows the schools to have more freedom with designing how learning looks to meet the needs of their students. This way of educating may be the right path for education reform, and some places have already tried implementing these changes. Knowing how important our children are to our future they should be given the proper tools, support, and resources to succeed. Are charter schools that?

Initially, charter schools were the next idea on the list for education reformers to try and separate themselves from the government and unions. Being under the microscope is nothing new for the traditional public school’s system for generations they have faced scrutiny and have been questioned if they are adequate time and time again. Bringing charter schools into the picture requires funding, philanthropist such as the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation pours in huge sums of money into funding for schooling. This allows these big spenders to have the head seat at the table when it comes to discussing what education should look like. Or just trading in for a different group of “leaders.” Most of the time charters would not be able to stay afloat without these generous donations. However, the attitude was positive regarding the rise of charter schools and many remain hopeful that charters can be a step in the right direction for public schools.

If you are wondering what it would be like if all schools were a charter, we have an idea. In the article “K-12 takeover” author Andrea Gabor” tells the story of a failed charter school and the journey the education reformers have been on while trying to create a better public school system. When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, some saw this as an open opportunity to move in and remodel the education system. New Orleans is the nations first all-charter district. There was a positive gleam of hope for these schools, a new beginning and hopefully a better academic outcome for the students. The changes in New Orleans were deemed as an “experiment.” Schools that did well could stay open and have their charters renewed, schools that fell short would have their charters revoked. Though their charter could still operate even after being revoked if they found a new authorizer willing. Another downfall of this charter experiment was that many teachers lost their job due to being in the union, and the idea was to try and separate from the grip the union held on the school system. New Orleans has been trying to piece together their school system in almost the same way they had to piece together the city after the storm.

The charter schools face obstacles that are still being worked on by New Orleans, according to Gabor. The admission process to a charter school is more extensive with due dates to adhere to. Even families who were normally proactive in such matters had a difficult time with the processes. Another issue that came about was the commute to school for the children. There was no longer your neighborhood public school, but a longer trip to get to and from school. Charter schools also have a reputation of being stricter, and the rate of students being punished was astronomical. Which some may find unfair due to the trauma these students just endured by being subjected to Hurricane Katrina, and most losing everything they had. However, through these challenges there are positives to having charter schools. The charter school allows the classrooms to be customized to suit different learning styles. Where in traditional schooling, only one type of student is rewarded with opportunities. This is something that is great for children with disabilities to be able to have a successful school experience. Cypress Academy was just that for many students in New Orleans. Unfortunately, even though this school outperformed many other charters they were forced to close due to the lack of funding. The school tried to prolong the inevitable by making teacher cuts, as well as reaching out for additional funding but eventually the quality of education suffered from the cuts and the doors were closed. We can see why charter schools can be a great benefit to the community in Cypress with their acceptance for students with disabilities, and their “learning by doing” motto for education.

While there is much work still to be done on not only the New Orleans charter experiment but public schools across America, I do believe that the charter school can still be a positive point of interest for education reform. Often students fail and fall to the waist side because they learn differently than how we have always been traditionally taught. With charter schools having more freedom in the way they teach this allows more students to be accommodated to, and therefore making the opportunity to succeed more widespread. Opening these ideas of changing how we view our education system has allowed charters to outperform many public schools all over the nation. Charter schools were created in the attempts to serve lower income kids with a “private school quality” education for free. That is what we should be focusing on, education equality for all levels of income, all races, all levels of ability. The children deserve to have a level playing field when it comes to their schooling. All kids should have similar opportunities that are sustainable and within reach for them. Charter schools may be the solution for that, but there is much work to be done.