Charter schools in the United States

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Charter Schools are a special type of school in the United States.

Charter Schools are available in all U.S. states except in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kentucky, West Virginia and Alabama. They are regarded as a pragmatic trial, the changed by globalization and the changes in lifestyle demands on education and training to meet. Charter Schools vary greatly from the modest uniform, American school structure ( Elementary, middle, high school ) to a variety of new types of schools.

These public, bound to a confession schools are freed from the traditional regulations of the school system and include as Elementary Secondary Education. You are their client (usually the school district ) and responsible to the citizens. You need to set state-certified teachers and participate in state tests to ensure the standard of learning.

Charter Schools are based on a contract ( " charter " ) between the school management and the school board, so you can speak in German of contract schools. In general, charter schools, for example, in Wisconsin are administratively managed by the most authoritative school district in the person of a so-called "lead teacher". The school management and the school management has a different status in the U.S. than in the German-speaking countries; the school board sets the staff at the school and dismisses it, as needed. In terms of recognition is in Milwaukee Wisconsin the only exception dar. Here to authorize next to the school district legally the city and the University Charter Schools. This is done in a relatively small number.

Contract schools receive by contract exemption from most state rules and regulations, but must demonstrate greater responsibility in return in terms of the contractual special arrangements. The contract defines the specific objectives and methods of the Charter School; the school board shall ensure compliance with the Treaty and by means of standardized tests, the achievement of the learning objectives in the " core subjects ".

Within the Federal guidelines, each State has developed different charter models. Thus, Minnesota differs greatly from Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, there were in the school year 2006/2007 approximately 2,200 Public Schools, and in it are 200 charter schools included, which does not mean that the charter schools are supported by 10 percent of all students. Charter Schools are rather small schools. There are also about 1,000 private schools in Wisconsin. This includes the Milwaukee Choice Schools included. The high number of private schools is surprising, but most private schools are very small. Therefore, the number of students in public schools are much higher than the 2:1 ratio at the school number would suggest.

In Wisconsin, the expenditure of all public schools be applied to 66% of state funds, the remaining 33 % come from other sources, such as taxes on property, state aid (grant ) and local charges. Federal Grants for Charter Schools allow start-up funding of Charter Schools: A year long there are funds for planning the school. At the end of the year must then, however, really a school be opened. In the first two years of the new Charter School further monies can be applied, which typically must be used for the training of teachers etc.. Building shall be constructed so that, even repairs may not therefore be financed ( example only).

The No Child Left Behind Act ( NCLB ) is the legal basis for a federal funding program, which must be assumed by a State only if he takes money from this program to complete. Especially pot 1 of the NCLB program contains a lot of financial opportunities to help poor children. These children are often called " children with free lunch " because their families do not have to pay for lunch, if they are below a certain income level. Thus, if a state wants to support in the social interest of the poor of the country these poor children, then it must also comply with the general provisions of NCLB. There are states that are trying not to influence the education priorities of the school districts, but the guidelines of the NCLB program are very sharp.

For NCLB program includes inspections of schools by " school inspector " ( auditors ) and standardized tests, the crucial differ to some extent from previous state tests as to the scope and content. Wisconsin, for example, had tests in grades 4, 8 and 10; NCLB requires testing in stages 3-8 and 10 will cost a lot of money and the focus of the learning program is changing in the direction of preparation for tests. The usefulness of the set of tests is questioned on the part of educators. With the help of federal funding, the federal government in Washington takes more and more influence on national and local education policy, which in turn changed the education landscape and raises constitutional questions.

Although individual states may refuse the funds from the pot 1 of NCLB support, but that is to forego a lot of money. The Annual Yearly Progress program ( AYP ) requires standardized annual inspections as part of NCLB. Meets a school not the expectations of the AYP, so she gets the status of School Identified For Improvement ( SIFI ), so the expectations of demographic and ethnic composition (race, membership of an ethnic group ) and the abilities of the students ( special education programs ) fulfilled in the future be, so that " no child left behind ". Rumor has it that the review procedure in some cases led to a manipulation of the data. Supposedly, students were asked not to participate in the test. These schools threatened sanctions.

Critics wonder whether charter schools to reinforce the segregation lead, as ethnic minorities use the model of Charter Schools strengthened to better support their children. Also, the question arises whether the funds are withdrawn from the generally accepted high schools, so that the number of students who are taught by a teacher increased. About Here there is a lively discussion.

Behind contract schools is a neo-liberal economic ideas of Milton Friedman. Milton Friedman, representatives of the Chicago School of Economics, was careful about the introduction of school vouchers. Vouchers ( vouchers ), as Friedman said, should be able to be used by all types of students to pay for tuition at private and public schools. Friedman also said: " What is needed in America, is a voucher significant value for education, a Certificate free of excessive regulations. " His idea is that coupons allow greater competition between private schools, contract schools and conventional general- public schools.

In Milwaukee / Wisconsin " vouchers " are used to fund Choice Schools. Choice schools are private schools that compete with public schools. The concept of Choice Schools is strongly supported by conservatives, and the critical debate around this issue has to do with quality, free choice of school, but also with the basic underlying goal of public education. Funding for Choice Schools is regulated in part by the so-called voucher, ie every student who moves from a public school in a School Choice, "anticipates " its share of school funding as a kind of school fees with the new school. However, this means the withdrawal of public tax money from the public school system in private schools, but is not to be confused with charter schools.

Charter Schools similar in their school profile the magnet schools, in that they have a deviant each school profile and teaching program. The legal status of charter schools, however, is different than that of magnetic Schools.

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