If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we need to look at ways to think outside of the traditional education box. In 2020, the U.S. News said that 11% of the top 25% of public high schools are charters. This puts charter schools head-to-head with magnet schools that also offer a more rigorous curriculum than traditional public schools.
Now that we are regulating to a new normal, one thing that remains on our minds is the need to reimagine education for our kids. California charter schools, like Springs in Orange County, are doing just that.
What is a Charter School?
A charter school is not like a private school. There is no tuition charged to its students and any child is welcome to attend regardless of their parents’ financial status or location of residence. It is also extremely important to note – there are no entrance exams or admission requirements to join. Due to their high demand, charter schools often reach capacity quickly which is creating a need to open more.
Charter schools focus mainly on education and real world applications, and less on sports and extracurricular activities. That may be frowned upon by some parents who want that additional interaction for their children. A charter school more than makes up for it with their smaller classrooms and a more non-traditional way of learning which often helps students excel where they couldn’t before.
In the Classroom
In traditional public schools, there is a one-size-fits all approach to the daily curriculum. But in California charter schools like Springs, you can choose a customized learning plan to suit your child’s individual needs. Professionals will work with you to determine your child’s personal needs as well as those of your family (schedule, etc.). You are even given the opportunity to visit the program and allow your child to try it out to see if it’s a good fit – that is something you will never get in a traditional public school.
With smaller classes and a more dedicated framework, most charter schools have state of the art technology, individual counselors, and tutoring to name a few of the benefits. Teachers and guidance counselors in other schools are stretched thin with a larger ratio of students to instructors, leaving a lot of students to drift on their own.
Over 90 percent of parents with children who attend Springs charter school in California said the material is engaging. Lesson plans are boxed by age and category. Kindergarten aged students learn reading, phonics, social studies, and science, which are not usually a part of the curriculum until a child reaches grades 1 through 4.
Grades 1 through 8 are given a rich program, Moving Beyond the Page, which consists of a more strategic application of knowledge sure to challenge and engage them.
Outside the Classroom
Perhaps the biggest way California charter schools reimagine education is by knowing the importance of what happens when the student leaves the classroom every day. As previously mentioned, the pandemic forced stay at home classes with quarantined parents in the room and everyone got a crash course in homeschooling. What is interesting however, is that is one of the greatest benefits of a charter school – what happens at home with parent interaction.
Charter school lessons often require parent involvement and the engagement is an effective one. Springs, the California charter school, takes it a step further by offering a Parent Certification Program. Three core courses are completed to receive Home School certification and give parents the tools they need to better engage in their child’s education.
A huge benefit available through charter schools that help expand on the definition of education are the socialization experiences that are offered. In place of sports and school clubs, charter schools engage in community events as well as create many of their own. Activities are appropriate for various age levels and can include creative writing workshops, history day celebration, spelling bees, and honor society groups to name a few. The options are endless for students to expand their knowledge and experiences.
There is a huge misconception that children today are lazy and don’t want to attend school. Part of the problem is we have all outgrown the traditional educational format that we grew up with. Modern times and educational advancement has shown it is time to evolve. The best way to help our children do that is by reimagining what an education should entail – it goes way beyond the book and the classroom.
Ideally, all the world’s public schools will revamp and grow into curriculum rich programs that keep students excited about learning. Until that happens, charter schools like Springs in California, continue to give students and their parents a creative and engaging learning program sure to empower them.