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Originally posted by ktsnake
I can kind of see what voucher system might do for a school with the school my fiancée works at. She's at a charter school. Her school operates under the umbrella of the Oklahoma City Public Schools, but is mostly funded by various private and public grants, funds and the like. The school has a "Charter" which is like its Constitution. It sets out what the school's goal is for each child, how they'll do it, etc.
The Charter school that she teaches at is an academically focused High School. It allows transfers from any district so long as the parents or students provide the transportation. The school is awarded funding based upon the number of students that it has.
All classes at this school are taught to the AP/Pre-AP level. Many cannot cut it and flunk out. Those who misbehave are also given the proverbial boot. The school's goal is to take mostly 'underprivlidged' children who want to go to college and to get them there. Being underprivilged is not a prerequisite to get in, but it's what the school mostly ends up with due its inner-city location.
The parents and students also have a minimum 50 hours of community/school service that they must perform each year. Waivers are sometimes granted when the parents are total deadbeats and there's a really good kid needing a quality educational environment.
It's a very vouchers-like environment. They are very competitive, especially with other charter schools in the area -- it's a limited marketplace for a select group of students who want to excel but don't necessarily have the resources financially to attend a private school.
Having seen this system at work, I fully support it. There has been no 'opening of the flood gates' of transferees wanting in from the worst schools -- her school actually sends teachers and administrators out to recruit from area middle schools.
It's a good system. It actually has me convinced that central Oklahoma City might be a good place to raise a family again.
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Nice report. Hopefully next year OKC will do five more similar schools, and five more the following year.
Is you fiancée a teachers' union member? How powerful is the union there?