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| In case you missed it -- charter families' letters to the editor in The Statesman |
February 28, 2009
Dear Friends and Families --
Thanks to everyone who has written to The Statesman with responses to a negative column about charters schools that appeared a few weeks ago. Recent responses are below. And you can read here .
A hearty thank you to everyone who has shared their views!
CHARTER SCHOOLS
Idaho is right to promote innovative schools
As a parent of children who have attended traditional and charter public schools, and as a special education employee of a local charter school, I find it necessary to respond to the Feb. 15 Reader's View by Sheri Thomas.
Ms. Thomas implies that charter schools are selective, elitist institutions and "anything but public." Charter schools are public schools and anyone may apply. Our student population is selected by lottery. We don't hand-select students and are blessed with gifted students, special needs students, and students with the wide range of abilities in between. All public schools - including charter schools - are held to the same standards.
Ms. Thomas prefers "one educational system." Students learn differently and benefit from flexibility in instruction. Thankfully, the state of Idaho and Superintendent Tom Luna recognize this and allow for innovative schools and curricula.
I am curious about where Ms. Thomas obtained her information on charter schools. Hopefully, she has reviewed documented test scores and research-based assessments of charter school performance. I have to wonder if Ms. Thomas has visited a charter school. If not, I would gladly introduce her to an excellent local example.
REBECCA DELANA, Boise
Give parents a choice of schools
Sheri Thomas' Reader's View concerning charter schools needs to be answered. Her statement that having competition among schools is akin to prisons advertising better accommodations is odd. We want schools to compete. Competition usually improves all participants, and I think all acknowledge there is room for improvement in public school.
She now wants us to focus on one educational system. Evidently, she has chosen the one that has failed. She admits that Idaho is low on the educational scale, and her solution is to keep doing the same thing and eliminate what the parents of charter school children are happy with. If you choose not to send your child to a charter school, that's your choice.
She goes on to say that, although few studies have been done on charter schools, one"study" indicates that there is a"segregation" problem. This "study" was done for a thesis by a college student. Well, that must be definitive - a college student's thesis. Wow. End of discussion.
If you don't like charter schools, don't send your children to one. It seems liberals are in favor of choice only when it concerns terminating babies. In the case of schools, leave our choices to us.
JEFFREY C. LARSON, Nampa
Charter schools recognize diversity
The misinformation about and the lack of understanding of the role of public charter schools in today's educational landscape presented in Sheri Thomas' Reader's View is baffling. According to her rant, the simple existence of charter schools might just lead to civil war and the destruction of American society as we know it. Ms. Thomas espouses the same old tired arguments that all is well in traditional schools and they meet every student's needs. The fact is that they simply do not. This is just not a one-size-fits-all world anymore.
Thankfully, today's charter schools recognize the diversity of learning and the diversity of students in our state. They are meeting the needs of over 10,000 students with another 7,000 awaiting the opportunity to attend one. As parents of children thriving in a public charter school, after having past public and private school experiences, we recognize their necessity and strongly support their existence.
Ms. Thomas should heed her own call to embrace differences in children and stop attacking school choice in the form of public charter schools.
FRANK AND LISA STEIN, Boise
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| Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families PO Box 6236 | Boise, ID 83707-6236 | 877-792-5900 |
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