Charter Schools and Vouchers

I think that choice is very important in education and that it is the right of the parent. As a parent, I get to choose everything for my child from the time they are born, so why should it be any different when it comes to the education of my child? Although I think that each parent should have a choice, I do not agree with all of the choices that are out there. As we have heard in class, there are some very thriving alternatives to public school out there, which has been showing through class discussion. Amanda saying that she planned to stay at her school for a year and then move on, and now six years later she's still there because she loves it is testimony in and of itself. But as we know and have read and heard, not all alternative types of schooling present this positive side. There are many charter schools out there, whether for profit or not, who are presenting a front to parents, stating that they have a more modernized way of educating and other benefits that Bernstein lists, such as being reflective of community needs and operating in a more cost-effective manner, when in reality these things are not at the heart of their mission. And, I have to say that I agree with Bernstein in the matter of financial harm as well. The public schools will never be able to "fix" their problems when funding continues to be pulled so that children can attend charter schools instead. I understand that this is not the only funding challenge that public schools face, but with new charter schools opening each year in this area, it is a challenge that is very present at this time. Let's face it, we do not fully know the extent of which charter schools are going to help or hinder education, but up until this point, it is still debatable as to whether these schools should continue to thrive with unaccountability and still get to claim that they hold the "innovation, inspiration, and revitalization" (Bernstein) that the public school system is lacking.