Gap Between Perception and Reality in College Readiness Remains Wide
This year’s edition of a school curriculum survey shows that the gap between high school... Read More
Alabama Holds Hearings on Charter Schools
Alabama’s ‘Education Options Act’ moves through public committee hearings as Governor Bentley pushes his education reform agenda.
A hearing before the House Ways and Means Education Committee gave the public a chance to comment on a charter school bill that would allow the creation of such schools in Alabama. One of the bill’s sponsors, Phil Williams, said that the bill would offer more flexibility to school districts with failing schools.
Alabama Education Association Executive Secretary Henry Mabry argued the charter schools would take money from other schools and there is no assurance they would work. Proponents argued the schools would offer new opportunities for struggling students and would give administrators new options, like opening schools during different hours.
The project is a pre-election promise by Governor Robert Bentley. Ascendant Republicans in the Alabama legislature feel they have a strong mandate to push through reform despite opposition from teaching unions who, fearful that charter schools are mainly a vehicle to bypass tenure and other protections, want more research done nationwide before continuing the rapid expansion of the program throughout the country.
The ‘Education Options Act’ will allow charter schools to be proposed by anyone in the state and these proposals for underperforming schools would be reviewed by a commission.
Ashley Welch sends her four year-old daughter to a private school in Tuscaloosa. She attended the House Ways and Means Education Committee to make her voice on choices for her daughter.
“I’m looking for an educational system that works and provides options for me as a parent and a parental figure” Welch said.
Welch says she’s hopeful the legislation will pass to give her the chance to send her daughter to a respectable public school.
The committee did not take action on the bill at the public hearing but is expected to vote on it after the upcoming legislative recess.
Friday
March 23rd, 2012
Filed Under
Recent News
Washington’s Catholic Schools Updating Ahead of Charter Competition
It wasn’t that long ago that parochial education in the United States seemed like it was on... Read More
Teachers: Denver’s Soft Discipline Policy Makes Schools Unsafe for Us
Although discipline numbers appear to be better this week in Denver, according to teachers and... Read More
Popular News
James Shuls: Why We Need School Choice 26
The Pedagogical Agenda of Common Core Math Standards 23
Movement Against Standardized Testing Gaining Strength 18
More groups are saying that the time and expense dedicated to standardized testing is having... Read More
Career Index
Plan your career as an educator using our free online datacase of useful information.
- Select a State Subject
- Creative Writing Schools in California
- Public Administration Schools in California
- Select a City Subject
- Creative Writing Schools in Belmont
- Creative Writing Schools in Berkeley
- Creative Writing Schools in Claremont
- Creative Writing Schools in Culver City
- Creative Writing Schools in El Cajon
- Creative Writing Schools in Irvine
- Creative Writing Schools in La Jolla
- Creative Writing Schools in La Verne
- Creative Writing Schools in Long Beach
- Creative Writing Schools in Los Altos Hills
- Creative Writing Schools in Los Angeles
- Creative Writing Schools in Malibu
- Creative Writing Schools in Moraga
- Creative Writing Schools in Oakland
- Creative Writing Schools in Orange
- Creative Writing Schools in Palm Desert
- Creative Writing Schools in Redlands
- Creative Writing Schools in Riverside
- Creative Writing Schools in San Diego
- Creative Writing Schools in San Francisco
- Creative Writing Schools in San Jose
- Creative Writing Schools in San Rafael
- Public Administration Schools in Berkeley
- Public Administration Schools in Calexico
- Public Administration Schools in Los Angeles
- Public Administration Schools in Northridge
- Public Administration Schools in Rohnert Park
- Public Administration Schools in San Diego
- Public Administration Schools in Santa Clara
Comments
[...] More from original source- Alabama Holds Hearings on Charter Schools | Education News Sponsor- Bob Burg- The Art of Persuasion- from Destiny Image Books- How to master the art of [...]
Alabama Holds Hearings on Charter Schools: A response to the Alabama Education Association Executive Secretary Henry Mabry on the issue of the Alabama’s ‘Education Options Act by John O. Alizor, MA, Ed.S., PhD Researcher.
Educational Researchers have found that charter schools offer autonomy and flexibility to parents in failing schools, therefore, Phil William’s assertion that, “the bill would offer more flexibility to school districts with failing schools” is valid.
The public has the right to be informed that charter schools are public schools. Charter schools provide quality education for all students without fees and tuition. The claim by Henry Mabry, the Executive Secretary of the Alabama Education Association is a misrepresentation of the functions of charter schools. Charter schools offer students, parents, teachers and administrators an alternative choice. For example, parents can now transfer their students from a poor performing traditional school to a charter school (No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-107th Cong., 2001). Secretary Henry Mabry’s argument that, “the charter schools would take money from other school” is suggestive that his organization, the Alabama Education Association’s core interest is holding on to the money rather than the education of the students.
Researches indicate that charter school organizers are teachers, educators that have been deprived from innovation by their traditional school districts because of school district politics. Researches also indicate that charter school leaders are visionary and innovators that which to promote success for all students. They have succeeded, with fewer resources such as the average daily attendance (ADA) revenue from their states, in area where the traditional schools have failed. Charter schools receive less funding per pupil revenue than the traditional public schools. This is major information that the Alabama Education Association Executive Secretary Henry Mabry ought to bring to the community instead of a distorted view of the charter schools.
The two main purpose of charter school law is to create competition and give parents a choice in the education of their students. The traditional public school, and the Alabama Education Association Executive Secretary Henry Mabry ought not to worry about competition from charter schools if they, the traditional schools, belief in their claim of providing quality education. This is a market-base concept which states that the consumer, such as students and their parents will determine the sustainability of the school based the value of the education offered to them. The traditional public schools that fail to provide quality product such as curriculum and instruction, along with effective leadership will most likely not remain in business, hence the serious concerns by the opponents like Alabama Education Association.
Secretary Henry Mabry also asserts that, “there is no assurance they [the charter schools] would work” but he failed to inform the citizens of Alabama that there are many non-charter schools that are not working out for the benefit of all students, including some Alabama traditional schools. The citizens of Alabama have the right to know that there are many traditional public schools in Alabama and throughout out the United States that are failing our students in grades K-12.
John O. Alizor, is a PhD Researcher in educational leadership at Capella university with interest in charter schools.
Educational Researchers have found that charter schools offer autonomy and flexibility to parents in failing schools, therefore, Phil William’s assertion that, “the bill would offer more flexibility to school districts with failing schools” is valid.
I’m sorry, but you don’t actually get to say that without providing your sources. Which education researches? Where is their work published? Is it peer-reviewed?
More charter schools. Of course. If charter schools actually did what they promised we’d be beating all the countries on the planet by now. They aren’t the panacea people seem to think they is. Free market isn’t actually supposed to be applied to EVERY problem.
Clearly this is what Alabama citizens want. It’s ridiculous that people who cover all the bills basically have the least say in how their money is spent. They want charters and that is what they should have access to.
I”ve often thought about starting a charter school. How nice it would be to be able to not accept certain behaviors, certain students, or kick them back to where they came. Give me rules and I can run an efficient school. That is education for all (all of those that make the cut to attend my school in the first place). No Child Here Left Behind. How will those parents feel when they find they will have to support their student, their teachers, and their school? God, wouldn’t we all like a say in how our money is spent, not just for school either.
And even with THOSE advantages they still can’t do better than a pubic school.
Maybe not, but teaching would be so much easier
I guess if you lock up all your kids in prisons (oops, I meant charter schools) then you may make it up to 47th in education in the country. Shoot for the moon!