(Video above: answering questions about Alabama’s charter schools proposal)
A charter schools bill is making its way through the Alabama Legislature right now, and will likely be passed into law in the very near future.
The legislation has received the support of education policy scholars at the Heritage Foundation — long considered the benchmark for conservative policy — but has also received pushback from some local conservative groups that fear the influence of outside organizations and the presence of the Common Core State Standards.
With that in mind, StudentsFirst, a school choice advocacy group that supports the charters bill, released a video last week answering some common questions — and addressing some common misconceptions — about public charter schools.
The video can be viewed above, and a few of the issues they address can be found below.
1. Do other states have charter schools?
Alabama is one of only eight states in America that doesn’t allow charter schools.
2. Won’t charter schools take money away from public schools?
Charter schools are public schools, just like any other public school in your neighborhood. (They) are tuition free public schools that are open to all students who want to enroll. As public schools, charter schools are paid for by tax dollars. They don’t charge tuition and they don’t have special requirements to get in.
3. So how are charter schools different from other public schools?
First, innovation. Charter schools have the freedom to try new an unique methods of teaching. Second, accountability. Charter schools have to demonstrate their students are learning. Proving their students are learning is a key component of charter schools. Students at charter schools take the same tests as students at other public schools, but if the charter schools do not perform well, they are closed.
4. Will Alabama’s schools be taken over by out-of-state corporations or subversive interest groups?
Charter schools are approved, funded and overseen by local school districts so they don’t take money or authority away from local school leaders.
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— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) December 3, 2014
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