Zilhaver 1

Robert Zilhaver
Aughenbaugh
English 12
13 March 2015
The leach on Public schools
Charter schools are a growing trend in the United States; however, the effectiveness of
charter schools should be questioned. Areas of concern include, and the money they receive to
the lack of education the children get. States granting funding to charter schools need to
reconsider how the funding is allotted.
A charter school is a cyber-school or brick and motor school that receives money like
public schools. However does not follow the same rules. Charter students still have to take the
PSSA or the Keystones exams. Like students in public schools.

Charter schools have certain

rules that public schools do not. They are allowed to deny access to the school for any means, so
most do not have special education programs and can kick students out for failing or other issues.
Most of the charter schools have a very strict school policy. This means they are much more
disciplined in the way they handle situations such as a three strike policy. Charter schools also
can reject individuals due to race or money however; they will deny this fact (Strauss, Valerie).
Charter schools are looking for kids who will give back to their school, so they will accept high
income students from wealthy families. The reasons charter schools exist are to test
experimental teaching methods (Strauss, Valerie). They also accept different values. Charter
schools are allowed to associate with a certain religion. Though they are not allowed to use the
money they receive from the school district for religious purposes. They are supposed to be
seeing if innovative teaching methods are successful for the public schools to use. Students are
introduced to new technology and tend to have new teachers usually right out of college,
bringing energy and new excitement to these children. The cyber schools help their students
learn how to manage their work habits. Work habit management is important because it will

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transfer into their work life. In the real work world, there will not be a teacher standing over
them holding their hand through their work.
Charter schools still exist because the supporters give money through many ways. Many
of the supporters are private businesses that view the schools as a great way to make money.
These businesses put money in to a charter school and make a significant profit (Strauss,
Valerie). The corporations are making money by running the schools. Limiting their spending
on the school and using the money they receive from the government to run the school. The
funding that the get from the school districts usually has money left over after the year, where
they take this money.
Additionally, some parents like cyber charter schools for the social aspects. Students
learn in the homes' safe environment. This means there are no gangs, no bullies, and no
unwanted people there (Chen, Grace).

Cyber students also receive a computer that encourages

participation. With the computer they can take their time on certain subjects when needed, or go
as fast as they need to. "Real life" teachers are available to help the students when a question
arises. They do not show up at the houses but are able to help by face time or messaging (Chen,
Grace). Notably, South Korea's main education is cyber schools. Supporters say it eliminates all
prejudice, because all of the students have the same opportunities. Furthermore eliminating the
rich and poor stigma and making them all equal (Van, Beek). Government is open to the nation
of charter schools. The Republican Party lists a main reason for the fact that they can choose the
school they attend. Even so, Governor Tom Corbett wanted to limit the money they send to
charter schools (Strauss, Valerie).
Charter schools sound pretty good as long as you are attending them. If you are not then
why would you not like them? Pennsylvania cyber schools get about $5,000 per student. The
federal government pays $375 per student, leaving the rest to school districts contribute as well
as corporations (Carol, Pogash).

Unlike public schools, charter schools do not have to show

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what they do with their money, with purchasing schools essentials (Strauss, Valerie). There is
need for transparency with charter school foundry because of the multiple sources, even business
from different states. (Strauss, Valerie). This is concerning because these schools are getting
large amounts of money from the federal government, the state, and other sources. The charter
operators are the ones who are getting the most out of these charter schools. For instance at
Nicholas Trombetta, former CEO of PA Cyber was caught stealing around one million dollars
from the schools (Strauss, Valerie). Additionally, a charter school from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
was trying to use their funds to open a school in Ohio. School officials from Philadelphia
pleaded guilty to fraud on the schools (Strauss, Valerie). Unfortunately they are looking at these
charter schools as a business, a big money business. Charter schools are known for their privacy
but when it comes to money there is limited transparency. If the leaders of the schools are taking
money, how do we know that they are not infringing on the freedom of religion? If they use the
money for these religious funds this would break the amendment. This is because being different
religions and atheists are supporting this one religion. One of the perks of going to a charter
school is the small class size. Interestingly the smaller class size does not seem to help with test
scores. The SPP (school performance profile) rated charter schools sixty-six point four, cyber
schools forty-eight point six score to the publics seventy-seven point one score (Strauss,
Valerie). There was no cyber school able to score above a seventy minimum of eight cyber
schools scored below a fifty. (Strauss, Valerie) The reason their scores are so low is the fact that
they have less reading and math days than public schools. Pennsylvania charter schools had an
average of twenty-nine reading days and fifty fewer math days than the public schools (Strauss,
Valerie). This is without the students in special education or learning support class since charter
can deny these students access to the school and their resources. This is how they are so

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different from public schools. They are able to reject kids for no reason at all. This eliminates
students with learning disabilities from the equations (Strauss, Valerie). That is only the case
for the non-cyber charter schools. It is not the kids fault for failing these tests. It is brought upon
them by the narrow curriculums and inexperienced teachers.
In addition to struggling academically, charter schools offer less social opportunities than
public schools. They are taking away the students opportunities to develop social skills they
need for life. Sigmund Freud theory states that everything we do in our adolescent stages affects
our life (Freud, Sigmund). The biggest thing a child does during the adolescent phase is going to
school. School is where children make friends and learn to be on their own without parents
involvement. This is scary because cyber charter schools are starting to start younger than
kindergarten (Strauss, Valerie). Kids who are home schooled may also start before kindergarten.
This adds stress to the parent teaching as well as the child. Alarmingly, charter schools are still
popping up all over.
Charter schools were not designed to be around for a long time. Fifty-one percent of
charter schools over ten years old have a SPP score below seventy percent (Strauss, Valerie).
United States schools cannot compete with South Korea, because South Korea has mastered the
system over a longer period of time. Their schools are not privatized or limited. They show
where the money is going, for instance how much teachers get paid and the funding
information. The adult serves more as a tutor rather than a teacher. However a tutor can have
ten to five thousand students at one time. Additionally, the tutors are paid per student. They can
be making millions dealing with many students or, be making very little dealing with ten or less
students. Even in South Korea the problem of no social contact is still a factor in this way. This
is even worse due to the students not having any contact with any other human beings face to
face.

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Charter schools lack the test scores and social opportunities that exist in public schools.
They need to open their doors to everyone or they need to stop taking money from public school
districts. Charter schools need to show the government and the people what they are doing with
the money they receive. They need to stop scamming the schools and their districts. If these
cyber charter schools continue, they need to find a way to socialize the students. Have meetings
in a public place so they can learn the essential social skills. That is important to be successful in
life.

Works Cited
Abraha, Weintana. Online Charters May Fail Students and Reduce Public School Funding.
Charter Schools. Ed. Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012.
Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from Cyber Charter Schools: The End of Public Education or a
New Beginning?" Atlanta Post. 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.
Boundless. Freud's Psychosexual Theory of Development. Boundless Psychology. Boundless,
27 Jun. 2014. Retrieved 17 Feb. 2015.
<https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychologytextbook/human-development-14/theories-of-human-development-70/freud-spsychosexual-theory-of-development-267-12802/>.
Chen, Grace. Pros and Cons of a Growing Trend. Public School Review.n.p., 1 Jan. 2003.
Web. 15 Feb. 2015. <http://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/virtual-charter-schools-prosand-cons-of-the-growing-trend>.
Pitsch, Dawn. Homeschooling Is Not the Right Choice for Every Family. Home. Farmington
Hills MI: Christine Nasso, 2007. 58. Print.
Pogash, Carol. Online Charters Are Expensive and Problematic. Charter Schools. Ed.
Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints.
Rpt. from With Public Money, Online Charters Grow. Bay Citizen. 2010. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.
Strauss, Valerie. A Dozen Problems with Charter Schools. The Washington Post. 20 May
2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2015. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answersheet/wp/2014/05/20/a-dozen-problems-with-charter-schools/>.
Van Beek, Michael. Online Charter Schools Expand Options and Benefit Students. Charter
Schools. Ed. Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing

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Viewpoints. Rpt. from Virtual Learning and Student Achievement. Mackinac Center for
Public Policy, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.