by Simple Mind

Created on: June 30, 2009   Last Updated: July 09, 2009

For years now, secondary public education in the United States has struggled under the weight of administrative bureaucracy and a misguided focus on structure rather than academic success, particularly within urban centers. It is an issue that first received widespread attention upon publication of the 1983 president-commissioned report, "A Nation at Risk" and continues to be a topic of concern in almost every election at the city, state and national level. In light of bureaucratic reluctance to initiate fundamental reform, other alternatives to traditional public schools have been born out of grass roots efforts seeking to rebuild rather than rehabilitate the current system. One such effort has resulted in the establishment of charter schools; institutions which are free to develop a myriad of pedagogic approaches and cater to the needs of each community. It is my belief that states should continue to support such schools.

The problem, in a nutshell, is that public school systems are unnecessarily burdened by bureaucracies that not only fail to act in a timely fashion, but often drain resources that were intended to support actual academic improvements. Moreover, school boards do not set out a clear and succinct agenda for scholastic achievement, thereby conveniently avoiding the issue of accountability. Their primary purpose is to maintain administrative affairs, so it is no surprise when students do not fare well under this system.

While there may be no quick and easy solution to ineffective secondary education, more and more people are turning to charter schools to educate their children. Close to 4000 schools are now in operation across the United States. What distinguishes charter schools is their exemption from most state and local regulations, rendering them essentially autonomous in their operations. In addition, since funding follows each child to the schools they attend, charter schools must either satisfy parents that their children are improving scholastically or risk financial ruin. This type of direct accountability is absent in present school systems perhaps explaining why so many students easily fall through the cracks; some even unable to read or write upon graduation.

The appeal of Charter schools stems from the flexibility permitted at the administrative, curricular and regulatory levels. For example, the Academy of the Pacific Rim in Boston, Massachusetts includes classes in Mandarin Chinese and Tai Chi as part of the regular curriculum.

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