There has been a lot of talk recently about charter schools, particularly in Douglas County. In fact, we just went through a school board election where charter schools were one of the main topics of conversation. With next week being National School Choice week, I thought this would be a good week to discuss myths about charter schools. It's important that all of our families understand exactly what makes us different, because you are our strongest advocates in the community.

 

The Colorado League of Charter Schools helps educate the public about the advantages of public charter schools. The league's President, Ben Lindquist, was recently featured on the PBS show "Devil's Advocate" where he, along with Jon Caldara and Pam Benigno, debunked misconceptions about charter schools. I invite you to spend fifteen minutes to learn more about how charters are different than neighborhood public schools. Click on this link to the watch the video.

 

While I encourage you to watch the short video, below are a few facts every charter school parent should know:

• Last year in Colorado, 238 charter schools served 115,000 students, which is 13 percent of the total public school population in Colorado.
• Charter schools are public schools that have a contract, or charter, with their authorizer (usually the local school district), to serve students. The contract details the school's mission and goals, as well as benchmarks to measure success. Charters are only granted for a period of time specified by the authorizer, and are subject to renewal.
• Charters receive funding from tax dollars. In the Douglas County School District, Charters receive the same per-pupil operating revenue as the other public schools in our neighborhood; however, charters must pay for all expenses (building, salaries, training, etc.) and contribute toward District expenses for things like special education with those fees. Other district schools receive funding from other sources besides per-pupil funding to help pay for their buildings and other capital needs.
• Charter schools are open to all students, and students are not required to 'test-in' to be accepted. Most charters are able to serve kids who may have mild to moderate special needs, or are on an Accelerated Learning Plan. At BFA, our Student Support Services team consists of 12 professionals happily serving the needs of our students.
• Charter school teachers are highly qualified. At BFA, ALL OUR TEACHERS are licensed and highly educated. All together, our teachers have 512 years of experience and approximately 30 of our teachers have their masters degree, with several more currently working toward it.
• Charter schools offer diverse demographics. Statewide, 49.5 percent of Colorado charter public school students are students of color as compared to 44.2 percent in traditional public schools. If you include families who identify as two or more races, 20.5 percent of BFA's student body is diverse according to Federal racial and ethnic categories. 

We know that every family attending Ben Franklin Academy made a choice to come here. We strive every day to make sure that families remain excited about their choice of schools.  Thank you for your continued support of our STEAM School of Choice!