New charter schools will open in Philadelphia

The Philadelphia School Reform Commission, due to financial problems and poor student performance, plans to vote on building 39 charter schools. The district already has 86 charter schools that offer an alternative to schools under the auspices of the local school district.

The American Federation of Teachers is struggling against increasing the number of charter schools. She says that some of the schools become bankrupt due to excessive freedom in finance and management.

American parents can choose between public, private and charter schools. The first ones were free, private schools had to be paid for, and charter schools were somewhere in the middle. Such establishments operate under a contract or “charter”.

Charter schools appeared in the United States at the start of the 90s, and the controversy surrounding this experiment has not subsided so far.

Like regular schools, charter schools are funded by the state, but they can also attract private funds. The main advantage is considered to be a better education due to the freedom in the choice of teaching methods and the selection of teachers.

Such schools are smaller than state schools; 200-400 children usually study in them, explains Russian Bazaar. Anyone who has won this right in the lottery is accepted. However, charter schools must comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act and meet, or better yet exceed, state learning standards.