2 Ways Charter Schools Can Focus More On Your Child

If you want your child to get more attention during the educational process, one option is to send your child to a charter school. Due to the set-up of charter schools, they often have a unique ability to focus more on your child's individual growth.

#1 Longer School Year

Most charter schools offer longer schools years and more education hours for their students. They achieve this in a variety of different ways. Some charter schools hold longer hours than their traditional school counterparts, either starting earlier in the day or ending later in the day.

Other charter schools achieve additional education hours by running a longer calendar year. Some charter schools tack on additional weeks of school into the summer, making your child's summer break a little longer. Other charter schools operate on more of a year-round schedule, with short breaks for spring, summer, fall and winter.

Charter schools are generally able to do this by paying their teachers less per hour than they would make at a traditional public school. Other charter schools achieve this through grants and outside funding.

Their are numerous benefits of a longer school year. One of the biggest benefits is that with a longer school year, charter schools can provide more one-on-one attention for students and can teach more specialized subjects. 

For example, if you want your child to learn a second language, a charter school with a second language program that employs a Spanish or French teacher can be a great choice. With a longer school year and/or longer school days, it is easier for charter schools to fit in the amount of time your child would need to effective learn and become emerged in a second language. If learning a second language is something you value, a charter school with a second language program could provide your child with the resources and time they need to really master a second language long before the get to high school, where most second language education starts in the United States. 

#2 Different Educational Approach

Many charter school's employee different educational approaches compared to traditional public schools. Many charter schools embrace more hands-on learning philosophies that result in your child getting to spend more times in small group learning settings and more time getting to learn through play and actions, not just through memorization and worksheets.

Be sure to ask about and research the educational approach used by charter schools in your area. See if there is an emphasizes on hands-on learning and more of a small group approach to teaching. Find out what the average classroom size is and what specific strategies and tools the school uses to support its teachers and encourage more one-on-one and small group interactions.

It is important to remember that not all charter schools are the same. Charter schools embrace many different teaching philosophies, ideas, and teaching practices. Read up on the mission statements and visions each charter school posts online. Visit the charter schools and ask to sit in on a class or lesson. Talk to the teachers and parents at the school, and find out how that educational philosophy is put into action.

Be sure to ask about what type of subject mater is covered by the character school. Some charter schools stick to covering just the traditional subject matter, but others branch out and try to include more arts, science, and foreign language education into their curriculum. Charter schools are in a unique position to offer more in-depth teaching of things like the arts, science and second languages, especially at the elementary and middle school stage. 

Once you find a charter school you like, you are going to need to submit an application. Many charter schools operate on a lottery basis, drawing student names from a lottery to determine which children will get spots. Find out what the application process is for the charter schools you are interested in, and get the application process started. This is a great way to ensure that your child gets one-on-one educational assistance and assess to additional subject areas, such as second languages and more in-depth art and science training than traditional public schools. 


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