You have a number of options if you’re looking into educational programs for your child or children, and one that’s growing in popularity in recent years is the charter school route. A wide range of charter schools are out there, providing programs that may hold major value to your children and your family – what are the key purposes of charter schools, anyway?
At Beehive Science & Technology Academy, we’re proud to serve as South Jordan’s top public charter school, providing STEM programs, career and technical education and much more to our students. What are the key purposes and goals of charter schools, and which areas of charter school programs may be different from traditional school programs? This two-part blog series will go over everything you should know.
Basic Differences Between Charter and Traditional Schools
The key difference between a charter school and a traditional school is the organization who is running it. While typical schools are governed by local school districts, charter schools are run as non-profit organizations. As such, they are free to come up with their own curriculum and rules that may differ from traditional school programs. This can provide a greater level of flexibility in what students receive when it comes to educational experiences.
Some of the key areas where these differences are showcased include:
- Full curriculum autonomy: Charter schools are free to choose the curriculum they use, so long as it meets certain standards. This can be a great way to find a specialty program that caters specifically to your child’s needs and interests.
- Increased accountability: Charter schools are required by law to meet certain performance standards, and if those aren’t met, the school may face closure or other consequences. This provides an extra level of accountability that traditional schools don’t always have – and it’s a major part of why parents are increasingly interested in charter schools.
- Focused education values: Most charter schools also come with a set of core educational principles that they value and strive to uphold. These may be anything from teaching students how to think critically and solve problems to infusing special classes into the curriculum for hands-on learning.
Key Goals of Charter Schools
Charter schools are designed to provide a different type of education for students, but also come with several core goals and purposes. These include:
- Increased accountability: As noted above, charter schools are held accountable for their results in a way that traditional schools may not be. This helps make sure that the school is delivering quality education and achieving desired results.
- Providing choice: One of the major goals of charter schools is to provide more choice in education. This can mean not only choosing the curriculum and rules but also providing unique opportunities and experiences that may not be available in other educational programs.
- Preparing students for the future: The goal of most charter school programs is to prepare students for the future, whether that’s in the workplace or continuing their education. Through focused curriculum and hands-on learning, charter schools help students gain the skills they need to succeed.
In part two of our series, we’ll go over some of the key benefits of charter schools for many kids and parents, plus main reasons why many choose to go this route. For more here, or to learn about any of our South Jordan public charter school programs, speak to our team at Beehive Science & Technology Academy today.
