My SS goes to a charter school in the Northeast. This finally after failing 8th grade 2 x due to BM's lax parenting. It's awesome. He was able to catch up to grade level and if they want, they can usually graduate early. In this case, you had to apply due to a need to show at risk of not graduating. Not a prob with this kid.

You know how you have to make your child go to the school that is assigned to your area of residence? Charter schools are an alternative to that. In my county, it is open enrollment but fills up quickly and they usually do a lottery with all the applicants at the beginning of each year. Buses depend on your area, but they have all the same funding as every other school. Its free and they are just as good, if not better than other public schools. They basically are just to provide an alternative in case you don't like the school for your area. Same licensing requirements for the teachers and all that. At least thats how it is where I live (NC)

"Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There's too much fraternizing with the enemy"

Gia

I am in Florida too. Charter schools are much the norm. They usually tout smaller classes and some do require more parental involvement. IDK if this is what makes them successful. Some Charter schools are really good and some not so much. They are held to the same standards as Public Schools with the Fcat and policies by which it is governed because they do receive State funding. To get a better understanding research the Charter schools in your area. I know a few people who have sent their kids to Charter schools and love it. The skids started out in a charter school, but when we moved and ended up with custody they were outisde of the boundaries even though we lived less than a mile from the school. We were across city lines.

Go on the internet and plug in the name of your county Public Schools and you can check out the schools yourself. I keep the school boards website on my list of favorites because you can get a lot of good information, especially if you are new to the public school system. I am guessing that your area would be the Volusia County Public Schools. Hope it helps.

Anyone can take the easy way out and blame others. BUT it takes a a person of character to take a look at one's self and actions and own responsibility for their part. ~ ME ~ }:-P

There are charter schools which are run by companies for profit - and they basically are the ones that expect all of the extra things like work , uniforms, kids, buying books, etc. Then there are the ones which get a charter based on some thing like the fact that they're run by a religion or a community group. In my area, those are often evangelical schools. Again, lots of volunteering and often the same as the above uniforms, buying books, etc.  still similar.

The bottom line with charter schools of any kind is that the money that the state gives to your school district for that child to attend public school? If a child goes off to a charter school, that money, (which is tax dollars/your tax dollars, ) goes right over to the charter school. That's what pays their teachers, etc.. and sometimes a kid will not behave in a charter school, and then the charter school has the right to kick the kid right back to the public system, and often the money does not return. Charter schools are very good at weeding out a kid who gives them any behavior problems or who does not perform at the level of the other kids. That's how come they look like a good deal. Public schools cannot weed out children. The Kid who is kicked back to the public system and the money not returning happens more frequently with the for-profit charters as opposed to the church based or group based ones. I taught in a public school district where they were common and lots of the time the three-year charter from the state did not get renewed because test scores did not come up to state levels of education on certain grades/bottom line? The for-profits take the money and don't necessarily produce anything - when they lose their charter they disappear - so, who loses? the kids! The charters that are actually in the situation of formed  from a church or a community.? They tend to have a much better success rate, but again you are getting teachers who are not getting paid anywhere near a salary to live on in most cases. Many of them will bail even to a parochial school or a bad public system if they needed the money to live. The bottom line is charters are not all they're cracked up to me. Some can be absolutely fantastic but I believe there are few and far between. You have to find one with a fabulous track record and kids who are on State level and above for ability and get in and stay there. There is also sometimes a problem on getting into the really good charters , just like there would be into a very good private school. The good ones base it on education level. . I kind of have a feeling from your original post that the BM Just sees it as an option to a parochial or private and wants you to do all of the work for it. The concept of them being free does not really apply. Charters are just private schools that have taken the money away from the public system/essentially a private school run with public tax money as tuition.