Fans of charter schools often say since their FTE (funding) is less they save society money, well not so fast and please remember that once the FTE money is allocated more than a few will return to their public schools sans the resources to educate them.
From a reader:
At my school we have probably lost approx. 50 students to some new charters this year. With over 1100 students, 50 kids spread out from K to 5th doesn't cost us a teacher. SO we still have to budget all classroom teachers, all resource and sped teachers, pay utilities, etc. as usual, but we are missing the FTE from those 50 students.
So we have to cut in the areas our district will allow us to cut. So we have one guidance counselor for all our students, 2 paras to provide support to 70+ teachers, etc. Teacher supply money is eliminated, we pull duty morning and afternoon when we used to use those slots to provide remediation. All because 50 students switched to an unproven charter school that has already begun counseling out the unruly and underachievers.
They are returning to our school, but we won't see any state $ for them until next semester. That is why we are upset. Plus in Jax, we have seen where some charter schools are for profit...like the first year KIPP was open, they didn't purchase textbooks, but their admin made handsome salaries with great benefits. Of course, the KIPP teachers did not fare so well.
From a reader:
At my school we have probably lost approx. 50 students to some new charters this year. With over 1100 students, 50 kids spread out from K to 5th doesn't cost us a teacher. SO we still have to budget all classroom teachers, all resource and sped teachers, pay utilities, etc. as usual, but we are missing the FTE from those 50 students.
So we have to cut in the areas our district will allow us to cut. So we have one guidance counselor for all our students, 2 paras to provide support to 70+ teachers, etc. Teacher supply money is eliminated, we pull duty morning and afternoon when we used to use those slots to provide remediation. All because 50 students switched to an unproven charter school that has already begun counseling out the unruly and underachievers.
They are returning to our school, but we won't see any state $ for them until next semester. That is why we are upset. Plus in Jax, we have seen where some charter schools are for profit...like the first year KIPP was open, they didn't purchase textbooks, but their admin made handsome salaries with great benefits. Of course, the KIPP teachers did not fare so well.
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