Charter Schools/Traditional Learning Centres

[prarieboy]

So we have to decide on what to do with our Four year old for Kindergarten next year. Does anyone have any kids in a Traditional Learning Centre or Charter School?? What do you think about them? I know we won't be able to get him into a Charter school next year because of the waiting list. We are leaning towards this type of environment in hopes it will help him become able to make his own decisions when faced with the problems I read far to much about these days.

Any comments good or bad would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Titan]

Get on the waiting lists now. Varying times and terms but never to early to get on the lists.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by prarieboy

So we have to decide on what to do with our Four year old for Kindergarten next year. Does anyone have any kids in a Traditional Learning Centre or Charter School?? What do you think about them? I know we won't be able to get him into a Charter school next year because of the waiting list. We are leaning towards this type of environment in hopes it will help him become able to make his own decisions when faced with the problems I read far to much about these days.

Any comments good or bad would be appreciated.

Thanks

Just as long as you remember that helping Johnny or Jane with decision making skills is a parent's responsibility as much as a school, no matter what type of school you choose. Schools are not baby sitting facilities where you drop your kid off in the morning at kindergarten age and magically 12 or 13 years later, you pick them up ready to take on life.

As far as schools, both have to meet the criteria as set up by Alberta Education. There might be different approaches teaching that curriculum, there might be add ons or specialties associated with the charter schools, ie: some add on religion, some add on extra sports, some add on arts and crafts, whatever.

Most charter schools expect more parent participation and involvement in your child's education, which is a good thing as far as I am concerned. And depending on where the school is located, you have to trade off the transportation issue and the issue of your kid's friends being on the other side of town. Neither are all that big a factor I don't think. Kids have been bused forever, does not hurt them. And country kids have always had to face the fact that they can't just up and walk or bicycle or take a city bus to visit their friends either. Some charter schools will have extra tuition and extracurricular fees as well.

I think you have to try and make up a list of pros and cons for both types of schools. What are your family values and where do you see the higher compatibility with those factors? in a public or in a charter school setting? Factor in how much time you have to put into your child's education, how much you can afford to spend on that education, go from there.

[Antithesis]

As a teacher, perhaps I can offer some help here. If you need any advice, please feel free to PM me.

If you think it is even a possibility you might want your son to attend a charter school, you should put his name on a waiting list right now. There are plenty of charter schools within the city that offer many different specializations, so you can find almost anything to match your specific values with what works for your son. I think I would personally let my child be in the public system for a while, because honestly, the public system is good enough for many kids. Once you see how he does in school, you might be able to make a more educated choice in this matter.

The CBE offers many different "traditional learning centres" within so-called regular schools that may also be an option to look at. One thing that I think many people miss when they consider charter schools is that they are exactly that - they write a charter for the school and send it to the government for it to be approved. Charter schools can be temporary - maybe the government decides they don't like the system anymore, or maybe something as simple as losing their facilities might come up (it almost did at the VERY successful charter school my friend teaches at in Edmonton) ... think about that as well. At least you know the CBE will always be there, and the TLC schools will always be offered.

Let me know if you need any other help with this - but I absolutely believe that the biggest issue with charter schools has nothing to do with their transportation-related difficulties but rather that many of them can be transient. My wife substitute teaches for a charter school system in the city, so I can get more info for you there as well (I teach for CBE).

[prarieboy]

[quote=redforever;1070412]Just as long as you remember that helping Johnny or Jane with decision making skills is a parent's responsibility as much as a school, no matter what type of school you choose. Schools are not baby sitting facilities where you drop your kid off in the morning at kindergarten age and magically 12 or 13 years later, you pick them up ready to take on life.

quote]

What!!!!

I was hoping to drop them off and pick up a well adjusted, mature young adult.

Seriously though our concern for doing all we can to mold the little fella's into decent human beings is what brings us to consider an alternative to the regular school stream. Being a part of the educational process is something that we feel we can do as parents to help them along.
We are both working and the reality of that is the school system will have more time per day influncing them than we will.

Excellent suggestion on making up a list of pros and cons. We will.

Thanks

[prarieboy]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

As a teacher, perhaps I can offer some help here. If you need any advice, please feel free to PM me.

If you think it is even a possibility you might want your son to attend a charter school, you should put his name on a waiting list right now. There are plenty of charter schools within the city that offer many different specializations, so you can find almost anything to match your specific values with what works for your son. I think I would personally let my child be in the public system for a while, because honestly, the public system is good enough for many kids. Once you see how he does in school, you might be able to make a more educated choice in this matter.

The CBE offers many different "traditional learning centres" within so-called regular schools that may also be an option to look at. One thing that I think many people miss when they consider charter schools is that they are exactly that - they write a charter for the school and send it to the government for it to be approved. Charter schools can be temporary - maybe the government decides they don't like the system anymore, or maybe something as simple as losing their facilities might come up (it almost did at the VERY successful charter school my friend teaches at in Edmonton) ... think about that as well. At least you know the CBE will always be there, and the TLC schools will always be offered.

Let me know if you need any other help with this - but I absolutely believe that the biggest issue with charter schools has nothing to do with their transportation-related difficulties but rather that many of them can be transient. My wife substitute teaches for a charter school system in the city, so I can get more info for you there as well (I teach for CBE).

Right now we are leaning towards the Traditional Learning Centre approach that is available but unfortuneately it is on a lottery basis. Our second preference would be a Spanish immersion program. I never considered that a charter school may lose the ability to teach so the CBE option sounds even better.

I really appreciate the comments so far, thanks

I'm going to PM you Antithesis, I have a couple of questions