Are Cyber Charter Schools Really Free?
by Mimi Rothschild
It is no secret that American children are not attaining the same high achievement levels as our international neighbors. For the past few decades, and especially since President Bush’s No Child Left Behind reform efforts, Americans have been exploring ways to improve education in the United States. With politicians, parents, teachers, and students all seeking alternatives to the current public school system, it is no wonder that there has been a recent blitz of emerging alternative schools.
A new trend in educational alternatives is online schooling, education delivered via the Internet for homeschooled students. Within the last decade, homeschooling enrollments have dramatically increased, especially with the recent onslaught of internet schools available. In fact, homeschooling is the fastest growing educational alternative in the country. The increase in homeschooling enrollments shows that Americans remain dissatisfied with the public school system. It also reveals that parents are taking their children’s education seriously, and are willing to put action behind their beliefs. The American school system is undoubtedly threatened by these alternatives to its educational monopoly. Many people feel that the government is trying to thwart these alternative education movements by sleek guises of “free” education.
A recent educational alternative offered by the government is cyber charter schools. Charter schools are funded by the public school district from which their students come, thus causing conflict between charter schools and public schools. Because charter schools in and of themselves are controversial, the government is now attempting to market “free” cyber charter schools. Cyber charter schools are online schools for students who learn in their home that are funded and regulated by the public school system. The term “free” implies that these schools do not cost homeschooling families anything. Many families, however, have found the price they pay for these “free” schools is actually very high. Unfortunately, our government is seducing parents to choose these misrepresented public educational options, despite knowledge that these schools lack vital components of successful education.
Private online schools are funded by tuition paid by the parents, which makes “free” cyber charter schools that much more appealing. This is exactly what the government’s marketing campaign hopes for. The educational experience, however, is not comparable. Tuition-based online schools are geared to homeschooling families who are looking for freedom in education. “Free” cyber charter schools function much like public schools, with the same rules and regulations, thus purging the educational freedom that most homeschooling families are seeking.
Educational freedom that must be sacrificed with cyber charter schools is priceless. First, private online schools geared to homeschooling families offer a variety of curriculum, allowing the parents to choose the best learning paths for their children. Christian online schools have been experiencing tremendous growth among homeschoolers, as they offer a God-centered worldview throughout their teaching. This type of learning is not an option with cyber charters, who adhere to the same separation of church and state principles as the American school system.
Additionally, homeschooling families using private online schools have the ability to personalize lesson content, customizing it to appeal to their children, thus increasing the child’s desire to learn. Homeschooling families can use real life projects, like starting a lemonade stand or writing to an international pen pal, to learn the same lessons typically taught through lecture in public schools. Parents can develop a math lesson using a Monopoly game or a music lesson while riding in the car or a physical education lesson by taking self-defense classes together. Homeschooling families using private online school options have the freedom of choice when implementing lessons, thus using life experience to teach their children, which has proven more effective than traditional teaching methods. Again, this type of learning is not available when using a cyber charter school that allows no choice in curriculum.
Also, a number of online schools allow students to work at their own pace. Students can work a few hours at a time or numerous hours on a topic of interest, rather than adhering to a rigid class schedule. This remains a great alternative for exceptional students, from children with ADD to gifted learners. Children using private online schooling options can learn at a pace that keeps their attention and motivation levels peaked. Again, this instructional bonus is not possible with cyber charter schools, where you must adhere to formatted school days, mandated attendance requirements, and government-defined learning objectives.
Cyber charter schools restrict freedom of choice in education. Although marketed to unsuspecting families as “free,” cyber charter schools demand a sacrifice of teaching and learning control that is available through private online schooling options. Hundreds of disappointed families who had high hopes for “free” schools have discovered that they are just disguised versions of the public school system from which they were trying to escape.
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