Tenure: Public Schools Versus Charter Schools

Improved Essays
When the entirety of charter schools is compared to the entirety of traditional public schools, teachers of charter schools are actually less educated, experienced and content with their careers. According to researchers at Public Agenda, during the 2011-2012 school year:
48 percent of traditional public school teachers had master 's degrees, whereas 37 percent of charter school teachers had master 's degrees. On average, charter school teachers had nine years of teaching experience, whereas public school teachers had 14 years. Traditional public school teachers ' average salary was $53,400, whereas charter school teachers ' average salary was #44,500. (Teachers and Teaching)
Despite the less appealing teachers, charter schools still managed
…show more content…
Tenure is a permanent contract that is supposed to guarantee employment for life. This is exceptional news for a teacher but quite the opposite for most students and schools who grant it. As the amount of teachers who were granted tenure grew, more of them began to exploit it, losing motivation to teach as their jobs became outstandingly secure. Qualifying for tenure is surprisingly easy in a lot of states. Generally, to qualify, a teacher must first remain in phenomenal standing with the school board for a probationary period of about five years. Afterward, they must remain in said standing for another for another one-five years, depending on which state they teach in. Some, but not all, states require that the teacher being considered for tenure prove professional improvement by conducting research or participating in scholarly activities. Tenure was created to help exceptional teachers keep their jobs but, in recent years, teachers have been working hard to obtain tenure then becoming rather careless once it is granted. Another notable difference between charter and public schools is that most charter schools enforce a much harsher dress code than public schools.. They may not have a direct impact on academic achievement, however, they help create a safe environment for students and teachers alike. The Riverview Charter School in Beaufort South Carolina enforces …show more content…
These lax dress codes may reduce the amount of drug, gang and sex related issues, though they promote the act of bullying. A student who shows up to school in worn out clothes is prone to becoming an outcast to those who wear new clothes. Likewise, those who wear tight clothes are more susceptible to bully or be bullied by those who wear baggy clothes. As a result, many students segregate themselves from others which hinders their capability to acquire crucial life skills such as working with and feeling empathetic toward others. These issues can be reduced with ease by simply implementing dress codes much like those of charter schools. However, incorporating new rules into a public school is very difficult compared to charter schools because they are run by a district board which is also run by a state

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    They are not protected by a union and each year they have to go through rehire, meaning they could be fired at any given moment. Teachers have less experience in the field and are paid less in charter schools. Also, educators can learn that they need to focus on more innovation. In order for charter schools to be successful, they need to stay in business and if we are applying flexibility and innovation in public school classrooms, fewer people would seek an alternative option for education. Charter schools focus on innovation and effectiveness of teachers to the extent that teachers are under constant pressure of being fired.…

    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The issue with the charter schools is that there is not much funding which causes the school to be aggressive and entrepreneurial (Charter Schools Are a Bad Idea). After the first charter school opened, much has happened in the charter schools across the United States…

    • 1251 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It has been a few decades ago since charter schools were established, with the main purpose as to ensure the improvement in the public school system. Furthermore, charter schools were intended to give teachers more freedom and innovativeness in instructing students to attain greater academic achievement. Thus, these schools have provided much improvement in the quality of education that public schools can offer. Charter schools maintain a strong partnership and collaboration with parents, students and educators.…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On August 29th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the city of New Orleans, leaving in its wake flooding, destruction, death, and the collapse of a corrupt and bankrupt public school system (Polier, 2006). Katrina left the city of New Orleans without physical school structures, without school organization, and most significantly, without a population capable of paying taxes to fund new schools. In response to this problem and the existing problem of a bankrupt school system, the United States government offered substantial financial assistance to organizations and districts that would open charter schools (Garda, 2011). Hurricane Katrina was seen by some as a blessing to the New Orleans school district, allowing for a complete reconstruction and reform of education. The reform was seen as an opportunity to improve prominent race and class inequalities, along with issues centered on teachers and teacher…

    • 1520 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Sometimes charter schools spend their time trying to find funding for their schools. Not all the charter schools are designed the same. “The financially viability of a charter school is dependent on the states” (Miron, 2011, p. 625). States decide how they want to distribute their school funds and choose to give the schools money in what they feel is appropriate for the students’ needs. If a teacher does not have the educational resources to teach the students it starts to affect the way they teach them.…

    • 1532 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    That is why they are private. The government, however, uses up education funding to provide vouchers to kids. Public education does not have everything right with money either. Charter schools are supposed to be held accountable for their production. The way in which that regulated is not exactly consistent.…

    • 1978 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Charter School Case Study

    • 1938 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The last few years it has been really tough. Very candidly, we have been, and please don’t write this, actively discouraging people from applying. We recognize that we have too many charters, we don’t have enough talent to power it and the easiest way of controlling the quality of the schools in the pipeline. Most of the people were scared off and last we had only two applicants that were absolutely terrible.…

    • 1938 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When digging deeper into the charter school structure, many may inquire whether all charter schools are the same. While each charter school system shares similar qualities, such as the fact that they are all privately managed, that they are each constructed upon the basis of promoting independent thinking, and that they are all required to follow a particular set of state standards, it is important to understand that no two charter schools are the same. Under this charter school umbrella, a variety of different programs are offered, programs such as: Montessori education, Edison Learning programs, college preparatory programs, Edison Schools, experiential learning programs such as advanced placement courses, foreign language and schools that…

    • 944 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Why Should Schools Not Have Dress Codes “I don’t care about that dress code. When you always look good, it’s not a problem.” -Peja Stajakovic Schools with dress codes are unfair to those who wish to fulfill themselves. Students have a right to dress how they want, they choose to be responsible or not. They should not have a dress code because it banishes creativity, can create violence, and some families cannot afford the cost.…

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The schools will receive a certain amount for each student enrolled. Unlike traditional public schools, most charter schools do not receive funding to cover the cost of securing a facility. Occasionally charter schools are established from pre-existing schools called conversion schools. This disadvantage leads to insufficient funding and can lead to inadequate educational experience for students. Organizational incompetence and non-compliance go hand in hand and they pertain to charter schools in organizational disarray that lack the will or capacity to change or improve their ways.…

    • 1765 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many support charters because of their diverse environment and accelerated academics. However, much of the…

    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    A school that their child can thrive, fits into the environment comfortably, and that can receive a great education. A school where teachers are highly experienced and qualified to teach their children was important in making the decisions. Some obstacles that parents face is does charter schools leave out any students? does the turnover of teachers help students academic progress? and how well do charter school students…

    • 1188 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Not all public school districts are fortunate enough to carry out these big cases when the little money they have go towards trying to be the best for the students. A study conducted in 2009 by the New Teacher Project reported that 81% of school administrators knew a poorly performing tenured teacher at their school yet 86% of administrators said they do not always pursue dismissal of teachers because of the costly and time consuming process. It can take up to two to ten years for a case to be settled and by the end, the district would have spent approximately $250,000 on one teacher alone. Students suffer under the negative ascpect of teacher tenure. Under teacher Tenure, student voices are excluded.…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    STUDENT C WHY CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE THE BEST OPTION FOR EDUCATION As defined by Political Encyclopedia of U.S. States and Regions, “Charter schools are elementary and secondary schools that have been granted a charter (or authorization) by state boards o f education or local school boards to receive state or local school funds to operate a school apart from public schools, under the specifications provided in the charter.” There is so much debate on which is the most beneficial route to take for the most out of the education (for a better education)?. As a result of more funding, charter schools get better teachers to prepare minorities in low income neighborhoods, (and) prepare them for college for free. Yet, the most common choice for a parent is to enroll their child into a public school.…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Significantly, charter schools also influence and positively impact the parents within a community. In earlier years, parents of students expressed dissatisfaction and discontentment with the lack of diverse educational opportunities, therefore charter schools were created as the answer to this prominent issue (Eastman, 2017). Thus, charter schools were actually first created due to the requests and petitions of the parents of a community. Furthermore, charter schools present students with an innovative, independent, and responsible educational environment, thus offering an inexpensive alternative to private school. Evidently, this greatly helps parents give their child an excellent and effective education without financially burdening them.…

    • 193 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays