Have you ever observed a heated debate over whether or not charter schools are beneficial to the education system? For years, people have had differing views on their role in society and presented various negative impacts that they have made. Charter schools differ from public schools because they are more independent from state regulations, do not charge students for tuition, and are ran by families and businesses. In exploring the cons of charter schools, I have been provided with multiple instances in which charter schools harm communities and their own students.

Michigan began establishing charter schools 23 years ago with the hope that they would increase competition and offer a way for families to choose what kind of education their children received. However, this plan backfired and instead created a wider gap between public schools and charter schools. In the southwest Detroit area, charter schools are more easily found than public schools. About 80 percent of these schools are controlled by for- profit companies such National Heritage Academies. The creation of charter schools actually forced many public schools to shut down because so many of their students chose to take the alternate education route. Ana Rivera, a mother of two boys, discovered that despite the abundance of charter schools in her community, sending her children to one was not the best option she could have made. Damian Rivera, Ana’s oldest son, seemed to be receiving a great education at the charter school across the street from their house. In fact, Damian was a straight- A student and gleefully told his mother about his dream of pursuing a future career as an engineer. After hearing this, Rivera signed him up for a science program at the University of Michigan where it became very clear that Damian was falling behind compared to Detroit public school students who were also enrolled in the program. Why? He had never been taught that cells were the “building blocks” of the human body even though he was already advancing to the seventh grade. After finding out that Damian’s charter school had stopped giving out homework, Rivera struggled to find another charter school in the area that would accept her child due to passed deadlines and other special circumstances. Eventually, Damian was placed into a local Catholic school on scholarship where he had trouble getting any grades above a D. Rivera revealed that Damian began to despise when someone mentioned engineering because it reminded him just how much of a stretch that would be. In addition to this, some families are tempted to choose these charter schools because they appear to be a more affordable option for families living in poverty. With promises of rewards and cash bonuses, charter schools really do seem to look like a great option. Behind the smoke and mirrors, these schools are fighting for funds and are sometimes unable to get the money they need in order to operate. This may force them to close for indefinite amounts of time which leaves students in the dust when it comes to their education. After the devastating storm, Hurricane Katrina, raged through parts of Louisiana, most schools converted to charter. Although New Orleans’ education system is predominantly made up of charter schools and has the highest number of students enrolled in them, Detroit comes in at a close second. As for the overall effect on the city, citizens of Detroit have commented that the quality of education has not prepared students for available jobs in the area and that companies must rely on people migrating into the city to fill their open positions (Zernike, 2016).

Due to there being an excessive amount of charter schools in Detroit, they are always in a constant battle for students. Some schools even purchase billboard signs and other forms of advertisement in a desperate attempt to get more students enrolled before they have to send their head count numbers in. The more students one school has, the more money that school receives from the state to pay for basic expenses. Charter schools in Detroit receive an estimated $7,300 per student, per school year to cover everything they need. A few schools, especially charters, have went as far as bribing families with raffle tickets and other bonuses upon enrollment. Typically, charter schools do not require extensive entrance exams like some private schools do. Instead, they claim to choose new students by lottery. More selective charter schools may require students to submit previous grades and test scores before they are admitted (Zernike, 2016).

Residents of Florida have also been feeling the effects of having charter schools in their communities. Members of the Florida League of Women Voters have spoken out against the schools, claiming that they are big scams. Some states such as Montana have even decided to prevent any funds from being given to private charter schools because it would use public money. I do agree with the concept that public funds should be used towards public schools, not towards private organizations (Ravitch, 2016).

Another downfall to charter schools is that teachers do not have to obtain a teacher certification to work there. In class we discussed that this may not be a good idea because those teachers may lack the necessary training they need in order to run a classroom. However, this is a way for those teachers to get around certification laws and find a job. They would not be allowed to teach in a public school since those schools require an individual to have the formal certification.

Charter schools have been a controversial issue for years because some people do not agree with the way things are taught and also how they are funded. From my understanding of how charter schools operate, I have concluded that they do not serve as an appropriate environment in which to teach children. I say this because it seems that students enrolled in these schools perform at a level that is way below the standards set in public schools. This also means that charter school students may not be as prepared for college and the coursework it entails. Just because there is an abundance of charter schools across the nation, they are not always the best choice for children who wish to receive a high- quality education that will help them be successful down the road.