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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Isle public charter schools
have their own set of rulesQuestion: What are the rules regarding getting in to a charter school? It seems to me that there has been very little information about how charter schools are run, what the rules are regarding how they are administered, in other words, class sizes, entrance requirements, etc.
Answer: The 25 charter schools in Hawaii are among nearly 3,000 schools nationwide that seek to provide flexible methods of instruction and innovative curriculum and programs within the public school arena.
Charter schools are created by the legislatures in each state and receive state and federal funding, as well as money from other sources.
While public charter schools in Hawaii are attached to the state Board of Education and have some connection to the Department of Education, each is overseen by its own school board, which hires its own principal.
Charter schools have a degree of autonomy that other public schools don't have.
They could choose to be a one-room school house or opt for multi-age groupings, is how Charles Higgins, the Department of Education's public charter schools specialist, put it.
His office administers grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the Public Charter Schools Program, with the purpose of using the grant money to create new charter schools.
Acknowledging the growing interest in such schools -- more than 4,000 students currently are enrolled in Hawaii -- the Hawaii Legislature last year created the position of executive director of public charter schools, under the Board of Education.
Dewey Kim -- at one time a deputy attorney general who served as legal counsel to the Board of Education -- assumed the position last month.
His job entails facilitating the operation of charter schools, "to help them do their job," as well as to have general oversight, he said. That involves such things as the chartering of new schools, audits, fiscal issues, and serious complaints or allegations relating to a rule, regulation or law.
But he does not get involved in day-to-day decisions or matters of curriculum, explaining that that's up to each principal and school board.
"In the normal course of trying to work things out, the first line (for parents) is to the principal, then the local school board, because they are the ones with the direct authority over the school," he said.
"More and more, the charter schools are being separated out from the DOE in terms of function," Kim said.
"But there is still some overlap," as in special education, where the DOE is still the primary agency in terms of federal grants.
Also, Kim explained, charter schools may choose not "to take on certain types of rules and guidelines," defaulting to Department of Education regulations. "So there is some interplay."
Charter schools are public schools. As such, there are no entrance requirements and the schools cannot discriminate on the basis of race, religion, disability, etc., as outlined by law, Higgins said.
While charter schools, by law, are not allowed to use public funds to support religious programs or activities, they may lease space from religious organizations or may enter into partnerships with them to provide secular services, such as tutoring or recreational activities.
Unlike DOE schools, there are no set geographic boundaries for charter schools.
Some charter schools will take students from a large geographic area, while some look more within their immediate area, Kim said.
That said, a charter school may not be able to accept a student because of resource limitations, whether in terms of physical space or, for example, in the case of a special needs student, teacher resources.
In the event there are more students than seats available at a charter school, selection is based on a lottery. Many schools have waiting lists.
In many cases, if there is an opening at a school, it's usually the child or parent who decides, after looking at a school and its curriculum, that it's really not for them, Higgins said.
Kim agreed, noting that there are eight charter schools whose focus is on Hawaiian language and culture, while others may concentrate on science and math.
The former University Lab School, now known as The Education Laboratory School, became a charter school three years ago. The school continues to be affiliated with the University of Hawaii College of Education's Curriculum Research and Development Group.
Charter schools are "an interesting educational tool that allows people the flexibility to try different things to see if they work; try different methods of teaching and experiment with different ways of handling situations," Kim said.
Class size varies, although, "in general," they tend to be much smaller than at regular public schools, he said.
There are two types of charter schools: start-up schools, in which a group of individuals or educators have applied for and gotten approval to start a school, and conversion schools, which are public schools that have converted to charter schools.
There currently is a moratorium on start-up schools, Kim said.
As for funding, the state provides per-pupil funding for charter schools.
The Legislature currently is considering what that figure will be for the upcoming school year. Last year, the state provided $5,355 per pupil, with a little more given for special education students, which is determined on a case-by-case basis, Kim said.
"It's difficult to give an actual per-pupil figure, because there are other monies involved," including federal funds and grants from nonprofits, he said. So the actual amount will vary among schools.
"The schools have the flexibility to spend the money in the way the local board feels is the best way," Kim said.
Essentially, charter schools "look a little different, but they're still public schools," Kim said.
He recommended parents checking the different schools out because "these are really interesting schools ... they've done some wonderful things."
Like anything else in life, he said, one size doesn't fit all.
"So what we are trying to do is to get a number of different types of schools that may attract something within a student which they're not necessarily getting from some public or private school," Kim said. "Our goal is to lift our students up one at a time."
If you're interested in having your child attend a charter school, Higgins suggested contacting that school and getting an application.
He also suggested going to the DOE web site --http://doe.k12.hi.us/charterschools.htm -- where all the schools are listed, with information about their grade levels, focus, and contact information.
You can also call 586-3570, fax 586-3577 or write to Public Charter Schools, P.O. Box 2360, Honolulu 96804.
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