Last Stand for Children First: School Choice Helps Meet the Needs of All Students

Last Stand for Children First: School Choice Helps Meet the Needs of All Students

School Choice Helps Meet the Needs of All Students

by Last Stand for Children

I have seen a lot of negative press lately about charter schools creating a two tier system of education in this country. One system is for students at charter schools in the inner city where charter schools like UNO and KIPP use rigid discipline and rote memorization to educate needy students. Another system is created for wealthy students where schools teach a curriculum rich in critical thinking and classes designed to help students become well rounded individuals.

I don't see this as a problem. For years, we have known that things like race and gender affect the way that students learn. Socio-economic status also greatly impacts student learning. For years, American teachers have complained that the high rate of poverty in this country makes their job more difficult. Why shouldn't schools separate students based on their family incomes, in much the same way that some students separate based on gender? Horseback riding lessons do no good to a student growing up in the poverty of an inner city neighborhood, while wealthier students would get bored with a day of memorizing math facts and linking ver