Federal funding is crucial for our charter schools
Thousands more of St. Louis’ children could soon get their shot at achieving the American dream and be on the path toward getting prepared for a career of their choice. Or not, depending on what happens in Washington over the coming months as Congress determines funding for charter schools.
Charter schools are independent, public and tuition-free schools given the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. Because they are public schools they are funded by local, state and federal tax dollars. Charter schools are open to all children, serve all students, do not charge tuition, and do not have special entrance requirements. Charter schools do, however, operate independently of school districts, and this flexibility allows them to provide families with more modern, successful learning environments.
Charter schools have become an increasingly significant part of the St. Louis public school landscape, providing quality educational options for parents and students. Nearly 10,000 children in St. Louis are a part of a community twice as large attending public charter schools in Missouri. This is great news! However, many more students linger on waiting lists or live in communities throughout Missouri where charter schools are not yet even an option. Parents deserve to have options when they send their children off to be educated, and students deserve a shot at a better future.
The first step is strong support from Congress through funding. This year, there is bipartisan support to do this. Federal Charter Schools Program funding makes a critical difference in helping new charter schools open, as launch funding is often not otherwise available. Communities across the state are counting on U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt to give our children a high-quality choice in education.
To keep the American dream from becoming a distant memory, we must build a better future for our children. This dream has made our country the greatest nation on earth, and for nearly our entire history, each generation has enjoyed a better life than the previous. Education is the cornerstone of better opportunity. And the more than 6,700 public charter schools across our nation are today woven into the very education fabric that is American opportunity itself.
Public charter schools are proven to work. Nearly every academic report published on charter school performance since 2010 — 15 out of 16 — has found that students in charter schools do better in school than their traditional peers. Additionally, children who attend charter schools are more likely to graduate from high school than their traditional school peers. In dozens of charter schools across the country, every single graduating senior is accepted into college. Charter schools also continue to disproportionately top the lists of America’s best high schools in Newsweek, US News and World Report, and the Washington Post.
Now is the time for Congress to act, and vote to ensure public charter schools have the resources Federal funding is crucial for our charter schools : News: