Documentary provides balanced understanding of charter schools
A documentary dealing with education reform will be held in the Keene Memorial Library’s East Annex Building at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Presented by the film-making group Nebraska Loves Public Schools, the documentary “Consider the Alternative” dives into the complex issue of school choice, particularly the controversial discussion on charter schools.
Charter schools are independent, tax-payer funded schools typically run by private groups or companies. Nebraska is currently one of just a handful of states that still doesn’t have charter schools. In recent years, multiple bills that would allow charter schools in Nebraska were shot down in the Legislature.
Charter schools are prevalent in large cities with urban areas that struggle to meet required test scores designated through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Initially, schools throughout Nebraska needed students to meet a 60 percent level of proficiency on test scores in math, science and English, but now proficiency is expected to be at 100 percent district-wide elementary through high school, said Gale Hamilton, executive director of instruction and secondary operations.
Although it is nearly impossible to meet a 100 percent proficiency rate, requirements can be met under a “safe harbor” provision. It forgives schools for low test scores from one or more subgroups if those students show yearly improvement and if the school scores well on the whole.
Many large urban areas struggle meeting these requirements, and there is a great deal of pressure from the federal government to have a certain level of achievement in school districts, Hamilton said.
“In many urban locations the public school system has not been as effective as some of the private schools have been,” Hamilton said.
Issues with funding and various other reasons can play a role in this, he said. Many parents attempt to enroll their children in charter schools because they believe students receive a superior education.
“Consider the Alternative” looks at the life of a parent moving through the education system, who is trying to understand what is best for her children. The movie focuses on school choice through the lens of charter schools as it explains how charter schools operate, while both sides of the school-choice debate are presented.
Parents in the Fremont Public School District do not have full discretion over where there children attend school. Transfer requests can be made, and if possible, students can transfer if they can fit into a schools current enrollment figures.
“We try to accommodate requests the best we can,” he said.
Hamilton believes the documentary will give a good glimpse into the current school situation. Fremont Public Schools does not condone the views in the movie, nor does it affiliate with Nebraska Loves Public Schools. However, parents interested in different educational issues should find the film helpful, he said.
Gov. Pete Rickets has shown interest in approving charter schools, and Hamilton believes there’s a good chance a greater push will be made to open them in years to come.
Hamilton is proud of the Nebraska Public School System. Nebraska has some of the lowest national dropout rates, highest graduation rates and some of the better testing scores.
“Our best of the best are competitive with students from anywhere across the country,” he said.Documentary provides balanced understanding of charter schools:
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