What is a
Charter
School
?
A charter school is a self-managed school that is approved by the local school board. It is a hybrid between private schools (because of their autonomy- self governing) and public schools (because they are non-sectarian and supported by tax dollars).tuition-free and open to all whom wish to attend. A charter school is organized as a public non-profit corporation. Charter status may not be granted to any "for-profit" entity.
Frequently Asked Questions: Q&A from
Charter
School
Community Meeting,
10/18/05
- Will
the process of how we accept students change? No. The process will remain
the same. Any student who is a resident of the region may apply. Evergreen
will evaluate their application, review their academic, behavioral and
attendance records and conduct an interview. There will be no entrance
exam. We believe that a charter will significantly increase the number of
applicants for admission and we look forward to being able to be even more
discriminating about the quality of “fit” for prospective students.
- Can
local school districts force Evergreen to accept particular students? No.
This was a fallacy we believed for a number of years, but it is not the
case.
- Will
Jill Shoesmith remain director of the School?
Yes. For as long as Jill has a pulse.
- Will
Evergreen, in effect, be forced to teach to the PSSA test? No. Evergreen
is committed to a broad-based liberal arts curriculum. The PSSA test is
designed to measure the degree to which students are prepared for
grade-level expectations. It is expected that Evergreen students will be
prepared to meet those expectations.
- How
will charter status effect home-schooled students hoping to matriculate at
Evergreen? Home-schooled students will be welcome to apply to Evergreen
and will be considered so long as they meet residency requirements.
- Will
the chartered school be open to all
Monroe
County
residents? Yes. It is
by our choice, largely due to the composition of our current student body
coming from the breadth of the county.
- How many additional students do we anticipate next year? We hope to grow to a total population of about 115 students eventually. Our plan, however, is to grow slowly, at a rate of 25-30% per year until we reach that maximum figure. We will accept 17 new students for 2006-07.
- What
do think will be the benefit of becoming a charter school? They are many:
- Training
for our teachers (of many kinds currently offered by area school
districts)
- Additional
equipment and building improvements funded by grant sources we are not
now, but for which we would be eligible to apply
- We
may also be eligible for Title 1 funding we do not now receive
- Students
would be able to participate in activities and sports within their home
school districts.
- Are
there any disadvantages to becoming a charter school? We are not sure.
That is why we are exploring the option. We are committed to retaining our
current school calendar (including the occasional Saturday-at-School and
school trips to
Canada
and such); our sense of community and strong sense of student ownership
that we feel are essential elements of
Evergreen
Community
School
.
We are potentially concerned about growing pains and are
therefore planning that growth will occur slowly. We are also concerned
about receiving fewer dollars per student (compared to current tuition)
and while we will be increasing the number of students, need to be
cautious that our books still balance. So far, we have not discovered any
reason why we cannot retain the autonomy to be who we are.
- Will there be additional fees required as, for instance, the Friday Movement activities? No. Only for field trips and specialized movement activities. Anything that is a required component of the Evergreen curriculum, like Friday Movement activities would be offered without charge.
- What testing would be required? Evergreen currently administers the Terra Nova tests at the end of each year. Under a charter, students would be required to take the PSSA test in the 8th and 11th grades.
These tests are quite rigorous and are state mandated. A given level of
performance to this test is required to retain the school’s charter.
- What
would be our status regarding “No Child Left Behind”? We would be required
to meet the requirement of “No Child Left Behind”.
- How would
a charter effect school bus transportation? There would be no change in
school bus transportation.
- The only students grandfathered are current students enrolled in Evergreen and their siblings.