School Choice

1
School Choice

• By Kelly Stevens, Denise Camacho, Pam Cote, and
  Amy Ebert

2
School Choice in Utah

• Public School
• Charter School
• Private School

3
Public Schools
4
A look at 3 Significant Times/People/Events of
Public Education

• 1837 Horace Mann, "The Great Equalizer
• 1973 The San Antonio School District vs.
  Rodriquez
• 1991 Jonathon Kozol, Savage Inequalities

5
Horace Mann

• "Education then, beyond all other devices of
  human origin, is the great equalizer of the
  conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the
  social machinery." Horace Mann

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Jonathon Kozol

• 1991 - Jonathon Kozol - Savage Inequalities
  Children in America'sSchools
• "Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough
  to win. On Being a Teacher, Jonathon Kozol

7
1973 - San Antonio School District vs. Rodriquez

• Legal Question Presented
• Is a states use of property taxes to finance its
  public schools, which results in disparities in
  expenditures between districts constitutional?
• A class action suit was filed on behalf of
  Demetrio Rodriguez and other parents of the
  Edgewood School District.
• The Texas Federal Court found that the Texas
  financing scheme was in violation equal
  protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.
• But on appeal, The United States Supreme Court
  reversed the United States District Court for the
  Western District of Texas judgment.

8
Early Conclusions of Education in Utah

• Latter-day Saint people were encouraged by the
  Church leaders to gain as much education as they
  could.
• Schooling was a private matter.
• Community interest in educating children was
  limited to facilitating private efforts. (Poor
  families leaned on the more prosperous neighbors)
• The levying of taxes was approved for
  construction of school houses, but not for the
  payment of teachers supplies.

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How are public schools funded (in Utah)?

• 67.7 - State
• 18.9 - Property Tax
• 8.4 - Federal
• 5.0 - Local Tuition, Fees and Investments

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Statistics of Public Schools (in Utah)

• Number of Students 422,384
• Number of Public Schools 949
• Number of Teachers 22,759
• Student/Teacher Ratio 20.9

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The Pros Cons of Public Education

• Pros of Public Schools
• The great equalizer
• Cannot charge tuition.
• Must admit all students (even those with special
  needs).
• The children in most public schools reflect the
  community diversity.
• All teachers are state certified or at a minimum
  are working towards certification.
• Extra curricular activities.
• Provides transportation to and from school.

• Cons of Public Schools
• Must follow all federal, state and local laws
• Class size tends to be large.
• Violence, drugs
• Inequality of resources
• Lack of diversity due to the community

12
Public Education in America

• Are public schools broken?
• As we have seen, some are and some are not.
• How can we make public schools better?

13
Charter Schools
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Charter Schools

• The first charter schools opened in Minnesota in
  1991.
• In 1996, there were 250 charter schools
  nationwide.
• In 2007, more than 1 million students are
  enrolled in 4,000 charter schools nationwide.
• Forty states have passed charter school
  legislation.

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Utah

• Utah passed its first charter school law in 1998.
• Eight schools opened in the fall of 1999.
• By the fall of 2005 their were 36 schools open.
• 60 Charter Schools today

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Charter Schools

• Charter schools are secular, tuition-free, open
  enrollment public schools of choice that are
  freed from many local and state regulations and
  union contract constraints. They control their
  own curriculum, staffing, organization and
  budget. In exchange for this freedom, they must
  deliver the academic results that they have
  promised.

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School of choice

• Charter schools are established by educators,
  community organizations, and/or parents.
• Students who attend charter schools do so by
  choice, not by assignment.
• Most charter schools have specific educational
  missions.
• They focusing on particular topics or students
  with particular needs.

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Enrollment

• The school can not charge tuition.
• Required to enroll all eligible students who
  submit applications.
• Utah charter schools are forbidden from accepting
  students based on merit or ability.
• If more students apply than enrollment space will
  allow
• Must determine admission in an equitable manner
  such as a lottery.
• However they are allowed to give admission
  preferences
• to students whose parents are or were actively
  involved in starting the school.
• Those who have siblings currently enrolled
• and to students residing nearby the school.

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The purposes of Utah Charter Schools are to

• Continue to improve student learning.
• Encourage the use of different and innovative
  teaching methods
• Create new professional opportunities for
  educators that will allow them to actively
  participate in designing and implementing the
  learning program at the school
• Increase choice of learning opportunities for
  students

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• Establish new models of public schools and a new
  form of accountability for schools that
  emphasizes the measurement of learning outcomes
  and the creation of innovative measurement tools.
• Provide opportunities for greater parental
  involvement in management decisions at the school
  level.
• Expand public school choice in areas where
  schools have been identified for school
  improvement, corrective action, or restructuring
  under the No Child Left Behind

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Funding of Charter Schools Vs. Public Schools

• Utah charter schools have not achieved funding
  comparable to the public school.
• In 2004, charter schools received 800 dollars
  less per pupil than the public schools.
• A significant portion of the funding difference
  is caused by differing student populations.
• Charter schools do not enroll as many
  disadvantaged students who qualify a school for
  certain types of federal aid.
• Funding comes from debt service and revenues
  state funds that supplement local property taxes.

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Federal Grants

• A significant proportion of charter school
  funding is dependent on federal grants.
• A federal grant for charter school facilities was
  meant to aid the state in creating a new
  facilities funding program, but such a program
  has not beencreated.

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Limited Capital

• Because of limited capital-raising capacity and
  questions about their borrowing ability
• Most charter schools must lease their facilities
• Raise money from the local community
• Charter schools are paying much lower salaries
  and benefits than public schools
• fiscal difficulty
• younger teaching staff
• State funding for administrative costs has fallen
  dramatically as the charter school population has
  grown.

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Cons of Charter Schools

• First, charter schools may preserve inequities
  among students.
• Second, charter schools have not fulfilled their
  promise to close the academic achievement gap.
• Third, charter schools in general present
  irreparable financial harm to public schools.
• Money to operate the charter schools comes from
  the public schools

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Pros of Charter schools

• New teaching methods are implemented.
• Greater parental involvement.
• Small Class Size
• Emphases on certain interests.

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Private Schools
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Private Schools

• Private Schools are a nonpublic, or independent
  schools that do not receive government funding
  and are usually administered by denominational or
  secular boards. Others are operated for profit.

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History of Private Schools

• During the eighteenth century private academies
  for boys pioneered the teaching of modern and
  practical subjects
• Religious schools were opened by the
• Quakers
• Episcopalians
• Lutherans
• The Jews also opened a school in New York City in
  1731
• Roman Catholic schools were under way later in
  the eighteenth century.
• The Free School Society opened and operated
  private schools (18061853)
• However, it was latter taken over by the New York
  City Board of Education.
• An independent Catholic parochial school system
  took shape in the late nineteenth century
• The parochial schools experienced great financial
  difficulty after 1945
• A result of judicial bans on public support
• Many Roman Catholic institutions were forced to
  close

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Utah History

• In the 1850s and 1860s the schools were organized
  by The Church of Jesus of Latter Day Saints
• The curriculum reflected LDS values
• Used the book of Mormon and the bible as
  supplemental texts
• Their curriculum widely varied.
• They were controlled by LDS bishops
• Supported in part by tuition from patrons and
  local taxes.

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More Denominations

• In 1900, one hundred private elementary and
  secondary schools were established by
• Presbyterians
• Methodist
• Their initial aim was to
• "Christianize" Utah's Mormon children
• meet the needs of the growing number of
  non-Mormons who were settling in Utah.
• Very few schools lasted

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The Switch

• In 1870s and 1880s The LDS Church organized a
  private secondary school system.
• However, by 1933 the LDS Church had discontinued
  its support of private secondary schools.
• Eventually these Ward schools became the pubic
  schools we know today .
• The LDS church endorsed the public school system
  and implemented seminary in the secondary
  schools.
• Private schools in Utah today are pronominally
  controlled by the Catholic faith.

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Rise of Private School

• Enrollment in private elementary and secondary
  schools in the United States rose to nearly 6.4
  million students in 1965
• Today the enrollment lies between 5 and 5.7
  million students
• Roughly 10 of children in the United States are
  in private school. While only 5 of students in
  Utah attend private school.
• Private school and preschools have experienced a
  boom in the late twentieth century.
• Demand for child care
• Parents wanting morals and religion instilled in
  their children.
• And the idea that pubic schools are failing our
  children

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Private Schools in Utah

• Are mostly located along the Wasatch Front.

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Pros And Cons of Private School

• Religion
• Parental involvement
• Small Class size
• Newest and best learning equipment

• Tuition
• Locations
• Closed enrollment
• Teacher do not need to be certified by the state.

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School Choice Activity
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School Voucher Timeline
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Voucher Debate

• November 1, 2007
• Juan Diego High School
• Richard Eyre (pro voucher)
• Pat Rusk (anti voucher)

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Pro -Voucher

• Richard Eyre

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Anti-Voucher

• Pat Rusk

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Resolve to change !

• Our proposal to reform Utah schools Equalize
  funding
• 1. Property tax base would stay in each
  district.
• 2. State and Federal funds would be allocated to
  each district. This would equalize funds to each
  district, thus each school.
• This would bring all school districts up to a
  level where all children are afforded equal
  education!

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Assessment

• Write letter to your local Utah State
  Representative (find out who this is).
• Dichotomizes your views of how to fund Public
  Education.
• Voice your opinion on Public School Reform.

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Works Cited

• Harrington, P. (2007). Fingertip Facts 2007,
  Public Education. Retrieved October 30, 2007,
  from www.schools.utah.gov
•  
• Mero, P. T. (2007). Vouchers, Vows, and
  Vexations The Historic Dilemma over Utah's
  Education Identity (pp. 1-43). Sutherland
  Institute. Retrieved October 25, 2007, from
  www.thesutherlandinstitute.com
•  
• Kozol, J. (1991). 1. Savage Inequalities
  Children in America's Schools (Vol. NY Harper
  Perennial, pp. 1-156). NY Harper Perennial.
• Mann, H. (n.d.). The Education of Free Men. Tenth
  Annual Report and Twelfth Annual Report, pp.
  74-78.
•  
• Kinchelor, J. L., Slattery, P., Steinberg, S.
  R. (2000). 4. Contextualizing Teaching
  Introduction to Education and Educational
  Foundations (pp. 111-126). New York Addison,
  Wesley, Longman, Inc.
•  State of Utah (2007). H.B. 148 - Education
  Vouchers. Retrieved July 28, 2007, from Utah
  State LegislatureWebsite http//le.utah.gov/200
  7/bills/hbill/enr/bh0148.htm
•  
• State of Utah (2007). H.B. 174 - Education
  Vouchers Amendments. Retrieved July 28, 2007,
  from Utah State LegislatureWebsite
  http//le.utah.gov/2007/bills/hbill/enr/bh0174.ht
  m
•  
• McEwan, Patrick J. (2004). The Potential Impact
  of Vouchers. Peabody Journal of Education,
  79(3), 57-80
•  
• McCarthy, Martha (2007). Determining the
  Legality of School Vouchers Are State Courts
  the New Venue? Journal of Education Finance,
  32(3), 352-372
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