Similarities and Differences of Public, Charter, Private Schools and Homeschooling for Parents

What are the differences and similarities between the categories of schools? Public Schools, Charter Schools, Private Schools, and Homeschooling. Public Schools are schools that receive monies from local, state, and federal governments. NCES states that 49.5 million children go to public schools from pre-k through 12th (2021, NCES Fast Fact, back to school statistics). They are also usually run by elected or appointed board members for the school district. The cost to send a child to public school is zero. The funding for the district comes from taxes. Each local education agency (LEA) reports to the Department of Education. The state Department of Education then reports to the U.S. federal department of education. The staff is usually more formally trained and experienced educators. LEA manages all the schools in the district, it provides structure and departments. One disadvantage is that the class size is larger than some other school options. Now some states are now putting legislation in place to limit class size. Public schools focus on showing student growth by implementing numerous assessments. Families may only have the option of a public school because of the location and/or area. That could be one factor why more children attend public schools.

Charter Schools are public schools because they receive public money for each child. Most charter schools have exemptions or fewer rules to follow in the state. In return, the charter schools need to follow what is in their “charter”. A “charter” is awarded by a state, university, or school district.

National Center for Education Statistics fast facts retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=30 states that between 2009 and 2019 the number of charter schools increased from 5% to 8% and 1.8 million students attending. Also, 45 states and D.C. have passed legislation for charter schools. Only five states have not passed legislation. The states are Montana, Nebraska, North, and South Dakota, and Vermont. The increase in charter schools shows that parents are choosing other options.

Charter schools usually have some type of focus for the school. The charter school usually focuses on a particular area such as STEM, Project-based, language immersion, and Montessori to name a few. The charter chooses the main focus of the school for the charter. It is required to maintain the concentration. The charter usually has more flexibility than traditional public schools. Many charter schools are smaller. It brings the staff and families together to work more closely together. Many times, the staff is not as well trained to deal with students that have special needs. Since charter schools are not a district school transportation can be difficult. Stability may be an issue since it is on a contract with the providing agency that offers its charter. Charter schools only get paid per student. Many times, they accept all students but can’t provide the best education for each student. Parents make the decision to send their children to charter schools. Since the parents choose the school, they are more involved.

Private Schools are schools where the parents pay for the educational program. The parents are paying weekly, monthly, or yearly tuition payments. Like charters, there is usually a focus on the school. It could be religious, Montessori, or higher academic advanced curriculum. Private schools range from preschools to boarding schools. Since parents pay for the school it can result in fewer resources for the staff, schools, and children. Most private schools are not required to follow state education laws and regulations. Parents send children to private schools usually for several reasons. A higher challenging curriculum, higher quality resources, and access to more technology. It can be expensive to send a child to private school and many families cannot afford it. However, some private schools offer grants and other programs to pay for the tuition.

The last type of school is homeschooling. Several research entities have found an increase in homeschooling from 11.1% to 46% in the last several years. Most states and districts have policies for homeschooling. Some states require plans and reports sent to the district and others do not. Homeschooling provides flexibility and opportunities to create unique learning experiences. The focus is usually on what is important to the family. Families can create the curriculum they want to deliver to their children. There has also been an increase in resources for homeschooling families. Some are free to expensive programs. The children can feel isolated being homeschooled. Since they may not have many social experiences to participate in. Since the increase of homeschool, there are more resources and events for homeschooling. The parents need to search their area and find events for homeschooled children. The most difficult issue is the consistency of planning and implementation without disruption. Homeschooling is a deep commitment. It is also very rewarding to spend time teaching and learning with your child.

There are different opportunities families have for schooling their children. The decision is up to the families for what is best for the child. Find the best school for your child by interviewing and visiting the school. Also, talk to parents that have students in the school and in the community. You may want to read the reviews, but many reviews are not ethical. Some reviewers were paid to write the review. All schools have positive and negative things, find what works best for your family.