Types of Schools- variety IS the spice of life

With so many choices out there, I wonder how people choose what type of a teacher to be and what’s more- how to choose where to send your kids! I would have to say that out of all of the school choices out there, I most want to work in a public school. Aside from the great insurance benefits and union, there is a certain aura about a public school: it is the miniature of society. I think it is the diversity of a public school that gives it its flair. It is a place for everyone; all students “belong” there. I do think that if parents can afford a private school that may be a better choice, but then kids are only learning with a specific group of other students. Many times, it is the financially well-off families that send their children to a private school. Granted, more money usually means better education. But, if you take away the invaluable lessons students learn about acceptance, tolerance, and working with people who are different from you, you are taking away the whole core of a student’s education. School is the means by which children become assimilated into American society. Other countries have rights-of-passage and religious ceremonies, and we are still brought up by our parents, but much of our preparation for the real world comes from what we learn in school. We learn about laws, rules, personal space, respect, authority, rewards and consequences, how to share, and most importantly, how to get along with others. I feel that private schools are more willing to let discipline issues go and if a child comes from a well-off family, they most likely don’t need to share anything because all of the kids have it.

I do think that magnet schools are an excellent alternative to a mainstream public school. Even though I am an advocate for the public school system, I do feel that there are large areas that need improvement. As I mentioned earlier, all kids to “belong” to public school, but that doesn’t mean public school works for everyone. I think it is terrible that public schools simply don’t work for some kids, and I see this as a failure on the schools part. Some kids need more to succeed, and this can get expensive. I know that this becomes a wild tug-of-war between schools, families, and the tax-paying public. But, I do feel that the teacher’s attitude towards kids can go a long way, and it is definitely free. However, I see the emergence of magnet schools as a light at the end of the tunnel for many students. There are plenty of students out there that are simply not interested in literature or home economics. These kids need the hands on that a magnet school can offer. Or children from broken or impoverished homes can get an education that will give them a chance to be something. The specialized training that kids get from magnet schools makes them more marketable to big Universities or gives them vocational training to get a career job right out of high school.

Now that I think about it, teaching in a magnet school would probably be a good job for me as well. I have a B.S. in Biology, and I love the sciences. Teaching a higher-level biology class and having a lab section would be something I would love to do- and the thing with magnet schools is that the students WANT to be there and learn. I feel that in a public middle or high school, many kids aren’t interested, or they don’t understand. So, they don’t do their work or they cut class. In a magnet school, teachers probably wouldn’t have to deal with that too often because none of the students have that attitude. Also, the selectivity of the programs would probably have some consequence or expulsion with behavior like that.

Charter schools are also a good saving grace for the public school system. In our readings, I read about the “ripple effect” that charter schools have on the community. I think this phenomenon is both amazing and wonderful. Not only does it improve the education and test scores of the students that attend it. But the school also raises the bar for the neighboring public schools as well. This is almost a “shame on the public schools” situation, though. It shows that many urban schools only do just enough for the kids- they don’t improve unless they have to. On the more positive side, I guess it prevents more schools from “crossing over” to charter. It gives these other schools a second chance to save themselves before the public steps in. I think that in order to work in a charter school, the teacher needs to be a specific type of person though. There definitely cannot be a “summers off” teacher working there. I think it is probably those teachers that made it turn charter in the first place. I think that the teachers need to be there for the kids, and want to give them everything they can to make their education the best it can be. Charter schools are almost like putting a pot of boiling water under the teachers that have a cushy tenure. It wakes them up, and reminds them of why they actually have a job- to help kids! I think I would love to work in a charter school, but I would just be a little concerned about health insurance and union stuff.

I saved home schooling for last on purpose. I think that home schooling can be a good thing for some families, but I would never, ever home school my children. I think that I could be a good teacher for them, mainly because my mom is a very smart woman and she gave me a good example of motherhood. But, I think that parents are teachers for their children in much a different way than a teacher in the classroom. Children need to develop autonomy from their parents, and I think that home schooling prevents a lot of that development. I also mentioned earlier that public schools teach students many things besides a curriculum. They get so much out of school, and I think that home schooling cannot provide this same education. I do respect people’s choices to home school, but I know it is definitely not for me.

So, all of that being said, I think that it is a great thing that there are so many different choices for parents in choosing what is right for their children. We all don’t learn exactly the same, so it wouldn’t make sense to send everyone to the same types of schools. I think it is the freedom of choice that also makes our school systems better- it creates a sort of “competition” between schools, and gives them a system of “checks and balances” to meet. Having a choice keeps any one school from forming a “monopoly” in which they do not strive for the best and push the students to succeed. It is this choice that keeps the government, school administration, teachers, students and the public all on their toes.