In his commentary on what public education can learn from APA charter schools, Terry Marasco ignores important issues.
Parents who enroll their children in charter schools have the interest and ability to be invested in their education. They have time to serve on boards, be engaged in the teacher-student learning process and reinforce homework standards. They have the ability to stay connected via the internet.
Public schools have a wide spectrum of students from all walks of life. Some come from homes where parents are working multiple jobs to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Some come from homes where English is their second language.
Some come from homes where there is no computer. It does no good if you can instantly translate the assignment into multiple languages if you can’t afford internet access. Some are actually homeless. And let’s face it. Some come from homes where their parents just don’t care about their education.
Until we solve those problems we cannot compare the two types of education. Every public school is different because of location and logistics.
We should be focusing on leveling the playing field rather than uselessly comparing apples to oranges.
Mary Lehman, Cottonwood Heights