Traditional public or charter schools? Tucson area parents discuss their experiences

MAKE: WHERE TO SEND THEIRCHILDREN TO SCHOOL?

PARENTSOFTEN CHOOSE BETWEENTRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS ANDCHARTER SCHOOLS.

EACH HAVECERTAIN STIGMAS AND ISSUES --BUT IN THIS TWO AMERICA'SREPORT -- NINE ON YOUR SIDE'SRYAN FISH SPOKE TO PANTRESABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES WITHEACH -- FOUND OUT WHAT THEYALL HAVE IN COMMON.TRADITIONAL DISTRICT SCHOOLSAND CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE BOTH(PUBLIC SCHOOLS: BOTH AREFUNDED BY TAXPAYERS& ANDCANNOT USE ADMISSIONS TESTS ORCHARGE TUITION.

BUT CHARTERSCHOOLS ARE RUN BY PRIVATEGROUPS NOT SCHOOL DISTRICTS.CHARTERS HAVE A HUGE FOOTPRINTIN ARIZONA.

STATE LAW STARTEDALLOWING THEM IN 1994.

NOW THESTATE'S DEPARTMENT OFEDUCATION SAYS NEARLY ONE INFIVE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS INARIZONA ATTEND A CHARTER& THEHIGHEST RATE IN THE COUNTRY."THIS SCHOOL HAS BEEN ABLESSING.

CHARTER, FOR ME, IFI COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN,ALL MY KIDS WOULD START OFFHERE RIGHT OUT OF EIGHTHGRADE." LIZETTE ROUNDTREE'SSON GOES TO TUCSON HIGH BUTHER TWO DAUGHTERS TRANSFERREDTO COMPASS HIGH SCHOOL& ONE OF35 CHARTER HIGH SCHOOLS INPIMA COUNTY.

"EVERYTHINGTRADITIONAL THAT YOU HAVE INTRADITIONAL SCHOOLS AONSMALLER SCALE, A SAFER SCALETO ME& MY OLDEST DAUGHTER ISHIGH- FUNCTIONING AUTISTIC.EXTREMELY SMART&" ROUNDTREESAYS HER DAUGHTER WAS FEELINGLOST AT A LARGE SCHOOL BUTMORE DIRECT ATTENTION ATCOMPASS HELPED HER THRIVE."SELF-PEDAC.

ALL OUR KIDS AREDIFFERENT.

THEY ALL LEARNDIFFERENT.

AND TH WISAS THEBEST PLACE FOR THEM& INTRADITIONAL, THEY CAN'TEMBRACE 'EM ALL.

IN CHARTERS,THEY HE AVA LITTLE BIT MORELEEWAY TO EMBRACE THEIR KIDSAND REALLY GUIDE THEM." SOMEOF THAT LEEWAY IS BECAUSECHARTERS ARE EXEMPT FROM SOMETRADITIONAL REGULATIONS.

FOREXAMPLE TRADITIONAL SCHOOLSMUST HIRE CERTIFIED TEACHERSWHILE CHARTERS DON'T NEED TO.ROUNDTREE SAYS THAT HASN'TBEEN A PROBLEM FOR HER.

"IF IDIDN'T FEEL MY DAUGHTERS WEREGETTING QUALITY EDUCATION, I'DYANK EM OUT IN A MINUTE.

BUT IHAVE BEEN IN CLASSROOMS, IHAVE SPOKEN WITH TEACHERS &THEY'RE ALL OPEN BOOKS.

THEYTELL YOU WH ATTHEY STUDY,WHERE THEY STUDY.

THEY'REQUALIFIED." BUT OTHERS SAYTHAT (IS A BIG DEAL.

"KNOWINGHOW TO DEAL WITH A GROUP OF 25KIDS, THAT'S NOT SOMETHINGTHAT ANYBODY CAN JUST WALK INAND DO.

ANDO SI THINK HAVINGAN EDUCATION DEGREE IS A HUGEDEAL AND HAVING THATEXPERIENCE, IT CAN MAKE ORBREAK A SCHOOL." BRITTE STUMMWAS A FULL-TIME TEACHER IN THEMARANA UNIFIED SCHOOLDISTRICT.

NOW SHE'S A PARENTTHERE.

"WE RVSEE ALL KIDS.

WEEDUCATE EVERYBODY IN OURCOMMUNITY.

WE KNOW THATEDUCATION IS NOT AONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL SCENARIO.

WEHAVE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS FORTHE DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGSTHAT KIDS NEED.

AND THAT MAKESEVERYBODY SUCCESSFUL." STUMMSAYS TRADITIONAL SCHOOLSPREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE MIXOF PEOPLE THEY WILL MEET WHENTHEY BECOME ADULTS.

"SOMEDAYMY KIDS ARE GONNA GO OUT ANDWORK IN THE WORKFORCE.

ANDIT'S NOT GONNA BE WITH ACERTAIN GROUP OF KIDS.

IT'SGONNA BE WITH THE COMMUNITYTHAT WE LIVE IN." "HERE I FEELLIKE WE NOT ONLY FOCUS ON THEACADEMICS BUT ON THE CHILD ASA WHOLE." THE CATALINAFOOTHILLS UNIFIED SCHOOLDISTRICT BECAME A PERFECT HOMEFOR CESSNA KLEINMOEDIG.

"WHENWE MOVED HERE FROM AMSTERDAM,THE NETHERLANDS AND WE CAME TOTHE SCHOOL IT WAS A NEWADVENTURE FOR US.

BUT THESCHOOL WAS SMALL ENOUGH THATIT MADE ME FEEL LIKE IT WASSTILL AT HOME IN THENETHERLANDS, WHERE SCHOOLS ARESMALLER.

BUT IT WAS ALSO BIGAND HUGE OF EVENTS AND THINGSGOING ON." CHARTER SCHOOLADVOCATES SAY THEY CAN CACUN TTHROUGH BUREAUCRACY AND CREATEA MORE STREAMLINED LEARNINGENVIRONMENT.

BUT CRITICS SAYCHARTER OPERATORS CAN FOCUSTOO MUCH ON PROFITS AND THATTHE SCHOOLS NEED MOREOVERSIGHT.

CHARTERS HAVESTNDAARDS SET BY A GOVERNINGBOARD AND CHECKED BY ASPONR&SO WHILE DISTRICTSCHOOLS HAVE AN ELECTED SCHOOLBOARD.

WHAT THESE PARENTS HAVEIN COMMON?

THEY ALL SAY THEYLOVE THEIR SCHOOL CHOICEBECAUSE OF THE STRONG FEELINGOF COMMUNITY THERE.

"ALL KIDSAREN'T GONNA THRIVE THE SAMEIN DIFFERENT ENIRONVMENTS.HERE?

THEY FIND WHAT FITS YOURKIDS.

YOU HAVE KIDS OF EVERY,EVERYTHINANG D THEY CATER TOOUR KIDS' NEEDS." "I SEE HOWMUCH THE FACULTY AND STAFFGIVE BACK.

AND IF THEY'REWILLING TO GIVEO SMUCH BACK,I'M WILLING TO GIVE SO MUCHBACK TOO." "HAVING SUPPORTIVEPEOPLE IN YOUR BUILDING ISWHAT YOU NEED, REGARDLESS OFWHERE THE SCHOOL IS." RYANFISH KGUN NINE ON YOUR SIDE.LET'S SWITCH GEARS AND GEATCHECK OF THE FORECAST WITH