Is a Charter School, a Magnet School or a Choices School Right for Your Child?

The first thing that you need to know is that charter schools, magnet schools and choices schools are all public school choices and do not have any tuition payments which gives you some school options that wouldn’t break the bank in these tough economic times. Although they may have different names in different districts, most districts have similar choices available. These types of schools are gaining popularity and new school options are popping up every year.

Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to all of the rules that other public schools must follow. In addition to the district rules, Charter Schools are held accountable for producing certain results as outlined in the school’s charter. Class size is usually smaller than a public school and they are perceived to be safer because of the smaller size of the school population. Many Charter Schools have a waiting list and admission can be based on a lottery, so you may experience difficulty getting your child into these schools. Some charter schools provide a curriculum that specializes in a certain field such as the arts, technology, or mathematics. Others provide the opportunity for innovative teaching practices like cooperative learning, or self-paced learning.

Magnet Schools are Public Schools and therefore must adhere to all the rules and regulations of the district that they belong to. They provide an expanded list of classes in an area of focus. This is particularly beneficial to a student who has an area of interest that they want to explore further. It provides them the opportunity to gain experience in that area while at the same time letting them explore whether this is the right field for them. Some of the Magnet Schools in my area have focuses in: science & technology, government, theater, music, and medical.

A Choices School is not really a different school type, it is the option that districts provide parents at certain schools which allows the parents to choose between a set list of public schools that their child can attend instead of attending their zoned school. These transfers are offered for a number of different reasons. The main reasons that the district in my area does it is capacity, diversity and class size.