1. Parent choice

2. What is home schooling? Children educated at home
Parents concerned about traditional school environment
Provide religious or moral instruction
Dissatisfaction with public or private schools

3. History of Home schooling
Vast majority in early history were educated by parents
By 1850s formal classroom training was the norm
Movement reignited in 1960s

4. How do they operate? Many varieties of methods and materials
Unit Studies
All in one
Online instruction
Community resources
Unschooling and natural learning
Homeschool Cooperatives

5. Higher education
Use standardized tests
US Colleges have become more open to home school education students

6. Advantages Tend to vote more in elections
Well connected in their communities
On average outperform their peers on standardized tests

7. Disadvantages
Some Europeans nations have outlawed the practice
Not subject to No Child Left Behind so test results are questioned
Opposition by the NEA
Some cases of unmonitored child abuse

8. What is a charter school?
A charter school is an independent public school that is governed by a group or organization that is in contract with the state to be given public money.

9. How is the charter created?
Charter schools are created by a small group of people in a community that submit a charter to start their own school in exchange for promising high academic results.

10. Key Figures
Ray Budde
Massachusetts educator that first formed the idea of Charter Schools in 1974
Formed the idea that small groups of teachers should be allowed to construct contracts or charters in exchange for achievement results
Albert Shanker
American Federation of Teachers President
Proposed to the National Press Club in 1988 the idea of publicly funded schools that would gain increased flexibility in instruction in exchange for greater achievement

11. History
Philadelphia started the first charter type schools in the late 1980s
Minnesota was the first state to pass a law allowing charter schools in 1991
Bluffview Montessori School was the first official charter school to open in 1992 in Winona, MN
California was the second to pass a charter school law in 1992

12. Number of charter schools in the u.S.
Year

13. Funding
Charter schools are primarily funded by taking per pupil state aid from the district where the student resides.
Funding for charter schools is typically less than what a traditional public school receives.
In 2007 MN charter schools only received approximately 98.5% of what was issued to the traditional public schools per pupil.

14. Advantages Enhanced child centered learning Free
High standards and accountability set by the charter
Smaller class sizes
Strong sense of community
Provide competition to traditional public schools

15. Disadvantages Funding takes money away from traditional schools
Less stability
Lower teacher attrition
Limited high school availability

16. What are vouchers?
Vouchers are certificates issued by the government, which parents can apply toward tuition at a private school of their choice.
Intended to allow parents to choose school that best fits their child’s needs.
Redirects the flow of education funding.

17. Debate at Hand
Public funds used to subsidize tuition for students to attend private or religious institutions?
Interpretation of federal and state constitutions?
Criteria for applying to private schools?
Public accountability for student performance?
Extent of autonomy private schools enjoy?

18. History of vouchers 1792: Thomas Paine proposes plan for England
1950’s Southern schools concerned with desegregation
1980’s: Bush Administration fails to address major topics in education debate
1990: Bush Admin. Approves 6 National Education goals
unable to get approval largely because of vouchers

19. History of vouchers 1994: Republicans new conservative agenda
Key feature: school choice/ privatization
Dissatisfaction of parents
diversity v. diction
affirmative action v. basics

20. Voucher timeline 1990: Milwaukee Parental Choice Program
Country’s 1st school voucher program
1995: included private religious schools
1999: Florida Opportunity Program
1st statewide voucher program
Not limited to low-income
1999: Maine and Vermont
Used in rural areas unable to maintain a public H.S.
Could not be used for religious schools

21. Zelman v. Simmon-harris 2002
Supreme Court declared vouchers permissible under Federal Establishment clause in Cleveland, Ohio
Permissible when used for a valid secular purpose
5 Chief Justices approved
3 state cases supported their approval (MN case)
4 Chief Justices dissented
Dramatic departure from prior church-state precedent
Everson v. Board of Education Ewing (1947)

22. Current voucher status
2012: Obama Administration has not crossed the voucher debate line
Mitt Romney campaign:
Would support vouchers to introduce marketplace dynamics into education to drive academic gains
“I will expand parental choice in an unprecedented way. Families’ freedom to vote with their feet will hold schools responsible for results” (Romney, 2012).
8 states offer vouchers to students with special needs

23. advantages
Better quality due to increased competition
Students in poorly performing public schools have alternative
Increased involvement by community makes program more responsive
Allow low-income students wide range of opportunities
Better education due to lack of bureaucracy
Parent decision results in government not imposing religion

24. disadvantages Diverting funds from public schools weakens them
Misuse of public money due to lack of accountability in private schools
Inadequate voucher amount: low-income couldn’t go to expensive private
Increase segregation along socioeconomic lines
Allocation of gov’t funds violates separation of church and state
Vouchers failed to improve standard achievement significantly

25. Group consensus
The group decided in the end that we all support parent choice in education.
We fully support the choice of charter schooling and the use of vouchers as healthy competition to the traditional public school choice.
Our support is unanimous for home schooling with reservation, however. Our concern lies in the lack of oversight and accountability.

26. References
 Closing the Achievement Gap. (2004). Retrieved from
Dizikes, P. (2001). Vouchers: What at Issue? Retrieved from issues/story?id=121979&page=2
Frankenberg, E., Siegel-Hawley, G., & Wang, J. (2011). Choice without Equity: Charter School Segregation. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 19(1)
Daniel Golden (11 February 2000). "Home-Schooled Kids Defy Stereotypes, Ace SAT Test". The Wall Street Journal.
Jennings, J., & Center on Education, P. (2012). Reflections on a Half-Century of School Reform: Why Have We Fallen Short and Where Do We Go from Here?. Center On Education Policy
Lines, Patricia M.(2008) "Homeschooling". Kidsource

27. references
Lips, Dan; Feinberg, Evan ( ). "Homeschooling: A Growing Option in American Education". Heritage Foundation. Retrieved Minnesota House of Representatives Research Department. (2002). School Vouchers. Retrieved from htt:// National Center for Education Statistics. (2012) Retrieved from National Conference of State Legislature. (2012). Education Program Publicly Funded School Voucher Programs. Retrieved from National Education Association. (2012). School Vouchers: The Emerging Track Record. Retrieved from Reich, Rob, (2002), The civic perils of homeschooling,Journal: Educational Leadership (Alexandria)

28. references
Richwine, J., & Heritage, F. (2010). Charter Schools: A Welcome Choice for Parents. WebMemo. No Heritage Foundation Stride Academy. (2009) Retrieved from Trip, G. (2012). Vouchers Unspoken, Romney Hails School Choice. Retrieved from roots.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all Webb, L., Metha, A., & Jordan, K. (2010). Foundations of American Education. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. WEISS, S. (2011). Charter Choice. State Legislatures, 37(8), 20. Winnick, Pamela R. ( ). "Homeschooled students take unorthodox route to become top college candidates".Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.