A Robeson County school targets students who are at great risk of dropping out. Its curriculum is focused on what is called a basics education. Parents in a particular Pamlico County neighborhood established a charter school when the county school system announced plans to close a nearby school building. The newly formed charter school was able to retain many of the old school's teachers, and now operates much like a regular public school. Despite the diversity, most of the state's charter schools share a few characteristics, Passe has found.
Parents definitely feel like they are part of the charter schools.
They are highly involved and take ownership. At the same time, funding makes all the difference. Charter schools receive state funding based on the same standards regular public schools are funded. In addition to the diversity of charter schools and their struggle to generate additional funding, Passe will discuss some other charter school experiences. If initial obstacles can be overcome, charter schools can offer tremendous learning environments, enhanced by good parental involvement.