Big Doings

Call me uninformed. And I am on many, many levels. But I am wondering about your opinions on charter schools. I just sat through a meeting about some issues facing my current place of employment. And Federal Funding. And meeting growing expectations in order to receive that funding. And many other things. And the constant underlying message was that Charter schools are the evil of society. Seriously? Are they? I'm divided. On one hand, I know how hard folks in my school work. I see the limited resources they work with. I also see (in our current student population) parent apathy, child abuse, the problems of teaching a bilingual population, and many other problems one faces in a school mostly filled with children of poverty. And I see that the Federal Government wants to constantly regulate, without adequately funding education. It is also interesting to note that a judge in our great state has also recently ruled that our state doesn't properly fund education. On the other hand, as a parent, I'd sure like to see some new models of teaching. With good teachers compensated for their hard work and ability to connect with students. I'd like to choose how my child is educated, instead of feeling like my hands are tied by my financial inability to afford a private education for my child. I'd like to feel that I had a voice. Instead of feeling like the moment I make a peep or a suggestion, that I've immediately become the adversary. On the other hand, as someone who also works with kids, I'm not sure I'd be able to gain employment in a Charter school. Would their requirements be different? I'm not saying that I'm not qualified, because I believe myself to be smart, and capable, and able to connect with kids. I feel that, while I lack many of the standard educational requirements, I am darned lucky that my current employers had the flexibility and foresight (or dumb luck) to be able to hire someone like me. Oh gosh, that sounds like I'm tooting my own horn. I'm not. I feel inadequate on most days. But I give it my all. I love what I do. I think I do a good job. I think my boss feels the same. I'm just really confused. Why, oh, why, can't education in our country come to an accord. Why can't we figure this out? I don't want to be part of the adage that "those that can DO, those that can't TEACH. I hate that. Because I think we all know that there are people out there that CAN do - and they choose to teach. If we had no teachers, we'd be in big trouble. Ad sure, there are plenty of people out there that can't put on their big-girl, or big-boy pants that hide in classrooms making children's lives miserable. I don't plan on being one of them. I just want what is best for kids. I see so many of them falling through the cracks. Whether it be because they lack proper parenting, or innovative teaching models that allows for all kinds of learners, or proper funding.