Parents and school discipline: who’s in charge?
Disciplining your kids is hard enough. But what should parents do when the discipline comes from a teacher or the school administration? Having a game plan addressing school discipline helps you and your children either to avoid it in the first place, or at the very least, get through it…
Pennsylvania ranks eighth in the nation for total per student funding. But are Pennsylvania taxpayers getting their money’s worth?
The Keystone State spends nearly $4,000 more per pupil than the national average—totaling nearly $20,000 for the 2020–21 school year. And school districts have additional access to large stockpiles of taxpayer-funded reserve funds. So, is all that funding paying off? Maybe not. Unfortunately, research finds that increased education funding does…
Pennsylvania Charter Schools: A History
During the 2020–21 school year, 169,000 Pennsylvania students attended one of the state’s 163 brick-and-mortar or 14 cyber charter schools. Research shows that charter schools—and the competition they provide—play an important role in increasing student achievement, even in traditional district schools. So, what are these free public schools that…
Teaching Outside the Box
Does your student’s teacher teach outside the box? Everyone wants their child to learn—but the “how” is definitive. Children boxed in a sterile classroom for hours on a day does little for their imagination. And, unless your student’s instructors teach outside the box, countless core curriculum mandates often leave teachers…
Understanding School Budgets
Have you ever wondered why your school has funds for a new gymnasium floor but not for advanced chemistry lab materials? Or perhaps your school has forgone hiring a new math teacher after one retired, even though the students need one. These funding decisions—and countless others—are determined by your school’s…
If you want to raise test scores, students must plan for success
A lot of common suggestions for raising test scores focus on test preparation, getting a good night’s sleep before an exam, and eating a good breakfast before heading for the test. And while these are great and important suggestions, the key to raising test scores starts long before the exam…
Heading to your local school board meeting? Start here
Do a quick online search for “tips for attending school board meetings,” and you’ll get quite a few hits. But before you jump in front of a mic or send off that email, let’s run through the basics of school boards so you know what you’re getting into. The…
Parents: It's Your Right to Know What Your Children are Being Taught
Kim is a mom from the Warwick School District. She and Warwick Parents for Change, a group of about 400 members, are fighting for parents’ voices to be heard on the school boards. Kim became especially passionate about curriculum after she discovered that students from kindergarten to 9th grade are…
Finding a Charter School
The exhaustive list of all charter schools in Pennsylvania can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website. But more practical tools for parents are: Greatschools.org,Niche.com,Philadelphia only: greatphillyschools.org. Each of these has search fields and filters that enable you to key in your address and locate charter…
How to Apply to Charter School
Is my student eligible to apply to a charter school? Yes! All school-age Pennsylvania residents are eligible to attend a charter school. Test scores, intellectual or athletic ability, special needs, or English proficiency will not impact your student’s eligibility. Keep in mind that charters are allowed to limit…
Cyber School Basics
What are cyber charter schools? Charter schools are public, tuition-free schools open to all students. They are held to state academic and financial reporting standards, but they have more flexibility than district schools in terms of curriculum, school calendar, length of school day, and teacher qualifications. More importantly, charter schools…
Charter School Basics
What are charter schools? Charter schools are public schools—meaning they are free to parents as taxpayers—that operate with greater independence and autonomy than conventional district schools. Charter school leaders and teachers have more freedom to create an adaptive learning environment for your child. Charter schools must also maintain a set…