I laugh every time I hear someone say, "but don't Charter Schools just pick the kids they want?" (See letter below) These are either people who have no charter school experience on which to base their opinions, or perhaps they may know someone or be someone who just didn't get "picked" in the random lottery. I watched the lottery drawing last Spring, as an administrator at our school waited with the rest of the public to see if her child would get into Kindergarten, and the child's name didn't get drawn.
As we near the next school year, consider that pulling your child and then trying to come back in middle school, to secure a place for the charter high school, may become more difficult as spaces fill and your opportunity narrows. I'm still hearing many concerns about the level of homework expectations by the new high school. This concern appears to be effecting students in a profound way. The only way change is going to happen, is if enrollment suffers, or,(a better idea) when parents of students at the 9th grade level, continue to report & petition back to David Angerer and the staff at the high school. I believe there is a way to have a superior high school experience, without losing your childhood & your mind in the process! Stay strong! We are blessed to have this golden opportunity in our midst, let's not let it founder. Thanks!



Letter: Unfair criticism of charter schools
by Beth Burns | Grand Rapids
Sunday January 18, 2009, 9:00 AM

I would like to respond to Jo Bird's letter ("Cherry-picking students," Pulse Dec. 28) accusing charter schools of cherry-picking students. The charter school my children attend does not discriminate among applicants. My son went through a lottery drawing to be accepted, which is open to all applicants.

Charter schools most definitely do not send special education students away. They have special needs children and excellent resources for teaching them. As for allowing certain middle schools to feed into the charter high school, that's exactly how the traditional public school districts are set up.

In regards to the new charter high school focusing on preparing for college, I believe that is also the case with the Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy in the traditional public school system.

Charter schools have been criticized in the past for not operating high schools, which are more expensive to run than elementary and middle schools. Now that they are finally beginning to open high schools, they are once again under attack.

Charter schools do not discriminate against students. In fact, they give parents a much needed choice.