Written by Aris Psimos, Principal
I need to be upfront from the very beginning to state that I am a proponent of public education, and it is disturbing to me these days how public education is under attack, while charter schools are advertised as the pathway to excellence in learning. In this land of freedom and opportunity “choice” is the American way. If your bill is $75.00 at a restaurant and the steaks were tough and you couldn’t get refills on your drinks you probably would exercise your freedom of choice and never go back to that place again. For most families it is not about how fancy the restaurant looked; it is about the quality of the food, service, reasonable prices and the fact that you can expect these standards to be met on each and every visit.
The point in sharing this example is that people make choices about restaurants, cars, homes based on information and criteria that enables them to make these choices based on fact rather than on perceptions from what they read in the newspaper or hear on television. In other words most people want to know the real truth before they make decisions that involve large amounts of money or have an effect on their families.
This is the thinking that I apply to schools. An effective school is an effective school regardless if you call it a public or charter school. However, whether public or charter, parents need to have information as to what defines an effective school. They need to be persistent just like they are in purchasing a house or a car to have clearly in their minds what an effective school looks like. That way rhetoric and style will not interfere with the “substance” of what accurately defines “a good school”.
What then are the qualities of an effective school? First, schools must meet the specifications of its customers both on the federal, state and local levels by achieving the desired levels on the ISTEP tests. Schools must recruit the “best of the best” teachers in every area. These are the teachers who are committed to promote student achievement and have the perseverance to promote best practice. Effective schools must have an atmosphere that provides a pleasant place for kids to learn. In this desired atmosphere all students come to school knowing that they will be safe and knowing that people care about them. Educators in high performing schools view themselves as public servants to serve all the children. This means they welcome diversity of all kinds, and they have the confidence and commitment that all children will succeed. Finally, superintendents and other central office leaders must be warriors to set high expectations and then hold everyone accountable.
Children are our most valuable resource and schools are the “heart” of the community. The PTS educators are very proud of what our students have achieved along with the great expectations for future improvement. Public schools vs. charter schools are not the issue. The issue is for parents to be well informed to know that their children are receiving the level of education that will open up doors to a wealth of opportunities as they reach adulthood.