My kids have attended a private school, a charter school, and a public high school. [View all]

[yardwork]

I've been reading in this group for a while but didn't want to post because I am not an educator. I've been reading the threads about charter vs. not charter, and I wanted to share the experience of my family.

My children attended a private school from preschool through middle school. It was not a Montessori, but the philosophy was somewhat similar. I guess you could call it an "alternative" school. The focus was on experiential, hands-on teaching that was based around projects. There were no grades, just written evaluations.

One of my sons wanted/needed a different kind of school (one with more structure for one thing), so we moved him into an inner-city charter school that was about 30% African American, 30% recent Latino immigrants, and 30% white. It was founded by a group of parents and teachers who wanted an alternative to the public schools. The school operated on a shoestring, but the teachers were deeply committed and during the first two years I felt that my son learned a lot. Then the school, in financial straits, sold itself to a for-provide chain of charters, which built a much larger building and doubled the enrollment. My son's 8th grade year was a disaster. The school had expanded too quickly, with too little consideration for high-quality teaching and commitment of students. Some of newly hired teachers literally could barely read or write - I was shocked by some of the materials that were sent home. Every morning the police arrested gang members in the halls. There was constant disruption and violence. My son learned almost nothing.

Both my kids then went to a large suburban public high school with a very diverse student body. They learned a lot and did well in AP courses. They're in college now.

I guess my point in posting this is that there are a lot of options, a lot of models out there, and each one has its pros and cons.