More than One School: Five Programs from Five States Blur the Lines 

Alaska, California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah
Opportunity

Just before the pandemic, I wrote about a family in Oklahoma who sued for the right to attend a private school and a charter school at the same time. At that time, I was trying to illustrate that there are families who see education as more than a binary decision. Since then, I have learned that this kind of arrangement is not new and entire programs are built to create similar tailor-made options, options that in many cases rely on state-level charter school policy. 

Since this is National Charter Schools Week, I would like to share five examples of charter schools from five states that allow parents to choose more than one setting, school, or program. Additionally, I will remind you of three state-level policies that support the growth and sustainability of such programs. 

1. Colorado – In Arvada, the Two Roads Charter School started as a homeschool group more than 20 years ago. Over time, their partnership with several public schools led to the creation of an independent charter school that actively serves and creates programs for home school students. Home school students can enroll part-time at the charter and choose from extracurricular and academic courses. For example, elementary school students can enroll in art, robotics, geography, or Colorado history. The school is made for customization. 

2. CaliforniaThe Cottonwood School, based in El Dorado, is built for in-person, one-on-one mentoring with teachers while students still spend part of their week at home. While the school’s educational philosophy is based on the Montessori method, the parent decides how much in-person time a student will spend at the school.  

3. OregonThe Dallas Community School is a charter school that caters to the “non-traditional learner.” Their homeschool support program offers parents $1,000 per student to spend on curriculum and educational support programs, in-person meetings with instructional coaches, 25 field trips per year, and workshops and training for parents.  

4. AlaskaThe Friendship Partnership Charter School is a program of Anchorage Public Schools that aims to be “a bridge between home-school students and formal education.” The school, which first won charter approval in 1997, offers families as much as $4,200 per student per year to procure the resources they need for schooling at home, to hire tutors, or to enroll in courses provided by a third party. 

5. UtahHarmony Education Services in Springville, Utah, matches students with charter and traditional schools depending on a parent’s stated preferences and a student’s unique needs. A family who works with Harmony may choose from a menu of curricula, a spectrum of distance-learning and on-site course work, and families may receive an educational allowance to defray the costs of educational programs or services.  

There are at least three state-level policies that make programs like these more accessible: charter policy, part-time enrollment, and parent-directed spending. Each and every charter school in the country exists only because a state law provides for its existence in the first place. For a useful outcome-based ranking of charters laws, look here.  

A part-time enrollment policy allows homeschool and private school students to attend one or more public school courses. Beyond the strong arguments in favor of increasing the accessibility and inclusivity of public schools, a part-time enrollment policy is good for schools and families alike. Schools serve more students, and families gain flexibility. 

Parent-directed spending is true parent empowerment and engagement in public schools. The policy allows public schools to set aside a portion of their budget for parents to direct on behalf of their children. This is already happening in schools like Friendship Partnership Charter in Alaska and at the Dallas Community School in Oregon.  

Some researchers and policy experts are sharing and organizing their thinking on these topics. Just a few days ago, Eric Wearne of Kennesaw State University held the first National Hybrid School Conference in Georgia, and look here to find the first national survey of hybrid schools. Mike McShane has written a much-lauded book on the topic. And the nation’s homeschool population continues to explode, even as the fears of the pandemic subside.  

To believe in charter schools is to believe in people. Conversely, a bet against charters generally is a bet against people. People and schools are not waiting for permission to solve problems or to create new educational pathways. So policymakers have an opportunity to expand access to constructive opportunities like the schools mentioned above. 

My message to policymakers is this: if you believe in people and if you let them build, then our children will be stronger, brighter, and more independent. 

Topics:

Charter Schools

About the Author

Sam Duell is the Policy Director for Charter Schools at ExcelinEd.

Solution Areas:

Private Education Choice, Public Education Choice