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I worked for a Charter for a while and like everything else,
it has its good and its bad. They are generally smaller
than ISD PS's and have smaller class sizes, which is nice.
They pay was good, comperable to most and higher then
some. Resources were great for core classes, but lacking
for electives. We participated in TRS and they do look at
your service record for compensation, but ours didn't
recognize state leave. You still earned it so it accumulated
and can be used if you return to an ISD, but we couldn't
use it there. However, we earned about 10 days/per year
from the charter so I didn't miss it and took a lot of unused
with me when I returned to an ISD. One of the problems
is that most ISD Admin don't look favorably on Charter
Schools and it can be hard for many to transition from a
charter to an ISD...something we called the Charter Curse.
Also, as mentioned earlier, many Charters don't give their
teachers contracts so as at-will employees you can be let
go at anytime without any explanation at all and I saw that
happen many times. The joke was to time it right to get out
before they decided to fire you. There was high turnover
and it was rare to have a teacher make it longer than 6
years there...most were there for 2-3 years. It was a family
atmosphere and I loved that, but the lack of job security led
me make the decision to return to an ISD and luckily,
working at the charter school didn't keep me from getting a
job.

On 7/23/14, PsyGuy wrote:
> They can choose to participate in TRS, but they can also
> choose to provide social security or another retirement
> program. Charter schools are not required/mandated to
> participate in TRS.
>
> On 7/23/14, Lonestar wrote:
>> Do they participate in trs??
>>
>>
>> 7/14/14, a year
>>> difference. Yes you will be given full recognition of
>>> your
>> service
>>> record.
>>>
>>> A charter school is basically a "public" private school,
>>> they
>> dont
>>> charge tuition, but they cant raise money by issuing
>>> bonds. They get the attendance rate for each student,
>>> which is calculated in October. Most charter schools
>>> have a
>> particular
>>> focus, such as science and technology, or health care.
>> Charter
>>> school systems like harmony have given charter
schools
>>> in general a bad name.
>>>
>>> Another issue is that contracts at charter schools can
>>> be at
>> will,
>>> meaning you can be terminated for any reason, and
you do
>> not
>>> have all the protections available to you at a PS.
>>>
>>> On 7/14/14, Curious wrote:
>>>>
>>>> What exactly is a "charter school" in Texas? I taught
>>>> for 14 years in regular public school, before resigning
>>>> to start a little business of my own. Now that my
>>>> spouse and kids can handle it, I am seriously
thinking
>>>> about getting back in to the profession. For certain
>>>> reasons, I do not want to get back into the PS as
>>>> before, but a charter school has some
appeal...although
>>>> before I have never been curious
>> enough to
>>>> ask all that much about one, and all.
>>>>
>>>> Can someone sort of outline it for me? Is it under the
>>>> auspices of the state in the sense of "high-stakes
>> testing?"
>>>> Does the local school district control it? Is pay
>>>> subject to state standards as a baseline? Does
previous
>>>> service count in that regard?
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, that is some of the general questions I hope
>> some of
>>>> you all might provide some insight! Thank you in
>>>> advance!

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