Re: Charter schools?
    Posted by: thanks on 8/18/14
    () Comments

    Thanks for a very informative post. I was wondering why there
    is such a high turnover if the pay is decent. I always imagine
    that the students are more motivated due to the structure.

    On 8/18/14, Beware of the Charter Curse wrote:
    > 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!


    Posts on this thread, including this one

  • Charter schools?, 7/14/14, by Curious.
  • Re: Charter schools?, 7/14/14, by info.
  • Re: Charter schools?, 7/14/14, by tx teacher.
  • Re: Charter schools?, 7/14/14, by PsyGuy.
  • Re: Charter schools?, 7/23/14, by Lonestar.
  • Re: Charter schools?, 7/23/14, by PsyGuy.
  • Re: Charter schools?, 8/18/14, by Beware of the Charter Curse.
  • Re: Charter schools?, 8/18/14, by thanks.
  • Re: Charter schools?, 8/26/14, by PsyGuy.
  • Re: Charter schools?, 8/26/14, by PsyGuy.