Dear Future President,

“Education is the most powerful weapon in which you can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela. As you probably are aware, education is very important. However, with the importance of education comes the importance of making sure each person gets the best education that he can. It is crucial that each person feels educated enough to be employed in the future because that is what will make our country great. But, it is also extremely difficult for each person to get the best education since everyone learns so differently. I believe that increasing the number of charter schools across America will help each person gain the best education they can receive to assist them change the world. .

I think it would be wise to consider continuing funding charter schools for many reasons. The first reason is because they offer another option for learning. The public school system in place right now works for some people, but it is also hurting a lot of people. Many cannot focus in the stereotypical school setting and need something different. Charter schools are something different. Each one has his own curriculum of and way of teaching. Some of them are centered around specific interests, such as STEM and the fine arts, and some are more project based learning. This allows the students to not only learn the curriculum, but to also experience new things to assist in learning the material. For instance, charter schools that have project based learning allow students to invest their time into subjects that interest them. They gain enough knowledge through their project to give them a good grasp on each subject.

Since each school varies the curriculum, they have a wide range of acceleration. Some are more catered toward those who catch onto things quickly. These schools push their students harder and force them to work further past just high school. On the flip side, there are schools who cater themselves to those who need more time to learn a concept. They slow their curriculum down and make sure their students have a good handle on each concept before moving forward. Carol Lloyd explains that, “With charter schools, there are more outliers: some schools are doing substantially worse than comparable public schools. But some charter schools — especially those serving kids from disadvantaged backgrounds — are doing substantially better.” Due to the variety throughout charter schools, it is nearly impossible to compare test results and data to a public or private school. This is the reason people cannot confidently say that charter schools are more effective. Nonetheless, the experience gained through these schools amount to much more than any test score.

Admittedly, there are flaws regarding these schools. One flaw that is embedded within the idea of charter schools is their age and size. “Many charter schools are less than five years old. Most are small in size, serving fewer students and offering smaller class sizes than regular public schools,” stated GreatSchools Staff. Many parents would be turned off by this piece of information, but the unique opportunities that lie within the school are much more convincing than their age. The mentality of project based learning is relatively new. Most people are so stuck in their routine of the public school system that they are scared to exit their comfort zone. What they don’t know is the knowledge and experiences waiting outside their comfort zone are the most powerful.

To repeat, the future of America’s education is in your hands. Creating more charter schools will increase opportunities for students to learn. Furthermore, these schools allow more specific acceleration rates, creating a personalized atmosphere for each person.However, it is up to you to determine the quality of education for the generations to come. Will you give them the power to change the world? Or will you limit the education opportunities and make America stagnate?

Sincerely, 

Ali G.