• TechyDad@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    And charter schools (at least by me) means “a business running the school for profit.” Yes, they get public funds, but they then pocket as much of those funds as possible in profits and give the students as little as possible.

    They also will turn away special needs kids because those kids tend to require more dollars per student and thus aren’t as profitable to educate.

    So the public schools are left with less money and more special needs kids per capita to take care of. The public schools fail more leading to more charter schools. Which leads to more public schools failing. Repeat as businesses profit and kids suffer.

    • aidan@lemmy.worldM
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      1 year ago

      A lot of charter schools are non-profit. But yeah there are plenty that are also for-profit.

      They also will turn away special needs kids because those kids tend to require more dollars per student and thus aren’t as profitable to educate.

      I saw a lot of accusations of that, but at least for the one most accused of that in New York- they base admissions on a lottery. Although, some students really can’t be in a normal school safely or effectively.

      So the public schools are left with less money and more special needs kids per capita to take care of. The public schools fail more leading to more charter schools. Which leads to more public schools failing. Repeat as businesses profit and kids suffer.

      The thing is public schools have had increasing funds, I went to public schools with a good amount of funds and it didn’t really in my experience change anything for the better. But, I think the best way to save money is allowing students to opt-out if they don’t want to take certain classes- or go to school at all.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I saw a lot of accusations of that, but at least for the one most accused of that in New York- they base admissions on a lottery. Although, some students really can’t be in a normal school safely or effectively.

        Whether you know schools that do it or not, the fact is that they have the right to not allow special needs kids to go to their school. And that would be true if all schools were private. You would just have to hope your area had a school that would take your child if they have special needs or move to somewhere that does. That’s not right.

        • aidan@lemmy.worldM
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          1 year ago

          Whether you know schools that do it or not, the fact is that they have the right to not allow special needs kids to go to their school.

          As do public schools at least in my district, the severely handicapped students are put specifically in schools for special needs.

          And that would be true if all schools were private.

          I didn’t say all should be private.

          You would just have to hope your area had a school that would take your child if they have special needs or move to somewhere that does.

          I think it would be pretty easy in a charter system to offer incentives for taking special needs students.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            There are a lot of things you have claimed about your district which doesn’t fit any other district I’ve heard of. Maybe the problem is not public schools, maybe the problem is the way people run them where you live.

            I have never heard of a public school that doesn’t have special education.

            • aidan@lemmy.worldM
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              1 year ago

              I have never heard of a public school that doesn’t have special education.

              I didn’t say that?

              I said that severely mentally ill students were put into separate schools.

              Maybe the problem is not public schools, maybe the problem is the way people run them where you live.

              Well the exact same thing could be said about any anecdote about charter schools.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Okay, we aren’t talking about “severely mentally ill students” (which, as far as I know, public schools are still required to take), we’re talking about any and all special needs students, which charter schools can turn away.

                And I haven’t told any anecdotes about charter schools. I am talking about what all charter schools have the right to do, but, as far as I have ever heard with the apparent exception of your district, public schools have to take all children regardless of their level of educational aptitude.

                • aidan@lemmy.worldM
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                  1 year ago

                  Okay, we aren’t talking about “severely mentally ill students” (which, as far as I know, public schools are still required to take)

                  Do you have any source for individual public schools(not a district) being able to turn away special needs students?

                  public schools have to take all children regardless of their level of educational aptitude.

                  Again a district yes, an individual school no.

                  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                    1 year ago

                    Originally passed in 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) — frequently referred to as Public Law 94-142 — requires that all public schools accepting federal funds must provide equal access to education for children with physical and/or mental disabilities.

                    Public schools are required to create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each student who is found to be eligible for special education services. IEPs must be designed to meet the unique educational needs of that child in the least restrictive environment appropriate.

                    https://www.umassglobal.edu/news-and-events/blog/special-education-laws

                    So if you are correct about your district, what they are doing is illegal.