charter schools

What is the difference between a charter school and a public school; from a teacher's point of view?
i was having a discussion with my mom about the difference between charter and public schools. i have been to a couple of charter schools and i find that they have very different teaching techniques than public schools. so teachers, i have a couple of questions.
which school allows you to connect better with your students?
which school allows you to be more creative with your teaching?
which school pays the most?

which school allows you to connect better with your students?
Charter School, lower ratio between student:teacher= more time for each student

which school allows you to be more creative with your teaching?
Both charter and public; they each want you to be creative in developing pedagogy that will work for your classroom. Within reason and budget of course.

which school pays the most?
Ultimately, charter. Public schools rely on federal funding, therefore, if the state doesn't allocate enough money to your specific district/state, you may not get a raise or as big of a raise. Charter schools are like a business/corporation. They get a smaller percentage funding from federal, however, they have local and/or national sponsors, donors, etc that also provide financial assistance in this area. Think of a charter school funding like a sports arena; sponsors/donors give money willingly as long as they can get something out of it like advertising their signs all over the arenas, commercial time, etc. In schools, it may be sending info about mortgages home to parents, or sponsoring sports and having banners, etc.

I hope this helps.

Charter Schools vs. Public Schools

Other Resources

• Concurring Opinions » BRIGHT IDEAS: Andrew Sparks on Charter School Boards & Non-Profit Governance