Charter Schools...Good option?

It's hard to think of anything worse than some public schools. If you can afford an alternative that works for you and your family, why not. The President's kids (for those with children of school age) have attended charter schools for the last 25+ years. President Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia attend the same school that graduated Chelsea Clinton, Al Gore III and the Nixon girls. Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1861334,00.html#ixzz0y7CC... You only have one chance at your child's education and it your responsibility to give them the best competitive advantage in this world. As someone once told me, "Your child's education is not a social experiment or a political commentary. Do what's best for them."

I think that the type of school- public, private, charter, magnet or whatever- is just one of many things to look at when choosing a school for your child. As a person who went to a quality inner-city public school in a school system that got a bad rap from outside of the system, I think there are excellent, academically rigorous private schools, charter schools and public schools. My friend teaches at a good charter school in Chicago. Just like with any school, I think the way to judge if a charter school will be right for your child is to visit it, to talk to the teachers, get an idea of the class size, and to judge if the programs offered by the school fit your kid's interests and needs. I agree that your child's education is not a social experiment, and that if the best option for your friend's child is a charter school, she should go for it and trust her instincts after visiting the school.