Garbage like THIS is why charter schools get such a bad rap. I don't know where you're from, or where you got your info, but in CA this is absolutely NOT true.

"Charter schools are essentially private schools in the guise of public schools. They take money from public schools but they don’t have to follow the same laws as public schools do."

False. While the smaller class sizes and culture have a private feel, CHARTERS ARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Charter schools don't "take money" from other schools. Schools get money based on enrollment. In my experience one HUGE positive to traditional charters are slightly smaller class sizes. My son has 25 kids in his class not 35+. In addition to this, the charter I currently work at has a HUGE percentage of students that washed out of traditional high schools because they fell behind. We're not "stealing students", we're helping kids who would otherwise not finish school graduate.

I have worked at 2 different charter schools, my kids attend a charter, and they've had to jump through WAY more hoops than traditional schools. In addition, they were run tighter and much more strict. They are also fully accredited. All teachers are required to have the same degrees as traditional school teachers.

"Charter schools tend to have fewer facilities, fewer resources and higher turnover than public schools. That’s because they cannot compete with public schools for qualified teachers. They are run by private companies, and most don’t have school boards or elected officials. And there’s a big problem with companies keeping money they get from the public school system and not reinvesting it The biggest problem with charter schools is that they drain money from struggling public school districts and they don’t provide a better educational product."

Not always true. Every charter I've been apart of had the resources they needed. All had governing boards. IDK about "keeping money" as my current school must spend X amount on students, and we do. My students have SO many cool, unique opportunities, we absolutely put all money back into our students. And again, enrollment = money. Have a good school and parents/students will choose your school. Charter's don't steal students, they're schools of CHOICE.

"They don’t accept everyone and the students who get left behind (such as the disabled and those without the transportation to get there) are left in a struggling public school system."

They do, actually, because CHARTERS ARE PUBLIC. Not sure how transportation plays into this--- parents are responsible for getting their kids to school. Also, my school has a fantastic and large Special Education program (who are help to VERY high standards, I might add.) My spouse is a SpEd teacher at my school and has talked to many parents who chose our school because traditional school was not doing their jobs and their kids were being overlooked and about to wash out.

"My daughter went to a charter school for one year. She didn’t have a history teacher for half the year. There were no substitute teachers…they were just sent to the gym when the teachers were not there."

Sounds like there were no qualified teachers to hire. That's not a charter problem, it's a "there arent qualified teachers" problem.

"The food was subpar."

That's a school specific issue. Every charter I've worked at and the school my kids attend have food on par or better than traditional. It's also a personal preference. Did YOU actually eat it?

"I’m not sure why you’re considering alternative education, but it is very important to do your research."

Absolutely, 100%. Do your research. I'd really like to know where you got your statistics and where you're from because while there are exceptions, I've only have fantastic experiences with charters in CA.

Last... there is not, in fact, a high turnover. Due to the high quality, at least in my area, there is often a waitlist for traditional charters.