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What is a Charter School? In light of North Carolina finally lifting the Charter School cap, more and more Americans are becoming aware of their options.

The old perception of charter schools was an Executive Director or Principals making in the six figures, applying an education to students with the cooperation like manner. Six figure administrators educating children that didn’t necessarily meet the demands of their specific target demographic. Charter schools were financial institutions which siphoned much needed funds from public schools.

However that is not the case. Instead, one should think of charter schools as what they were intended to be and in most cases are! Torchlight Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina is a perfect example of what a charter school should and can be. Torchlight, like many other of its ilk, offers a completely free public school that has the feel of a private school. Our students and staff wear uniforms, we have drill assemblies everyday and we have a staff of highly qualified teachers. More importantly our staff consists of teacher that understand, from personal experience the plight and hardship of our students.

Over eighty percent of our students qualify for either free or reduced lunch and rely on our free transportation, which is still an exception among the majority of charter schools.

The impression of charter schools is indeed changing from grossly over paid Administrators to a focus group of professionals that are meeting a specific needs of a given communities. In most cases, the majority of administrators were former students of the charter schools they serve. Because of that the administrators were able to help the students in a way that would be near impossible in a public school setting.

Charter schools are about offering parents options. Not just the regular menu of pre approved operations that have become the norm in the public schools. In fact, Torchlight Academy has out preformed Wake County (Torchlight’s local public school system) for their demographic for the last 3 years in a row. While impoverished minority students score in the 40 percentile range Torchlight students score in the 70’s.

Charter schools are able to offer parents what they want at no cost. However, charter schools are only part of the solution. We are not the solution to the dissatisfaction parents are finding with the educational services as a whole. As in all things the full responsibility of raising fine, responsible adults lies in the hands of the parents. Schools, no matter how wonderful, can not do this fundamental job.

Stability of family life

Visited a county in Pitman

Even though the students were impoverish 90%

Because of the majority of administrators were former students they were able to help them. 100% minority

Torchlight Academy, we learn from other district schools and they are learning from us.

Charter schools are part of the solution. We are not the solution to the dissatisfaction parents are finding with educational services as a whole. While the cap for charter school has been lifted many in the general public have very little understand what charter schools are. Stay tune to the blog for new information about charter schools can do for our community.