CHARTER SCHOOL 101
WHAT IS A CHARTER SCHOOL? |
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Charter schools are independent public schools that are founded by teachers, parents or community members and which offer unique educational approaches not normally found in traditional public schools. Being a charter school means parents have chosen this school for their children rather than their neighborhood school, a private school, or parochial school. As a public charter school, the school receives funding from the state and federal government. When accepting public funding the school is held accountable for the same performance expectations and state statutes as other public schools.
Seaside Charter Schools follow the same state testing mandates as other Duval County public schools and our teachers need to be Florida credentialed and highly qualified, as with any other public school teacher, and in alignment with federal requirements. Seaside Charter Schools, as a K-8, Public Waldorf charter school has additional certification requirements whereby teachers participate in Waldorf training throughout the school year and summer, equating to an additional 4 years beyond their teaching credential. This program is fully funded through the Seaside School Consortium's Annual Giving Campaign.
Per the Florida Department of Education, charter schools are public schools of choice. They are very popular—and among the fastest growing school choice options in Florida. Charter schools are largely free to innovate, and often provide more effective programs and choice to diverse groups of students.
Since 1996, the number of charter schools in Florida has grown to over 658 in 2018-19. Charter school student enrollment now tops 313,000 students. Check out the Charter School Program Statistics (PDF) for more details.
Seaside Charter Schools follow the same state testing mandates as other Duval County public schools and our teachers need to be Florida credentialed and highly qualified, as with any other public school teacher, and in alignment with federal requirements. Seaside Charter Schools, as a K-8, Public Waldorf charter school has additional certification requirements whereby teachers participate in Waldorf training throughout the school year and summer, equating to an additional 4 years beyond their teaching credential. This program is fully funded through the Seaside School Consortium's Annual Giving Campaign.
Per the Florida Department of Education, charter schools are public schools of choice. They are very popular—and among the fastest growing school choice options in Florida. Charter schools are largely free to innovate, and often provide more effective programs and choice to diverse groups of students.
Since 1996, the number of charter schools in Florida has grown to over 658 in 2018-19. Charter school student enrollment now tops 313,000 students. Check out the Charter School Program Statistics (PDF) for more details.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND A CHARTER SCHOOL? |
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Charter schools are open to all students residing within the district; however, charter schools are allowed to target students within specific age groups or grade levels, students considered at-risk of dropping out or failing, students wishing to enroll in a charter school-in-the-workplace or charter school-in-a-municipality, students residing within a reasonable distance of the school, students who meet reasonable academic, artistic or other eligibility standards established by the charter school, or students articulating from one charter school to another. Additionally, a charter school may give enrollment preference to the following student populations:
- Siblings of current charter school students
- Children of a charter school governing board member or employee
- Children of employees of the business partner of a charter school-in-the-workplace or resident of the municipality in which such a charter is located
- Children of residents of a municipality that operates a charter school-in-a-municipality
- Students who have successfully completed a voluntary prekindergarten program provided by the charter school during the previous year
- Children of an active-duty member of any branch of the US Armed Forces
- Students who attended or are assigned to failing schools
WHAT IS SEASIDE CHARTER SCHOOL'S RELATIONSHIP WITH DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (DCPS)? |
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Seaside Charter Schools are chartered by Duval County School District meaning that Superintendent and the school board oversee our budget and our curriculum. We adhere to the Florida State standards and state-wide testing but may follow a different methodology for delivery of the content. One of the many wonderful things about our district is it offers a range of educational options available for students.
HOW ARE PUBLICLY FUNDED WALDORF SCHOOLS DIFFERENT THAN PRIVATE, TUITION FUNDED WALDORF SCHOOLS? |
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Waldorf-inspired charter schools, such as Seaside Charter Schools, must walk a fine line between Waldorf principles and state-mandated standards. As such, we almost represent a “third way,” in that we offer a Waldorf-inspired curriculum, at no cost to parents, while ensuring that our students and our school meet or exceed state standards. Most Waldorf schools charge an annual tuition of between $8000 and $15,000. Children from all religious, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds attend Waldorf public and private schools and thrive in an accepting atmosphere. Waldorf education’s roots, whether private or public, seek to awaken a child’s natural reverence for the world and the many wonders and spectacular beauty in life.
HOW ARE CHARTER SCHOOLS CREATED, ORGANIZED, AND OPERATED? |
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Charter schools are created when an individual, a group of parents or teachers, a business, a municipality, or a legal entity submits an application to the school district; the school district approves the application; the applicants form a governing board that negotiates a contract with the district school board; and the applicants and district school board agree upon a charter or contract. The district school board then becomes the sponsor of the charter school. The negotiated contract outlines expectations of both parties regarding the school's academic and financial performance.
A charter school must be organized as, or be operated by, a nonprofit organization. The charter school may serve at-risk students, or offer a specialized curriculum or core academic program, provide early intervention programs, or serve exceptional education students.
A charter school must be organized as, or be operated by, a nonprofit organization. The charter school may serve at-risk students, or offer a specialized curriculum or core academic program, provide early intervention programs, or serve exceptional education students.
