Pro-Con: Charter Schools - Pro: Challenging curriculum, personal attention inspire high achievement

If I close my eyes, I can still see the college pennants hanging in the classrooms, and hear the echoes of voices asking who’s staying after school for Advanced Placement tutoring. I can still feel the texture of the well-used SAT prep books that were glued to everyone’s hands and served as reminders of our college goals.

That was the atmosphere and those were the expectations of the public charter school I attended in California. And now that I’m attending college in Washington, I believe this state should offer that same opportunity to families and students here.

My parents immigrated to the United States with the sole purpose of ensuring that my brothers and I had access to a great education. Living in San Diego, I learned about The Preuss School University of California San Diego from a neighborhood friend. I instantly sat with my parents and helped them translate the public charter school’s application to Spanish.

The application asked if I had thought about going to college, and which schools I was considering. My 12-year-old mind quickly caught on that this school was unlike any other I had attended. It was a public charter school dedicated to helping low-income minorities become the first generation in their families to go to college. This is the intent of HB 2428 in Washington, which will offer opportunities to low-income students and those in persistently struggling schools.

My parents’ dream of their children receiving a meaningful education became reality when I was accepted to Preuss. Although I did not fully understand it at the time, it was this moment that would forever change my life. Just two months into my sixth-grade year, I learned the difference between public and private universities. By the time I reached ninth grade, my peers and I had compiled a list of colleges we were interested in applying to and statistics supporting our rationale. With honors classes offered and AP classes required, Preuss set up a curriculum that ensured we would meet the high-level graduation requirements.

It was through this challenging curriculum that our teachers communicated that the 833 low-income students from neighborhoods throughout San Diego County were worthy of the best. This was not a message many of us had grown up hearing. Today, more than 4,000 charter schools are operating in 41 states. These public schools all have performance contracts. And, they have the freedom to tailor their curriculum and teaching staff to meet the needs of the students. That’s why my school, Preuss, was able to ensure we were all taking classes that placed us on the college track. In addition, the school set up groups of 25 students to work with a college mentor during their seven years at the school.

And just as the students were held accountable for their performance, so were the teachers. The Preuss teachers had to present portfolios at the end of each school year to show how they and the school were meeting the mission of the charter. That led to high expectations for everyone at the school.

It is because of the charter school movement that I learned my socioeconomic background did not impact my educational advancement. Also, when the school discovered a learning disability that left me feeling defeated, the teachers lifted me through that with extra tutoring and support. They didn’t stop believing in me, so I didn’t stop believing.

As I look at the framed graduation photo of my parents and I that sits in my dorm room at Whitworth University, it inspires me to help bring educational equity to all students. The students in Washington state deserve the same opportunity I received by attending a public charter school.

At my school, I learned that high expectations inspire high achievement. And, most importantly, I learned that a ZIP code doesn’t deter you from a great education.