It is no mystery to most American's that the school system in America has been steadily declining for decades. Year after year the polls are released showing America drop a few more spots on the world education rankings. These annual drops occur while school districts across America perpetually increase funding for schools. Falsely believing that more money equals better results.A growing trend to address the faltering schools is the new online charter school concept. Similar to the current online degree programs used for higher education. Only catered toward younger students. Click on this posts title to read the recent Wall Street Journal article on the topic.
Currently the problems facing the U.S. education system derive from the lack of competition facing public schools. There is a private school alternative, but citizens are forced to pay for the public school through property taxes, regardless of if one sends their children to private school. In many areas the public school cost per student is actually higher than the private school cost per student. Why will politicians not allow parents to deduct the cost of private school, or at least offer a voucher program that pays the equivalent of the public per student cost to parents who choose the private school route?
The teacher's unions are another obstacle to true education reform. Why are public school teachers near impossible to fire if they consistently have a poor teaching record? Private schools can not afford to keep sub-par teachers on staff. They will lose customers. Yet, the public school system seems to think if they keep a sub-par teacher on staff long enough an epiphany will occur, turning that teacher into the Tiger Woods of teaching.
This is where the online charter schools come in. They are low cost, have a proven track record of better education, and unions have yet to infiltrate them. This competition is dynamic and efficient. The brick and mortar school can not reach the number of students an online school can. Add in the technological advances and one can see a new alternative to the faltering school system in America. The entrepreneur will find a way to fill any demand, regardless of the regulation and political maze that is put in his way.
