YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
This poll is not a scientific sampling. It offers a snapshot of what readers are thinking.
BluCurrent Credit Union held a June 21 grand opening at an office building it renovated at 4520 S. National Ave.; Ozark Mountain Gymnastics changed ownership; and a Branson theater property made way for a new entertainment business with the opening of Star Concert Hall.
Anyone voting yes does not understand the quality education that charter school students receive. It's bottom of the barrel. Charter schools are FOR PROFIT. The company receives funding based on headcount and they cut costs by paying less for teachers, facilities, and extracurriculars. I taught at one for a very brief time. It was one of the worst experiences I had as a teacher. The schools don't discipline students because they absolutely NEED them to stay in school so they continue to receive funds. Too many absent or suspended students results in the school not earning enough. We shouldn't apply a corporate business model to education. Plus, it's not even cheaper for the taxpayers. Taxpayers typically pay the same amount, classroom populations don't decrease in size, and the teachers hardly want to work with students that know they can get away with misbehaving.
Charter schools have a high failure rate. They drain money from public schools. Springfield R-12 has done a great job of creating many wonderful opportunities through fantastic magnet schools. We do not need them in Springfield.
Charter schools are a thief of the limited funds provided to actual schools. Look at the other places they have existed and the outcomes experienced. They over-promise and under-perform, because the true focus is only on the profit margin without regard for the community they claim they will serve.