I do not have a child that goes to Chatham Charter. That being said, I have friends who are very…read morehappy with Chatham Charter. After my child was accepted into Charter via lottery, I visited the school to help decide whether or not he would attend. His home school for High School is Northwood (Pittsboro), so there was a definite choice to be made. If his home school was Jordan Matthews, there would be no choice- Charter is academically superior, but more importantly, it is safer, more rigorous, and more conducive to learning. Charter is essentially a college prep school with very small classes, individualized academic programs, one-on-one tutoring and academic counseling, and an environment of rigorous academic focus. EVERY administrative decision is geared toward the academic well-being of the students. Students graduating from Chatham Charter are virtually guaranteed admission into college, especially considering the fact that all classes are honors level, and, all seniors graduate with up to 60 credits of college coursework. This is a huge savings for students and parents- essentially, the general education requirements for any bachelor's program have been taking care of- in high school! Less time is wasted for students in college, and less money is spent on semesters at University (one semester is typically 18 credits). What are some disadvantages to Charter? First, there is less diversity at Charter- at the moment. However, as parents start learning about the advantages of Charter, this is likely to change. Second, some extracurriculars are limited. Most sports are represented at Charter as far as I can tell (no football or swimming), but a plethora of drama, band, clubs in art, Skills USA, Shop, Photography, Dance, other interests... simply due to the smaller size of Charter... these activities are underrepresented. Finally, some *much* higher level classes, in math, for instance, may need to be taken on virtual high school, or through the CCCC (community college) system. It would seem that transportation is a necessity for Charter high school students, for college classes in their junior and senior years that are off campus, unless there is carpooling. What is my decision for my own child? Because my kids are very independent learners, and because what they are lacking at home- more than other things- are opportunities for enrichment (Ag classes, Band, Math Club, Art, etc.), we are leaning toward Northwood, which may be huge and less academically focused (less "coaching" perhaps), yet, very rich in diverse extracurriculars. Truth be told, I want another child in the SCE-VCE-CMS-JMS district to have the opportunity for Charter- and to take it- because sadly, there is nothing else like it in Siler City. Animosity between mainstream schools and charter schools does not benefit students, nor does it promote collaborative relationships. All students deserve a chance at a charter school experience- a niche school that best meets the needs of a certain set of students who can most benefit from that school- whether that school is academic, an arts school, or technology school; whether there are admission requirements, or a lottery. If student needs surpass the capabilities of LEA resources, then new systems should and can be devised to meet student needs, and with equity. Chatham Charter is doing an excellent job meeting the needs of their students, and I applaud them.
