Nevada’s school system is leaving children behind. The state’s educational institutions rank repeatedly at the bottom of the national average. Students from low-income and minority backgrounds or who suffer from learning disabilities are bearing the brunt of the system’s shortcomings.
The traditional public school system simply does not provide the vital learning support those children need to succeed. But charter schools across the Unites States have proven to be able to bridge the performance gap between at-risk students and their peers. Nevada should increase public spending in support of charter schools to level the playing field for all its children.
A Tailored Approach to Teaching
Charter schools are much better placed to educate at-risk students than traditional public schools. Unlike public schools, which work with standardized testing and prescribed curricula, charter schools enjoy much more autonomy. Their teachers can design curricula and teaching methods tailored to the specific learning requirements of their children, which provides a learning environment conducive to the needs of at-risk students.
Some offer bilingual education, catering to children whose first language isn’t English. Others can adjust the pace of lessons to students suffering from learning disabilities. These children are currently falling behind in a public school system that has no time to spare to cater to students who require a little extra help.
With their personalized approach to education, charter schools are much better positioned to equalize opportunities for children overlooked in the traditional public school system. Given these promising results, it is unsurprising that parents of at-risk students flock to charter schools to enroll their children.
Better Learning Outcomes for At-Risk Students
The positive impact charter schools have on students from minority and low-income backgrounds is backed by data. A 2023 study conducted by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University, which evaluated learning outcomes for charter school students in 29 states, found that Black and Hispanic students benefited significantly from charter school education.
Black students from low-income households made significant gains, with 36 more days of learning in math and 37 more in reading compared to their traditional public school-attending counterparts. Hispanic students from low-income backgrounds gained 30 more days in math and 36 more days in reading. These numbers are significant in showing that charter schools work for minority students nationwide. And they also work for minitory and low-income household students in Nevada.
Charter Schools Guarantee a High Return on Investment
Investing in Nevada’s charter school network will pay off. In 2022, around 10% of Nevada’s population was black or African American, 8.27% Asian, and over 20% Hispanic. This diversity is reflected in the range of languages spoken in Nevada households: Spanish, Tagalog, and Chinese are the most common non-English speaking languages.
A staggering 16% of children in Nevada live below the poverty line. Some 51% are considered economically disadvantaged. Given those percentages, Nevada simply cannot afford to leave those students behind.
Charter schools have the potential to offer them high-quality education. A good education translates to future success: higher college graduation rates among these demographics, the potential to earn better wages, and a well-trained workforce are just some of the benefits for Nevada’s society as a whole.
Help Better Educate Nevada’s Future Workforce
Charter schools provide at-risk students with the resources they need to succeed. Attributing more public funding to expand our charter school network is an investment in Nevada’s future.
Talk to your lawmakers about the benefits of charter schools for the education of at-risk children. Let them know that better education for students from challenging backgrounds will produce the productive workforce Nevada’s economy so urgently needs.
