The case for open minds and innovation in education

BY SARENA FULLER

Think back to your school days. Remember the oft-dreaded essay assignments? You’d sit there staring at the prompt, perhaps even adjusting your font size and margins to help fill the space. Without fail, someone would ask, “How many pages does it need to be?” — as though the length of your work was somehow more important than, you know, the actual content.

Imagine, though, if the assignment didn’t come with page limits at all. Instead, you could express your ideas as a podcast, a dramatic monologue or even a TikTok video. Suddenly, that essay feels a lot more like an opportunity to showcase your creativity and your learning.

What if school worked like that all the time — where the how of learning matched the what of your interests? That’s the promise of school choice, and it’s time we explore it beyond the labels.

Setting the record straight

Unfortunately, the conversation around school choice has been hijacked by political forces that conflate it with the concept of privatization. At its core, school choice is about giving parents the power to choose the best educational setting for their children. Certainly, healthy debate helps us ensure the strength of our education system and safeguard public funds. But I am concerned that I am seeing more vitriol and misinformation as political debates take center stage. This does not serve our students, teachers or families. It does not further educational opportunities for anyone.

First, let’s set the record straight: Charter schools are public schools. They do not charge tuition, and their sole admission criterion is that students must reside in North Carolina. Enrollment is determined through a lottery, ensuring that no student is excluded based on race, income or abilities. Contrary to the narrative that charter schools are “privatized,” they are part of the public education system, held to the same testing and accountability standards as other public schools.

Where charter schools shine is in their innovations. Free of bureaucracy and driven from needs within their school community, charter schools operate with flexibility and a founding motivation to create dynamic opportunities for students. In Buncombe County, charter schools are based on various instructional philosophies, including arts integration, experiential learning, Montessori and inquiry-based or expeditionary learning. Families have many options here to find the place that will best meet their needs and support students on their learning journey.

Traditional district schools are also doing great work. Their size and scale provide options and resources that may resonate with families, like transportation and nutrition programs. Critics often point to the fact that not all charter schools provide these services as evidence of inequity. But these criticisms overlook a crucial context. In North Carolina, students are assigned to schools based on where they live. This system inherently exacerbates inequities, especially in areas affected by the housing crisis and disparities in local funding models. For many families, charter schools represent an opportunity for a better educational experience that might not otherwise be available due to geographical limitations.

Who benefits from public schools?

We should really ask ourselves: Who benefits the most from our public school system? If we think of individual families as the “clients,” it makes sense why school vouchers (or the idea that “money follows the child”) can seem like an appealing argument. But, if we see public education as something that benefits everyone by creating a smarter, more capable society, then the conversation changes. In that case, taxpayer money should go toward supporting public schools, including charter schools, to make sure every child has access to a great education, no matter where they live or how they learn.

I believe in the latter. We need to put more resources into our state’s public schools, giving them the financial support they need to succeed. At the same time, parents should have the power to choose what works best for their child’s learning, making them active partners in the process. Let’s prioritize the educational needs of our students over political divisions and embrace the opportunities that charter schools and other forms of public education offer. By focusing on the needs of students and supporting all educational models, we can ensure a stronger, more equitable future for every child in our state.

Now is the time that charter schools across Western North Carolina are accepting applications for enrollment this fall. District schools are preparing to enroll new kindergarten students and graduate high school seniors. It is an exciting time to work in a school! So much potential for greatness!

As you and your family are making your choices, consider what type of essay you will write with your choices. How beautiful is it that there’s no wrong answer?

Serena Fuller is the executive director of ArtSpace Charter School in Swannanoa and the 2024 N.C. Charter Principal of the Year. She holds a doctoral degree in educational leadership and has 20 years of experience in public education — from traditional schools to state schools, special education programs and charter schools.