Are charter Schools the savior of Public Education?

I think a charter school might be ok in districts with poor public schools systems, but I think in wealthier school districts, they are nothing but a gimmick pushed through at the taxpayers' expense. What many people don't realize is that the public school districts PAY FOR the charter schools--a portion of every districts' budget in/near the charter school's location must go towards the charter school. So families who send their kids to public school are paying for both the public school and the charter school--and, in an excellent school, district such as mine, why should they? We have no need for a charter school, most of the communities--and the taxpayers--are adamantly opposed to it, but there seems to be no way to stop it from coming.

Charter schools are growing because there is something fundamentally wrong with public education in America. I recommend watching the movie, Waiting for Superman, to catch a glimpse. American public education has been on a steady decline for years, especially in urban and/or poverty-stricken areas and communities. Of course, not all public schools are bad. If you are fortunate enough to live in certain areas in the US, you can actually receive a stellar education. Years ago, with the advent of magnet schools, many students were able to test out of (and sometimes get lottery picked out of) their neighborhood schools. The MO in the US is that one usually has to attend one's neighborhood school, unless you attend a private (usually expensive) or a charter (an addendum to public education, without the formality, regulation and bureaucracy of the current system). Although the public opinion of today may think that charter schools are the "saving grace" or "savior" for education. All charters are not created equal, nor are all of them very good. Several have closed almost as fast as they opened or have not lived up to the promises of their original doctrines. Parents do have to do their homework and find a charter, or better yet a school, that is suitable for their child. I think that charters offer a much needed alternative that caters in a variety of ways to the needs of growing children. There will never be a "one-size" fits all answer or band-aid for public education, just like magnets (schools) were not the answer for "so-called gifted" children, stuck in ghettos and terrible neighborhoods. We (American citizens) will still need to demand a better quality education for ALL students and not just for the privileged few.

WE have one here in our place and most students come from low income families. The subsidy is given by the local government as it is created by the local council. The students have to pass the entrance examination as they will get the best learning facilities and full subsidy when they excel. This is getting popular since students do not have to apply for the national university and can be sure of being accepted since local government is handling it. All graduates are required to work for the local government too.!