Around the Fenway neighborhood, there are two charter schools available for local students. The Kennedy Academy for Health Careers is a college preparatory high school for Boston students interested in entering health and health-related fields. The school has two locations, one for grades 9-10 and one for grades 11-12.
Located at 110 The Fenway, Boston, The Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers is one of several Horace Mann Charter Schools in the Boston Public Schools system. Photo courtesy of Google Maps.
The Match Charter Public School (MATCH) is a free public school in Boston, with the mission to prepare students for success in college and their future professions. The MATCH education program spans from prekindergarten through high school. Unlike traditional public schools, this program provides students with at least two hours of individual or small group tutoring daily, in addition to classroom learning. MATCH students also have an extended school day.
Street view of the Match Charter Public High School courtesy of Google Maps.
There are thousands of pubic schools across the country, which all function with the aid of federal, state and local tax dollars. This traditional method of schooling maintains educational standards and guidelines set by each state. Education at public schools is free.
Charter schools offer parents an alternative education pathway for their children. Like public schools, charter schools are also free, and are not supposed to discriminate against students based on race, gender or disability. However, people like Jean say that not all charter schools abide by this rule.
“Regular public schools can’t kick out their students, and they can’t cherry-pick students in the way that charter schools can,” said Jean, a teacher who works at one of the Revere Public Schools. “Charter schools can review applications and reject students and can excuse students who don’t belong in their community, but traditional public schools can’t do any of that.”
The application process parents typically have to go through in order for their child to get accepted to a charter school is one of the main differences that sets charter schools apart from public schools. Enrollment in charter schools is not guaranteed, and spaces are limited.
Ultimately, it comes down to the education quality at its core, not the school classification.
“It depends on the teachers and the training,” said Jean. “It doesn’t really depend on whether it’s a charter or a public [school].”
Jean did not want her full name to be used in this interview.
Sarah E. McCullough 