Why Are African American Parents Choosing Charter Schools: New Evidence from North Carolina
Open Access
- Author:
- Crary, Foy Matthews
- Graduate Program:
- Educational Leadership
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- November 28, 2006
- Committee Members:
- Emily Boyd, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Nona Ann Prestine, Committee Member
Jacqueline A Stefkovich, Committee Member
George Farkas, Committee Member - Keywords:
- charter schools
choice in education
minority choice
African American choice in education - Abstract:
- This qualitative study examined the choices that African American (AA) parents of students in two charter schools in Durham, North Carolina are making with regard to their children’s education. Its purpose was to explore how and why they arrived at the decision to remove their children from integrated traditional public schools (TPS) and enroll them in relatively new and unproven charter schools that are almost totally segregated. It sought to analyze the dynamics of AA parent decision-making in an attempt to determine the factors affecting their choices. Specifically the questions the study asked were: 1) Why are AA parents choosing to leave traditional, integrated public schools to attend largely segregated charters? 2) How did they arrive at their decision? Four propositions were examined during the course of the study in order to answer the how/why questions. They were based on Carol Weiss’ “4 I’s” framework for public policy decision-making and included the effect of interests, ideologies, information, and institutions on decision makers. Weiss’ “4 I’s” provided a substantive focus for understanding parents’ decision-making. Primary sources were interviews with 33 AA parents and 3 administrators in 2 charter schools in Durham, North Carolina and pertinent records from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The principal findings include: • Parents chose charters because they were smaller; they perceived that their children received more individual attention and thus had a greater chance of succeeding; that the teachers were more caring; and that the school climate was more accepting, positive, safe, and nurturing. • Parents thought that their children’s charter schools were achieving higher End of Grade Test scores than they actually were. • 100% of the parents were accepting of the lack of diversity in their charter schools; some viewed it as positive; 81% said it was insignificant as long as their children were successful academically. • Parents perceived that traditional public schools are too big and violent; that many TPS students were unruly; and that TPS teachers had given up, did not care and/or did not love their students. Parents reported that, in their opinion, AA children and parents did not receive equal treatment in TSP and that they did not feel welcome. Parents believed that AA children were not seen as children with potential in TPS. • Parents saw themselves as citizen consumers of education empowered by choice, loyal to their children, and on a quest for educational opportunities for them. • Parents felt that they shared the responsibility with the school of their choice to ensure that their children were successful; that neither they nor the school could successfully educate their children unless parents, teachers, and students co-operated; 24% said that schools could not succeed without their support. • Administrators understood why parents had chosen their charter schools; they recognized that charters were “businesses” and that the students, along with their parents were “customers” who had options; they were focused on parent expectations and on what they needed to do in order to attract and keep students enrolled. Major implications for policy and practice: • School board members, county commissioners, and voters need to understand that parents want smaller, more inclusive, more personal schools where their children are recognized and known as children of potential. • Schools of education and teacher development programs within school systems need to provide teachers with new information and strategies to enable them to communicate with parents effectively; to reach more children; and to create more inclusive, compassionate classroom environments sensitive to cultural differences. • Educational Leadership/Administration preparation programs need to attend to diversity/sensitivity training and cultural awareness to enable superintendents and principals to communicate and constructively deal with multiracial populations. • School leaders at all levels need to take responsibility for the equal treatment of all of the students in their schools. • School leaders need to acknowledge that parents are an invaluable resource; that they are essential to the education process; that they should be respected and welcomed; and that their skills and knowledge should be effectively utilized. Suggestions for future research: • A longitudinal study of African American parents who chose charter schools instead of TPS and their satisfaction as compared to AA parents who chose to remain in TPS. • AA parent choice of charter schools in a different area of the country. • AA parent perception of mistreatment of their children in TPS. • A longitudinal study comparing the success of students following graduation from charter schools and TPS. • Interview AA parents who could have chosen charters but chose to remain in TPS.