Foster City charter high school is not the answer

However rooted in desperation, we think the idea of a charter high school in Foster City is a waste of time and money. Pushing for it is understandable, but still a big mistake.

Charter schools are public schools that operate with state money drawn from a local school district. They operate without state or district oversight and have the freedom to set their own curriculum. Charter schools began growing in popularity in response to proposals for school vouchers across the state. The idea behind vouchers was to give parents approximately $4,000 to be spent at either public or private schools. There is already a dearth of spaces in private schools. Following the laws of supply and demand, creating more desire for private schools would only increase the cost and do little to help those who could not afford private education before. It would also funnel too much money out of the public school system and harm local property values.

Establishing charter schools was a way to create alternatives to the current school system without going the way of the voucher. Sometimes charter schools prove valuable by creating a separate and smaller environment for students who do not perform well in the traditional school environment.

However, there is no robust evidence that students who go to charter schools perform any better than students who don't, according to Policy Analysis for California Education.

Besides, the San Mateo Union High School District has two alternative programs for students who are not successful within the six traditional comprehensive schools. The district offers the Middle College, a hybrid between community college and high school and Peninsula High School, a more traditional alternative school.

Both are successful in graduating a large number of students every year.

Another reason for a charter school would be vocational or other high-tech training. The idea of a