Here in North Carolina, Charter Schools emerged as an alternative to traditional public schools with the passage of legislation in 1996.  Until recently, the number of Charter Schools across the state was capped at 100.   History has shown that North Carolina’s Charter Schools have been beneficial to public school children across the state. This year, the North Carolina General Assembly passed Senate Bill 8 and removed the cap of 100 Charter Schools, allowing for the number of schools to grow indefinitely.

However, while North Carolina has realized the benefit of Charter Schools and other states are following suit, many states across the nation have failed to implement charter schools.  Maybe for some states, Charter Schools are an ill-conceived notion, but regardless, Charter Schools give citizens more choice when it comes to their child’s education.

In the New York Times today, Matthew Stewart, a concerned father, speaks out against Charter Schools coming to his area stating that:

“Public education is basically a social contract — we all pool our money, so I don’t think I should be able to custom-design it to my needs,” he said, noting that he pays $15,000 a year in property taxes. “With these charter schools, people are trying to say, ‘I want a custom-tailored education for my children, and I want you, as my neighbor, to pay for it.’ ”

For argument’s sake, an applicable response to Stewart might be, why should taxpayers who are pro-life help support the publicly funded Planned Parenthood, an organization known for paying for abortions, when they don’t support those ideals at all.

Charter Schools have been highly effective in North Carolina by providing a suitable public alternative to private schools.  Maybe before Stewart continues his argument against Charter Schools in his neighborhood, he should read the North Carolina Education Alliance’s “A Choice For Children”and then make his decision based upon the need for greater school choice.