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I was a public school teacher. Many of my closest friends still are, and my daughter attends our local public school. I know firsthand the challenges teachers face and the slow pace of systemic change. I stepped away from traditional public schools over 15 years ago, not from a lack of faith in public education, but to create a better model for students, families and teachers. That journey led me to apply to open what could become Kentucky’s first public charter school. I believe more families – especially those with limited financial means – deserve real options for their children’s education. Kentucky’s teachers deserve environments where they are trusted, supported and given the freedom to innovate. Public charter schools can deliver these opportunities.
Critics argue charter schools undermine the traditional system. I understand those concerns, but the current system – while serving many – certainly isn’t meeting every student’s needs. It’s a one-size-fits-all approach that fails too many students. To those in our traditional system of schools, let me ask: Are you satisfied with Kentucky’s only public education option? If so, I’m happy for you. If not, you’re not alone.
I’m advocating for Kentuckians to have access to an additional public education model that operates successfully in all states bordering ours and in nearly every one – red and blue – across the nation. The school we built 15 years ago, which I hope will eventually become a public charter school, wasn’t designed to compete. We built it because we couldn’t wait for smaller class sizes, better teacher support or systemic fixes that never came. Now, we want to offer this tuition-free, open-to-all public education model to others.
Here’s what our school offers: Our teachers teach four days a week, with the fifth day for uninterrupted planning. They have hour-long lunches. Class sizes are capped at 16 students. There is room to teach, collaborate and recharge. Our students get three recesses a day and are free of the burden of excessive test preparation. They move, play and grow. Critics claim charter schools will harm traditional public schools. But if we trust our public schools, why fear giving families options? Public schools will still have the largest budgets, most experienced teachers and best facilities. They’re not going anywhere.
I believe in public schools. I also believe many families want options. Those goals can coexist. Critics say only the privileged will benefit. But wealthy families already have options. For low-income families, single parents and students who don’t fit neatly into – or thrive in – a uniform system, having only one option limits them in ways I believe are unjust. Kentucky teachers in traditional systems have ideas about how schools could better serve students and whisper to me that they’re ready to innovate.
A public charter school system in Kentucky would empower them to act on their ideas, fostering innovation that benefits students and families. We must recognize that many families feel trapped in a standardized system and create schools that meet diverse student needs while empowering teachers. That’s why I’m hopeful Kentucky’s Supreme Court will soon rule that charter schools are constitutional under legislation passed by the General Assembly, enabling families, students and teachers to finally have real choices within our public education system.
Gus LaFontaine and his wife, Kristin, founded LaFontaine Preparatory School, a nonprofit private school in Madison County, in 2011 after a tour of duty in Afghanistan with the Kentucky Army National Guard. A former public-school teacher, LaFontaine sought to create an innovative approach to early education. The school has grown from 13 half-day pre-kindergarteners to over 175 students in pre-K through fifth grade. LaFontaine has applied to convert his school to Kentucky’s first public charter school. He’s a party in a Kentucky Supreme Court case challenging the constitutionality of legislation funding public charter schools.
This article first appeared at The Interior Journal.
