I must applaud today's teachers. As the parent of two young children (5 and 8), I was surprised by the pace of learning expected of kids today. The problem is that not all kids learn at the same speed due to several factors, most importantly in my opinion is parental involvement. I was very proud when my son showed exceptional aptitude for reading and above average ability in math very early on. However, this also exposed several issues with the regular public school system. Teachers and schools are evaluated (at least in Florida) by how much they improve standardized test scores year over year. The bi-product being teachers understandably feel compelled to spend the majority of their time focusing on the slower learners. My heart broke when my son repeatedly came to me and said he was bored in class and wanted to be more challenged. He was in kindergarten. His teacher was incredible, and truly cared for each student. She recognized that something needed to be done for my son and recommended that we have him tested for gifted or possibly find a school with programs for advanced children. The problem is that gifted programs in Florida do not officially start until second or third grade, and I cannot afford a private school.

My wife and I began searching for other options. Thankfully we found something that I don't think enough parents know about, a charter school. A charter school is a public school that has a separate board from the county school board. This allows them some freedoms in education that a regular public school cannot implement. Other differences include less funding from the county (for charter schools), required parent volunteer time (in the case of my kid's school, 20 hrs per family), and the inclusion of programs that are being cut from most public schools (art, PE, music, and Spanish).

The charter school my kids attend has individualized learning plans for each student. Basically at the beginning of the school year (as well as each quarter) teachers assess each student individually in reading, writing, and math. Students are then grouped within the classroom with other students of similar ability. This allows teachers to focus on each group and meet their educational needs rather than marginalizing the lesson for the entire class. Yes, this adds a lot of work to the teacher's everyday planning, but the benefits are tremendous. The kids learn to work together when they are not the current focus of the teacher, and teachers have a better pulse on each student. Fast learners are continually challenged, and slower learners are given more focused attention. Best of all, the students, teachers, and parents are all invested in the school.

Parents, be an advocate for your child's education. The regular public school system is broken in America, but there are options other than private school.