Education Alternatives

What alternatives do you believe would be most effective in closing the achievement gap? Why? What has been your experience with any of these alternatives, and how did that experience impact your learning?

I think that all of the alternatives would be effective in one way or another. I do however feel that to be effective in closing the achievement gap parent participation is a must. I do not think that Charter schools or private schools are going to help us close that gap rather than make it larger. Although this isn't the school districts fault, this is a big aspect of the gap between successful students and students that lack the knowledge and skills to keep up with the class.
My daughter attended a charter school for her first two years of chool. While I was impressed with the amount of parent participation and volunteering, I was not too impressed with the amount of take home learning that was given. Amara, my daughter had homework only one night every two weeks. If a school is trying so hard to have parent involvement, the school should rely on the parents more for at home learning as well and pulling weeds from the play ground. Amara now attends a public school in which she has assigned homework four of five nights a week.