FAQ
Charter School Questions / Enrollment FAQs
A charter school is a public school governed by a board of directors elected by the parents of students and the school faculty. Charter schools provide an opportunity for the organization and operation of flexible, innovative, and substantially deregulated public schools. Charter schools must teach according to the South Carolina state curriculum standards and students are required to take all state-mandated assessments.
Charter schools may not charge tuition. They may charge fees normally assessed at other traditional public schools, such as fees for field trips or student planners.
LCMS receives per pupil funding through the local school district. This funding is a combination of both state and local education dollars. Out of this allotment, the charter school must pay all of its expenses. Charter schools are responsible for their own facilities and payroll. The only materials supplied to a charter school are state-adopted textbooks. Langston Charter Middle School is classified as a public charity under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Refer to our detailed enrollment page for specific information. Please note: Langston is a choice and each family must decide if the school is a good fit for each child. The burden is on the parents to determine if this school is appropriate for their child. To that end, we hold Application Orientation Meetings prior to the enrollment lottery each year. The purpose of that meeting is to clearly explain the school program – what you should expect – what you should not. The dates and times of these meetings are published on the enrollment page of our school website. School tours are conducted in October.
Single Gender Education FAQs
Boys and girls are different; they learn differently, their brains develop differently. In the single gender classroom, a teacher can teach to the strengths of his or her audience. Using what we know about how girls and boys learn, we can create an academic environment that will enhance the students’ educational opportunities. For more on the science and research on single gender education visit www.singlesexschools.org.
The boys and girls classes are held to the same academic standards. Teachers base their instruction on the South Carolina Education Standards. These can be viewed at http://ed.sc.gov/instruction/standards-learning/.
Classes may differ in the approach that is taken to meet the standards, but the same standards are taught to all students at each grade level. Boys and girls take the same tests. Rooms may be arranged differently, different novels may be selected for boys or girls, explanations may be stated differently, projects may be assigned to meet different areas of interest. The key is being able to work to the strengths of boys and girls while holding high learning expectations for both.
It is inappropriate to generalize and say “all boys learn better one way and all girls learn better another.” However, there are strategies that tend to work well with each group in a single gender setting.
Discipline FAQs
Teachers are the administrators in their classrooms and are expected to set and enforce policies for appropriate school behavior. Behavior concerns are addressed first with the student and then to the parents. If there are continued concerns, the problem is referred to the administration.
Students are expected to take responsibility for their learning and their behavior. Actions which disrupt the learning environment can result in lunch detention, after-school detention/work detail, suspension from school, or other appropriate measures.
It has been our experience that parental support and reinforcement of school policies is a very effective solution to most behavior concerns.