Charter school

In the United States, a charter school is a public school that is created via a legal charter. Usually they are created with an express purpose or philosophy, and controlled in-house, independent of any local school district. Laws governing them vary from state to state. Charter schools are freed of many restrictive rules and regulations. In return, these schools are expected to achieve educational outcomes within a certain period (usually three to five years) or have their charters revoked by sponsors (a local school board, state education agency, or university).

Related Topics:
United States - School - Charter - School district

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The term "charter school" started in the U.S., but many of the related ideas such as granting greater autonomy to local schools, independence from local school boards, and operating under a charter, have existed in and out of the U.S. for some time. Charters allows publicly funded schools to act and operate more like private schools, but still have public obligations that private schools do not have. Some charter school advocates believe that competition from charter schools provides choices to families, which will force the other public schools to perform better.

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Charter schools are commonly founded as schools for students that may not be served well by traditional public schools in their communities (such as pregnant teens or teen parents, drop-outs, and other at-risk populations) or those with special educational needs. Some provide a "niche" education, providing a strong focus on dual languages, technology, or the arts.

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Critics of charter schools claim they may siphon off the best students and leave regular public schools worse off. Supporters argue charter schools have been more likely to serve disadvantaged student populations.

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Opinions vary as to the success of charter schools, in part because of the philosophical outlook taken, and in part because—as may be expected—such schools vary one from another in quality, competence and effectiveness.

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The concept of public charter schools was first proposed by the Citizens League, a Minnesota political lobby group. The first charter school opened in Minnesota in 1991, and as of the 2004-2005 school year, approximately 3,300 charter schools are in operation in 40 states and the District of Columbia, enrolling nearly 1 million students (National Charter School Directory, The Center for Education Reform). Charter schools reflect their founders' varied philosophies, programs, and organizational structures, and serve diverse student.

Related Topics:
Citizens League - Minnesota - Lobby - District of Columbia

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