Parent Power!
Helping You Make Sense
of Schooling Today
Kristen P. Lasker
Managing Editor
1001 Connecticut Ave., NW
Suite 204
Washington, DC 20036
202-822-9000
800-521-2118
Fax: 202-822-5077
parentpower@edreform.com
www.edreform.com
Published monthly
by The Center for
Education Reform
Jeanne Allen, President
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WHAT ARE CHARTER SCHOOLS?
Designed and operated by educators,
parents and others, charter schools are inde-
pendent public schools that operate free from
the traditional red tape that hamstrings public
schools. Because they are schools of choice,
they are held to the highest level of account-
ability – consumer demand. They are also
held to state standards, the oversight of their
authorizer (which varies from school boards
to state boards of education to universities)
and to the goals of their contract or charter.
HOW DO CHARTER SCHOOLS DIFFER
FROM TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
In most states charter schools are not part
of the traditional school district. Charters are
open by choice to parents and are on a
performance contract with the state. Charters
operate from three basic principles:
• Accountability for results: Charter
schools are held accountable for educating
children – not for compliance with regula-
tions. They are judged on how well they
meet the student achievement goals estab-
lished by their charter, and how well they
manage the fiscal and operational responsi-
bilities entrusted to them. If they fail to
deliver, they are closed.
• Choice: Individuals interested in creating
better educational opportunities can start a
charter school. School boards, colleges and
community agencies interested in fostering
innovation and excellence in schools
sponsor them. Students choose to attend,
and teachers choose to teach at charters.
• Autonomy: Charter schools are free from
the traditional bureaucracy that diverts a
school’s energy and resources. Instead of
jumping through procedural hoops and over
paperwork hurdles, educators can focus on
setting and reaching high academic standards
for their students.
WHY ARE CHARTER SCHOOLS SO POPULAR?
Oftentimes parents feel that while their local
school does a good job, it might not be equipped
to handle the uniqueness of their children.
Charters inspire all schools to work harder.
DO CHARTER SCHOOLS TAKE MONEY FROM
PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
Charter schools are public schools. When
a child leaves for a charter school the money
follows that child. Money is supposed to be
about educating children, but it is often eaten
up in bureaucracies. In charter schools, the
money flows directly to the site so it’s easier
to see and influence how the money is spent.
HOW DO CHARTER SCHOOLS IMPACT
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM?
Charter schools place healthy pressure on
districts to provide equal or better services.
For example, 5,000 students attend 20
charter schools within the boundaries of the
Mesa, Arizona school district. In response,
the district purchased an ad in the local paper
touting their services and academic accom-
plishments. As the focus continues to shift
from the needs of the system to the needs of
children and parents, children are better
served. “It’s public education in the finest
sense of the word: it serves the public, not the
bureaucracy,” says Lisa Keegan, Arizona
Superintendent of Education.
DO CHARTER SCHOOLS WORK?
The oldest charter school is almost eight
years old and it was renewed upon demon-
strating success. The research is only begin-
ning to tell us what we need to know about
charters as a whole. More than 50 studies
show that charters have accomplished their
goals, are educating many children lost in the
system, are widely satisfying to parents and
teachers and offer a more responsive, child-
centered environment. More than 67 percent
of charters have waiting lists attesting to
their demand. So in short, yes, charters are
working. Those that haven’t – about 3
percent in all – have been closed.
T
oday charter schools are serving nearly half a million children but they are still
a big unknown to most parents. We’ve taken the top five questions heard most often
about charter schools and provided some well-researched answers for them.
About Charter Schools
Frequently Asked Questions — and Answers
National Charter Schools Week is May 1-5, 2000. Visit a Charter
School Today in person or on-line at
www.edreform.com.
