Abstract: Andy Smarick argues in this article that public charter school systems present new hope for urban public schools. He suggests that charter advocates should strive to have every urban public school be a charter, with each school having significant control over its curriculum, methods, budget, staff, and calendar. The "every school a charter idea" would have each school having a contract that spells out its mission and measurable objectives and each school held accountable by an approved public body. Smarick recommends a series of four steps to that goal. First, commit to drastically increasing the charter market share in a few select communities until it is the dominant system and the district is reduced to a secondary provider. Second, choose the target communities wisely. Third, secure proven operators to open new schools. Last, commit to rigorously assessing charter performance in each community and working with authorizers to close the charters that fail to significantly improve student achievement.
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