Over one million students are enrolled in more than 3,500 schools in 40 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico this year.
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From "Questions and Answers about Charter Schools," California Charter Schools Association, 2005:
A charter school is a public school.
A charter school can provide instruction from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Charter schools are typically created by a group of parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders or a local community-based organization.
Charter schools are created when a group of parents, teachers and community leaders petition a local school board or county board of education for a charter to open an independent school in their community
From "Charter Schools Description" , Education Commission of the States, 2005:
"Charter schools are semi-autonomous public schools, founded by educators, parents, community groups or private organizations that operate under a written contract with a state, district or other entity. This contract, or charter, details how the school will be organized and managed, what students will be taught and expected to achieve, and how success will be measured. Many charter schools enjoy freedom from rules and regulations affecting other public schools, as long as they continue to meet the terms of their charters. Charter schools can be closed for failing to satisfy these terms."
From Education Week's Charter Schools Page, part of their collection of Issues pages, 2005
"The basic charter concept is simple: Allow a group of teachers or other would-be educators to apply for permission to open a school. Give them dollar for dollar what a public school gets for each student. Free them from the bureaucracy that cripples learning and stifles innovation at so many public schools ... The school generally operate[s] under a 'charter' or contract with the local school board or the state. And while exempt from most state and local laws and regulations, to gain charter renewal, the schools must prove that their students have gained the educational skills specified in that initial contract."
From "Charter Schools: Creating Hope and Opportunity for American Education," by Joe Nathan, Jossey-Bass, 1996:
"Charter schools are public schools, financed by the same per-pupil funds that traditional public schools receive. Unlike traditional public schools, however, they are held accountable for achieving educational results. In return, they receive waivers that exempt them from many of the restrictions and bureaucratic rules that shape traditional public schools. The charter school movement brings together, for the first time in public education, four powerful ideas:
Choice among public schools for families and their children
Entrepreneurial opportunities for educators and parents to create the kinds of schools they believe make the most sense
Explicit responsibility for improved achievement, as measured by standardized tests and other measures
Carefully designed competition in public education
From "More on Charter Schools," by Carlos and Yamashiro, WestEd, 1995:
"Charter schools are usually created through a formal agreement between a group of individuals and a sponsor (e.g., a local school board, state department, or an independent governing board). Designed by state legislators to deregulate and decentralize education, the charter school concept is intended to empower parents and those 'closest to the classroom' with the flexibility to innovate. As an incentive, charter schools either receive blanket exemptions from most state codes and district rules regarding curriculum, instruction, budget, and personnel, or they may apply to waive requirements one by one. In return, most charter schools are expected to meet certain accountability requirements, such as demonstrating student achievement and participating in state testing programs."
From "So You Want to Start a Charter School?" by Millot and Lake, University of Washington/RAND, 1996:
"The 'basic bargain' embodied in charter school legislation is 'autonomy for accountability.' On the autonomy side of the bargain, the defining features of charter school statutes are the right of those operating an individual public school to control decisions the legislature has deemed critical to the success of a school's educational program, and the guarantee of that right for some number of years ... On the accountability side are the operators' responsibilities to improve student performance and meet a public trust in public education. Charter schools are held accountable to the market for economic viability and parent satisfaction and to government for financial stability, student performance and the operation of a public agency. The bargain is documented in a legally binding agreement called a 'charter.'"
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