A charter school is an elementary or secondary school that falls under contract or charter of a state or other jurisdiction. These schools are required to follow fewer rules and standards than traditional public schools; however, they also receive less public funding than their traditional counterparts, according to National Center for Education Statistics. Both for-profit and non-profit charter schools are available. Non-profit charters have the advantage of being able to obtain funding from private sources, while for-profit ones cannot. Parents, teachers, activists or other private parties can start these schools. State authorized entities also exist, founded by government organizations, non-profit groups, universities or other large groups. Sometimes these schools are managed by private corporations. Let’s take a closer look at the history of charter schools and how they work.
History
The vision of the charter school goes back to 1974 and is accredited to Ray Budde, a professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is said to be the first person to propose the idea of charter schools. These schools were originally to be public schools that functioned independently in both legal and financial matters. They were without selective admission criteria, religious affiliation or tuition. In addition, it was meant that such schools would operate like a private business, not restricted by district standards or state regulations. The emphasis was to be placed on student achievement, rather than things like teacher certification and other practices that regulated public education.
The first state to pass a law related to charter schools was Minnesota in 1991, while California came second in 1992. According to the Center for Education Reform, 42 states and the District of Columbia had charter school laws in place as of 2015. Later that year, Alabama became the 43rd state to enact such legislation.
Components and Structure
Charters are not exempt from public educational standards; however, they do operate outside the requirements of traditional public schools. The rules regarding charter school governance vary by state. One thing that is consistent is that these schools must receive a “charter” prior to serving students. A charter is basically a contract that defines the programs, mission and goals of the school, along with the assessment methods to be utilized and what will constitute success. Charters are usually good for between three to five years.
A sponsor holds charter schools accountable. Sponsors may be a university, state education entity, school board or other organization. Chartering authorizers are the bodies that can legally provide charters. The types of authorizers are different from state to state. Most charter schools are small, with fewer than 200 students in attendance. More urban charters are in existence than rural, and they tend to be more racially diverse than their public counterparts, overall. It has been determined in a study by the Center for Education Reform that 60% of charter school students qualify for school lunch programs and that 50% of charter school students fall into at-risk categories.
As with other aspects, charter school funding is different for each state. Often times, funding is simply transferred from the student’s public district to the charter he or she now attends. It is common that charters receive less in funding, overall, than their public counterparts.
Related Resource: Education and Public Policy
Charter schools are another educational option for students. A charter school is governed and funded differently than a public one, but is still held accountable for student success.
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