Charter school is a public school that operates under a special contract giving it freedom from many of the rules that apply to traditional public schools. The contract—called a charter—states how the school will be run, what will be taught, and how success will be measured. The contract is arranged between a group of school organizers and a sponsor. Organizers may include parents, educators, or community leaders. Sponsors are usually local or state boards of education.
Charter schools rank as one of the fastest-growing trends in education. In England and Wales, such schools are called grant-maintained schools and have operated since 1988. In the United States, state laws authorize charter schools. Minnesota enacted the first such law in 1991, and many other states soon followed suit.
The terms of school charters differ widely. For example, some charters allow schools to focus on a particular subject, such as science or art. Other charters emphasize teaching methods that use individual learning plans, projects outside the classroom, or other creative approaches. Some charter schools serve special groups, such as gifted students or students experiencing academic difficulties. Many charters require a charter school to achieve certain scores on tests of student achievement. If a school fails to meet these conditions, the sponsor may close the school or take back its charter.
Most U.S. public schools operate under policies set by states and by district boards of education. These policies determine such matters as what subjects should be taught and what qualifications teachers need. Charter schools, however, operate under local control. Supporters of charter schools believe that local control enables the people who know students best to run the schools.
Most school districts assign students to a certain public school, but students must choose to attend a charter school. Critics of the charter school movement fear that it will weaken public education by providing special opportunities for small numbers of students. But supporters believe that competition for students will strengthen all the schools in a system.
See also Alternative school.
