What is a public charter school?
A charter school is a public school that operates independently from its local school district, yet which is still accountable for student achievement and operational performance. A charter school is funded on a per-student basis from state and local education tax funds, and is bound by a legal contract (charter) with its sponsoring district. However, it is exempt from many forms of state education regulation and is governed as an independent non-profit, with its own board of directors. The Madrone Trail Public Charter School will be sponsored by the Medford School District. Our charter school proposal was approved the Medford School District Board in December 2006.
Top | Back to FAQs Public charter schools are a new form of public school that are free from most of the restrictive laws that govern traditional public schools. This allows public charter schools more flexibility to implement creative and innovative programs and policies. In return for this freedom, public charter schools are held more accountable for student success. Funded like other public schools, they operate under contracts detailing the school’s mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success.
A charter school is a public school operated by a group of parents, teachers and/or community members as a semi-autonomous school of choice authorized by a school district The charter school operates under a charter (a contract) between the charter school and its sponsor (authorizer). A public charter school is subject to certain laws pertaining to school district public schools, is released from others and must operate consistent with the charter agreement (contract). The sponsor is the school district in which the public charter school is located. If the local district denies a charter proposal, the State Board of Education may become the sponsor.
The public charter school movement has roots in a number of other reform ideas, from alternative schools, to site-based management, magnet schools, public school choice, privatization, and community-parental empowerment. The term “charter” may have originated in the 1970s when New England educator Ray Budde suggested that small groups of teachers be given contracts or “charters” by their local school boards to explore new approaches. Albert Shanker, former president of the American Federation of Teachers, then publicized the idea, suggesting that local boards could charter an entire school with union and teacher approval. In the late 1980s Philadelphia started a number of schools-within-schools and called them “charters.” Some of them were schools of choice. The idea was further refined in Minnesota where charter schools were developed according to three basic values: opportunity, choice, and responsibility for results. In 1991 Minnesota passed the first public charter school law, with
Related Questions
- When there are such strong public schools in East Brunswick, why do we need a charter school which offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program?
- How do the instructional and administrative personnel of a charter school compare with the personnel of a traditional public school?
- Can a public charter school apply for funds?
