charter basics

About Charter Schools

Definition: Charter schools are independent public schools. Additionally, they are considered by the state of Minnesota to be independent school districts. By law, they are tuition-free and open to any student in the state. Charter schools operate on three basic principles: accountability, choice, and autonomy. Charter schools are accountable to improve student learning and remain fiscally solvent. Charter law provides that families should be able to choose what public school is best for their child. Charter school autonomy empowers teachers and parents to realize an educational vision at the school site.


Accountability: Charter schools operate under the most complete and rigorous system of accountability at work in the public school system today.
Minnesota uses a multi-tiered approach:

1. State of Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning, ensures the financial and academic viability of the charter school. The State grants a charter for a 3-year term to be held by the school’s sponsor. Additionally, charter schools are accountable to the state and federal laws that govern non-profit organizations.

2. Charter school sponsors hold the school accountable to agreed upon academic and non-academic goals, as well as good financial management. If the charter school fails to reach its goals, it is the role of the sponsor to deny the school’s charter renewal after a 3-year term. Local school boards, public post-secondary institutions, private colleges, and large non-profit organizations may sponsor charter schools.

3. A democratically elected school board of stakeholders, such as parents of attending students, community members and teachers, are responsible for ensuring the effective management and performance of the charter school. Charter school law mandates that the school board be comprised of a majority of the school’s teachers.

4. Licensed professional educators deliver the educational program and manage the day-to-day functions of the school.

5. Charter schools use innovative as well as traditional methods of assessing operational strength and student performance.


Funding: Charter schools are public schools and receive funding from the state. The following are additional features of the charter school funding formula:

1. Operate on the same per-pupil funding formula as traditional school districts

2. Charter schools are not allowed to own facilities or raise tax levies. Instead the state provides lease aid allowing for schools to rent space.


Charter Schools and Educational Reform: Charter schools are arguably the most influential innovation in American public education. Charter schools typically put into practice the research-supported concept that smaller schools work better (the average size is 250). Charter schools also tend to be leaders in such practices as experiential learning, community interaction, cross-discipline integrated curriculums, individualized learning, and alternative scheduling. Furthermore, the emergence of charter schools goes hand in hand with the emergence of teacher-driven management systems, in which “administration” exists to support the collective voice of group of teacher-professionals.

Charter schools have furthered choice in public education. Testimony to the importance of this change in public education and success of charter schools is seen in the nearly 300 thousand children and families who have been able to choose what type of education best fits their unique needs. Traditional districts espousing a static approach to learning are now, more than ever, challenged to respond to the dynamic educational needs of students in the new millennium.

Sources:
The Center for Education Reform. Washington, DC. http://www.edreform.com/school_reform_faq/charter_schools.htm

The Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning.

Wronkovich, Michael. “Will Charter Schools Lead to a Systematic Reform of Public Education” American Secondary Education. Vol.28, no 4. Summer, 2000.

Links/More Information:
http://uscharterschools.org
http://mncharterschools.org
http://charterfriends.org
http://clf.state.mn.us/charter/