More and more states
embracing latest wave in education reform. President Clinton calls for
3,000 charter schools by next century; we're one-quarter of way there.
Charter schools are popping up across the country at an increasing rate,
dotting the educational landscape like dandelions in springtime. At last
count (January 1998), 775 charter schools had been established, and scores
more are approved every week. The increase is by design: at the beginning
of the school year, a $4.4 million federal grant program was established
to meet the growing demand of launching public charter schools.
"Every state should give parents the power to choose the right public
school for their children," President Clinton said in making the grant
announcement. "Their right to choose will foster competition and innovation
that can make public schools better. These funds will continue our plan
to help America create 3,000 charter schools by the next century."
Whether charter schools are prompting improvements in conventional public
schools remains to be seen, but one study indicates that teachers, students,
and parents are happy with the quality of the educational experience provided
by charter schools. The final report of the Charter Schools in Action
Project, a survey conducted by the Hudson Institute of nearly 5,000 charter
schools students in grades 5 and above, reports these findings:
Charter schools are havens for children who had bad educational experiences
elsewhere, such as low-income children, "at-risk" children, minority
children and children with learning disabilities and behavior problems.
Charter schools are very popular with their primary constituents:
their students, parents, and teachers. Pupils are interested in their
schoolwork, pleased with their teachers, and likely to return next year.
Their parents are satisfied and engaged. Their teachers value what the
school is doing, enjoy working in it, and believe it is succeeding.
Families and teachers are seeking out charter schools primarily for
educational reasons: high academic standards, small classes, a focus
on teaching and learning, educational philosophies that are closer to
their own, and innovative approaches to instruction.
Satisfaction levels are highest for all three groups when it comes
to educational matters (curriculum, teaching, class size, etc.) and
lowest when it comes to non-educational matters (food, facility, sports,
etc.), indicating that charters are deploying their limited resources
on "the basics."
The teachers feel empowered. Charter school teachers are a diverse
lot, but nearly all are finding personal fulfillment and professional
reward.
Exactly what are these educational havens? Like traditional public schools,
charter schools are operated with public funds and are tuition-free. Yet
although the establishment of charter schools must be approved by local
school boards in most states, the charter schools have a great deal of autonomy,
deciding how to spend their money and what to teach.
Are they successful in providing a better education? Although, as in
the aforementioned study, students and parents may be happy with the experience,
whether they are successfully educating students is difficult to measure,
partly because of the immense diversity among charter schools. For example,
a proposed school in Washington, D.C., for students in grades 9 to 11
will integrate the work world with a traditional academic setting by having
students work in restaurants and engage in other workplace experiences.
At the proposed International Charter School of New England in Wellesley
(Massachusetts), students will be required to learn French as well as
a third language. Across the country in California, where reportedly one-third
of the nation's charter schools are located, the Choice 2000 On-Line School
teaches lessons over the Internet.
The issue is further complicated by matters of finances and management.
Sprinkled among the numerous headlines announcing the approval of new
charter schools are articles reporting financial woes and problems complying
with regulations. In an article stating that Arizona's Alternative Learning
Charter School would be filing for bankruptcy, the Arizona Daily Star
reports that 3 percent of that state's 250 charter schools have shut down
for financial reasons.
"It is just very difficult to get them off the ground, let alone keep
them running," said Lynn Maher, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Education
Association, in an article about two Hudson County charter schools scrambling
for survival amid charges of mismanagement (The Record, Jan. 9, 1998).
"People go into them very enthusiastically, but then there is the day-to-day
grind."
Still, proponents push ahead. According to the Hudson Institute, more
than 100,000 youngsters attended charter schools during the 1996-97 school
year, and the 1997-98 enrollment is expected to approach 170,000. The
number is sure to increase in as we approach the next century. As with
any new venture, there are mistakes to be made, lessons to be learned,
and successes to be reported. There is also much room for debate on both
sides of the fence. Whether you're involved in starting or operating a
charter school or forming a posse to run them out of town, there are others
who have gone before you and who are sharing their knowledge on the Internet.
Below are some of the most comprehensive sites plus a selection of other
useful resources on the Web.
CHARTER SCHOOLS ON THE INTERNET
Education
Week's Issues Page on Charter Schools Numerous articles on charter
schools have been written by this weekly, and all are gathered on one
page devoted to the issue. Also includes links to articles elsewhere
on the Web, suggested reading on charter schools, and links to related
organizations.
Charter School Research
This interactive Web site hosted by AskERIC includes a listing of charter
schools on the Web, a discussion area, a listing of online citations,
a place to add new links and a listserv/discussion group.
U.S. Charter
Schools The site, developed by WestEd in collaboration with the
California State University Institute for Education Reform and the U.S.
Department of Education, includes state-specific information, information
on starting and running a charter school, and a resource directory.
Charter
Schools Issue Brief Answers to three questions -- What are charter
schools? Why are charter schools important? What do we know so far?
-- from the Education Commission of the States.
About Charter
Schools A resource page created by the Center for Education Reform.
Includes "The Charter School Workbook: Your Roadmap to the Charter Movement,"
which looks at where the charter school movement is, state-by-state,
and where it's headed.
More and more states
embracing latest wave in education reform. President Clinton calls for
3,000 charter schools by next century; we're one-quarter of way there.