What is a charter school?

Charter schools are schools that are independently operated and offer far greater flexibility than any other types of schools.  They are independently run but are still considered public schools.   

Each school has a charter or to be more precise, a performance promise. That charter tells parents and attendees the mission of the school as well as what programs will be offered, what student body it will serve and how the school will be assessed and evaluated.

How Is This Different from Traditional Public Schools?

The traditional public school requires many things that are not necessarily required of the charter school.

Charter schools are public schools. Anyone can go there, but they are considered “public schools of choice” where families are able to choose those schools, not send their kids to them because they live in a given area. There are many regulations and laws that are upheld for the traditional public school that are not necessary or required for a charter school.

In some charter schools, it is not necessary for the teachers to be certified, though most provide for a given amount of time for the teacher to become certified if they are not.

That does not mean that they have lower standards. In fact, many charter schools have higher standards and quality than typical public schools. Charter schools are accountable for the student’s learning, for academic results, for standardized testing in their schools. Further, they must uphold every promise that their charter makes and more, they have to demonstrate that they perform well in multiple areas.

The areas in which they must demonstrate good performance include academic results, management and must educate the children well and fully as well as adhering to other statutes.