FREE ESSAY ON CHARTER SCHOOLS

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Charter schools are nonsectarian public schools of choice that operate with freedom from 
many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The charter
establishing each 
such school is a performance contract detailing the school's mission, program, goals,
students 
served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. The length of time for which

charters are granted vary but most are granted for 3-5 years. At the end of the term, the
body 
granting the charter may renew the school's contract. Charter schools are accountable to
their 
sponsor (usually a state or local school board) to produce positive academic results and
stick 
to the charter contract. The basic concept of charter schools is that they exercise
increased 
independence in return for this accountability. They are accountable for both academic
results 
and economic practices to several groups. These are the sponsor that grants them, the
parents 
who choose them, and the public that funds them.
Mississippi's charter school law was passed in 1997. Eligible operators of Mississippi's

charter schools are restricted to existing public schools. There is one school currently

operating in the state. This school began operation in June, 1999. It is the Hayes Cooper
Center 
for Math, Science, and Technology in Merigold, MS. Hayes Cooper was established as a
magnet 
school in 1991. It received charter status from the state of MS on December 19, 1997. It

currently has under 500 students and serves kindergarten through sixth grade. It is
located in the 
Mississippi Delta and has a ratio of 50% white and 50% black.
The intention of most charter school legislation is to:
"h Increase opportunities for learning and access to quality education for all students 
"h Create choice for parents and students within the public school system 
"h Provide a system of accountability for results in public education 
"h Encourage innovative teaching practices 
"h Create new professional opportunities for teachers 
"h Encourage community and parent involvement in public education 
"h Leverage improved public education broadly 
People establish charter schools for a variety of reasons. The founders generally fall
into three 
groups: grassroots organizations of parents, teachers and community members;
entrepreneurs; or 
existing schools converting to charter status. According to some reports, the three
reasons most 
often cited to create a charter school are to:
"h Realize an educational vision 
"h Gain autonomy 
"h Serve a special population 
Parents and teachers choose charter schools primarily for educational reasons--high
academic 
standards, small class size, innovative approaches, or educational philosophies in line
with their 
own. Some also have chosen charter schools for their small size and associated safety.
The charter school movement evolved from 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 originated in the 1970s when educators 
suggested that small groups of teachers be given contracts or charters by their local
school 
boards to explore new approaches. 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, PA 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
and 
based on three basic values: opportunity, choice, and responsibility for results.
In 1991 Minnesota passed the first charter school law, with California following suit in
1992. 
By 1995, 19 states had signed laws allowing for the creation of charter schools, and by
1999 that 
number increased to 36 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Charter schools
are one 
of the fastest growing innovations in education policy, enjoying broad support from 
governors, state legislators, and past and present secretaries of education. President
Clinton has 
also supported them, calling in his 1997 State of the Union Address for the creation of
3,000 
charter schools by the year 2000 and delivering remarks for the 1999 Charter Schools
National 
Conference. Since 1994 the federal Department of Education has provided grants to support

states' charter school efforts, from $6 million in fiscal year 1995, to $100 million in
fiscal year 
1999.
Thirty-six states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have passed charter school
laws. 
The most recent, Oklahoma and Oregon, began in 1999. Thirty-two states, Washington D.C.,
and 
Puerto Rico currently have charter schools. Arkansas, New Hampshire, Virginia, and
Wyoming 
have charter laws but no charter schools. During the 1998-1999 school year charter
schools 
opened for the first time in Ohio, Idaho, Mississippi, and Nevada. The U.S. Department of

Education estimates that 1735-1790 charter schools will operate in 1999-2000. It is
estimated 
that 350,000 students will attend these schools in the fall of 1999. It is reported that
last year 
1,205 charter schools served every grade from pre-K to adult. Of these, 58% were
elementary 
schools, 20% were secondary schools, and 22% included grades at both levels. Arizona
leads the 
nation in number of charters, with nearly 350 schools currently in operation, followed by

California (234), Michigan (over 175), Texas (over 150), and Florida (112).
Charter schools vary from state to state, not only because the individual charters set
out 
unique mission and goal statements, but also because state charter laws, which
significantly 
influence the development of charter schools, also vary. The laws cover seven basic
policy and 
legal areas:
"h Charter Development: who may propose a charter, how charters are granted, the number 
of charter schools allowed, and related issues.
"h School status: how the school is legally defined and related governance, operations,
and 
liability issues.
"h Fiscal: the level and types of funding provided and the amount of fiscal independence
and 
autonomy.
"h Students: how schools are to address admissions, non-discrimination, racial/ethnic 
balance, discipline, and special education.
"h Staffing and Labor Relations: whether the school may act as an employer, which labor 
relations laws apply, and other staff rights and privileges.
"h Instruction: the degree of control a charter school has over the development of its 
instructional goals and practices.
"h Accountability: whether the charter serves as a performance-based contract, how 
assessment methods are selected, and charter revocation and renewal issues.
Bill Clinton wants to triple the number of charter schools by the year 2010. George W.
Bush 
wants to set aside $3 billion of federal money to support facilities for them. The public

consistently says that education is one of the most important issues facing the country.
And 
charter schools have emerged as one of the liveliest and most promising strategies for
solving the 
problems of American education. Yet most people are unfamiliar with the whole concept.
Charter schools can successfully be held accountable for the education they provide
without 
resorting to heavy-handed regulation. Indeed, charter schools are more accountable than
schools 
in the current system. If a school is failing, eliminate it. If it pleases no families,
nobody need 
attend it. Such options don't exist in the traditional school model. If all schools that
exist today 
were under this sort of pressure to develop an education plan that promotes success or
else it 
would close, maybe more schools would have larger outcomes of successful and productive 
citizens in their communities. Whereas, most schools also have access to too much
outdated 
materials to use with their students, charter schools offer all updated materials and
resources for 
all students attending there. As more charter schools are opening in the coming years,
more 
reports will become available as to their success. All public education officials will be
waiting 
and watching to see how these are developing and how they will affect the future of all
public 
schools in our country.
References
Center for Educational Reform. Retrieved from the World Wide Web June 12, 2000.
http://www.edreform.com/charter_schools/
Bierworth, Jack (1997). Redefine School Boundaries. Retrieved from the World Wide Web 
June 14, 2000. http://www.nwrel.org/nwedu/spring_97/
Booth, Michael (1997). School Districts Start to Warm to the Charter Movement. Retrieved
from 
the World Wide Web June 12, 2000. http://www.nwrel.org/nwedu/spring_97/
The Center for School Change. Retrieved from the World Wide Web June 13, 2000. 
http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/school-change/
US Charter School Homepage. Retrieved from the World Wide Web June 17, 2000. 
http://www.uscharterschools.org/
Dale, Angela (1999). Charter Schools: The New Neighborhood Schools. Retrieved from the 
World Wide Web June 18, 2000. http://edreform.com/pubs/charti.htm