What are Charter Schools?

Charter schools are tuition-free schools with some unique qualities of private schools. The school comprises elementary and secondary education, funded by the government and managed by individuals.

If you are seeking a quality education on a low budget at an elementary or secondary level, Charter School is where you should go.

Before you enrol in this school, you must learn about the programs available and other facts about the school.

A chartered school is a government-funded, tuition-free school that is independently managed. The school is free from regulations, and district and state laws guiding public school operations. Hence, the institution has the liberty to design classrooms and teaching patterns to fit the needs of the students.

To put it in another way, these schools are public institutions with a higher level of independence when compared to conventional public schools. It is mainly run or managed by individuals other than the government, preferably educators. However, every charter school is bound to a charter contract with a charter authorizer.

The authorizer can be a government agency, nonprofit organization, or university- that ensures the charter school facilitators are responsible for accountability. This is as a form of a check to the earlier stated high standard in their “Charter”.

Additionally, these schools do not draw their students from any assigned area of a state. Like any other public school, parents decide if their child attends the school or not. When the number of students enrolling exceeds the available space, the next option is to select students through a random lottery.

Why Choose a Charter School

Small and Conducive class population

Generally, public schools are famous for their high enrollment. Due to the numerous distractions, this intake frequently contributes to poor retention of what is taught and results in poor performance for many students. These schools on the other hand, only accept a few students, and with this, students will get more comfortable and learn better.

Receive students from different groups and ethnicity

An average Charter school accepts students from diverse locations. A lot of private and public schools sometimes offer admission based on the location of students. This implies that if you are not in the cynosure location for student admission, you may not get admission.

A reliable alternative to traditional public schools

It is no news that people generally opt to enrol in public schools since they offer low tuition fees. However, the standard of teaching and its learning process is not said to be done with enough zeal and passion. The school is synonymous with a public school the major difference is the fact that for Charter schools, irrespective of the fact that its tuition fee is low, students are also certain of quality education.

Charter Schools offer their focus

One of the reasons for the introduction of charter schools was to allow for area-centered specialization. Different chartered schools have their areas of concern, including technology, science and math, the arts, history, and many others. The areas of specialization for charter schools are usually provided on their website, allowing the student to find schools with similar areas of interest and a school that matches their needs.

More parent’s attention toward their children’s education

Also, parents can now actually get more involved in their kid’s education. As parents, you are included in the school’s management along with the teachers. This will promote the learning of students, as a lot of parents will encourage their children to learn more about education.

Facts About Charter Schools

The idea of Charter schools was first conceptualized by a principal and a teacher in 1974. The concept gained more audience in 1980 after the landmark 1983 study carried out by President Ronald Reagan’s National Commission for Excellence in Education. Reagan’s report and some other educational reports point out the need to question the efficiency of American Public schools.

A larger audience got to know about the school concept following the 1988 speech that endorsed Charter schools by the then-president of the American Federation of Teachers, Albert Shanker.

Following the development, the first law establishing charter schools was passed in 1991 in Minnesota. Also, the first charter school began to operate a year after the passage of the charter school law in Minnesota.

Charter school success rates compared to public schools are quite high, and one reason that contributes to this is the fact that charter schools are highly flexible. They don’t necessarily have to follow a laid down regulation from school districts, states, or municipalities.

Who runs Charter Schools?

The institutions are run by two types of organizations: for-profit organizations and non-profit organizations. For the For-profit group, the largest charter operator is K12, Inc. The stronghold states for for-profit charter companies are Michigan, Ohio, and Florida.

Also, non-profit operators, teachers, corporations, school districts, parents, or churches can start and manage a Charter. The stronghold states where non-profit operators are quite prevalent are Texas and California.

A good number of people see Charter schools as the same as public schools. However, it might interest you to know that they are not entirely public schools. They have the title “public” because charter schools receive funds from the government. Chartered schools are public elementary and post-elementary schools.

Who attends chartered schools?

Chartered schools are public elementary and post-elementary schools that are set up primarily for all students. However, students who are poor and more likely to be people of colour tend to attend charter schools more than traditional public schools. About 61% of students are from low-income homes, unlike traditional public schools. Additionally, the school has a higher enrollment of Hispanic and Black students than conventional public schools.

Chartered Schools Near Me

Depending on your location, there is at least a Charter school wherever you are. Given below is a list of some of the best-chartered schools available for easy access irrespective of the country or state you may be in.

Chartered School in the USA

Chartered schools in the United States are organized for undeserving communities seeking alternatives to primary and secondary education institutions. Like traditional public schools, students are not to pay for tuition as there is provision via dollars the government gets from taxes.

There are both Profit and non-profit charter schools in the US. However, only non-profit charters receive donations from private organizations. Also, non-profit charters have other means of profiting besides receiving donations from private sources. There were 7,427 chartered schools scattered around different locations in the United States.

Listed below are some of the best High School Chartered schools in the United States.

BASIS Phoenix
Chartered School of Wellington
BASIS Chandler
Walton High School
University High School
BASIS Ahwatukee
BASIS Tucson North
Trinity Lutheran School
Benjamin Franklin High School
Tempe Preparatory Academy

Chartered Schools in San Antonio

Travis Early College High School
Great Hearts Monte Vista
Mark Twain Dual Language Academy
Basis San Antonio- Shavano Campus
School of Science and Technology- Alamo
Eleanor Kolitz Hebrew Language Academy
IDEA Mays Academy
BASIS San Antonio pre- Medical Centre Campus
IDEA Carver Academy
School of Science and Technology Northwest

Chartered schools NYC

Leadership Prep Ocean Hill Charter School
BASIS Independent Manhattan
Kings Collegiate Charter School
KIPP Academy Charter School
Democracy Prep Charter High School
Pharos Academy Charter School
KIPP Infinity Charter School
Brooklyn Prospect High School
Democracy Prep Harlem Middle School
University Prep Charter High School

Charter Schools in Chicago

Baker Demonstration School
Pritzker College Prep
Noble St Chtr Rauner College Prep
Chicago Bulls College Prep
Noble St Chtr- Muchin College Prep
Noble St Chtr- The Noble Academy
Horizon Science Academy- McKinley Park

Charter Schools in California

Granada Hills Charter
Orange Country School of the Art
Helix Charter High School
University High School
Berkeley High School
Preuss School UCSD
Western Center Academy
University Preparatory

Charter Schools Pros and Cons

Pros

Fosters teacher-Student Relationship

Many traditional public schools have a large student population, and this can be a barrier for teachers to better know their students. However, due to the small student populations, teachers can know their students even down to an individual level.

Provide a Private School-Like Environment

Although the institution is also referred to as a “public charter school,” this is not entirely true. This is because of the small student population and a greater degree of independence, the management of the school will do its best to ensure the school provides value to students, irrespective of the fact that the school is tuition-free.

More Flexibility in Teaching Style

Unlike most traditional public schools, where the teaching style and curriculum are the same in all public schools in a district, this is not the case with these schools. Each charter school, before commencing its operation has the liberty to choose the mode of operation that will benefit the students in the long run.

Cons

Diverted Funds

As much as charter schools have to some extent proven to be beneficial, there is also an opportunity for corruption to take place. There are some situations where the intending school management gets the funds for the opening of a charter school, but the school is unable to begin operations due to the wrong channelling of the supposed startup fund. In addition, there are also cases where, even when the school is open, due to mismanagement of funds, the school shuts down in no time.

More Workload for Teachers

In traditional public schools, there are enough teachers that make the work easy for teachers but in Charter schools, the management employs few teachers according to the funds allocated. The teachers will have to overwork themselves to give the best to students

Higher Level of Instability

The idea of a Charter school is built around the fact that there is a contract called a Charter. This provides information such as the mode of operation of the proposed school as well as the duration of the School. Due to this, all charter schools tend to operate on a contract basis and hence have a contract expiring date. This can cause a lot of schools to cease operation halfway, sometimes in the middle of the school year.

Charter Schools Vs Public Schools

Students Intake

As much as these institutions and traditional public schools offer free enrollment to students based on location, There is a threshold for the number of students that may likely get admission to a charter school. However, this is not the case for traditional public schools, as there are no limits to the number of admissions or intake of students. This is usually the cause of the overcrowding at most public schools.

Programs Available

It is general knowledge that the academic performance of a school is determined by the program’s input to the school management.

Due to the flexibility and independence Charter schools enjoy, they tend to give the best value of education to students by employing state-of-the-art tools and techniques for effectively teaching exceptional programs. Chartered online schools, for example, have been pioneering students in fully equipped online studies for years. Traditional public schools also strive to have an online presence, but due to the many processes involved, the process is extremely slow.

Flexibility

A very clear distinction between Charter Schools and traditional public schools is the ability for either to bend to reach a quick decision. Although both the Chartered and traditional public schools are regulated, however, the structure of regulation is quite different.

Public funding

Although both public and charter schools receive funding from the government, it is prohibited from allocating public funds toward Chartered school facilities. Although Chartered schools do not receive enough public funds however Chartered schools also receive support from private sources adding the support received to the funds received from the government. This is one of the reasons why people sometimes perceive an average Charter school as superior to traditional public schools.

Why are Charter Schools bad?

The most visible reason why a charter school is bad is the fact that the school arrangement is based on a charter contract, which is not beneficial to the students. Once the duration of the contract elapses in a Charter school, students would have to stop schooling and look for another school to enrol in. With this, most students will have to repeat a class or more due to the constant school moving for the student.

Conclusion

The first Chartered school started operating in 1991 which has paved the way for so many other Chartered schools. However, there are still some notable traditional public schools available that you can attend as a student. Chartered School success rate compared to public schools is quite high, in the long run, sometimes the traditional public schools have a higher rate.

Frequently Asked Questions on Charter Schools

Do Charter Schools Work?

Yes, because charter schools put positive pressure on traditional public schools to sit up. In addition, Charter schools serve the purpose for which they are established.

Why are Charter Schools Good?

the prevalent reason is the fact that Charter school success rates compared to public schools is quite high. Students in Charter schools get more educational value than those in public schools.

Are Charter Schools Public?

No Charter schools are not the same as Public schools. However, because the schools receive funds from the government, it is termed Public Charter Schools.

Are Charter Schools Better?

Yes, Charter schools are better options if compared to some of the traditional public schools and even private schools as well. Nevertheless the less, there are still some public and private schools that are better than Charter schools.

References

VOX– Everything you need to know about charter schools
EdW– What are Charter Schools?
PublicCharter– What is a Charter School?