Thousands of parents who have enrolled their children in chartered public schools may not be aware of how this educational reform is set to change their children's future for the better. The law creating the charter school was signed 25 years ago by former Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson.
Charter schools are much like the traditional public schools that are publicly funded and thus are able to provide free tuition fees for its students. These schools are non-sectarian and are allowed to design their own curriculum and to independently operate from the traditional district public schools. Students are accepted on the basis of the principle of "first come, first serve" and not on the basis of any audition or entrance examination.
The Buffalo News said charter schools have become popular because it has proven to be a better alternative to the dangerous and decaying school systems in the United States. Because of this popularity, parents who have chosen to send their children to charter schools have multiplied with the number of students enrolled at public charter schools already reaching three million in a span of 11 years. Most of those from charter schools have recorded higher scores on state proficiency tests.
What makes the charter schools unique, according to Public Charters, is its ability to be more innovative even if they are made accountable for producing student achievers. And even if the charter schools do not charge tuition fees, it holds the belief that it is responsible for the quality of education that its students are getting.
These schools are not only closing the gap on the achievement of students because of social and economic classes. But they are also raising the bar on public education.
Rethinking Schools said the idea of establishing charter schools was hatched as early as the 1980s. The concept follows that of a school run by teachers but which will operate beyond the control of the administrative bureaucracy and the politics of school boards. Despite the challenges, the charter school concept was transformed from a mere community-based school to something unique in each state.
