Charter schools are independent public schools that are free to offer innovative educational programs and services. Traditional public schools have a specific curriculum to follow, while charter schools are not bound to any and can design a unique set of programs and services exclusive to the school. Charter schools can focus on delivering high quality educational programs based on unique missions. That is one major advantage of having a charter school – being able to offer a different educational approach compared to traditional public schools.
It is probably fair to say that innovation is conspicuous by its absence in traditional public schools. Charter schools, to the contrary, are frequently highly innovative and offer a wide range of educational programs throughout the country. Given the flexibility awarded to charter schools, they have the capacity to transform education throughout the country. In fact, they already are in many states.
As we know, teachers are a school’s greatest asset and potentially its greatest liability. Charter schools have considerable freedom to hire and fire their teachers. Public schools on the other hand, are often burdened with tenured yet incompetent teachers. Imagine if you were obliged to keep an inept heart surgeon on staff! Charter schools have the authority to retain or dismiss any teacher according to the teacher’s performance.
Charter schools are also free of the sometimes crippling bureaucracy of traditional schools. are not obliged to follow the regulations covering regular public schools, so they can run the school in a businesslike manner hence minimizing the problems that come with traditional public school bureaucracies. So when it comes to having control over school operations, charter schools can be more creative while increasing the likelihood of innovation and efficiency.
But despite the flexibility that charter schools enjoy, they are still accountable to some extent. There are rules for charter schools to abide as specified in the charter contract between the school and the chattering authority – the contract indicates projected student achievement and outcomes as well as penalties for failing the set standards. If a charter school fails to uphold what’s in the contract, the parents can either “vote with their feet” or the school loses its charter altogether.
Charter schools are nonsectarian and they do not impose tuition fees. An excellent charter school is likely to a have long waiting list. . You see, a lot of parents are not satisfied with the quality of education that public schools provide making a charter school a very good option. Charter schools offering an excellent, free education are in high demand throughout the country.
Charter schools greatly help in improving education and achievement for millions of students in the US. In fact, you can many success stories of increased student achievement. Statistics show that charter schools have a positive outcome for academic achievement. As the number of charter schools increase, the chances of improving education increases as well.
Learn more about opening a charter school from an experienced school consultant.
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This post was written by guestauthor on September 5, 2011
