|
What is a charter school?
Charter schools are tuition free public schools of choice which are open to all students. Public charter schools are designed to provide more educational options for students and their families. This makes public charter schools an attractive option for families dissatisfied with their traditional neighborhood public school. Charter schools are most often designed and operated independently of traditional public school districts. According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, there are currently over a million children in 40 states and Washington D.C. who attend one of nearly 4,000 charter schools. The first charter school legislation was passed in the 1990s and the movement has since grown dramatically.
Charter schools do not have to abide by all of the rules and regulations of traditional public schools, so they have more freedom to be creative with instructional methods, among other things. In exchange for this freedom, charter schools must sign a contract detailing the school’s mission, educational program and philosophy, and their goals and measures of success. The charter school is held accountable for assuring the success of its students. They must adhere to their contract and produce positive academic results. A charter school can have this contract revoked and be closed if they fail to produce such results.
Charter schools are established not only to provide another choice to their community and more opportunity for academic success, but also to encourage innovative teaching practices. People who start charter schools generally do so to realize their educational vision through creative means. For example, many schools have a specific focus for their school such as a college preparatory model or a focus on the arts. This individualizes the educational option to the needs of the children the school serves. Many people find this individualization, as well as a smaller school setting and class size a very attractive option. As more and more charter schools open every year, we are provided with more opportunity to assure the academic success of our nation’s children. For more information on public charter schools please visit www.geofoundation.org.
What are some of the benefits of a charter school?
The intention of most charter school legislation is to:
- Increase opportunities for learning and access to quality education for all students
- Create choice for parents and students within the public school system
- Provide a system of accountability for results in public education
- Encourage innovative teaching practices
- Create new professional opportunities for teachers
- Encourage community and parent involvement in public education
- 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 the first-year report of the National Study of Charter Schools, the three reasons most often cited to create a charter school are to:
- Realize an educational vision
- Gain autonomy
- 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 (charter schools serve an average of 250 students).
What are some of the stats on charter schools?
- Charter Schools operate in 40 states and D.C.
- There are currently over 4,000 charter schools throughout the U.S.
- They serve over 1 million students
• Indiana has 36 charter school throughout the state
- They serve over 10,000 students in grades PreK-12
- There are 3 active authorizers in the state, Ball State University and the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office authorize a majority of the schools
- Although all school districts have the rightto authorize schools- only one exercises that right- Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation
How will we assure that we are in compliance with the accounting requirements for the State of Indiana?
The service center membership includes access, at a greatly reduced price, to Komputrol software and to the services of Bookkeeping Plus which have been proven to be successful in maintaining accounting compliance.
How is a budget for a start up charter school created and who can help us?
The service center can offer budget building expertise and can actually assist schools in creating a workable accurate budget for applications to authorizers.
What sources of funding are available for charter schools?
State tuition payments, local tax dollars, federal programs, and private grants are available for schools. The Charter School Service Center can assist with creating a knowledge of the different funding streams for charter schools.
What special education requirements are we to follow?
Charter schools must follow the law exactly as would any conventional public school.
Each charter school serves as its own Local Education Agency (LEA) and is considered a separate school corporation. All federal and state laws apply to charter schools.
What information management system will help us with state reports and data?
There are many systems available. The 21st Century Charter Schools has had great success with the MISI system called K12 Data management. For more information, contact them at (317)581-0700. MISI is a locally developed and Indiana specific program that assists in preparing and submitting
How is the recruitment and lottery process conducted?
Schools have many different but successful ways to recruit, enroll, and conduct lotteries. The Charter School Service Center has reviewed many different lottery systems and can provide assistance to members in this area as well.
|
