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Charter Schools

Education news, analysis, and opinion about publicly funded independently-operated schools

See also: School Choice

Explainer

What Are Charter Schools?
This °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳ explainer answers frequently asked questions about charter schools.
Illustration of a school building with a Venn diagram superimposed
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School Choice & Charters 3 Decades In, Charter Schools Continue to Face Legal Challenges
Debates are raging in Kentucky and Montana over whether charter schools violate state constitutions.
Mark Lieberman, December 12, 2023
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion Can a Network of Tiny, Teacher-Led Montessoris Spread Like Wildflowers?
Do the strengths of this school network hold lessons for traditional public schools?
Rick Hess, November 16, 2023
5 min read
Image of a blueprint and a dollar symbol.
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School Choice & Charters Charter Schools' Building Struggles Highlight Lingering Tensions With Local Districts
Charter leaders say they spend an outsized portion of their budgets on fixing buildings.
Mark Lieberman, October 26, 2023
7 min read
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., speaks to members of the media as crowds of people participate in the "March for Our Lives" rally in support of gun control on March 24, 2018, in San Francisco.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., speaks to members of the media as crowds of people participate in the "March for Our Lives" rally in support of gun control on March 24, 2018, in San Francisco.
Josh Edelson/AP
Federal Dianne Feinstein's Fight to Stop Gun Violence in Schools Central to Her Legacy
The California Senator will be remembered for her strong support of gun restrictions to stop school shootings.
Alyson Klein, September 29, 2023
5 min read
Robert Hill, Head of School at Alice M. Harte Charter School, talks with students in New Orleans on Dec. 18, 2018.
Robert Hill, Head of School at Alice M. Harte Charter School, talks with students in New Orleans on Dec. 18, 2018. Charter schools have taken a backseat in school choice debates to policies expanding private school choice.
Gerald Herbert/AP
School Choice & Charters Charter Schools Find Quiet Support in a World Focused on Private School Choice
As Republicans and Democrats fight over private school choice, charter schools are left in the middle.
Libby Stanford, August 21, 2023
7 min read
Illustration of an online teacher working with four students.
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Law & Courts Lawsuit Challenges First Religious Charter School in Oklahoma
The suit argues that the Catholic virtual school violates a state constitutional requirement that public schools not be "sectarian."
Mark Walsh, July 31, 2023
4 min read
Nina Rees walks on stage during the National Charter Schools Conference held from June 18 through June 21, 2023, at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas.
Nina Rees walks on stage during the National Charter Schools Conference held from June 18 through June 21, 2023, at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas.
Courtesy of McLendon Photography
School Choice & Charters Q&A Here's What's Next for Charter Schools, According to Their Chief Advocate
Nina Rees, head of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, sat down with °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳ to discuss the future of charter schools.
Libby Stanford, July 27, 2023
7 min read
The Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon, April 19, 2023, in Washington.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon, April 19, 2023, in Washington.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court Declines to Hear Closely Watched Case on Charter Schools
The justices won't consider whether charter schools are "state actors," which has implications for the push for religious charter schools.
Mark Walsh, June 26, 2023
5 min read
Students in the online blended learning class at the ALLIES School in Colorado Springs, Colo., work with programs like ST Math and Lexia, both created for students with dyslexia, on April 7, 2023.
Students in the online blended learning class at the ALLIES School in Colorado Springs, Colo., work with programs like ST Math and Lexia, both created for students with dyslexia, on April 7, 2023.
Jaclyn Borowski/°ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳
Special Education New Type of Public Schools Specialize in Teaching Students With Dyslexia
The schools are designed to provide the more intensive literacy supports many of these students require.
Elizabeth Heubeck, June 12, 2023
7 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion Oklahoma Has Approved the Nation's First Religious Charter School. What's That Mean?
A charter authorizer has endorsed a statewide virtual school, which will be run by a Roman Catholic archdiocese and diocese.
Rick Hess, June 7, 2023
9 min read
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond speaks during an interview, Feb. 1, 2023, in Oklahoma City. The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, a state school board in Oklahoma, voted Monday, June 5, to approve what would be the first publicly funded religious school in the nation, despite a warning from the state's attorney general that the decision was unconstitutional. Drummond had previously warned the board that such a decision clearly violated the Oklahoma Constitution.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond speaks during an interview, Feb. 1, 2023, in Oklahoma City. The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, a state school board in Oklahoma, voted Monday, June 5, to approve what would be the first publicly funded religious charter school in the nation, despite Drummond previously warning the board that such a decision violates the Oklahoma Constitution.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
School Choice & Charters Approval of Nation's 1st Religious Charter School Will Spark Legal Battle
A state board voted 3-2 to approve the St. Isidore Catholic Virtual Academy, which will aim to open in fall 2024, pending a court battle.
Mark Walsh, June 6, 2023
5 min read
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NicoElNino/iStock/Getty
School Choice & Charters Charter Schools Are Outperforming Traditional Public Schools: 6 Takeaways From a New Study
Researchers who have analyzed charter school performance since 2000 now find that charters are outpacing traditional public schools.
Libby Stanford, June 6, 2023
6 min read
Achievement First charter school is seen Saturday, March 7, 2020, in Providence, R.I.
Achievement First charter school is seen Saturday, March 7, 2020, in Providence, R.I. A new study from researchers who have analyzed charter school performance over two decades finds that the publicly funded, independently run schools are now outperforming traditional public schools.
David Goldman/AP
School Choice & Charters Charter Schools Now Outperform Traditional Public Schools, Sweeping Study Finds
Researchers who have studied the evolution of charter schools over two decades find that their performance has improved over time.
Libby Stanford, June 6, 2023
7 min read
This artist sketch depicts Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, right, presenting an argument before the Supreme Court, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, in Washington.
U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar, shown in a November 2021 sketch arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court, has filed a brief urging the justices not to take up a closely watched case about the legal status of charter schools.
Dana Verkouteren via AP
Law & Courts Biden Administration Urges High Court to Reject Case on Legal Status of Charter Schools
The case about whether a North Carolina charter school is a "state actor" when it enforces its dress code is being watched closely.
Mark Walsh, May 23, 2023
4 min read