pros and cons of charter schools

before we see taht what are pros and cons of charter schools let us see that

What is a charter school?

Charter schools are independent PUBLIC schools. They are TUITION-FREE and open to all students. In Minnesota, the home of the charter school movement, charter schools must be approved to operate by the state department of education and are part of the state system of public education. Each charter school is legally like a small public school district. Charter schools are FOR PROFIT and are governed by a board of directors elected from among teachers, parents and interested community members. They are not privately "owned" and do generate a profit for investors more than any other public school district. Some charter school boards hire for-profit companies to perform management functions just as they hire for-profit companies to provide other operational services. Teachers in Minnesota charter schools must meet the same licensing requirements as all other public school teachers, although the value of this is dubious, and this is not a requirement in all states. As with all public schools, charter schools are primarily funded with public monies (tax dollars), however, almost uniformly across the country they receive less money per student (sometimes significantly less) than district schools. Charter schools are allowed some freedoms that district schools are not, and in return they are held to a higher standard of academic and financial accountability. Unlike district schools, under-performing or financially insolvent charter schools can be dissolved almost immediately. Charter schools offer programs, curricula, pedagogies, schedules and services that traditional district schools choose not to provide. Their only goal is to improve the academic performance of their students, along with generating profit for their investors.

pros and cons of charter schools

Charter School Advantages

One advantage is their level of accountability. Charter schools must abide by the tenets outlined in their charter contract between the school and the chartering unit, which states projected student achievement outcomes as well as penalties for failing to make these gains. If the charter school fails to measure up, parents can “vote with their feet” or, the school can lose its charter altogether.

some other Pros are listed below

1. Charter schools provide families with public school choice options. Parents will have the ability to choose the school best suited for their child.

2. Charter schools can act as laboratories of reform, identifying successful practices that could be replicated by traditional district public schools. Also, by waiving regulations in a limited number of schools, the most prohibitive policies can be identified and eliminated for all schools.

3. Through school choice, competition within the public school system is created, pressuring school districts to reassess their educational practices.


4. Charters will lead to overall systemic reform through the pressure and competition of the choice mechanism.

Charter School Disadvantages

However, charter schools have some drawbacks. Miron and Applegate in the 2007 Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice document, “Teacher Attrition in Charter Schools” found that about 40 percent of newer charter school teachers flee for other jobs.

Often, charter school teachers are not a part of traditional public school unions, and therefore are not protected in the same manner as traditional school teachers. This can result in longer hours and more responsibilities for charter school teachers, which increases their “burnout” with teaching. Also, Robelen, in a 2008 Education Week article titled “WANTED: The Perfect Person,” found that charter school leaders are usually less prepared to lead a school than traditional school principals. As a result, many become overwhelmed and transfer to traditional schools, transfer to other charter schools, or leave the profession altogether.

some other Cros are listed below

1. Charter schools, due to their small size and limited numbers, will provide only some families with public school choice options, thereby raising issues of fairness and equity.

2. Successful reform models such as New American Schools and Core Knowledge have already been identified. Why not attempt these reforms in existing schools? If rules and regulations are so burdensome, they should be waived for all public schools.

3. Charter schools have an unfair advantage when competing against district public schools since they tend to be smaller and free from regulations. Charter schools have access to federal funds and other revenue sources.

4. Charters are too limited in scope to adequately pressure the entire public school system.

we hope afyer readind above post you have a better understanding of pros and cons of charter schools