Charter Schools

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

See also: School Choice

Explainer

What Are Charter Schools?
This Education Week explainer answers frequently asked questions about charter schools.
Meghan Kelly, a project manager with the Whirlpool Corp., works with students at Benton Harbor Charter School in Benton Harbor, Mich., on Dec. 3, 2019., to develop apps as part of the goIT computer science program.
Meghan Kelly, a project manager with the Whirlpool Corp., works with students at Benton Harbor Charter School in Benton Harbor, Mich., on Dec. 3, 2019., to develop apps as part of the goIT computer science program.
Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP
Equity & Diversity What the Research Says Suburban Segregation Is Rising. What States and Districts Can Do
New research finds existing policy levers have failed to stop rising suburban racial segregation.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 5, 2024
4 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion What's the State of Charter Schools Today?
Even though there's momentum behind the charter school movement, charters face many of the same challenges as traditional public schools.
Rick Hess, January 22, 2024
10 min read
Chicago charter school teacher Angela McByrd works on her laptop to teach remotely from her home in Chicago, Sept. 24, 2020.
Chicago charter school teacher Angela McByrd works on her laptop to teach remotely from her home in Chicago, Sept. 24, 2020. In Montana, a district hopes to save a virtual instruction program by converting it into a charter school.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
School Choice & Charters How a District Hopes to Save an ESSER-Funded Program
As a one-time infusion of federal funding expires, districts are searching for creative ways to keep programs they funded with it running.
Mark Lieberman, January 10, 2024
6 min read
Conceptual illustration of business people, a roll of paper, and the people using computers, a magnifying glass and telescope with the year 2023 as a shadow below them.
Liz Yap/Education Week and iStock/ Getty.
Budget & Finance 2023 in School Finance: Legal Fights, School Choice Debates, Persistent Inequities
Highlights of the year in school finance coverage include school funding lawsuits, private school choice legislation, and the looming financial storms brewing.
Mark Lieberman, December 22, 2023
6 min read
Nina Rees, CEO of the National Public Charter School Association.
Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, emphasizes that she has "always thought of [charter schools] as laboratories of innovation with the hopes of replicating those innovations in district-run schools."
Courtesy of McLendon Photography
School Choice & Charters Q&A How the Charter School Movement Is Changing: A Top Charter Advocate Looks Back and Ahead
Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, plans to step down as leader of the group at the end of the year.
Arianna Prothero, December 20, 2023
6 min read
Peggy Carr, Commissioner of the National Center for Education, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press about the National Assessment of Education Process on Oct. 21, 2022, in Washington.
Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press about the National Assessment of Education Process on Oct. 21, 2022, in Washington. Carr is facing scrutiny over allegations of improper spending by a North Carolina charter for which she serves as vice chair and landlord.
Alex Brandon/AP
School Choice & Charters Lead NAEP Official Faces Scrutiny Over Improper Spending Alleged at N.C. Charter School
Peggy Carr, the National Center for Education Statistics' head, is vice chair of the school's board and part-owner of school properties.
Mark Lieberman, December 15, 2023
7 min read
Illustration of a school building with a Venn diagram superimposed
iStock/Getty
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.
iStock/Getty
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.
Olivia_art/iStock/Getty
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 Education Week 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