Charter Schools
Education news, analysis, and opinion about publicly funded independently-operated schools
See also: School Choice
What Are Charter Schools?
This Education Week explainer answers frequently asked questions about charter schools.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
School Choice & Charters
Nation's First Religious Charter School Denied, For Now
The action by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board buys some time to consider the implications, including for the members themselves.
School & District Management
What the Election of Chicago's New Mayor Says About the Political Power of Teachers' Unions
Brandon Johnson, a former middle school teacher and teachers' union organizer, won the race for mayor of Chicago on Tuesday.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Attend These Charter Schools. Leave With College Credentials
The founder of a charter network discusses how his schools bring a K-16 model to the K-12 system.
School & District Management
After a Lesson on Michelangelo's David, a Florida Principal Loses Her Job
Parents complained that images of the famous sculpture were "pornographic" and that they weren't notified of the lesson in advance.
School Choice & Charters
A Major Reversal on Religious Charter Schools in Oklahoma
The attorney general withdrew his predecessor's opinion that religious groups could not be excluded from the state charter school program.