Charter Schools

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

See also: School Choice

Explainer

Students arrive for classes at Alliance Collins Family College-Ready High School, a public charter school in Huntington Park, Calif.
What Are Charter Schools?
This Education Week explainer answers frequently asked questions about charter schools.
View Explainer
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
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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.
Rick Hess, March 30, 2023
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6 min read
Michelangelo's marble statue of "David", is seen in Florence's Galleria dell' Accademia on May 24, 2004.
Michelangelo's marble statue of "David" is displayed in the Galleria dell' Accademia in Florence, Italy.
Fabrizio Giovannozzi/AP
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.
Elizabeth Heubeck & Denisa R. Superville, March 23, 2023
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5 min read
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is pictured Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, during an interview in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond withdrew his predecessor's opinion that had fueled hopes the state might approve religious charter schools.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
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.
Mark Walsh, February 24, 2023
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4 min read
Illustration of a hand rejecting another hand offering a stack of bills
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Budget & Finance Why a Handful of School Districts Rejected COVID Relief Funds
Some districts thought ESSER funds weren't worth the bureaucratic hurdles. Others had philosophical disagreements.
Mark Lieberman, February 24, 2023
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4 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion A Charter Academy Delivering a ‘Classical’ Education Grows in Popularity
At its core, Great Hearts Academy seeks to foster virtuous human beings, explains the schools' CEO.
Rick Hess, February 16, 2023
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5 min read
NEST BS
Student Well-Being Video How This New Orleans School Is Getting Teen Moms to Graduation
Graduation rates for teenage moms are much lower than their peers'. One school system is banking on in-school child care to fix that.
Lauren Santucci, February 13, 2023
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6:19
Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor speaks during a bill signing ceremony for a bill making it a felony to perform an abortion, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Oklahoma City.
Then-Oklahoma Attorney General John M. O'Connor, shown last year in Oklahoma City, issued an advisory opinion last December that bolstered the prospects of charter schools sponsored by religious institutions.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
School Choice & Charters A Proposed Catholic Charter School Is New Test for Religion and Public Education
With a favorable state attorney general's opinion in hand, Catholic officials are set to ask for approval of the first religious charter.
Mark Walsh, February 9, 2023
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10 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion How Are Charter Schools Faring in Our Polarized Political Era?
There are several distinct and passionate school communities that reside under the charter school banner. Can they work alongside another?
Rick Hess, February 9, 2023
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6 min read
Young students file back into school at Somerset Academy Charter South Miami, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022, in South Miami, Fla.
Students head back to their classrooms at Somerset Academy charter school in Miami in December.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
School Choice & Charters Charter School Governance Shapes Those Schools’ Approach to Equity
New research finds that the entities governing charters influence the schools' commitment to equity.
Libby Stanford, January 12, 2023
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5 min read
Thunder storm sky over the United States Supreme Court building in Washington DC.
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Law & Courts Supreme Court Asks for Biden Administration's Views on Legal Status of Charter Schools
Stemming from a suit over a North Carolina school's dress code, the issue is whether "public" charter schools act with government authority.
Mark Walsh, January 9, 2023
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3 min read
Revelers march down Fifth Avenue during the annual NYC Pride March, Sunday, June 26, 2022, in New York.
Revelers march down Fifth Avenue during New York City's annual Pride March in June. Proposed changes to Title IX would explicitly protect students from discrimination based on their gender identity or sexuality.
Mary Altaffer/AP
Federal Historic Changes to Title IX and School Safety Funding: How 2022 Shaped K-12 Policy
Federal lawmakers sought to make Title IX more inclusive, respond to school shootings, and crack down on corrupt charter schools.
Libby Stanford, December 29, 2022
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6 min read
In 2015, paraprofessional Ivana Jakovljevic helps 8th grader Cristina Amaya, who is visually impaired, navigate the halls at STRIVE Prep-Federal.
In 2015, paraprofessional Ivana Jakovljevic helps 8th grader Cristina Amaya, who is visually impaired, navigate the halls at STRIVE Prep-Federal, a charter school created as part of Denver's portfolio district.
Nathan W. Armes for Education Week
School & District Management What the Research Says Denver's 'Portfolio Model' Was a Success. But It Might Not Be Sustained
A study finds that the district boosted student achievement by creating a portfolio of schools with more freedom to operate.
Sarah D. Sparks, December 29, 2022
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3 min read
Image of an empty classroom.
urfinguss/iStock/Getty
School Choice & Charters Charter School Enrollment Holds Steady After Big Early Pandemic Growth
The numbers show that most students who left their district schools in the first year of the pandemic did not return.
Lauraine Langreo, November 30, 2022
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2 min read
Image of a teacher in a classroom working with students.
xavierarnau/E+
Teacher Preparation As Charter Schools Rise, Fewer Graduate From Undergrad Teacher Prep. Why?
The finding—among the first to look at how charters impact the teacher pipeline—has fueled debate.
Madeline Will, October 28, 2022
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7 min read
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