Two charter schools, one led by teachers in St. Paul, Minn., and the other part of a large network in Los Angeles, show how much the charter movement has changed in the 25 years since the first law was passed in Minnesota to allow the publicly funded, independent schools to open. At the Avalon School in St. Paul, teachers run all aspects of the school and students learn largely through hands-on projects. In the Alliance for College Ready Schools, the largest charter network in L.A., students take courses meant to prepare them for higher education and, in many cases, to become the first members of their families to make it into college. Education Week Video
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