Charter Schools are public schools that operate autonomously and are held accountable to goals set out in their initiating charter. The schools are run mainly by non-profit groups, and now educate more than 250,000 American children in 38 states. ¹⁰ Additionally, some private companies (such as Edison) are bidding to take over failing schools in the U.S. as well as Britain and Japan. Criteria to gain a charter varies, but generally they require admission by lottery (to avoid schools only accepting the best, brightest and easy to educate), and seek to spur innovation through non-bureaucratic structures.

The premise of the charter school movement is that the difference between good and bad schools lies not in any particular classroom practice, but in the way the school itself is administered; or, alternatively, that with the self-governance made possible by a charter, the desired classroom reform, whatever it is, will be fully realized. "If you give children access to a mission-driven atmosphere, a school free from bureaucracy, it's going to yield better results than had been in a traditional school," says Jean Allen, the head of the Center for Educational Reform in Washington and a strong charter school advocate. ¹¹

John Chubb and Terry Moe in their controversial 1990 book, Politics Markets and America's Schools, assert that public schools are destined to fail because they must answer to school boards, teachers' unions, state governments and others whose interests are not necessarily in accordance with those of the children they should be serving. The authors advocate systems that "promote rather than inhibit the right kind of organizations," and that promote accountability to the appropriate sectors for the appropriate reasons.

Charter schools have broad appeal since they do not advocate a specific curriculum or teaching method, but encourage the development of thriving alternatives and innovations. One such innovation is the use of "contracts" that require a certain level of engagement (and, in turn, responsibility) by parents and students. About 75 percent of the charter schools in California require parents to sign a contract. Although the scope of these contracts varies, 40 percent specify that parents must be involved with school activities for a certain amount of hours per month. Some schools require students to sign contracts regarding appropriate behavior. According to one charter school administrator, the contracts are effective in promoting accountability:

"Every single parent is accountable, along with the child. We sign contracts, and because the parent knows the child is accountable, you have a lot better team work. And, you must have a much better cooperative atmosphere in your school." ¹²

Unfortunately, along with creating a scenario of accountability, such contracts make these charter schools inaccessible to children who need more encouragement or have not been blessed with parents having the will and/or time to be active participants in their children's education.

  Overview: The Accountability Chain

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Footnotes

10. "A contract on schools," The Economist, Jan 16, 1999. [ back ]

11. James Traub, "A School of Your Own," New York Times Education Life, April 4, 1999. [ back ]

12. Amy Stuart, "California's Charter Schools; Promises vs. Performance," The American Educator, Spring 1999. [ back ]