Changes

* Public charter schools, now legal in 21 states, receive varying degrees of relief from constricting regulations and teacher contract rules. The group holding the charter—it may be a consortium of parents or a university or a non-profit organization—is accountable for the school’s performance: if a school fails, it can be closed. [http://www.city-journal.org/html/6_3_a2.html]

* Public charter schools, now legal in 21 states, receive varying degrees of relief from constricting regulations and teacher contract rules. The group holding the charter—it may be a consortium of parents or a university or a non-profit organization—is accountable for the school’s performance: if a school fails, it can be closed. [http://www.city-journal.org/html/6_3_a2.html]

Typically parents and educators organize a charter school to overcome inefficiencies and/or illogical requirements that retard education, such as [[social promotion]] and union-mandated raises which are unrelated to teacher effectiveness (see [[merit pay]]).

Typically parents and educators organize a charter school to overcome inefficiencies and/or illogical requirements that retard education, such as [[social promotion]] and union-mandated raises which are unrelated to teacher effectiveness (see [[merit pay]]).

*[[Minnesota]] enacted the first charter-school legislation 16 years ago. [[California]] has more charter schools than any other state.

* In public schools teachers almost automatically get [[tenure]] — a lifetime job guarantee — after three years. [http://www.city-journal.org/html/6_3_a2.html]

The [[NEA]] has expressed mild disapproval of charter schools, on the grounds that they do not live up to their promise, but the statistics they use are specious.  

The [[NEA]] has expressed mild disapproval of charter schools, on the grounds that they do not live up to their promise, but the statistics they use are specious.