States vary widely on how they govern charter schools, new federal data show.
The information from the U.S. Department of Education’s State Education Reforms website shows that nearly all states lay out charter schools’ responsibilities for special education, but fewer than half limit how many total charters can operate.
And more than half of states require charter schools to use certified teachers, though they differ on specifics. For example, Illinois requires all of a school’s teachers to be certified at some charters, but only some at others, while in Idaho and Colorado, some charter school teachers can apply for certification waivers.