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 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.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
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
Ellen Weaver, the Republican nominee for South Carolina superintendent of education, speaks at U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan's Faith & Freedom BBQ ahead of the keynote speaker, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, in Anderson, S.C.
Ellen Weaver, the Republican nominee for South Carolina superintendent of education, speaks at U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan's Faith & Freedom BBQ in Anderson, S.C.
Meg Kinnard/AP
States K-12 Insider or Conservative Advocate? Stark Choice in One State Superintendent's Race
A think tank CEO and a high school English teacher battle it out for South Carolina's top K-12 job.
Libby Stanford, October 14, 2022
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8 min read
Illustration of weighing funding against schools remaining open
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School Choice & Charters Federal Funding and Charter School Closures: What the Latest Government Data Show
The Government Accountability Office examined closure rates over 15 years and $2.5 billion of federal funding.
Libby Stanford, October 13, 2022
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2 min read
Flags decorate a space outside the office of the Education Secretary at the Education Department in Washington on Aug. 9, 2017.
Flags decorate a space outside the office of the Education Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. The Government Accountability Office has released recommended priorities for the Education Department that target special education rights.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Federal Restraint and Seclusion, and Disability Rights: Ed. Department Has Work to Do, Audit Finds
The Government Accountability Office releases a checklist of how the U.S. Department of Education is performing on a list of priorities.
Libby Stanford, July 13, 2022
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4 min read
Students in Monica Farren’s 6th grade English class read outside during a poetry exercise at Albert Einstein Academy Charter Middle School in San Diego.
Students in a 6th grade English class read outside during a poetry exercise at Albert Einstein Academy Charter Middle School in San Diego. The U.S. Department of Education released final rules for the Charter School Program, a federal grant that provides money to schools in their first three years of operation.
Sandy Huffaker for Education Week
School Choice & Charters Biden Administration Tightens Rules on Charter School Funding Program
The U.S. Department of Education responded to over 25,000 public comments in making its final revision of charter school funding rules.
Libby Stanford, July 1, 2022
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7 min read
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