Charter schools were created to provide opportunities for teachers, parents, students and community members to establish and maintain schools that operate independently from the existing school district structure as a method to accomplish the following: improve student learning; increase learning opportunities for all students; encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods; create new professional opportunities for teachers; provide parents and students with expanded choices in the types of educational opportunities that are available within the public school system; and be accountable for meeting measurable academic standards. Charter schools are exempt from many educational mandates. Some of the mandates that charter schools are not exempt from include health and safety, special education, civil rights, student accountability, employee criminal history checks, open meetings, freedom of information requirements, generally accepted accounting principles, and certain provisions of the Pennsylvania School Code.
Charter schools and cyber charter schools must be organized as public, nonprofit corporations.
Charter schools do not charge students tuition | they receive the majority of funding from their students’ resident school districts.
“… expanded school choice | an issue popular with conservatives and advocates who believe all students should have the right to attend a school of their choosing, paid for with government money.” – from this article in The Inquirer
the comparisons | Charter schools vs. Public Schools
“vouchers, charter schools, for-profit management schemes | are all quick fixes that won’t fix anything.”– The Washington Post
“Comparing | Charter Schools vs. Public Schools vs. Private Schools”
Sports programs | “Providing sports programs and extracurricular competitions is not a simple or certain process for charter schools.”
Well? | “Should Private School Students Be Allowed On Public School Sports Teams?” – 2015 Forbes magazine article
Two attorney opinions to this question? | “Can a Private School student play on a Public school sports team in PA?”
Columbia news, views & reviews 