NCREL's Policy Briefs

Charter Schools:
A New Breed of Public Schools

Charter School Possibilities

During the next decade, Charter Schools could be established to promote a number of important educational goals, including increased access to innovative programs for traditionally underserved students, improved quality, and significant classroom restructuring. Here are a few other possibilities:

• Reaching dropouts. Following the City Academy example, whole school districts or independent Charter Schools could establish small learning centers with intensive teacher/student interaction as a way to bring back students who have walked away from traditional classrooms.

• Replacing failing schools. Policymakers could aggressively use Charter Schools to replace decimated and low-performing schools. The state could shut down failing and mediocre schools and take bids from groups of teachers, parents, public institutions like museums, or other educational entrepreneurs. They could then open one public Charter School with tough new standards of quality for every public school they close. Some states already put their worst performing schools and/or districts on probationary lists (e.g., Iowa puts the district on probation); the next step is often the threat of a state takeover. (Actually, states seldom have taken over failing schools or districts, because most states do not have the time, staff, or resources to do so, but some states are considering the idea.)

• Dealing with the next boomlet. Between 1993 and 2003, total elementary school enrollment is predicted to rise by 12 percent, to 38.5 million students. (Projection of Education Statistic to 1993, DOE) Secondary school enrollment could increase by 25 percent, to 15.7 million students by 2003. Instead of developing more of the same old kinds of schools, we can use this enrollment bubble as a perfect opportunity to introduce hundreds of Charter Schools into the public system mix - and Charter Schools could prove far less expensive than current schools.

• Innovating learning. Charter Schools offer a controlled testing ground for developing a new kind of public school for the new century and introducing new educational models and options for educators. They may provide electronic learning rooms or small learning clusters spread across distances and electronically linked into homes and the world. They may prepare students for a multilingual society, incorporate internships and apprenticeships, overcome the problems of resource depletion and rural isolation or urban decay, or spawn a new literacy and new pride in learning. We don't know yet. But Charter Schools can test these and other alternative learning suggestions in real world situations.

• Solving problems flexibly. Because they are adaptable and most often small, Charter Schools can be designed specifically to address any of the problems that diminish student success. For example:
  • Reading academies. Reading academies could address problems such as "the fourth grade reading slump" to make sure students gain the skills they need at this critical time to progress in school. Likewise, charter teachers might create reading academies for high school students to increase their exposure to the variety of American and world literature and to challenge them to become critical readers instead of minimal performers who are overwhelmed if they go on to college. Charter high school reading academies might be well-suited to either high- or low-achievers who take a year to explore as many books as they can.

  • Parent learning partners. Research shows that parental involvement is a key to learning. A new Charter School might bring parents into the classroom every day to work with their young children from the beginning of the child's school experience. Parents who want to spend more time with their young children might become their permanent teachers and co-learners in the years ahead.

  • Corporate towers and city hall. Instead of simply participating in an "Adopt-A-School" program, businesses could house small charters in their corporate towers and develop real-life apprenticeships with their workers during part of the day. City Hall might have a few meeting rooms for a junior year civics courses as part of the Charter School program, where students follow city legislation and explore how government agencies work.

Educators have scores of good ideas that can now be tested in small charter environments. Charter Schools, with their small sizes and flexibility, hold many possibilities for future schools. Public schools will be able to chose from the best methods. Charter Schools' success may prove to be limited only by the creators' ingenuity and willingness to change and restructure our "traditional" schools.

Posted on March 6, 1995

URL: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/go/93-2POSS.HTM