What is "charter school"

older uses refer to schools in Ireland begun 1733 by the Charter Society to provide Protestant education to poor Catholic children. Modern use in U.S. began c.1988, as an alternative to state-run public education.

n. (context US English) A particular form of primary or secondary school, distinct from public school or private school.

n. an experimental public school for kindergarten through grade 12; created and organized by teachers and parents and community leaders; operates independently of other schools

Charter schools operate with considerably more independence than traditional public schools. However, Massachusetts has two kinds of charter schools - Commonwealth Charters and Horace Mann Charters. Horace Mann charter schools differ from Commonwealth charter schools as they must be located within a school district. Both kinds of charter schools are free to structure their curriculum and school environment; for instance, many charter schools fit more instructional hours into a year by running longer school days and providing instruction on weekends and during the summer. Because few charter schools are unionized, they can hire and fire teachers and administrative staff without regard to the collectively bargained seniority and tenure provisions that constrain such decisions in most public schools. Although charter students made up only 2.9 percent of U.S. public school enrollment in 2008–2009, charter enrollment has grown rapidly and seems likely to accelerate in the near future. The growth of charter schools is an important component of the contemporary education reform movement's pursuit of accountability and flexibility in public education. Proponents see charter schools' freedom from regulation as a source of educational innovation, with the added benefit of providing a source of competition that may prompt innovation and improvement in the rest of the public system. At the same time, charter schools are controversial because, after a transition period in which the state provides subsidies, they receive a tuition payment for each enrolled student paid by students' home districts. In Massachusetts, tuition payments are determined largely by the average per-pupil expenditure in sending districts. Not surprisingly, therefore, public school districts are concerned about the revenue lost when their students enroll in charter schools.

There were 64 charter schools operating in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts during the 2010–2011 academic year. Individual school profiles are available at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education In 2011, approximately 29,000 students were enrolled in Massachusetts charter schools, with another 26,000 students on the waitlist to attend one.

A charter school is a U.S. and Canadian term for a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established public school system in which it is located. Charter schools are an example of alternative education.