Twenty years ago today, the first public charter school opened in St Paul, MN, forging the path for the most innovative public education reform movement in a century.
The concept of charter schools was proposed by a local Citizens League and authorized by bi-partisan legislation endorsed by a Democratic-majority legislature and a Republican governor. City Academy High School was started by two teachers and a youth recreation leader who wanted the autonomy to provide students at high risk of dropping out with the choice of a new type of public school that could better serve their needs. Today, politicians from both sides of the aisle support charter schools, including Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Governor Romney. Legislatures in 41 states and Washington, D.C. have adopted charter school legislation. Additionally, in the last two years, 19 states strengthened their charter school laws by lifting caps restricting charter growth, providing more equitable funding and facilities support, and enacting new authorizing and accountability measures. Maine enacted its first charter school law. And demand for public charter schools is at an all time high. More than 2,000,000 students attend approximately 5,600 charter schools, and more than 610,000 more are on waiting lists. The public nationwide supports public charter schools by a two to one margin, and the movement has been embraced by a wide swath of Americans, from business leaders Bill Gates and Craig Barrett, to organizations including the National Council of La Raza and the United Negro College Fund. The cornerstones of the public charter school movement are bringing effective innovation into the teaching and learning process, providing parents choices that better suit their children’s personal needs, and allowing educators the autonomy they deserve to best educate their students. Because of this, charter schools have driven many trends, including integrating and utilizing technology in effective ways; transforming how teachers and school leaders are recruited, supported, and retained; and reinventing how schools are operated and educational opportunities are provided. After more than 200 studies on charter schools, we’ve learned that eliminating unnecessary restrictions on how education is delivered, and breaking down the barriers of who can help children learn, has enhanced how children achieve and develop. Public charter schools are demonstrating that the achievement gap can be closed and that every child, regardless of where they live or their socio-economic status, can achieve at high academic levels. In the coming decade, leaders of the public charter school movement must concentrate their efforts on making the charter sector the source of innovative solutions to public education’s most pressing challenges and providing more high-performing schools to families and students across the nation. This is where effective charter authorizers come in. They must find ways to create an atmosphere for new operators to enter the space – and exit swiftly when they fail. We want the charter school brand to be synonymous with academic excellence and operational integrity. The students we serve deserve no less. Charter schools offer the promise of preserving the American ideal of a quality public education, particularly in the many communities with under-performing public schools. It is clear what charter schools can accomplish. The next challenge is to build on those accomplishments to ensure that every child can realize the benefits of a high-quality public school education.
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