Over the past five years, the charter school movement has grown dramatically. Today, nearly 3 million students attend more than 6,700 charter schools in the United States. Despite this growth, parent demand for quality school options is still unmet.
Charter schools have bipartisan support among many policymakers and the general public, but they also have some vocal critics who perpetuate a number of myths about charter schools. Through our Truth About Charters series, we have highlighted some of these myths and provided responses based on facts and independent research findings. For example:
Fact: Charter schools are public schools. They must meet the same academic standards that all public schools are required to meet
Fact: Charter schools are generally required to take all students who want to attend. If there are more interested students than available seats, the schools are generally required to hold lotteries, which randomly determine which students will be enrolled.
Fact: There is no significant difference in the percentage of English Learners (ELs) served by traditional or charter schools.
Fact: A 2015 report by Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) found that overall, students enrolled in urban charter schools gained 40 additional days of learning in math and 28 additional days in reading compared to their traditional public school peers. Given that more than half of all charter schools are in urban areas, this is a significant finding.
Let’s spread the #TruthAboutCharters during #NSCW and show your support for high-quality charter public schools.
