I am going anon with this because I feel like it is a really dumb question and I am embarrassed to ask it. But what exactly is a charter school? What are the pros/cons of one?

By Sunny on Monday, March 14, 2005 - 05:39 pm:

Definition: A public school operated independently of the local school board, often with a curriculum and educational philosophy different from the other schools in the system.

Charter schools

By Melanie on Monday, March 14, 2005 - 05:49 pm:

Pros include finding a school that more closely matches your philosophy for education. They are usually small.

Cons can include more expected parental participation. More *opportunities* to get out your checkbook. ;) Less extracurricular activities offered (sports, in particular).

Pros and cons vary greatly by school. We have a phenomenal charter school (grades 7-12) near us. The biggest con is that it is very small and operates on a lottery system to get in. About 1/3 of applicants make it in. Some parents run for the school board several years before their child will enter the lottery because that secures their child a spot. The problem with that is there is a lot of competition to get on the board!

I think the best thing about charter schools is it simply offers parents more choices. Charter schools are public so there is no fee like private schools (though as I mentioned, they do encourage large donations!). But it can also be less stable than public schools or established private schools in that they can close down as quickly as they pop up.