The Pros and Cons of Charter School Systems

Charter schools began in 1988 when there was a clamor for educational reforms within the public school systems. Charter schools are schools that are innovative in terms of their curriculum. These schools also have a charter contract from different stakeholders such as the parents, the teachers and the community in which they are held accountable to achieve in order to continue existing. Because charter schools are designed to be accountable for the quality of education that they offer, enrollment in these charter schools have rapidly increased.

The Charter School Movement is one of the most successful growing educational reforms of the United States. Since the first charter school opened in Minnesota in 1992, the number has since then increased to about 3,600 which are spread throughout 40 states in America (The Center for Educational Reform 2007).

The design and the general operation of charter schools are based on these following guidelines: (1) Charter schools should uphold academic excellence and they are accountable to this. If charter schools cannot live up to the expectations set by stakeholders then their funding would be cut and they will be closed. (2) Charter schools allow families the opportunity to choose the right and the most appropriate school for their child in order to have the best quality education. Teachers of the charter school movement may also choose to create and work at schools where they directly shape the best working and learning environment for their students and themselves (The Center for Educational Reform. 2007); and (3) Although they still follow the same rules and regulations as that of public schools, charter schools are autonomous and are free to design their own curriculum and that they have their own states funding which cannot be diverted into other state institutions or affairs.