Charter Schools: Catalyst for Change
Charter schools are revolutionizing the way America's public education system serves its customers.
This bold reform concept, which began in Minnesota and California and now has spread to a handful of other states, including Colorado, is building creativity, competition and choice into a public school system that has become too rigid a monopoly.
Just as the name suggests, charter schools are based on charters - or contracts - between a local school district board and a group of interested citizens. That contract permits the applying group, which can be made up of parents, teachers, or other citizens, to design and create their own school for operation within the district and the power to make real decisions about what education efforts work best.
For instance, in one suburban school district in the Denver metropolitan area, a group of parents banded together to establish a small, elementary school where the rigorous curriculum is focused strictly on the basics. One of the requirements is that students wear uniforms.
The school, where classes began over a year ago enrolls 120 and has an equal number on a waiting list, despite a dispute among founders that made headlines shortly after it opened.
As another example, a charter school, located in Pueblo, also offers a curriculum centered around the basic academics of reading, writing, mathematics and social studies.
However, this charter school, which was started by two veteran teachers, places particular emphasis on applying the skills learned in these academic areas through real-world experiences such as field trips and in the use of computer technology. The student body is made up of 69 seventh- and eighth-graders who established their own dress code.
And, because these charter schools are part of public school districts, they receive about the same amount of money for each student enrolled as the district's regular schools receive.
The key point is that these charter schools provide public school alternatives to the one-size-fits-all structure that characterizes Colorado's and this nation's public education system.
Charter schools are designed to provide real choices and to plant the seeds of innovation within the public education system without forcing the disenchanted to opt for private schools or to support vouchers, which would give public money to students to attend private schools.
To be successful, charter schools must have a clearly focused mission and must produce high student performance. In return, they are freed from most of the governance structures, hiring policies, budget regulations and curriculum design requirements that have forced other public schools to remain in lock step. In effect, charter schools trade regulation for results, bureaucracy for accountability.
Charter schools design their own education program, write their own curriculum, set their own schedule, hire their teachers and administrators and set their own budget.
However, regardless of its educational program, a charter school must adhere to the principles and goals of public education. It must be open to any student without restrictions; it cannot charge tuition; and it must be non-religious. It still operates under the watchful eye of the local school board.
In Colorado, we believe charter schools have the potential to create high-quality schools that can invigorate and help improve our public education system.
Although the bill was signed into law on June 3, 1993, two of the state's charter schools were ready for business when schools opened that next September.
Additional groups from throughout the state continue to work towards obtaining their charters. The Colorado legislation permits up to 50 charter schools to operate as long as at least 13 are dedicated to improving the educational achievement of at-risk students.
Many of us have become increasingly frustrated with the slow progress on educational reform and this nation's seeming inability to make an impact on the institutional culture of our public schools.
But, we may have finally made an important breakthrough. Just as the best companies set aside 10 percent of their budgets for research and development, public schools, parents and teachers must be given the opportunity to explore and experiment with new ways of delivering education.
With charter schools injecting an entrepreneurial spirit into our public schools, students and parents become true customers. They can no longer be taken for granted. In fact, both existing schools and charter schools now will have to strive to design programs that improve student achievement and best meet the needs of the community and the expectations of parents.
Universal public education is one of America's finest achievements. Educated citizens are critical to the success of any democracy. Thus, our efforts to reform our schools must improve, rather than undermine, the goals of public education.
The innovative programs that charter schools pioneer can and undoubtedly will help to improve the entire public education system.
Roy Romer is Governor of Colorado where he has led efforts to reform the public schools and particularly to establish higher expectations and standards for student performance. He also has been a leader within the National Governor's Association and the National Education Goals Panel on education issues. Jim Gibson of Denver is executive vice president of the Colorado Democratic Leadership Council.