The Benefits of Charter Schools: Equity, Innovation, and Accountability

The debate over public charter schools is fierce and often misleading. Political divides—liberals vs. conservatives and, increasingly, progressives vs. progressives—can overwhelm parents with misinformation when they simply want to select a good school for their children.

The facts about charter schools and their role in public education are far less dramatic than the fiction. Charter schools offer families choices beyond their assigned district schools and create innovative models for equity and student success. They can specialize in language immersion (Spanish, French, Native American languages, etc.), curriculum relevant to student demographics, project-based learning, etc., and apply innovative teaching methods with much greater flexibility than public school districts.

While not all charters succeed, the best demonstrate what's possible when schools are responsive, student-centered, and held to high standards.

The Basics of Charter Schools

Let's start by correcting some myths. First, charter schools are public, not private, and don't charge tuition. They're open to all students and use a lottery system when they have limited openings. 

Teachers' unions, many Democratic politicians, and other proponents of traditional neighborhood schools (TPS) argue that charter schools siphon money and students from neighborhood schools.

However, the truth is not so simple. You can't draw a straight line from a charter school opening in a neighborhood to whether a TPS loses "instructional spending monies." There are even examples of public school districts receiving more funds after charter schools open in their area—while not necessarily because of the charter schools, these occurrences raise questions about correlation vs. causation.

Educational Equity: Closing the Opportunity Gap

At their best, charter schools are designed to serve historically marginalized students. Many are located in low-income areas and serve predominantly Black, Latino, and immigrant students. Their location and the fact that they're open to all students mean many charter schools have more racial and ethnic diversity among students and teachers than TPS. 

School choice is one of the buzziest buzzsaw terms in politics, and it will only get worse as some states lean into Education Savings Accounts or vouchers with little thought of safeguards to protect historically marginalized students.

Charter schools offer some of the best examples of genuine public school choices for parents in low-income areas who don't want their kids shuttled from one underperforming district school to another. Instead, a nearby charter school could offer a significant upgrade.

Charter schools prove that high-quality education can be accessible to all students, regardless of where they live.

Innovation: A Break from the One-Size-Fits-All Model

Charter schools aren't bound by the same bureaucratic constraints as TPS, which allows them to experiment with new teaching methods that better serve students. Some of the most innovative charter school models include:

• Project-based learning that connects academics to real-world applications 
• Blended learning that uses technology to personalize instruction. For example, these five charter schools dove into the possibilities offered by artificial intelligence in education.
• Culturally responsive teaching and place-based learning that affirms students' identities and lived experiences. This applies to the immense potential of HBCUs as charter school authorizers and how their alums are already having an impact as school leaders. 

Accountability: Charter Schools Are Held to High Standards

One of the worst misconceptions about charter schools is that they take public funding without accountability. In reality, charter schools must meet strict performance benchmarks to stay open, and high-quality charter schools often blend strong accountability practices with innovative practices.

• A charter school can be shut down if it fails to meet academic or financial goals. This fact is one of the most significant differences between charters and TPS, which are rarely closed for poor performance. The most common reason is low enrollment. 
• Charter renewal is performance-based, requiring schools to demonstrate student growth and fiscal responsibility.
• Families choose charter schools, meaning schools must earn trust and maintain high standards to retain enrollment.

While accountability structures vary by state, high-performing charter schools prove autonomy doesn't mean a lack of responsibility.

Charter schools aren't a silver bullet, and like any school or district, there are bad actors who fail students due to poor management or a lack of transparency. However, charter schools nationwide have proven that equity, innovation, accountability, and community engagement are key to student success.

The lesson? Public education needs more of what works, including learning from high-performing charter schools while ensuring all schools are held to the highest standards.