Although the legislature designed charter schools in part as breeding grounds for new ideas that would enrich all of the commonwealth's schools, some claim no benefits are evident yet. More on charter schools from Kathy Kelley Today nearly 10,000 students are enrolled in the 35 charter schools in Massachusetts. Nine of those schools are run by for-profit companies . Community activists, educators, parents and students run most of the commonwealth charter schools. Local school committees or teachers' unions run four so-called Horace Mann Charter Schools in Boston, Brockton and Springfield.
Charter schools draw many students from urban areas.
In fact, statistics show a relatively high percentage of black, Hispanic and students from low-income households attend charter schools. And their popularity is growing - more than 5,000 children remain on waiting lists. The commonwealth is one of 34 states, including Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and New York, spearheading a national movement to offer public school students a choice. The result is that each school has a different orientation. Some focus on working with children who have gotten in trouble with the law.