One is that it will be an improved education for students in the schools. . . . But then we also hope to learn from them and translate some of those benefits and knowledge to the other 400,000 students in the city of Chicago. And there's also a third element. There are a great number of families that move out of the city of Chicago once their children reach school age. This might be the kind of opportunity that keeps those families in the city.
Charter schools receive support from an unlikely coalition.
They appeal to parents who have already left the public school system in favor of private schools, religious schools, or home schooling. These parents are likely to view charter schools as an alternative that helps mitigate the cost of education. As inner-city schools have deteriorated and skepticism about the outcomes of desegregation has increased, many minorities are looking for ways to rebuild schools in their communities. Charter schools represent less than 1 percent of the schools nationally. While charter schools have emerged as an important political issue and as a way to reform the public schools, they are unlikely to change teaching practice in the public schools substantially.