This flexibility to tailor a school to the degree allowed by the state law is the purpose of the charter school concept. Minnesota, California, and Wisconsin have had charter school legislation for some years and have revised and updated their laws as the concept developed. In other states, however, laws are so restrictive that they have virtually sanctioned the schools but discouraged them at the same time. Another challenge comes from the concern that home-school versions of charter schools are a way to teach religion in public schools and receive charter school public funding. Although many people are past the point of struggling to define and describe charter schools, others are just beginning to explore the concept.
Current research focuses on implementation, evaluation, and accountability issues .
Besides providing links to many Internet resources and to publications and articles about charter schools, this site contains current information and answers to frequently asked questions . The state sites provide links to Web sites for each state and direct e-mail links to state contacts. All rights reserved. Disclaimer and copyright information.