Charter schools are publicly funded, nonsectarian public schools that operate free of the many regulations, restrictions, and mandates of traditional public schools. The growing interest in charter schools is due to its possibilities as a truly flexible, self-defining alternative for public school reform. The possibilities for innovation, as a vehicle to think differently and organize in new ways, are strong.
Charter schools provide choice for both students and teachers.
They are more acceptable to many people than the concept of vouchers, so they are sometimes a compromise when vouchers are being proposed. The federal government is making additional funds available to assist in the start-up of charter schools. The issues that most often are cited for being against charter schools are equity concerns, teacher union contract and certification terms, and unhealthy competition with existing schools. Charters are described above. Waivers are formal requests made to the state to avoid following certain state regulations.