President Clinton's leadership key to growth of charter schools. President Clinton has long been a champion of charter schools. When the President was first elected, there was only one public charter school open in the United States. Local charter schools use federal funds for planning and development, as well as for start-up costs, which are a major barrier to the creation of such schools. Public charter schools exemplify a standards-based approach to education.
Every charter school works with a public authority to establish clear performance standards.
A charter school that fails to meet the terms of its charter is closed down. The Public Charter Schools program, which was reauthorized with the President's leadership in 1998, gives priority to states that have strong standards for academic accountability. Charter schools receiving federal funding must be measured by the same state assessments as any other public school. Charter schools empower parents through public school choice. Public school choice can spur school improvement, and charter schools are key to an effective public school choice strategy.