The actions of Advantage threatened that fragile trust between parents who know a little and care a lot and those professionals who are entrusted with the care and education of their children,'' McGuire concluded. Supported by taxpayer dollars, charter schools are free from many of the rules governing public schools. Though charter schools are increasingly popular, there is still resistance to using public money to pay for buildings for them. Some teachers and parents eager to open their own charter schools look to companies such as Advantage to run them. In its contracts with schools, Advantage pledges to provide a ready-made curriculum, ''Directed Instruction,'' which relies heavily on drill and repetition.
Independent research suggests it is effective in teaching younger children reading and math.
The company, which also emphasizes character education, hires teachers and buys books. It says it will provide a building and arrange everything from bus schedules to school lunches. And it is supposed to handle finances. Kathy Madigan, Advantage's former head of instruction, says the company's curriculum, created 30 years ago, is excellent. She insists that for-profit companies can do a good job running charter schools.