Budget flexibility even extends to teachers. When you combine the flexibility available through the Charter Schools legislation. . . Charter schools have shown significant ability to win community support, unleash creative energy and stretch limited resources . . . Many of these changes centered on curriculum and instruction . . A high percentage of teachers say they experiment more in the classroom, are freer to teach as they wish, and have more say over content and the subjects they teach.
Most teachers consider charter structure essential or valuable to changed practice.
Competition for students has moved districts forward, and in many cases districts have begun to cooperate and co-opt what charter schools have been offering as a way of competing. So we shouldn't simplify the charter movement . . . Sharing knowledge and lessons learned is an ongoing role played by many of these charter schools. And many of them are asked to present at State and National conferences. Beyond contributions that charter schools make directly to other schools in the District, there are also several lessons learned from the charter school experience that may be helpful to district reform efforts elsewhere.