But charter schools consider increased student performance to be the most important measurement. Some hire only certified teachers, but overall only about 60 percent of charter school teachers in Arizona hold teaching certificates. Historically, once a public school is in business, it is in business forever. Not so for charter schools. Consequently, charter school operators consider their risks when they decide whom to hire, the terms of employment and how to evaluate each teacher's performance.
Many teachers accept jobs in traditional public schools because there are no risks.
By contrast, charter school teachers often have job options other than teaching because they have subject matter expertise, are willing to take risks and have non-teaching work experience. For example, an engineer can work for Intel or teach physics in a charter school. But without a teaching credential, that engineer cannot teach in a traditional public school. The advantage of being able to hire professionals without teaching certificates is illustrated by a college preparatory charter school in Arizona that has teachers with graduate degrees in biology, literature and foreign languages from Johns Hopkins, St. John's College, Notre Dame and the University of Chicago. Higher Pay for Teachers.