In recent years Americans have grown concerned about civil society and about our civil institutions. We don't want government to do everything, but we don't want to be totally isolated either. Charter schools are the halfway point between government on the one hand and the isolated individual on the other. They are the mediating institutions that forge healthy communities. People choose to create them because they perceive a need or opportunity.
Nobody is forced to start one, work in one, or attend one.
Although they are public entities, they are not government-run institutions. Control is vested in parents and citizens, often including poor and previously disempowered people. Folks who once thought themselves victims of the system suddenly become owners of their school. Charter schools are communities for educators as well. Since they confront less red tape, teachers can deploy their own judgment, set their own instructional priorities, pick their materials, and engage students in projects and activities that inspire them.