The students are all minority, all poor, and virtually all limited-English proficient. Fourteen percent would not otherwise be attending any kind of public school. Georgia's Carolyn Jurrick says the first test results for her school, which went charter two years ago, will come in December. She is optimistic, and strongly believes accountability is key to the charter concept. But if you have the authority, you should be accountable for results.
Some charter schools have no principal.
Most charter school principals agree that their role, like that of their traditional public school colleagues, has shifted from one of boss over individuals to facilitator of groups, keeper of vision, link between school and the larger community. In addition, the principal becomes fundraiser, facilities manager, in a sense a small business owner. But now everyone has a voice. Jurrick says one of her biggest challenges has been wading through the county office's purchasing process, forcing her to budget for things she used to take for granted. Money woes can be a big burden for charter school principals, especially in states with strong laws that cut apron strings from central offices.