Many districts regularly move principals. Schools making progress often encounter higher-level decisions disrupting, even terminating, their programs. Public education can be offered without relying exclusively on school districts. Several legislatures have created public schools which report directly to the state. These schools serve, for example, students with disabilities or special interests in art, mathematics, or science.
Schools can be public without being district-controlled.
Effective charter laws build on this tradition, but to serve all kinds of students, prohibit admissions tests. Strong laws stimulate district improvement by authorizing local boards and the state to sponsor charters, and allow charter schools to completely control budget and personnel. Colorado's law persuaded the Jefferson County, Colo., board to respond to parents who pleaded for replication of successful programs. The Rochester, Minn., board created a Montessori public school after a private Montessori program requested a charter. Strong charter laws stimulate system change as they create new, more accountable public schools.