Charter schools, still under government control, do not offer the opportunity to teach a Christian worldview, but their stress on meeting specific student achievement goals and their exemption from much of the bureaucratic red tape that ensnares state-run public schools are definite pluses. Unlike public schools, charter schools that fail to educate kids are shut down. Growing parental demand for charter schools has made them diverse, according to the Heritage Foundation report. For example, Michigan has charter schools for pregnant teenagers, Hispanic students at risk of dropping out, and young people with learning disabilities. The U.S. Department of Education reports that more than 400 new charter schools opened across the country in 1999, bringing to nearly 1,500 the total number of such institutions operating nationwide.
Studies show satisfaction high among charter-school parents.
Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said their children were performing better academically in charter schools than they had in public schools. In Marion County, schools reported instituting changes such as smaller class sizes and intensive teacher training in reading, writing, and math. F. None was among the original 78. But the battle continues. Lawmakers in almost every state killed or let die legislation dealing with school choice.