About Charter Schools

What is a charter school?

What makes a charter school different from the zoned public school?

• Charter schools are given more autonomy than zoned public schools in exchange for greater accountability – if a charter school doesn’t perform it can be shut down. Some of the examples of the autonomy charter schools have:
  • Charter schools can choose their own curriculum
  • They can control their own budget
  • They are not automatically subject to the teachers’ union contract (which means they can base hiring decisions on performance).
  • Charter schools are granted a charter after a rigorous review process. There are two organizations in New York State that are allowed to provide charters – these are called charter authorizers. Every five years, the charter authorizer for a given school determines whether to renew the charter agreement.
  • Charter schools are required to administer the same state tests as traditional zoned schools but are held to much higher standards of performance on these tests.
  • Charter schools do receive a per-pupil allocation from the state to help fund their operations, but this is generally 75% of the allocation provided to a traditional public school.

What are the benefits?

• Enables educators to be more creative and innovative in their instructional approach
• Provides options for parents, particularly in communities that lack enough high-quality educational options
• Allows parents to choose a school based on the kind of approach that would work best for their child