Commitment to Quality: National Charter School Policy Forum Report

摘要

Charter schooling began in 1991 with an enticing promise: new public schoolswith the freedom to be better and held accountable for resultscould offer excellent choices for families and stimulate the entire public school system to improve. Now, more than 15 years later, charter schools are no longer an idea but also a reality. The sector has expanded to over 4,300 schools in 40 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 1.2 million studentsabout 3 percent of all public school children. In some cities, charter schools market share is even higher, exceeding 50 percent in New Orleans and 25 percent in Washington, D.C. And charter schools have not yet filled the demand for quality school choice options; tens of thousands of families are on waiting lists to enroll in charters.