Charter Schools

Nicola Moxey

MED 6490

March 2, 2010

Charter Schools

The theory behind charter schools is to allow individuals or groups with innovative educational ideas to put them into practice without being unduly hampered by local or state bureaucracy. Charter schools may offer unconventional hours, experiment with curricula, specialize in certain types of teaching, or design programs tailored to a particular audience or community.

NCLB Act

Provision for charter schools:The Act provides for financial assistance for

the planning, program design, and initial implementation.

** Stated aims of this provision are to expand the number of high-quality charter schools and encourage states to provide support to charter schools for facilities financing in amounts typically provided for traditional public schools.

Beaufort County BOE v.Lighthouse Charter School Committee

516 S.E.2d 656 (S.C.1999)Denial of a charter school application by a county school board was addressed by the South Carolina Supreme Court.The court upheld the denial discussing the failure to meet requirements in such areas as health, safety, civil rights, and racial composition.

Grant of Charter School Application of the Englewood on the Palisades Charter School

753 A.2d 687 (N.J.2000)

New Jersey’s Charter School Program Act was held not to be unconstitutional

Court held the choice to include charter schools among an array of public entities providing educational services is a choice appropriately made by the legislature so long as the constitutional mandate to provide a thorough and efficient system of education is satisfied.

Knowledge is Power Program

KIPP is an innovative charter program started in 1994 to serve poorly achieving black and Hispanic students from disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Students go to school Mon-Friday

7:30-5 pm and every other Sat. morning and an extra month in the summer

Virtual/Cyber Charter Schools

Schools offer online instruction to students who work on their own at home, except for specific times, when they go online for group instruction.

PENNSYLVANIA-Leader in virtual/cyber schools

Pennsylvania School Boards Association v. Zogby

The legitimacy of cyberschools under the state’s charter school was upheld.

Critics suggest that virtual charter schools are merely state-subsidized home schools and therefore should not be covered by charter school laws.

Angstadt v. Midd-West School District

Can a high school student enrolled in a cyber-charter school participate in interscholastic basketball competitions?Upheld school district’s denialThe court stated that the student did not satisfy the school rules such as all-day attendance, physical education requirements, and maintaining above-average citizenship gradesTHERE IS NO CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED RIGHTS TO PLAY SPORTS!