What is a Charter School?
Charter schools are public, nonsectarian schools created through a business-like contract, or "charter", between the charter governance board and the sponsoring school board or other chartering authority. The Wisconsin charter school law gives charter schools freedom from most state rules and regulations in exchange for greater accountability for results. If they don't meet the requirements of their charter, they can be shut down. The charter school motto is "Autonomy for Accountability." The charter defines the missions and methods of the charter school and the chartering authority will hold the school accountable to its charter.
Wisconsin established charter schools to foster an environment for innovation and parental choice. While many goals between charter and public schools for educating and preparing children are similar, each charter school fulfills a specific local need in education. In districts with charter schools, the community, school boards, and parents have identified their public education needs and have established charters that meet them. Their leaders may experiment with different instructional theories, site-based management techniques, and other innovations to learn what works best for their student population. Public schools can then observe and learn from these charter schools and can implement similar practices.
For more information click here: Charter Schools in Wisconsin
Looking for a one-page summary about charter schools? Check out this infographic: What Is A Charter School?
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