ELISE PAGE EDAD 689 What Every Principal Should Know About Charter Schools.

What is a charter school? Charter Schools are tuition-free public schools that operate in South Carolina on a ten-year contract called a "charter." Charter Schools in South Carolina are authorized by either a public school district or the South Carolina Public Charter School District (SCPCSD). The authorizer and charter agree on the accountability standards that will be used in the oversight of the school. A charter school is typically given five years to prove itself, but its charter can be pulled back at any time by a school board if it is not performing as promised.

What do charter schools have to offer? Charter school operators and teachers have the opportunity to be much more flexible in their approach to teaching. Provide educators with flexibility to operate different types of public schools that focus on specific missions. Small teacher-student ratios for individualized learning. Teachers and school leaders have freedom in choosing curriculum and staff, as well as determining the hours of operation, the school calendar, and the goals and standards of student behavior.

In the state of SC all charter schools must: Adhere to the same health, safety, civil rights, and disability rights requirements as are applied to public schools operating in the same school district. Meet the same minimum student attendance requirements as are applied to public schools. Adhere to the same financial audits, audit procedures, and audit requirements as are applied to public schools.

In the state of SC all charter schools must: Admit all children eligible to attend public school to a charter school, subject to space limitations, except in the case of an application to create a single gender charter school. Have a racial composition that reflects the enrollment of the local school district in which the charter school is located. Provide transportation arrangements (the state is not responsible).

Current information: There are Currently 38 charter schools in SC serving 10, 815 students. It is estimated that there are over 3,000 students living in Horry County who do not attend Horry County Schools, but are in virtual, charter, or private schools. In addition to the four charter schools that have recently started, 3 additional groups have requested paperwork to file to begin the process of starting their own schools.

Who is teaching the students? Charter schools may hire noncertified teachers in a ratio of up to twenty-five percent of its entire teacher staff. At least one of the administrative staff must be certified or experienced in the field of school administration

Why does this matter to public education? For every student that is enrolled the district schools receive $9,643. For every student that is enrolled the charter school receives $4,682. Although it seems like a significant difference, charter schools are not responsible for providing all of the services that district schools are, for example transportation. Parents now have a choice of where their children go to school. EVERY STUDENT MATTERS!

References "Charter Schools". National Education Association. "Charter School Laws Across the States". Center for Education Reform. "Annual Survey of America's Charter Schools 2008". Center for Education Reform. July 28,