Charter School v. Public School

People often mistake charter schools for private schools. In fact, they are public schools that are funded by the local government just like any other traditional public school. Unlike other public schools, they operate under a “charter,” or set of guiding principles, enforced by a governance council. The charter allows the school to be flexible and innovative with teaching methods while still meeting state education standards.

Charters have been around since the 1970s, but official legislation was passed in the 1990s that allowed this type of education to flourish. Now, parents find school choice more important than ever, and public charters provide a tuition-free path to a personalized education.

While both charter schools and traditional public schools receive public funding, charter schools operate independently from school district rules. Each charter school has the freedom to develop its own teaching methods and programs, as long as it meets state standards for academic performance.

This flexibility allows charter schools to serve their communities in ways that address specific needs or offer specialized education options. For example, Northpoint Charter offers a blend of in-person and online classes that allow students to work in a self-directed environment with plenty of academic support. Smaller class sizes, hands-on learning opportunities, and innovative curriculum options are a few other reasons why some students and their parents are drawn to charter schools.

Charter schools are publicly funded, tuition-free schools, but they differ from traditional public schools in key ways. First, charters have more flexibility. Rather than being part of a public school district, which dictates curriculum and standards in all schools, charters operate autonomously through individual agreements, or charters, with state or local governments that set rules and student performance standards.

Given the ability to operate through these agreements, individual charter schools can tailor their curriculum, academic focus, staffing ratios, discipline policies and other matters that, for other public schools, are decided at the school district or state board level. In exchange for that flexibility, charter schools are supposed to be accountable to parents and the state or local governments that authorize them.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services