Charter schools are non-sectarian public schools of choice. They operate with freedom from regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The "charter" is a performance contract detailing the school's mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. Schools are accountable for academic results and fiscal practices to the sponsor that grants them, the parents who choose them and the public that funds them. They are created by organizations of parents, teachers and community members; by entrepreneurs; or by converting existing schools to charter status.
Charter schools are changing the educational landscape in California. For example, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, founded in 2000 by Pueblo Nuevo Development, a non-profit community development corporation, was created as part of an effort to revitalize the MacArthur Park neighborhood, one of the poorest and most densely populated areas in L.A.. and make it a safe and healthy place to live.
Dr. Paul F. Cummins, co-founder of Camino Nuevo, and member of the LAAAE's Board of Directors says, "Charter schools are one of the most promising means of educational reform. They allow for creative partnerships between the private and public sector."
To learn more about charter schools, visit the California Charter Schools Association website.