5 Things Everyone in Maryland Should Know About Public Charter Schools as Maryland Celebrates National Charter Schools Week

Baltimore, MD, May 04, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Maryland offers 46 public charter schools, educating nearly 15,000 children. Over 12,000 students are on waiting lists.

As parents, students, and teachers across Maryland celebrate National Charter Schools Week, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and the Maryland Charter School Network are releasing this fact sheet about public charter schools.

Charter Schools Are Always Public Schools.

Just like traditional public schools, charter schools are public schools that are funded by tax dollars. Just like traditional public schools, charter schools can never charge tuition to students or parents, and charter schools must accept any child who applies to attend.

Charter Schools Give Teachers More Choices.

Charter schools are usually created by educators who seek to provide innovative, challenging, and creative learning environments for children. Where charter schools exist, teachers have more opportunities to select where they teach. In return for being empowered to create positive environments for children and educators, charter schools are held accountable for student learning and financial management.

Support for Charter Schools is Diverse and Widespread.

The vast majority of the American public supports public charter schools. Public charter schools are supported by Democrats, Independents and Republicans. President Barack Obama has championed public charter schools as a key component of his national education reform agenda, and public charter schools are also supported by the candidates for the Republican nomination for president.

Demand for Charter Schools Far Outpaces Availability.

Public charter schools often have long waiting lists (over 12,000 students in Maryland), because parents and community members recognize their effectiveness. To help meet this demand, states have authorized the creation of a record number of public charter schools. Accordingly, 5,275 public charter schools (an increase of 40 percent over 2006-2007) are operating across the country this school year. Student participation in public charter schools has increased by 76 percent over the past 5 years, and currently stands at more than 2 million children.

Public Charter Schools Increase Student Achievement.

MCSN is a non-partisan, nonprofit, statewide organization whose mission is to promote and serve the Maryland charter school movement. For more information about the MarylandCharter School Network, please visit www.mdcharternetwork.org.

Research indicates that public charter schools increase student reading and math scores, increase student performance on college entrance examinations, and provide significant benefits to students from lowincome neighborhoods or for students who are struggling in traditional public schools. To ensure accelerated student growth, charter school advocates support the introduction and passage of strong accountability measures in charter school laws across the country, in the form of performance contracts for schools and detailed data collection and reporting practices.