Then and Now: Innovation at the Core of the Charter Movement

In recent years, some have begun to question the charter movement's commitment to real accountability. Some have even suggested that public charter schools are more worried about growth than ensuring that all schools deliver a consistently excellent education.
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Nearly 25 years ago, Minnesota established the nation's first public charter school to stimulate new and innovative educational opportunities and to provide parents and communities with a high quality alternative to traditional public schooling. Today, there are more than 6,700 public charter schools across the country serving approximately three million students, and innovation and student outcomes continue to be at the very core of the charter movement.

But in recent years, some have begun to question the charter movement's commitment to real accountability. Some have even suggested that public charter schools are more worried about growth than ensuring that all schools deliver a consistently excellent education. These questions were answered at the National Charter Schools Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In an unprecedented step toward the goal of a high quality school option for every child in America, 39 state- and city-based public charter school support organizations collectively signed the "National Public Charter Schools Commitment to Quality." This bold move to improve the quality and accountability of public education for students across the nation was initially undertaken by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools' State Leaders Council, and it is the first of its kind. The "National Public Charter Schools Commitment to Quality" is no mere guidance document. Instead, it requires all member organizations to take affirmative steps to ensure public charter schools meet their goals, including closure or reconstitution of schools that persistently fail to improve academic outcomes for students. These organizations also commit to seeding the next generation of innovative public schools and expanding schools who have a proven record of improving student performance.

Just as the movement began in Minnesota and swept across the country, this idea swept across charter support organizations nationwide. The organizations supporting the "National Public Charter Schools Commitment to Quality" represent 95 percent of charter school families nationwide, and they have all pledged to ensure that public charter schools are high-performing, fiscally responsible options that are accessible to all families.

Over two decades ago, the charter movement was granted the flexibility and autonomy to improve student outcomes and the education system. Since then, it has continued to innovate and grow to meet the ever-changing needs of those who matter most -- students and families. By taking this collective national stance, the charter school support organizations on the ground are putting in motion efforts to better realize the charter school promise.

Andrew Broy is president of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, a group that supports and advocates on behalf of Illinois charter public schools, and president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools' State Leaders Council. Broy is a former public school teacher and civil rights attorney.

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