From experimental to mainstream more and more students are switching from conventional public schools to charters.
Last year the publicly funded privately run schools grew almost 10 percent nationwide to more than 1.7 million students as parents watched many urban schools lose students and money while labor rules and pension costs prevented reforms.
California leads the nation with almost 1000 campuses and an estimated 350000 students.
According to the National Alliance of Charter Schools the Los Angeles Unified School district is at the top where more than 68000 children or one out of every 10 students are enrolled at charters.
Meghan McCardle a former L.A.U.S.D. teacher says one reason for the success of charter schools is that theyre able to make changes and hold everyone accountable.
I think charter schools are more successful right now than public schools because they are taking risk being innovative in what they are doing and they are making changes to the current system said McCardle an English teacher with the Animo Pat Brown Green Dot charter school.
High expectations accountability and collaboration... the administrators dont just have high expectations for the students they also set high expectations for the teachers she said.
Educators hope those expectations close the so-called achievement gap between minority and white students. For example the high school graduation rate at L.A.U.S.D is about 50 percent compared to 80 percent at Green Dot charters. We actually send five to ten times more students to college than the district does so the data is overwhelming. Its not even a close call said Marco Petruzzi the CEO of Green Dot Charter Schools.
Some charters are doing more with less money. The Center for Education reform finds that charters receive about $6500 per pupil compared with almost $11000 for public schools.
We receive less funding than a traditional high school said Joshua Hartford principal at Animo Pat Brown Charter school.
But I think in a larger scheme California cant afford to keep paying for high schools that are failing kids. Were training the next job force were training the next leadership force and schools that work are the best investment for California taxpayers said Hartford.
