What is a Charter School?
Michigan’s charter school law was passed in 1993. It introduced choice and competition into the system of public education. Guiding principles of the statute are (1) all students and parents, regardless of socioeconomic status or geographic location, should have the ability to choose the school that best meets their needs; (2) charter public schools support education reform by infusing the system with competition and market forces; and (3) charter public schools can test new approaches to academics, instruction, governance, finance, and management leading to new learning and leadership models. The state’s charter school law is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s strongest.
The system of oversight established by the legislation is both distinct from and complementary to conventional education structures. The charter school must have a valid legal contract, or charter, from its authorizer, which provides an additional level of accountability. A series of academic and operational performance measures must be met to continue the contract.
Balanced Leadership for Lasting Change. (2006). Michigan Council of Charter School Authorizers & Dykema Gossett PLLC.
