Archived Information
A Study of Charter Schools: First Year Report - May 1997
Chapter II
Summary
The review of charter legislation suggests that states follow distinctive approaches to charter school development that profoundly affect the number, type, and operation of charter schools--and the impact they might have on the public school system. Several states have freed charter developers from most regulations that otherwise apply to public schools. In other states, the charter laws are more restrictive. Dimensions along which state laws vary include:
- How many charter schools are permitted? Sixteen of the 25 charter states and the District of Columbia limit the number of charter schools in the state; nine states have no limits on the number of charter schools.
- Who grants charters? In 12 states, the local school board is the only authority that can grant a charter. In the remaining 13 states and the District of Columbia, other--sometimes several--agencies may grant charters.
- Who may start charter schools? All but four of the 25 states and the District of Columbia permit the creation of new schools from scratch. All states and the District of Columbia have provisions for the conversion of public schools to charter; while just six states allow the conversion of private schools.
- Who sets personnel policies? In 15 states and the District of Columbia, charter schools may act as their own employer. In the remaining ten states, legislation requires that teachers remain (or in the case of newly created schools, become) employees of the local district. In 13 states, charter schools are subject to state collective bargaining laws; in six other states, the legislation is silent on the status of collective bargaining arrangements. The remaining states and the District of Columbia either exclude charter schools from collective bargaining arrangements or allow schools to address collective bargaining as a part of their charters.
The next chapter presents preliminary data about the differences among states in the type of charter schools and their students.
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[Research Questions About the State Role] 
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[III. Charter Schools and Their Students]