Charter schooling began in 1991 with the idea that public schools—with additional freedom to innovate in exchange for accountability for results—could offer excellent choices for families and stimulate the entire public school system to improve. Now, more than 15 years later, charter schools are no longer an idea but a reality. The sector has expanded to over 4,300 schools in 40 states and Washington, D.C., serving more than one million students—about three percent of all public school children.
Believing that “the charter sector can do more to fulfill its promise as an engine of educational innovation and quality for students across the country,” Secretary Spellings released A Commitment to Quality: National Charter School Policy Forum Report. The report provides information on creating and maintaining successful charter schools and summarizes a vision for the future of U.S. charter schools, outlining steps that fulfill that vision.
Produced by the Department's Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII), the report draws from discussions with charter school leaders attending the Department’s National Charter School Policy Forum held in May 2008, as well as 15 years of research and experience with charter schools. The forum featured nearly 100 of the foremost leaders on charter schools from across the nation who shared lessons and outlined the future of the charter sector.
According to Secretary Spellings, the new publication “further outlines our shared vision for achieving a vibrant and successful charter school community throughout the nation, and we hope it will serve as an informative and useful tool for education leaders." |