I have to say, I am a fan of charter schools. I’m sure most of you have heard the term, but you may not know what it means. I want to clear up a misconception or two right here, right now, so that when a debate on the issue comes up, everyone can know what is going on.

First off, a private school is a public school that operates under less strict regulatory guidelines that an ordinary public school. They are usually administered by a non-profit professional school administration company and control their own funds. A charter school is bound to perform by a document called a charter that effectively serves as a contract between a local Board of Education and the school. The charter also serves as a contract between the parents of the school and the educators. It effectively relinquishes the school from complying with many education regulations set forth by the State and local Board of Education. In doing so, the charter gives school leaders and instructors greater autonomy in how material is presented and in how the school is run. With this freedom comes responsibility. Outcome goals are set in the charter and if the school does not perform, it will be shut down, unlike a traditional public school. In essence, charter schools gain greater flexibility for greater accountability.

Currently in Georgia, 70-some public charter schools in Georgia. Overall, they produce results, involve parents, and those served by them love them. A few haven’t been so great and they have been shut down. I’m sure many urban parents wish that could happen to their local school after children in their community continuously fail to meet standards.

Now that everyone knows what a charter school is, it’s time to clear up some common misconceptions. First off, as mentioned above, a charter school is NOT a private school. It is a PUBLIC SCHOOL. I really want to push this point across so here it is again and again–

CHARTER SCHOOL = PUBLIC SCHOOL

CHARTER SCHOOL = PUBLIC SCHOOL

CHARTER SCHOOL = PUBLIC SCHOOL

CHARTER SCHOOL = PUBLIC SCHOOL

–ok, I think that six times in a couple of paragraphs is solid enough. The second and third points kind of piggy back on this public school notion. First, contrary to popular belief, charter schools do not have admissions policies. They can’t! Remember, it’s a public school! While some school may be geared more towards some groups (such as special needs, gifted, math and science, etc.), charters by law have to be able to take in and accommodate every child, just as a traditional public school does. What may be skewed as an admissions policy is really a waiting list. When you want to send you child to a charter school, there is limited space available, as the charter prescribes. This is a fact that will come into play a little later.

Second (or third, however you want to look at it), charter schools don’t charge tuition. Remember the public school thing? Yeah, comes into play here too.

OK, now that the background work is done, let’s talk legislation. YAY! House Bill 881, put forth by Rep. Jan Jones of Alpharetta. Here’s the gist of it: Charter schools are not getting their fair shake, either in authorization or funding once authorized. Numbers seem to back this up. This year alone, 17 charter schools have applied for authorization to local school boards, all but two have been denied. This really is no surprise. After all, this arrangement is like requiring the zoning for a Burger King being approved by McDonalds. HB 881 would change how authorization takes place. Charter schools would be able to go before an independent state level board for authorization. McDonalds would be circumvented. I like this idea. It takes politics out of the authorization process. It better allows for the fulfillment of a need, as wait lists at existing charter schools indicate there is, and it will inject the power of the market in the public school system. Traditional public schools will be forced to shape up or lose enrollment to charters that outperform in the same community.

The second aspect of HB 881 that I love is that of funding equalization. Right now, charter schools, a public school remember, inexplicably receive about 40% of the funding that traditional public schools receive. This is wrong, inexcusable, and a great example of politics in action. HB 881 would change that. State and local dollars would follow the children that they are intended for. Charter schools would receive 90% of the education dollars entitled to a child, with the other 10% being left to the local school district that previously educated the child to cover administrative costs associated with the transfer. The costs are thought to be about 3-5%, meaning the local school system would gain 5-7% of a child’s share of the cash without having to educate that child.

This is a bill that is good for not only charters and kids, but also for the taxpayers that fund the traditional public school system. Competition is not something to be feared, it is something to be embraced. Our education system can become leaner and meaner, producing kids with better educations and more marketable skills using less money if competition is injected.

If you like the sound of HB 881, let your representatives know!