I've been through a couple of school startups. It is danged hard work--and closer to rocket science than you would think.
Charter schools are startups in a way that a newly-opened conventional public school is not. (BTW, Joanne Jacobs' Our School gives a good picture of a charter startup.)
Out in Colorado, a charter in its first year of operation is short-changing some of its students.
And look, saying "charter school" is like saying "car" -- you know it has 4 wheels, an engine, and a transmission--but is it a sports car? A coupe? A sedan? A station wagon? 4 -cylinder or 8? All-wheel-drive, front wheel, or rear wheel? Does it have 1,000 on the odometer or 100,000? -- the simple designation "charter" doesn't tell you anything about the school's mission, how it is organized to meet the mission, and the resources it brings.
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