PRO

CON

Charter schools provide families with public school choice options. Parents will have the ability to choose the school best suited for their child.

Charter schools, due to their small size and limited numbers, will provide only some families with public school choice options, thereby raising issues of fairness and equity.

Charter schools can act as laboratories of reform, identifying successful practices that could be replicated by traditional district public schools. Also, by waiving regulations in a limited number of schools, the most prohibitive policies can be identified and eliminated for all schools.

Successful reform models such as New American Schools and Core Knowledge have already been identified. Why not attempt these reforms in existing schools? If rules and regulations are so burdensome, they should be waived for all public schools.

Through school choice, competition within the public school system is created, pressuring school districts to reassess their educational practices.

Charter schools have an unfair advantage when competing against district public schools since they tend to be smaller and free from regulations. Charter schools have access to federal funds and other revenue sources.

Charters will lead to overall systemic reform through the pressure and competition of the choice mechanism.

Charters are too limited in scope to adequately pressure the entire public school system.

Charter schools, unlike traditional public schools are held accountable. If charters do not perform, they are not renewed.

Charters are not accountable as they are freed from rules and regulations intended to ensure quality in public education.