Fast Facts
There are more than 200 charter schools in Wisconsin; these schools serve approx. 37,000 students throughout the state.
Wisconsin’s charter schools:
Wisconsin’s charter schools focus on a wide variety of areas:
Wisconsin’s charter schools focus on the areas of critical thinking, creativity, and innovation, and serve as a “testing ground” for new curriculums and teaching methods. These methods are modified and developed into successful models that are then rolled out to conventional (non-charter) public schools.
Wisconsin’s charter schools:
- Are free to the public and offer choice
- Are non-religious
- Are open to all children in the state
- Employ fully qualified teachers
- Participate in statewide testing programs
- Must comply with No Child Left Behind
Wisconsin’s charter schools focus on a wide variety of areas:
- Arts/culture
- Technology
- Math/science
- Language studies
- Environmental/“Green”
- Project-based learning
- At-risk students
- Montessori philosophy
- Virtual studies
- Core knowledge
- Direct instruction
Wisconsin’s charter schools focus on the areas of critical thinking, creativity, and innovation, and serve as a “testing ground” for new curriculums and teaching methods. These methods are modified and developed into successful models that are then rolled out to conventional (non-charter) public schools.
Questions and Answers
What Are Public Charter Schools?
Charter schools are public, non-religious and tuition free schools that have independence so they can be more innovative in their curriculum offerings, yet still provide a structured, disciplined learning environment and be held accountable for improved student achievement. These schools bring innovation to Wisconsin public schools and work to revitalize public education in our state. These schools serve students most in need and provide public educational options and opportunities to families throughout Wisconsin.
Are Charter Schools public or private schools?
Charter schools are always public schools. They never charge tuition, and are not private schools. They are also:
What does the “charter” in Charter School mean?
Charter schools are created through a contract, or “charter,” between the operator of the school and the authorizer, which in Wisconsin is typically a local school board.
As part of the charter, and in exchange for more autonomy to develop innovative curricula, pedagogy, and operational strategies, Wisconsin public charter schools have greater accountability than traditional (non-charter) public schools for student performance, financial matters, and effective school operations. Public charter school students take the state tests required of other public school students.
Why are Charter Schools important to our state?
Traditional public schools fit the needs of many, many children in our state, but there are others who are not receiving the education they need. Public school students should not have to attend chronically underperforming schools in their communities. Public school students should not have to learn via methods that do not work best for their learning style.
All Wisconsin students need the opportunity to attend a school that will fully prepare them for the workforce or higher education, and will do everything to enhance their long-term potential.
If a traditional public school is not addressing a student’s needs, charter schools offer parents another public school option.
Public charter schools also offer an opportunity for teachers to be more involved in the development and implementation of a school that best fits their teaching strengths. Allowing teachers to have more say in decision making helps increase teacher engagement and, in turn, student engagement.
Can any child in the state attend a Charter School?
Yes, any child can attend a charter school. Some charter schools are at capacity and have waiting lists; in these situations a random selection process is used to assign enrollment seats. In cases where a student wishes to cross district lines to attend a charter school, district approvals may be required.
How is a Charter School different from magnet schools and from school vouchers?
Magnet schoolsare highly competitive, highly selective public schools known for their special programs, excellent facilities, and high academic standards. Students who apply to these schools go through a rigorous testing and application process. These schools are designed to attract students outside their immediate neighborhood. They generally have a joint purpose of racial balance and a distinctive academic focus (such as arts or sciences).
Public charter schools cannot use academic performance or testing to deny admission to a student. A school voucher gives a student some of the tax money the district would have spent to educate that student and allows the student to use the money to pay for tuition at a private or religious school. Public charter schools are NOT associated with private schools in any way.
Do Charter Schools provide a benefit to students who do not attend them?
Public charter schools bring cutting edge curricula to our state’s children and are “innovation labs,” usually within existing school districts. Charter schools serve as a “testing ground” for these new curricula, and as they are modified and developed into successful models, these curricula can be rolled out to conventional (non-charter) public schools. In the long-run, all Wisconsin students benefit from the innovative methods found in the state’s public charter schools.
How Do Charter Schools Work?
Charter schools are free to innovate in ways that improve student achievement. Here are some specific examples of how charter schools do it:
How are Public Charter Schools Held Accountable to State Educational Standards?
Public charter schools are required to meet all state and federal education standards. In addition, they are judged on how well they meet student achievement goals established by their charter contracts. A quality public charter school must meet rigorous academic, fiscal and managerial standards.
How are Public Charter Schools held financially accountable?
Since public charter schools are funded with public dollars, they are required by law to be held accountable for how taxpayer dollars are spent through regular audits and ongoing reviews from their authorizing entities. As a public school, all financial records for charter schools are open to the public.
How are Public Charter Schools funded?
90% of Wisconsin’s public charter schools are funded in the same way that traditional public schools are funded – each district receives a per pupil allocation for public school students regardless of their enrollment in a traditional or charter school. The contract should establish the amount of money that will be paid from the district to the school on a per pupil basis. Independent charter schools are funded from the same pot of money, but at a lower per pupil cost than most districts.
Public charter schools do not add any new costs to the state’s public education system.
Do Charter Schools work?
Public Charter Schools were designed to boost student achievement and be innovation labs.
Is there data that shows state-wide support for Public Charter Schools?
Close to two-thirds of Wisconsin voters (64 percent) favor creating more public school options for parents. Wisconsin voters believe that allowing parents to choose the most appropriate public school for their child will improve the entire public school system.
Voters in the city of Milwaukee demonstrated they are even more strongly in favor of more public school choices, with three-in-four voters (75 percent) favoring giving parents more public school options.
More than eight in 10 Wisconsin voters are in favor of many of the things that charter schools do, including holding students, teachers and parents accountable for improving student achievement (91 percent); providing a more structured learning environment, more student discipline and requiring more parental involvement (90 percent).
How do Public Charter Schools benefit Wisconsin?
In addition to serving as a testing ground for innovative curriculums that can be rolled out to all public schools across the state, Wisconsin’s Charter Schools support the public school systems and local communities in which they are located, and provide other long-term benefits to our state.
Are Wisconsin’s Public Charter Schools expensive?
Since charter schools are public schools, the money that they receive comes from the same source of funding for all public education. Charter schools often bring new resources into a community’s public school system through foundation, state, and federal government grants and community partnerships.
Many areas of the country have actually seen per-pupil funding increase when charter schools open. Charter schools that educate the highest-cost students for less than the district average per-pupil expenditure relieve district budget pressures and serve as a fiscal boon for districts. Nationally, charter schools enroll higher proportions of minority students, low-income students, and students limited in their English proficiency. Charter schools also often produce a net gain in teaching opportunities in the community.
How are teachers impacted by Public Charter Schools?
Most public charter schools in Wisconsin are part of their school districts, and these teachers are employees of the district and retain all of their benefits. In the select areas of the state where charter schools do not remain a part of their school district, teachers are employees of the charter school with negotiated benefits.
Charter schools are public, non-religious and tuition free schools that have independence so they can be more innovative in their curriculum offerings, yet still provide a structured, disciplined learning environment and be held accountable for improved student achievement. These schools bring innovation to Wisconsin public schools and work to revitalize public education in our state. These schools serve students most in need and provide public educational options and opportunities to families throughout Wisconsin.
Are Charter Schools public or private schools?
Charter schools are always public schools. They never charge tuition, and are not private schools. They are also:
- tuition-free and open to every student who wishes to enroll (up to space limitations)
- non-sectarian, and do not discriminate on any basis
- publicly funded by local, state and federal tax dollars based on enrollment, like other public schools
- held accountable to state and federal academic standards
What does the “charter” in Charter School mean?
Charter schools are created through a contract, or “charter,” between the operator of the school and the authorizer, which in Wisconsin is typically a local school board.
As part of the charter, and in exchange for more autonomy to develop innovative curricula, pedagogy, and operational strategies, Wisconsin public charter schools have greater accountability than traditional (non-charter) public schools for student performance, financial matters, and effective school operations. Public charter school students take the state tests required of other public school students.
Why are Charter Schools important to our state?
Traditional public schools fit the needs of many, many children in our state, but there are others who are not receiving the education they need. Public school students should not have to attend chronically underperforming schools in their communities. Public school students should not have to learn via methods that do not work best for their learning style.
All Wisconsin students need the opportunity to attend a school that will fully prepare them for the workforce or higher education, and will do everything to enhance their long-term potential.
If a traditional public school is not addressing a student’s needs, charter schools offer parents another public school option.
Public charter schools also offer an opportunity for teachers to be more involved in the development and implementation of a school that best fits their teaching strengths. Allowing teachers to have more say in decision making helps increase teacher engagement and, in turn, student engagement.
Can any child in the state attend a Charter School?
Yes, any child can attend a charter school. Some charter schools are at capacity and have waiting lists; in these situations a random selection process is used to assign enrollment seats. In cases where a student wishes to cross district lines to attend a charter school, district approvals may be required.
How is a Charter School different from magnet schools and from school vouchers?
Magnet schoolsare highly competitive, highly selective public schools known for their special programs, excellent facilities, and high academic standards. Students who apply to these schools go through a rigorous testing and application process. These schools are designed to attract students outside their immediate neighborhood. They generally have a joint purpose of racial balance and a distinctive academic focus (such as arts or sciences).
Public charter schools cannot use academic performance or testing to deny admission to a student. A school voucher gives a student some of the tax money the district would have spent to educate that student and allows the student to use the money to pay for tuition at a private or religious school. Public charter schools are NOT associated with private schools in any way.
Do Charter Schools provide a benefit to students who do not attend them?
Public charter schools bring cutting edge curricula to our state’s children and are “innovation labs,” usually within existing school districts. Charter schools serve as a “testing ground” for these new curricula, and as they are modified and developed into successful models, these curricula can be rolled out to conventional (non-charter) public schools. In the long-run, all Wisconsin students benefit from the innovative methods found in the state’s public charter schools.
How Do Charter Schools Work?
Charter schools are free to innovate in ways that improve student achievement. Here are some specific examples of how charter schools do it:
- Adjust curriculum to meet student needs. A charter school can break-up the day to provide students with more time on the core subjects they need most. Charter school teachers have a say in the curriculum they teach and frequently change materials mid-year if they need to in order to meet students' needs.
- Create a unique school culture. Charter schools build upon the core academic subjects by creating a culture or adopting a theme. For example, there are charter schools focused on STEM education, performing arts, project-based learning, college preparation, career readiness, language immersion, civic engagement, classical education, global awareness or meeting the needs of autistic students – just to name a few.
- Develop next generation learning models. Charter schools are completely rethinking the meaning of the word “classroom.” In our state, some public charter school students spend their time outside completing hands-on projects and learning traditional subjects in very unconventional ways. Virtual schools, which exist completely online, use technology to change the dynamics of the classroom. In many case, charter school students across Wisconsin are learning from experts all over the globe, as well as located right in their own communities. Some public charter schools have partnerships with post secondary institutions helping their students bridge the gap between high school and college.
- Offer longer school days/years. Charter schools are designed to be free to set their own operating hours. If the school strives to boost student achievement by giving students more time in the classroom, the school can offer classes into the evening, on weekends and into the summer months.
- Use site-based decision-making. The governing board of a charter school is the heart and soul of the school. It is true ‘local control.’ The governing board is made up of teachers, parents, and community members who ensure that the school remains true to its mission and vision and its accountability measures. This allows the school to be much more flexible and responsive to student and community needs.
How are Public Charter Schools Held Accountable to State Educational Standards?
Public charter schools are required to meet all state and federal education standards. In addition, they are judged on how well they meet student achievement goals established by their charter contracts. A quality public charter school must meet rigorous academic, fiscal and managerial standards.
How are Public Charter Schools held financially accountable?
Since public charter schools are funded with public dollars, they are required by law to be held accountable for how taxpayer dollars are spent through regular audits and ongoing reviews from their authorizing entities. As a public school, all financial records for charter schools are open to the public.
How are Public Charter Schools funded?
90% of Wisconsin’s public charter schools are funded in the same way that traditional public schools are funded – each district receives a per pupil allocation for public school students regardless of their enrollment in a traditional or charter school. The contract should establish the amount of money that will be paid from the district to the school on a per pupil basis. Independent charter schools are funded from the same pot of money, but at a lower per pupil cost than most districts.
Public charter schools do not add any new costs to the state’s public education system.
Do Charter Schools work?
Public Charter Schools were designed to boost student achievement and be innovation labs.
- Public charter schools are working to close the achievement gap in many different communities across Wisconsin.
- Public charter schools are breaking through long-standing barriers that have prevented students from underserved communities from having high quality options in public school education.
Is there data that shows state-wide support for Public Charter Schools?
Close to two-thirds of Wisconsin voters (64 percent) favor creating more public school options for parents. Wisconsin voters believe that allowing parents to choose the most appropriate public school for their child will improve the entire public school system.
Voters in the city of Milwaukee demonstrated they are even more strongly in favor of more public school choices, with three-in-four voters (75 percent) favoring giving parents more public school options.
More than eight in 10 Wisconsin voters are in favor of many of the things that charter schools do, including holding students, teachers and parents accountable for improving student achievement (91 percent); providing a more structured learning environment, more student discipline and requiring more parental involvement (90 percent).
How do Public Charter Schools benefit Wisconsin?
In addition to serving as a testing ground for innovative curriculums that can be rolled out to all public schools across the state, Wisconsin’s Charter Schools support the public school systems and local communities in which they are located, and provide other long-term benefits to our state.
- Charter schools increase property values and tax revenues. Charter schools generate new property tax revenue when they increase property values of dilapidated buildings they renovate and rehabilitate to use as public schools. Property values may also increase in the communities where high quality charter schools are established.
- Quality charter schools produce more high school and college graduates. While some charter schools are still too young to produce long-term data, many charter schools are producing more high school graduates, fewer high school drop outs, and more college attendees and graduates, thus reducing a community’s investment in social services and ultimately increasing its tax revenue.
- Charter schools also hone students’ skills and prepare these students to enter the workforce and begin successful careers in high-technology, biotechnology, or other fast-growing fields in our state that require well-trained workers.
Are Wisconsin’s Public Charter Schools expensive?
Since charter schools are public schools, the money that they receive comes from the same source of funding for all public education. Charter schools often bring new resources into a community’s public school system through foundation, state, and federal government grants and community partnerships.
Many areas of the country have actually seen per-pupil funding increase when charter schools open. Charter schools that educate the highest-cost students for less than the district average per-pupil expenditure relieve district budget pressures and serve as a fiscal boon for districts. Nationally, charter schools enroll higher proportions of minority students, low-income students, and students limited in their English proficiency. Charter schools also often produce a net gain in teaching opportunities in the community.
How are teachers impacted by Public Charter Schools?
Most public charter schools in Wisconsin are part of their school districts, and these teachers are employees of the district and retain all of their benefits. In the select areas of the state where charter schools do not remain a part of their school district, teachers are employees of the charter school with negotiated benefits.
