Inside Charter Schools – a Two-Part Series
Charter schools can be a controversial topic among both educators and political leaders.
Charter schools have been around since 1991 and the very first charter school in the country was started here in Minnesota. One expert, who helped write the charter school law, supports school choice. He says there are certain characteristics every charter school has.
A local teacher’s union representative, who stands on the opposite side of the issue, says he feels that charter schools under serve certain students.
Part 1: Differing Views on their Impact
The nation’s first charter school law originated in Minnesota in 1991. Today there are more than 150 charter schools across the state that educate about 60,000 students. Joe Nathan, director of the Center for School Change, and Peter Eckhoff, president of the Robbinsdale Federation of Teachers, weighed in on both sides of the charter school debate. Read More
Part 2: Choosing a School
Beacon Academy in Crystal has been around since 2004. The charter school offers every day Spanish and emphasizes teaching character. The K-8 school emphasizes small class sizes that appeal to families. Read More
