What Are Charter Schools?

Charter public schools are an important part of Massachusetts public school system. They are tuition-free and have an enrollment process that treats all students equally. Charter public schools operate under five-year “charters” granted by the Commonwealth’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which renews their charters every five years. These agreements allow charter public schools to operate independently from the local school district in order to have greater flexibility in how they approach key areas of school life, including: curriculum design, staffing, teacher leadership, professional development, and school culture.

Charter public schools are held to the highest accountability standard of any public school in Massachusetts. They are governed by public boards of trustees, and like district public school  committees, charter public school boards in the Commonwealth are subject to the open meeting law, conflict of interest law, and public records requirements. Charter public schools are often proposed and established by teachers, school leaders, parents, and other members of the community.

The best public education systems support all kids in reaching their full potential, and charter public schools are part of the formula that has given Massachusetts the top-performing public schools in the country.

To learn more, please visit https://masscharterschools.org/get-the-facts/.