About Charter Schools

Back in 1996, in response to ever-louder demands for reform in public education, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Charter School law, allowing for the creation of up to 100 new, independent, wholly public schools. The idea was to give families some public school choice, and to give the traditional public school systems some competition (which is supposed to increase effectiveness and efficiency). Also, it can be difficult for established, entrenched public school systems to encourage, or even allow, new educational practices, and it was hoped that Charter Schools could function as laboratories, helping the education community work out what ideas can work, and which can't. Francine Delany New School for Children was part of the first wave of these often innovative, new, exciting, and energetic public schools. We opened in 1997, which was the first year the law allowed.

The best way to think of Charter Schools is as small, usually one-school, public school systems. Keep in mind, though, that, since they're free to do things as they see fit, one Charter School can be very, very different from another. Rather than looking at Charter Schools as a group, therefore, the education community could learn a whole lot more by looking at each school's individual challenges and successes.

Because they're public schools, and because they receive state funds, Charter Schools must follow the same state rules and regulations that traditional public school systems follow. If Charter Schools provide food, they must participate in the free and reduced-cost breakfast and lunch program. They must either participate in the state's end-of-grade testing program or come up with similar tests on their own. They do not discriminate, in our admissions or elsewhere, on the basis of race, creed, gender, or ability.

With all public schools, funding is an issue, but for Charter Schools, it's especially acute. Unlike traditional school systems, Charter Schools do not get start-up or capital improvement funds, and they must fight to receive their fair share of fines and forfeiture and supplemental tax dollars. The continued success and popularity of the Charter School movement in North Carolina, despite these obstacles, is evidence that real public education reform is happening outside of the traditional systems.

If you'd like more information about Francine Delany New School for Children, please contact us at office@fdnsc.net, or at (828) 236-9441.

For additional information on North Carolina Charter Schools, please visit the North Carolina Office of Charter Schools web site at: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/charter_schools.