Since a charter school is accountable, it can be shut down if it fails to deliver on its educational goals. John S. Ayers, Vice President for Communiations at the National Association of Charter School Authorizers explains that charters function under a performance contract. This means the school has the ability and opportunity to serve its students’ needs in return for a commitment to meet higher standards of accountability. Ayers says, “We feel that charter is the environment where such schools are more likely to be held properly accountable for performance and closed when they are not serving their students or holding the public trust.”
Started by parents, teachers, community organizations and not-for-profit companies, charter schools often take on a more grass-roots approach. While exempt from selected state or local rules and regulations, they still follow many of the same regulations as other public schools.