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Nearly all charter school action happens at the state and local level. Parents and communities develop and run the schools, local or state authorizers monitor their progress, regional or state associations provide support and guidance, and state governments write the laws that set all these pieces in motion. While it’s true that the US Department of Education provides financial support to charter developers and operators, and while charter schools are subject to federal law, charters are the creation of committed parents, teachers, and community activists.

Because this is a grassroots movement, it is marked by great diversity. State and local interests are reflected in the number and location of new schools, the variety of options, and the government rules that regulate day-to-day school operations. Some states have hundreds of charter schools, while others have only a handful. States offer a wide variety of school types, from charter schools dedicated to the arts, to others that stress character development or experiential learning. State laws typically welcome all these variations, but often stress chartering as a vehicle to help students at risk of academic failure in more conventional school settings.

In this section of our web site, you’ll find the latest news and state-specific charter school information, including contact information for state charter associations and resource centers. We encourage you to get in touch with these experts “on the ground” who are most familiar with the chartering environment in their own states.

Visit the Online Charter School Database and Compare Charter School Policies