Discusses a growing belief that the present U.S. school enterprise is incapable of doing much better because it is intellectually misguided, ideologically wrong-headed, and organizationally dysfunctional. Explains the implications of charter schools for public education, examining the present status of charter schools, accounting for where they…

Discusses how the charter school movement is having systemic effects on U.S. education, examining eight important issues that, when resolved, may make charter schools valued community institutions and spur K-12 education to reinvent itself. Surmounting the eight challenges would keep charter schools in the center stage of the education reform…

This book provides an overview of the thinking behind the charter schools movement, using information from over 3 years of immersion in the charter schools movement via the Educational Excellence Network. The first 2 years of the Network were devoted to research on charter schools in action. The research examined practical and policy issues…

Provides background information on the Hudson Institute's "Charter Schools in Action" project that studied 50 charter schools in 10 states. Examines innovative ways charter schools organize and support themselves, and presents five lessons from the charter-school movement. Public schools would benefit by becoming more consumer-oriented,…

Presents results from the Hudson Institute's Charter Schools in Action, a two-year research project that evaluated the creation, operation, and impact of charter schools. The paper discusses the charter notion and examines accomplishments achieved and dilemmas confronted by various charter schools. The study concludes that charter schools are a…

Examines how charter schools can avoid past pitfalls, describing: policy dilemmas (e.g., state charter laws and political opposition); school-level dilemmas (e.g., lack of business acumen and enrollment problems); and the life cycle of charter schools (e.g., staff burnout and worrisome test scores). Notes solutions to startup problems, examining…

Explores the role of charter schools and explains why the charter movement is so promising for transforming U.S. education, particularly in urban areas. Addresses three common objections to charter schools and asserts that charter schools can serve the needs of at-risk and disabled students. (SLD)

The Fordham Foundation commissioned experts in each of the five core academic subjects (English, history, geography, mathematics, and science) to develop criteria for excellence and apply them to as many state standards as could be obtained. This summary report compiles the numerical scores and letter grades that each state earned in every…