The idea of charter schools arose as a means to allow for innovation by creating schools that were free from traditional regulations, but were held accountable for their performance. More recently, however, charter school advocates have suggested that increasing school choice options will create competition that improves the quality of education for all students. Forty states and Washington, DC, permit charter schools. State legislation shapes the form of charter schools by specifying who can charter schools, where they can be located, and a variety of other important characteristics. School choice has been a growing option in education over the past several decades. In this essay, the author argues that school choice options, such as charter schools, that don't explicitly have civil rights provisions may exacerbate existing segregation and inequality. She briefly reviews what people know about the outcomes of students who attend charter schools. She, then, describes recent findings about access to charter schools and related questions of segregation.