The+first+charter+school+law+is+passed+(Section+11+Group+4)

Section 11 Group 4 Benchmark Name: The Minnesota Charter School Law of 1991.

Basic Summary of Benchmark: In 1991, Minnesota adopted charter school legislation to expand a longstanding program of public school choice and to stimulate broader system improvements. Charter schools are nonsectarian public schools of choice that operate with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The term charter school comes from an idea that suggested that small groups of teachers be given contracts or “charters” by their local school boards to explore new approaches to schools and teaching. Some goals of charter schools are to increase opportunities for learning, create choice for parents and students within the public school system, encourage innovative teaching practices and community and parent involvement in public education and to provide a system of accountability for results in public education (http://www.mncharterschools.org/page/learn.jsp). Minnesota developed their schools according to three basic values; opportunity, choice, and responsibility for results (http://www.uscharterschools.org/pub/uscs_docs/o/history.htm**).

Key Manifestations: In 1992, California followed Minnesota in its passing of the charter school law. By 1995, 19 states had signed laws allowing for the creation of charter schools and by 2003 that number increased to 40 states. Arizona's 1994 law is the strongest, with multiple charter-granting agencies, freedom from local labor contracts, and large numbers of charters permitted. The states with the strongest charter school laws are Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and North Carolina.

Key Personnel: Ember Reichgott Junge was the State Senator from Minnesota who authored the charter school law. Two other sources of the original thinking behind this idea were Ted Kolderie, senior associate at the Center for Policy Studies, and Joe Nathan, director of the Center for School Change and the Minnesota Charter School. Also, former U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger was important in the legislation of this charter law because his legislation created a federal grant program for charter schools. This law was cosponsored by former Senator Joseph Lieberman and was strongly supported by Former President Bill Clinton.

Why/How a benchmark? The passing of this law provided an alternative to a regular public school and gave a new outlook on the goals and purpose of education. Also, it was a law that other states soon began to legislate. (See Key Manifestations). Years after 1992, legislation of charter school laws and establishment of charter schools were still put into effect. Former President Clinton called for the creation of 3,000 charter schools by the year 2002 and that year, President Bush called for $200 million to support charter schools. Over half of the New Orleans schools that are re-opening after Hurricane Katrina are doing so as charter schools. As of 2006, there were 3940 charter schools operating in the US and organizations such as the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools are in existence today (http://www.prnewswire.com/).

Links: http://www.uscharterschools.org/pub/uscs_docs/o/history.htm http://www.mncharterschools.org/page/learn.jsp** http://www.ppionline.org/documents/MN_Charters_0504.pdf