Charter Schools

Guest: David Miller, PhD, Director of the Collaborative Assessment and Program Evaluation Services at the University of Florida’s College of Education  Over the last decade, new charter schools have sprung up at a fast clip while every nearly every state in the country passed laws allowing them to receive public education funds. Charter schools are often popular for the special programs they’re able to offer as a result of the flexibility that comes with not being a formal public school. But the data so far on just how well charter schools do at improving student performance is mixed. Researchers at the University of Florida found that charter schools in that state lose about 10 percent of their teachers each year – more than double the turnover rate at public schools. The results are similar to what a number of other states have found.