No two kids learn the same way, and every family and community deserves high quality public education. That’s why 30 years ago, California families got together and created charter public schools to strengthen our public education system.
They offer a different approach to public education—one that is as unique as the kids of California, one that puts kids above bureaucracy, and one that gives passionate teachers the flexibility to create dynamic lesson plans tailored to kids’ individual needs. As a result, charter public schools send more kids to college and are preparing more kids for the jobs of tomorrow.
California charter schools are
Free, Public, and Open to All
Charter Schools are Reimagining Public Education
We know “one-size-fits-all” does not work when it comes to education. Charter public schools put students first and offer the personal attention, creativity, and passionate teaching that students need to succeed.
A Part of Your Public School System
Charter schools are free, public and open to all! Our non-profit schools help strengthen California’s public school system by offering students more opportunities for a great public education.
Charter Schools are for Every Student
Charter schools are open to every student, every family and every community. They are built on the belief that every student should have an equal opportunity to go to a high-quality school that puts their needs first- regardless of zip code, income or academic ability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. All charter schools in California are public schools, they are free and open to all.
Charter public schools are open to all students and do not special eligibility or entrance requirements. Charter public schools are built on the belief that every student should have the opportunity to go to a great school that puts their needs first, regardless of zip code, income or ability level.
We know “one-size-fits-all” doesn’t work when it comes to education. Our schools offer the personal attention, creativity and passionate teaching that kids need to succeed. Charter public schools are free from bureaucratic restrictions and red tape that gets between students, teachers, and learning. In exchange, our schools are held to high performance standard.
Our schools put the needs of students first, not the interests of the bureaucracy. Every family at our schools made a choice to be there – and will choose another public school if we don’t meet their needs. To ensure we meet that high standard for all families, we are accountable to state and federal public education laws and undergo extensive oversight by a local charter authorizer, which is often the local school board.
Our schools are publicly funded and open to all students. Like all public schools, we also fundraise and receive donations to help support our students. Charter public schools in California never charge tuition and nearly all are managed by non-profit organizations.
The passionate and dedicated teachers at our schools are required to have the same credentials as teachers at any other type of public school in California.
Our schools combine the key ingredients for an excellent public education – great teachers, motivated students and involved parents – and focus on preparing students for success in college, careers and life.
Our schools help strengthen California's public school system by offering more kids an opportunity for a great public education at schools that put their needs first. Public education is the backbone of the American dream — and charter public schools help give every student the opportunity to grow and achieve.
If you are interested in enrolling in a charter school, check with the school about the enrollment process. Generally, the first step is to turn in a very simple application form. Under state law, if a charter school receives more applications than it has spaces available, the school must hold a blind lottery.
A child with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) has the right to participate in the lottery or drawing in the same manner as other students. Some schools may request information about your child's IEP at the time of enrollment in order for the school to plan how they will meet your child's needs; however, a school may not refuse to enroll your child based on the existence or contents of the IEP.
If you do not have an IEP for your child, the charter school’s IEP team will collaborate with your family to conduct an assessment and determine the appropriate supports and services for your child.
To learn more, visit Special Education: Embracing All Students.
Instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach, California charter public school teachers have the flexibility to create dynamic lesson plans tailored to their students’ needs.
Simply put, school models are used to define the framework the school uses in order to educate your child. These new models still require teachers to have proper credentials and must meet or exceed the same academic standards as traditional public schools.
Some popular school models include:
If your child has an innate interest in math, science or building things, a STEM charter school may be a natural choice.
At dual language or language immersion charter schools, students spend part of the day learning all subjects in English and the other part learning all subjects in a target language.
Long embraced by preschools, Montessori-style education is now available in elementary, middle and high schools. It’s an approach to learning where each student may be working independently on entirely different tasks.
Core skills are taught through the lens of learning about the natural world and environmental issues both inside the classroom and outside in nature.
