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Much of the school choice debate today is centered on charter schools, which are similar to private schools in that they operate outside the bureaucracy of the public school system and have some level of autonomy in their organization and curriculum delivery. Many charter schools serve specific religious, ethnic, or demographic needs. Parents and educators who are charter school advocates define charter schools as independent public schools, designed and primarily operated by educators, parents, community leaders, and educational entrepreneurs. By the fall of 1998 there were 1200 charter schools nationwide educating 200,000 children. This paper first provides some historical information about charter schools and the impetus for their creation. The paper notes that, although there are some controversies about charter schools and powerful opposition to them, they thrive because they get results, particularly in charter school students' reading and writing scores. According to the paper, in 50 out of 53 studies