The charter school -- charter authorizer relationship

Thesis (M.A., Education (Educational Leadership)) -- California State University, Sacramento, 2009.Faced with a failing educational system, reformers began to look for new ways to\ud increase student success. One reform, charter schools, is based on increased\ud programmatic freedom combined with parental choice in exchange for increased\ud accountability. Charter legislation gives wide latitude to organizers to create many different types\ud of schools. Yet, regardless of the model, all charters must be authorized by a state approved entity. The purpose of the authorizer is to approve a charter petition, monitor\ud the health of the school, and ultimately reward or sanction the charter's results. Although\ud the vast majority of these charter "authorizers" are local school districts, many states\ud allow for "alternative" authorizers. Unfortunately, many of the unique features which make charter schools so intriguing also create unique issues for charter authorizers.\ud Although charter schools have generally gained acceptance and have become a viable\ud part of the educational system, much controversy still remains. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between charter schools\ud within Sacramento County and their charter authorizers in order to ascertain whether or\ud not the schools and their authorizers are in alignment with the original intent of the\ud California charter legislation. This study utilizes the perceptions of charter school administrators who deal\ud directly with their school's authorizing sponsor as well as additional "hard data" in the\ud form of the authorizers' own board agendas in order to assess the current state of charter\ud school - charter authorizer relationship. Charter schools have established innovative programs throughout the county, and\ud their authorizing districts appear to be faithful to their oversight responsibilities. Yet, the\ud question still remains if these partnerships are now, or will ever be, in alignment with the\ud spirit of the legislation. Currently, it appears both charter schools and charter authorizers\ud operate from a "due diligence" standpoint and are content relegate the relationship to\ud benign acceptance of one another's role in education.Education (Educational Leadership