A Skeptical Look At Charter Schools

"In the last decade, religious organizations have flocked to charter schools as a way to get public tax dollars to promote their private agendas. Sometimes, religious schools simply close at the end of the school year and reopen in the fall as public charter schools, hiring many of the same teachers and taking on most of the same students."

Does Religion Have a Place in Public Schools?

"It’s impossible to generalize charter schools. How charters are run, funded, and overseen varies dramatically from state to state, school to school. In Charter Schools at the Crossroads, one of the most comprehensive overviews of the charter movement, Chester Finn, M.A.T.’67, Ed.D.’70, concludes, 'The charter track record can best be described as stunningly uneven.'”

The Battle Over Charter Schools

"Public charter schools must abide by the constitutional principle of separation of church and state, just like any other public school.

"They may not anchor their curriculum in religion or teach religious views in the classroom, require students to pray, admit only members of certain faith groups, or use religion as an excuse to discriminate.

"When public charter schools violate these principles of religious freedom, students feel excluded or that they belong to the 'wrong' religion. Americans United fights to ensure public charter schools follow the law because no child should feel like an outsider in his or her own school."

Americans United for Separation of Church and State - Position on Public Charter Schools