Charter Schools and School Psychology

Charter schools are a growing phenomenon in the contemporary educational landscape. In this article, charter schools are defined, and the various reasons that contributed to the creation of, and interest in, charter schools are briefly described. Select examples of successful, well-performing charters are profiled, along with criticisms of charter schools from various sectors. Eighty-nine trainers within school psychology programs throughout America responded to an anonymous online survey that asked their opinions on controversial topics related to charter schools, as well as indicating the extent to which their students were placed in charter schools for practica and internships within the past 5 years. Results indicated no clear imbalance of opinions on most controversial issues. However, a clear orientation against uncertified teachers working in charters, as well as an unwillingness to place students in charters without high quality services to children with disabilities, was observed. Implications of this research are then discussed.