Author: Marlies BurnsPublisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 187
Book Description
PUBLIC ABSTRACT: School choice is a continual hot topic of discussion among educators and the public alike. Utah, the 34th state to join the charter school movement, was a late comer to the game in 1998. This dissertation explores the history of the development of Utah's charter school legislation. Marlies Burns, researcher, identified events both in Utah and outside Utah that led to the introduction of charter school legislation, including divisions occurred among stakeholders concerning legislation. In 1998, the legislature discussed and passed Utah's Charter School Act. Prior to passage, the legislature considered several proposals and modified the bill language significantly. Since 1998, charter school laws have been changed every year to strengthen the law. Strong charter school laws are designed to provide for the establishment of high quality charter schools. Despite the legislative changes, 81 charter schools are now in operation, serving nearly 44,900 students and seven more charter schools are in queue to open in fall 2012. The conclusion offers recommendations to strengthen the charter school environment in Utah on topics such as flexibility from laws, changes in school funding, strengthening the authorizer environment, and working to create legitimate school choice options for all students.