Examining charter schools in America
Past Event
Examining charter schools in America
Examining charter schools in America

Past, present, and future of charter schools

The research evidence on charter school effects, academic and otherwise
Charter schools, introduced to the U.S. in the 1980s, were conceived as laboratories of experimentation in instruction, integration, and school leadership. Over time, they have become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional public schools. As of this year, charters account for approximately six percent of all public school students, and President Obama’s proposed budget includes $375 million for charter schools—a 48 percent increase from the previous year. What does the future hold for this model in American schooling? What are charter schools doing well and where do they need to do better?
On April 26, Governance Studies at Brookings hosted a forum to examine charter schools in America. This event, the seventh in the A. Alfred Taubman Forum on Public Policy series, convened leaders from various perspectives to explore the role, effectiveness, and future of charter schools in the U.S. education system.
Join the conversation on Twitter at #CharterSchools and @BrookingsGov
Agenda
Welcome and introduction
Darrell M. West
Senior Fellow - Center for Technology Innovation
Douglas Dillon Chair in Governmental Studies
Past, present, and future of charter schools
Michael Hansen
Senior Fellow - Brown Center on Education Policy
The Herman and George R. Brown Chair - Governance Studies
Howard L. Fuller
Distinguished Professor of Education
Nina Shokraii Rees
Advisor, Bush-Cheney Transition; Analyst, Heritage Foundation
The research evidence on charter school effects, academic and otherwise
Michael Hansen
Senior Fellow - Brown Center on Education Policy
The Herman and George R. Brown Chair - Governance Studies
Douglas N. Harris
Nonresident Senior Fellow - Governance Studies, Brown Center on Education Policy
Professor and Chair, Department of Economics - Tulane University
The role of charters in public education and communities
Arne Duncan
Former Brookings Expert
Former Secretary of Education (2009-2015)
Managing Partner - Emerson Collective
More Information
To subscribe or manage your subscriptions to our top event topic lists, please visit our event topics page.