What is a Charter School?

1. Charter schools launched and operated by parents, teachers, and community members. They are tuition-free, funded by tax dollars, and are subject to regulation by the Department of Education.

2. Charter schools are run by a board of directors and operate independent of the local school district.

3. Charters can select programming and curriculum that differs from the local public school and are usually centered around a specific type of educational pedagogy, for example, Great Oaks has chosen a Classical, Liberal Arts approach.

4. Charter schools are overseen by an authorizer that reports to the Department of Education. Great Oaks Academy is authorized by Novation Education Opportunities. You can learn more about NEO here.

5. For more information:

• Minnesota Department of Education – Charter Schools
• Minnesota Association of Charter Schools
• Minnesota Issues Resource Guides – Charter Schools