Application Process

Introduction

The University interprets its responsibility to authorize charter schools as a part of a larger attempt to improve education for children and in this instance, the education of children in the City. Charter schools must have programs that provide quality education to urban students and address the critical issues of today’s urban education environment. The academic achievement of children who are viewed as at-risk should be the central focus of the charter school application. Substantive outcomes must be given priority over process experiences if academic achievement is to serve as the central focus.

Being granted a charter to operate a school requires thought and planning as well as a committed organization that can sustain the development and operational requirements of a charter school. Potential applicants must be able to commit eighteen to twenty-four months of planning time before a charter school can become a reality.

The University and SOE consider the following principles to be essential to the development of charter schools authorized by the University. These principles are as follows:

• The charter school should be developed to improve the overall education conditions for children who live in the City.
• The charter school should reflect the "best educational practices" based upon professional standards and current research.
• The charter school should be developed to reflect linkages between and among the school, families, and community agencies.
• The charter school should reflect and be consistent with the UWM-SOE Urban Mission in all respects.
• The charter school population should reflect the diversity of the population of the City.
• The administration of the charter school should embody principles of democratic management.
• The charter school success measures should encompass both academic and social outcomes for children, as well as consumer satisfaction.