Alberta charter schools are a special type of public schools, which have a greater degree of autonomy than a normal school, to allow them to offer programs that are significantly different than regular public schools operated by district school boards. Charter schools report directly to the province, bypassing their local district school board. Alberta, which passed enabling legislation in 1994, is the only province in Canada to have them. They are similar in many ways to charter schools in the United States. Motto: Fortis et Liber (Strong and free) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ralph Klein (PC) Area 661,848 km² (6th) • Land 642,317 km² • Water 19,531 km² (2. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... In the United States, a charter school is a public school that is created via a legal charter. ...

Legal framework

Source: Alberta charter school handbook (PDF)

Public

As public schools, they are fully funded by the province. They do not charge tuition for admission, although they may charge schools fees, like other public schools. They can not be affiliated with any religion, but may teach religious classes, like other public schools. If they have the space, they must accept any student who would be eligible to attend a regular public school in the area. This rule does allow for certain types of selectivity, such as a single-gender schools. A major exception granted charters, is that they are not required to meet special needs of certain students. For instance, they may not provide services to mentally disabled students, which the public district board must.

Exactly, how open charter schools are to students, is one point of controversy between supporters and opponents. For instance, legally, charter schools can not expel a student for behavioral problems (page 3 of handbook). However many public district school boards feel that troubled students are still dumped on them by charters, who only want "easy" students. As well, since a charter board has just one school, it doesn't have the option a district board does, of sending the student to a different school within the same board.

Charter

As the name implies, each school is given a charter, which defines what is unique about the school. It's a kind of agreement between the provincial government and the school, on the purpose of the school. The charter must be renewed after a set a number of years. Failure to meet the terms of the charter, will cause it be cancelled.

Before a charter can be set-up, the supporters of it must first approach the local district school board, and request an alternate program be established to meet their needs. Only after the district board refuses the application, can they then approach the province. Such refusals are common, since district boards are rarely willing or able to grant the level of autonomy wanted by applicants. The province will only grant the charter if it feels legitimate goals in education can not be met within the district school board.

For each charter school, a special volunteer board is set up, with powers similar to a normal district school board; but limited to a single school. The charter board controls the executive of the school, who handles day-to-day operations, and is accountable directly to the provincial government. The board must have representation from parents and teachers.

To remain in existence, a charter school must prove ongoing success in meeting the terms of its charter. If it fails to do so, it will be terminated. Also, a charter my voluntarily decide to hand over the school to the local public school board, if it feels its better run by local district school board; thereby dissolving the charter.

Curriculum

The province has a single curriculum for all schools in the province, public, separate, and charter. To graduate students in charter schools, must pass the diploma examinations as any other student in Alberta.

Staffing

Charter schools can not directly employ members of the public teachers union, known as the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) directly. However, they may hire them through their district school board. However, as a practical manner, charters and the ATA are often incompatible. Charters often emphasize parental involvement in all matters, including teacher accountability. The ATA does not accept this in its collective bargaining agreements. It tries to prevent any process that allows, what it sees as, political interference in professional practices.

Charter schools

The following is from an official list of charter schools in Alberta. As charter schools tend to be new and small, the exact grade range is more likely to change than with older and larger schools. Schools late in completing required reports to the provincial government may be excluded from the list.

{{Hide = {{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: {{Unhide = {{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Heart of the new west City of Calgary, Alberta, Canada location. ... Calgary Girls School (CGS) is an all female public charter school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. ... {{Hide = {{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: {{Unhide = {{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Industry Integrity Progress City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada location. ... While many individuals are content to play a musical instrument by ear or by practicing individual pieces until a reasonable proficiency is achieved, others wish to develop mastery of one or more instruments, and commonly seek formal instruction in the form of music lessons. ... The Suzuki method is a way of teaching most often used in learning to play music. ... Shinichi Suzuki (鈴木鎮一 Suzuki Shinichi, October 17, 1898 - January 26, 1998) was the creator of the Suzuki method of teaching music. ... Fort McMurray is a hamlet in the northeastern part of Canadas western province of Alberta, in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Alberta. ... Medicine Hat, known to locals as the Hat, is a city of 56,048 (according to the 2005 municipal census) and is located in the southeastern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. ... Sherwood Park is an urban services area (not a hamlet) located east of Edmonton, Alberta in the Specialized Municipality of Strathcona County, named in honor of Lord Strathcona. ...

External links

• Alberta charter school handbook (PDF)
• Canadian Charter Schools Centre - Information on Alberta charter schools.
• University of Saskatchewan On Campus News (February 6, 2004)- Article discusses findings of professor who studied charter schools in Alberta, and is critical of them.