There is another upswing in the educational reform in the United states; a process taken straight from the schools now operating in Europe and Asia, where nit-picking educational laws are not very apparent. In principal here is what they are versus each other:

In a competitive drive for federal funding, as long as there IS federal funding available, or a turn-into practice of using private corporate funding, a new school system is on the horizon; it being the "Innovative School" and it competes head-to-head with the Charter School system.

Innovative Schools are autonomous from public schools and is said to hold more flexibility for federal funding, curriculum, scheduling and staffing decisions. Okay, so are Charter schools. We go on...Charter Schools duly operate with more freedom from many anchored-down federal and state regulations that now apply to the traditional public school system. Thus, (some of) the disregards for Charter School Systems in some communities across the United States.

The competition levels between the traditional public school system, the Charter School system, compared together, are healthy for choice of educational opportunities, however. It brings on more focused educational practices and that said, competition drives excellence.

The Innovative School systems policies and practices could exceed, but not conflict with those existing statutory or regulatory requirements for the traditional public schools. However, that language of law on the educational books, removes any real autonomy from the newbie Innovative School theories.

Charters advocate choice, freedom, accountability, and competition. This is what America was established upon. Charter Schools are designed to incorporate the parent's involvement in their child's or children's educational upbringing and advancing learning curves, and also encourages innovative teaching methodologies - versus not getting bogged-down in the traditional public school governmentally-mandated policies. Although it is great to see another educational process being brought into the picture and laid on the table, maybe it is choice of opportunity is what is necessary instead of hard-core, contrary thought process against anything innovative and opportunistic in education. [J T "Jackie" King]