Abstract
The Family Learning Center Charter School case details the start-up and first year of operations of an elementary charter school in a diverse and relatively low-income area of St. Paul, Minnesota. The school's founder, Dr. Wayne Jennings, established the school to test hismodel for Community Learning Centers, designed around nineteen research-based principles. Jennings struggles to implement the model faithfully, dealing with all the other challenges of starting a new charter school, including funding problems, an inexperienced staff, and the lack of an established curriculum.
The case is useful for administrators-in-training, administrators already in leadership positions in traditionalpublic schools, and individuals interested in exploring the establishment of a charter school. In particular, it addresses three significant questions. First, what are charter schools? Fundamentally, the case serves to clear up general misconceptions about charter schools and offer a concrete illustration. Second, how should new and innovativeprograms be evaluated? The case provides a format to discuss the standards, means, and length of evaluation of a program's performance. Finally, how should leadership respond as it strives to meet its goals with limited resources? Charter schools provide an exceptional level of autonomy while also demanding an unparallel demonstration of accountability.
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