Charter Schools Since President Clinton signed into law, H.R. 2616, the “Charter School Expansion Act of 1998,” charter schools have provided an alternative for parents of public school students ( Lin, Q., 2001, p.2). To date, charter schools enroll over 500,000 students (Fusarelli, 2002, p. 1). Charter schools have been favored because it is believed that they can provide a way to improve student outcomes by serving students who have been underserved by public schools (Fusarelli, 2002). It is believed that by creating a competitive education system, public schools will undergo significant reforms in response to the threat (Franklin, 2002). Because parents of charter school students have chosen for their children to attend a charter school, it is believed that parents will be more “involved” in their children's education (Hammer, 2003). Charter schools in many states are “exempt from many state mandates” (Fusarelli, 2002, p. 2). As a result of these exemptions, charter schools also have more flexibility for administrators when hiring teachers and operating a school. They are able to provide higher salaries to teachers who work in difficult-to-fill teaching positions (Finn, Kanstoroom, 2002). On the other hand, charter schools are doomed to fail due to lack of funding and their limited resources, resulting from poor planning. Charter schools are often believed to be run by self-appointed leaders who are accused of lacking adequate expertise to create quality charter schools (Self, 2002). Due to their novelty in education, little is known about their long-term effectiveness (Lubienski, 2003). Charter schools are independent public schools of choice. Finn (1996) writes that researchers find that the best charter schools have almost total independence in deciding what and how to teach, who to hire and how to use their resources, hours of operation, and how best to meet students' needs . One might assume that many charter schools enjoy the flexibility and success that comes with operating a school of choice. However, charters are also held accountable in a way that regular public schools are not. When a charter school experiences serious problems, it usually faces serious consequences. To date, more than 200 failed or failing charter schools have been closed fiscally, educationally, and organizationally… halfway through… a, district schools have lost state funding equivalent to 57% per pupil for every student who transferred from the district to charter schools. This is a big concern, especially considering the other big cuts the government has imposed on schools. Maranto (Wint 2001) states that for this reason public schools compete with charter schools. In conclusion, many frustrated teachers, parents, and other stakeholders believe that government is unable to provide solutions to improve education because traditional government structures and mandates are, in their opinion, a large part of the problem (Chubb & Moe, 1990 ). A real solution, they offer, is to reinvent the system through which we provide and manage public education; a reinvented system of choice, flexibility and accountability that includes the creation of charter schools. Communities are invited to create new public schools with high levels of autonomy to be innovative in ways that may or may not embrace traditional educational structures. These schools are invited to embark on new and unexplored paths, but they are also held accountable for ensuring that these paths lead to student educational success.