The charter school movement, which gained prominence in the late 1980s and has been gaining ground ever since, began as a way to close the achievement gap between white and non-white students. Many charters still view that as a core mission. But many of the same problems that plague traditional public schools are found in charters as well. The schools are tuition-free and generally do not require the entrance exams, interviews or auditions that often come with private school admission. But that doesn’t mean they’re easy to get into.
