Charter School
Traditions & Culture BY MADELINE PISTORIUS
C hoosing the right school for your child is a lot like finding the right pair of tennis shoes: What’s the cost? How comfortable do they feel? What kind of support do they offer? What’s the philosophy behind the brand? Most importantly, will they hold up for the long run? The same goes for finding the right school. Selecting a school isn’t just about location or ratings. It’s about discovering a community–a place that practices meaningful traditions, strong values, inclusive connections, and a culture where your child feels seen, heard, and supported. For many families, traditional public schools check those boxes. For others, private schools offer what they’re looking for. And for a growing number, charter schools lie between the two. Every family has their own expectations, priorities, and needs when it comes to choosing a school.Like finding the perfect pair of shoes, it’s about the perfect fit.
UNDERSTANDING CHARTER SCHOOLS
The freedom and flexibility granted to charter schools allows creative traditions and cultures to develop. Under a unique structure–the ability to welcome students of any neighborhood, disability, race, national origin, gender, religion, and academic achievement–they are able to shape their specific environments to further include, inspire, and engage students and their families. A lottery system is practiced at the majority of charter schools as a way to enforce equal opportunity to all applicants while keeping the number of students equal to the size of the school. On average, charter schools accommodate roughly 300 students, compared to traditional public schools, which typically enroll more than 500. This leads to smaller classrooms, where teachers can further connect with students on a one- on-one level. LOCAL INSIGHT
Think of a charter school as the middle ground between traditional public and private education. Factually, they are publicly funded schools that are overseen by an authorizer and governed by independent organizations and boards–working to keep all those enrolled tuition-free. They have the autonomy to organize programs, classes, and learning approaches based on the needs of their students, rather than following a one- size-fits all model, as explained by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Charter schools were first introduced in the early 1990s, and today nearly 8,000 operate across the country. Around 53 charter schools currently stand in the greater Denver region. AN OVERALL APPEAL
30 COLORADO PARENT JANUARY 2026
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