Montessori Charter Schools
Montessori schools, which promote hands-on, experiential learning, are a popular type of charter school in Arizona, particularly for elementary schools. Many private Montessori schools converted to charter schools when the charter law passed. Four of the most prominent Montessori schools are Keystone, Villa Montessori, Montessori Day School and Arizona Montessori, according to Ed Huffman, business manager of the Foundation for Montessori Scholarships, a nonprofit organization that promotes Montessori education and provides scholarship funds to private Montessori schools through Arizona tax credits. Khalsa Montessori is "tops in test scores and has a great parent community," notes Robert Maranto, author of School Choice in the Real World: Lessons from Arizona Charter Schools. "Don't just choose a charter school because it has 'Montessori' in its name," advises Mary Wolf, an educational consultant in Phoenix. There's a wide variety in quality, so you will need to do your homework.

Art Charter Schools
Schools that emphasize the arts are another popular type of charter school. Some highly rated schools to consider are Casy Country Day School (K-4, two locations), New School for the Arts (9-12) and Arizona School for the Arts (6-12).

Academic Charter Schools
Many charter schools specialize in challenging and demanding academic curriculum. Tempe Preparatory Academy, (7-12) one of only two schools to receive an "excelling" rating from the state of Arizona in 2002, is one of these charters with a rigorous academic curriculum.

Charter Schools for Non-Traditional Students
The Leona Group, a national charter school organization headquartered in Phoenix, operates the largest public charter system in the state of Arizona. The group has 14 high schools serving more than 5,000 students and plans to build more schools in the future. They aspire to create "a new kind of public school" with the following characteristics:

• Small, caring environment with atmosphere of respect, where the leaders and teachers know students and their families by name
• Four-day school week with Fridays devoted to individual study and tutoring; flexible schedules with evening programs to accommodate students who work during the day
• Focus on core academics

They cater to students who have not been successful in regular public schools, or who are just looking for something different from a large traditional high school. Their schools typically have 400 to 500 students. When they first started, a sizable portion of their students were considered "at-risk." Now they serve a broader population. In addition to academics, they offer such diverse subjects as cosmetology, dramatic arts and equine science. Many of their schools have waiting lists, so if you are interested, apply early. Their schools in the Phoenix area include:
Estrella High School
Peoria Accelerated High School
West Phoenix High School
Maya High School
South Pointe High School
Summit High School
Ocotillo High School
Tempe Accelerated High School
El Dorado High School
Sun Valley High School
Desert Hills High School

Back-to-Basics Charter Schools
The Benjamin Franklin Charter School has three campuses in Maricopa County, two K-6, and one K-8. The schools were founded by Eddie Farnsworth, an entrepreneur who is now a state legislator. He continues to serve as executive director for the schools. The curriculum is structured and consistent, utilizing a back-to-basics focus. The Spalding phonics-based program is used to teach reading. Sports, music and art are an integral part of the curriculum and band, choir and competitive sports are offered after school.

Charter Schools With a Special Focus
The Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Centers (AAEC) have four small high schools (about 100 students each) in the Phoenix area that emphasize a nontraditional curriculum including community college courses, equine sciences, veterinary science, and agriculture along with the basic courses in English, math and science. "Many of our students come because they are interested in agriculture, but once they are here they learn to do the academic subjects, too," says executive director and founder, Linda Proctor-Downing. "A lot of people assume we play with horses but there is no better way to teach anatomy, physics and genetics. They understand these subjects because they become real." The majority of students are minorities and the centers have high graduation rates. "Once we get our students," says Proctor-Downing, " we make sure they are successful."

The Edupreneurship Schools have two campuses designed to accommodate 100 students at each K-8 facility. The core philosophy of the school is that students living in American society need to learn about economics and business starting at an early age. The teachers strive to create a learning environment that is "relevant, active and product oriented." At these schools, each student has a job and students get paid in a currency that the school community establishes. With the money they earn, students can buy field trips, coupons for freedom from spelling assignments or earn extra computer time. The students also learn to bank some of their earnings for future needs. "Our students develop a positive attitude about work from an early age and learn that there is no such thing as a free lunch," says Carol Sammans, the school's director.

The SABIS International School is part of an international charter and private school network that has 27 schools in 11 countries. The Phoenix campus, opened in 2001, is the first of their schools in the western United States, although the network has been in existence for 117 years. The K-9 school, with plans to add additional grades up to grade 12, offers a college-prep curriculum that emphasizes math, English and world languages, and attracts a diverse student population.

The rigorous academic program is designed to prepare all students for success in college, not just a select few. In Phoenix, students learn Spanish, with instruction on a daily basis, beginning in kindergarten. The school also emphasizes the teaching of moral, ethic and civic values through an extensive student government program known as "student life." From an early age students learn what it takes to be a community leader through governance, mentoring and peer leadership.

The schools described here are just the beginning of what charters in Maricopa County have to offer. To learn more, check out the resources below.

Additional Resources
Check these articles on GreatSchools.net:
Choosing a Charter School in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area
Online Resources for Charter Schools
Charter Schools Offer an Array of Choices
Getting the Best Education for Your Child in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area
Eight Key Steps to Choosing a School in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area
They've Got Our Attention: Notable Schools in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area

Arizona State Board for Charter Schools
This Web site offers a parents brochure and FAQs on charter schools in Arizona.

Arizona Department of Education, Charter School liaison
The charter school section of the state Department of Education Web site offers information on laws and accountability as well as general information about charter schools.You can also see the school report card for each charter school. You can search charter schools by county, type or name of school.

Updated July 2004