C
ILLINOIS
(Law passed in 1996; 12th weakest of the nation’s 43 charter laws)
Illinois’ charter school law is weak because only local boards can authorize charter schools, with now a binding appeal to a semiindependent Charter Commission. Very few charters operate outside of Chicago, and the teachers unions are very strong, making charter law improvements difficult. Students at charter schools receive about 75 percent of their per-pupil public funding, and there is also a cap on the number of schools that can be approved throughout the state.
INDEPENDENT OR MULTIPLE AUTHORIZERS – NO APPROVAL
Local school boards are authorizers. The State Charter School Commission was created to approve schools but functions more as an appeals board rather than an actual independent board (the state board oversees the Commission). Charter applicants can apply to the Commission when the school board denies them. Additionally, local boards, whenever petitioned by five percent of voters, can be mandated to put approved charter proposals up for district vote and the Commission would serve as the authorizer.
APPEAL
Yes. After being denied at the local school board level, charters can also apply to the State Charter School Commission as noted above.
OPERATIONAL AUTONOMY STATE
Yes. Blanket waiver provides exemptions for charters from most state regulations governing traditional public schools, although they still must adhere to some regulations such as disciplining students, personnel rules and report cards. Virtual schools are allowed. Management contracts with ESPs are not restricted, although new regulations have been put in place regarding conflicts of interest between charters and ESPs.
LOCAL
Limited. There is a blanket waiver from district rules but charters still must adhere to a variety of rules and regulations. Charter schools in Chicago have to follow many rules of the city, including teacher certification minimums. Only charter schools authorized by the commission are their own LEA.
TEACHER FREEDOM
Yes. Teachers are not covered by the district bargaining agreement and may negotiate as a separate unit, or work independently. Certified teachers must participate in retirement systems, but noncertified are prohibited from doing so.
NUMBER OF SCHOOLS ALLOWED CAP
32
Yes. One hundred twenty total schools are allowed, with a maximum of 70 permitted in Chicago (five of these for dropout recovery) and 45 reserved for the remainder of the state. There is a moratorium on virtual schools outside of Chicago until December 31, 2016. Charters approved before July 2009 are permitted to open additional campuses, those after may not.
CHARTER SCHOOL LAWS ACROSS THE STATES 2015