PSYC 26
Charter Schools: Designing Innovative Public School Models to Meet Community Needs Winter 2025

Charter schools have provided the opportunity to create new and innovative school designs responsive to local needs and community assets, culture, industry and interests. Using the public charter school framework, students will learn what it takes to convince a government agency to authorize a new public school, which includes researching and identifying community needs, creating alternative school models that enhance existing education options, and demonstrating a school design that can be operated in an organizationally and financially sound manner. Students will survey the key design elements of public charter schools, including admissions, education plans, legal requirements for serving special populations, staffing models and budgets. Readings will include real-world policy documents, research papers and articles to inform classroom discussions. Students will be asked to design a unique school tailored to a specific community of their choosing. Working in small groups, students will craft new charter school proposals and ultimately advocate for them during an oral interview. The course will be led by a Williams alum with 30 years of experience in public education, including founding the local Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter School.