The Mississippi Charter School Act: Will It Produce Effective and Equitable Charter Schools?

The Mississippi Charter School Act (CSA) is under constitutional and political attack. On the first front, litigation is underway challenging the funding provisions of the CSA under the Mississippi Constitution. The second front is a broader political attack against charter schools generally, which questions their effectiveness, viability and impact on traditional public schools. These critical issues have diverted attention from a third, and equally important, consideration: whether the CSA is an effective charter enabling statute.

This article addresses this overlooked issue and analyzes the CSA to determine if it constructs a landscape that ensures the creation, governance, and oversight of effective and equitable charter schools.