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“Where was this book in October of 1992?!!!” That was my initial reaction after reading Kim Hughes and Sara Silva's edited book. As the founder of California's first charter school (and the nation's second) and CEO and Co-founder of the nation's first charter management organization, it's clear to me that this text would have been invaluable as education entrepreneurs worked in the early days of charter schools AND even more important today.

We did not wake up one day and decide to develop an edited book on charter and autonomous school leadership. It actually happened because we both seem to have these serendipitous moments in which random events come together. As educators working for the Division of Adult Career Education for Los Angeles Unified School District, we observed what we perceived as inequities of a monolithic, bureaucratic school district in its treatment of the education of our “at-risk” youth. We believed that there must be more authentic leadership providing improved educational outcomes for these students underserved by the current one size fits all system. In our minds, moving away from the classroom into the administrative arena seemed to make sense if we were to effect change in the current landscape. What better way to garner more authentic leadership than to become leaders ourselves? We decided to return to school to get our administrative credential and a masters in Educational Leadership. Little did we know this one seemingly small decision would have such amazing results.

The Purpose of this chapter is to survey innovations and best practices in charter schools from a theoretical and empirical perspective. The goal is to identify essential elements needed to close the acheivement gap, and identify effective practices that enable all students to reach their fullest academic potential. The scope of this chapter focuses on the practices of charter schools form a national and local level, and incorporates anecdotal evidence collected from charter school personnel, authorizing districts, charter management organizations as well as an extant review of the literature. Furthermore, this study seeks to understand and identify those practices that are effective in improving student performance and why within any given set of variables these variables will not yield the same results. Ultimately, there are countless factors that determine school success, which are integral to what constitutes best practice. Findings revealed that although there is much evidence to support best practices in charter schools, in the end it is not about what is best; it is about what works effectively at each individual school.

Andrew L. Armagost is a doctoral student in educational leadership at the Pennsylvania State University. He holds a baccalaureate degree in education and policy. His interests in future research include education law, school finance, and teacher employment and certification.

When we set out to work on this book a year ago, our mindset was very different than where we are today because of the interactions we have had with truly innovative and authentic leaders. We have grown and changed in ways we never thought possible. As we have moved forward to run a charter school in a consultancy capacity, we still do not have the answers. What has happened is now we have more questions. How can charter leaders continue to grow, thrive, and be supported in the good work they do? Who out there can help? Certainly, folks like Dr. Issa-Lahera at the Charter and Autonomous School Leadership Academy at California State University, Dominguez Hills. What we do know emphatically is that there are authentic leaders out there doing extraordinary work. Our hope is that this book informs, shapes and inspires those who choose to work in charter, autonomous, and independent schools – urban or not. After all, it is about improving the learning outcomes for our young people and providing an opportunity for growth and development in traditionally marginalized communities.

A charter school is a public school but without some of the constraints that bind public school leaders. On the other hand, charter schools are businesses, needing to find space, market their “product,” and attract teachers who share their mission. This business aspect of education combined with a specifically articulated mission and somewhat greater freedom and flexibility in educating children can, and often does, raise the ethical stakes for administrators and teachers as they endeavor to provide leadership in charter schools. These issues are best addressed through examining standards and dispositions set forth by professional bodies as well as a consideration of the ethical frames of justice, care, critique, and the profession.