Looking at Non-Traditional Schools 

Considering teaching at a non-traditional school? Then read TOPS: Teaching Opportunities in Private Schools 

Charter Schools 

Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money (and, like other schools, may also receive private donations). They are subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools, but generally have more flexibility than traditional public schools. Charter schools are expected to produce certain results, set forth in each school’s charter. Charter schools are attended by choice. They foster a partnership where parents can be more involved, teachers are given the freedom to innovate, and students are provided the structure they need to learn, with all three held accountable for improved student achievement.  

Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of the school district; however, they are 

• tuition-free and open to every student who wishes to enroll; 
• non-sectarian, and do not discriminate on any basis; 
• publicly funded by local, state, and federal tax dollars based on enrollment, like other public schools; and 
• held accountable to state and federal academic standards. 

Charter schools do not impose conditions for admissions. Chartering authorizers (entities that may legally issue charters) differ from state to state, as do the bodies that are legally entitled to apply for and operate under such charters. Charter applicants may include local school districts, institutions of higher education, non-profit corporations, and, in some states, for-profit corporations.  

State departments of education may list them either separately or with their job listings for public schools. 

Look at websites of the large charter school companies to know which ones are operating the schools where you want to teach. Here are some of the charter school companies’ websites: 

• Imagine Schools operates in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington, D.C. 
• Mosaica Education operates schools in California, Arizona, Colorado, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C.  
• Charter Schools USA operates schools and assists developers and agencies in planning, financing, constructing, and running charter schools.  

• Aspire Public Schools operates only in California and Tennessee but serves 12,000 students.  
• The Leona Group operates schools in Michigan, Arizona, Florida, and Ohio. They operate many urban schools where their philosophy is that every child can and will learn, regardless of ethnicity, economic, or educational disadvantage.  

By checking the department of education site for the state where you’d like to teach, you can determine who operates which schools and what jobs are open. There are companies that operate in only one state, such as Partnerships to Uplift Communities (PUC) in California. In some states, like Indiana, a university (Ball State University) operates most of the charter schools and a city (Indianapolis) operates others. There is a wide variation from state to state. 

Private Schools (Including Preschools) 

Private schools, also known as independent schools or non-state schools, are not administered by local, state, or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition rather than relying on mandatory taxation through public (government) funding. At some private schools, students may be able to get a scholarship, which makes the cost cheaper, depending on a talent the student may have—e.g., sports scholarship, art scholarship, or academic scholarship. Private schools are typically more expensive than their public counterparts, often costing $15,000−40,000 per year. 

Religiously affiliated and denominational schools form a subcategory of private schools. Some such schools teach religious education along with the usual academic subjects to instill their faith’s beliefs and traditions in the students who attend. Others use the denomination as a label to describe the founders’ beliefs, while still maintaining a fine distinction between academics and religion. They include parochial schools, a term often used to denote Roman Catholic schools. Other religious groups represented in the K-12 private education sector include Protestants, Jews, Muslims, and Orthodox Christians. 

Many educational alternatives, such as independent schools, are also privately financed. Private schools often avoid some state regulations, although in the name of educational quality, most comply with regulations relating to the educational content of classes. Religious private schools often simply add religious instruction to the courses provided by local public schools. 

Special-assistance schools aim to improve the lives of their students by providing services tailored to very specific needs of individual students. Such schools include tutoring schools and schools to assist the learning of handicapped children. 

The Private School Review will help you learn more about 300,000 private schools in the United States. Preschools are included.  

The National Association of Independent Schools also features openings. 

Another site for teaching in private schools is Council for American Private Education. This includes links to numerous Christian schools, Catholic schools, independent schools, Montessori schools, and Seventh-Day Adventist Schools. 

Online Schools  

• Mosaica operates online schools in most states and several countries internationally. 

Other Types of Schools 

Alternative schools are often run by school districts for at-risk students or those who have already had extreme trouble with traditional school. As with charters, these schools are operated in a variety of ways—the school district, the state, a not-for-profit group, or a charter school company. Alternative schools are non-tuition public schools. Some even accept adults. To read more about the various types, visit National Dropout Prevention Center/Network. Before you accept a job in an alternative school, be sure you understand how it works and that you are comfortable with the teaching situation and will have a mentor.