From its inception in 1995, public charter schools were granted approval to operate based on the conditions stipulated by the granting authorizer, the Texas State Board of Education.  Over the years the grim reality set in, that not all charter school innovations were going to work, as evidenced by consistently low academic performance by some charter school operators.  During the 83rd Texas Legislative Session, Senate Bill 2 became law to address this reality, and to assure that tax payer money would not continue to support failing charter schools.  SB 2 included a provision that granted the TEA Commissioner the authority to automatically close a charter school that did not meet state required academic or financial performance requirements for three consecutive years.   Since this became law, numerous poor performing charter school campuses have closed.

For the freedoms granted to charters, allowing them to be more innovative in instructional methods, establishing a defined maximum enrollment, and excluding from admission students with severe disciplinary histories, charter schools should be held more accountable.  Unlike poor performing traditional public schools that rarely ever close, charter schools are held to a higher standard, and that is a good thing.