The Strategic Management of Charter Schools: Framework and Tools for Educational Entrepreneurs

Along with the standard fare of curricula, scheduling, student discipline, and teacher effectiveness, charter schools have to navigate tight budgets and nonprofit-management and human-capital strategies. Many charter leaders, however, are far more experienced with instruction than with operations: They’re heavy on education-delivery skills and light on mission-, operations-, and stakeholder-management skills. This new book offers a toolkit for school leaders seeking a crash-course in B-school strategies. Each chapter covers an issue ranging from mission management to performance measurement and provides accessible explanations of how to implement proper business strategies—and why these strategies are important for charters. What might be most helpful for school leaders looking to flip from an ed-school to a B-school mentality are the chapters’ case studies, which offer further perspective on how each strategy can and should play out on the ground.  The authors use MATCH charter schools, for example, to highlight how development of logic models can help clarify a charter’s mission. The case of D.C.’s Cesar Chavez School provides insight into how strategic alignment can ensure longitudinal success. And that of the Compass Montessori School (CO) illustrates the need for financial stability—and what happens if it is not found. Following these strategies—and learning from these case studies—should help charter schools of all stripes personalize and strengthen their business models.