Charter public schools offer students a choice, but they must constantly battle opposition from traditional school districts. The staying power of charter schools has had a mixed record of late.

In Michigan, the opportunity to offer charter schools in the city of Detroit has grown now that student enrollment in the Detroit Public Schools has dropped below 100,000. That's because state law offers protection to DPS from charter schools if it keeps enrollment above that number.

(The most recent enrollment number is 80,000; a decade ago it was over 170,000.)

Let the Children Go!

On the left coast, meanwhile, the Oregon Virtual Academy started its operations at the beginning of this school year. But students who want to attend won't be able to. Why? State law gives the school districts they live in veto power over their enrollment in the virtual charter school.