Description of this type of school/schooling method:
Charter schools are independent public schools freed from much of the bureaucracy faced by district-run schools in exchange for demonstrating student performance.

Advantages:
Charter schools will outline in their contracts what their sponsor, or authorizer, is holding them accountable for. In essence, their contract shows how the school promises to prepare its students.

Challenges:
Charters are sometimes under much political pressure which, in some communities, makes their existence vulnerable no matter what their successes. Also, schools starting fresh from the ground up face enormous challenges in the start up years. Ted Sizer, a charter school founder and well-known education reformer, recently pointed out that public policy makers expect charter planners to do all the start up work "pro bono."

Other comments regarding tuition/costs:
Because charter schools are public schools, there is no tuition.