Charter schools are private schools.
Charter schools are public schools—all of them, everywhere. In 39 states and the District of Columbia, state law defines public schooling options to include charter schools. The configuration of these schools varies state to state, but the core idea is the same: Publicly funded, publicly accountable charter schools take on greater accountability for results in exchange for greater autonomy. They operate under a contract (or charter) that defines their program and academic objectives. If a charter school does not succeed, it can be shut down.  

Charter schools can pick and choose their students.
Charter schools cannot select their students. State charter laws require that admissions be open and that, where there are more applicants than seats, a lottery is used for admitting students. State laws vary on whether certain categories of students – such as siblings of children already enrolled in the school, or local residents, or children of teachers at the school – can receive an admissions preference if a lottery is held.

Charter schools receive more money than traditional public schools.
On average, charter schools receive only about 75% of the funding that traditional district schools receive. This varies by state, but the deficit is usually related to the fact that most charter schools are not eligible for facilities funding, so they must stretch the funding they do receive.

Charter schools are schools that don’t have to follow the law.
Sometimes charter schools are referred to as “schools without rules,” but this is not at all the case. Federal law applies to all charter schools, just as it does to all other public schools. State laws apply as well, and each state’s charter law states what freedoms and obligations charter schools have there. Often charters are given more flexibility, but are required to get approval for any innovative practices and held accountable for following them.

Charter schools don’t educate children with disabilities.
Like all public schools, charter schools must admit students with disabilities and ensure that they receive appropriate services. State law varies considerably on how decision-making authority and funding for special education students in charter schools is allocated – in some places the district retains primary control over such matters and in others the school itself does. Some charter schools are focused specifically on meeting the needs of students with a particular disability, such as autism, learning disabilities or hearing impairments.

Paul T. O'Neill, a senior fellow at EdisonLearning, is an attorney who focuses his practice and scholarship on education law. O’Neill is the author of The Charter School Law Deskbook (2007, 2009), a unique compilation of and guide to the legal authorities impacting charter schools nationwide, and he lectures nationally on a wide range of education law topics.