Straight from the students: finding supportive communities in public charter schools

Walk into Roots Elementary and you'll quickly see that it's not your average school. Rather than classrooms of 30 students being taught the same material by one teacher, each Roots student works with a teacher to develop a personal learning plan.

No two charter management organizations (CMOs) are the same—they vary in size, culture, and organizational structure.

Walk down the streets of the East Side neighborhood in Tacoma, Washington, and you might see people of all ages planting trees in a former parking lot. You might stumble upon a block party full of families and community groups. Or you might come across residents on their way to a Neighborhood Advisory Council Meeting.