ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the inaugural federal charter school law of 1994 and the political context of education reform that year and discusses subsequent charter efforts in the next two congresses. Charter schools were first funded by Congress through a small provision in the $12.7 billion 1994 reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). When reauthorization of the ESEA began in Congress in 1994, charter schools were almost invisible next to a host of more prominent educational issues. In fact, although the noise generated by other education issues distracted attention from charter provisions, charters ultimately may prove more significant than many more carefully scrutinized policy proposals. In the 1998 legislation, Congress decided to include language that would prioritize funding. The 1998 legislation specified that in order for state charter schools to qualify for federal money, the state must have a specific charter school statute. Charter schools are often plagued by uncertainty regarding their resources and needs.
