ABSTRACT
Charter schools in Arizona not only are legally independent entities but also enjoy a great deal of financial independence because they are directly funded by the state. Charter applicants in Arizona have many more potential authorizes to choose from than other states. The association of charter schools with innovation has two sources. The sources includes charter school programs are themselves regarded as an innovative policy, and one of the core purposes of charter school programs is to produce innovations in the practice of schooling. More traditional Democrats may find charter schools unpalatable on principle but, nonetheless, an acceptable compromise that appears to take the wind from the sails of more radical choice reforms. Because of these sorts of calculations, unlikely coalitions have passed charter school laws in many states, though states with Republican governors and legislators have been most eager to press charter schools.
