CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Walk into a Colorado charter school and you might see a student painting a picture while a few classmates explore a concept using the Socratic method.
Mark Hyatt, executive director of the Charter School Institute of Colorado, described a Montessori charter school as very "child-centric," where students learn at their own pace. Teachers also integrate activities like hiking or mountain biking into the lessons.
Hyatt describes a charter school as a place with its own niche that offers something different from a traditional public school.
As West Virginia lawmakers prepare to consider several education issues, including charter schools, advocates on both sides of the issue are making their points.
Research shows that students at some U.S. charter schools outperform traditional public schoolchildren, but other charters fail their students. Still, some advocates say West Virginia has 20 years worth of research allowing state lawmakers to craft a law that lets them monitor and sustain high-performing charter schools.