Charter schools are overwhelmingly non-union and are staffed by young, idealistic teachers who are worked to death and typically burn out within a few years. Many of them are highly regimented and effectively have the power to choose their students unlike traditional public schools. Typically, charter schools have fewer special education and English language learner students. And many of them systematically weed out students they don't want either for behavior reasons as mentioned already or because of poor academic performance.

http://www.salon.com/2013/09/15/diane_ravitch_school_privatization_is_a_hoax_reformers_aim_to_destroy_public_schools/
http://educationnext.org/wave-of-the-future/
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/21/968905/-Report-Exposes-DeVos-Plot-To-Destroy-Public-Education
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/29/1165888/-Michigan-Public-School-System-being-destroyed-RIGHT-NOW

They are simply devices to siphon tax money directly into private pockets while simultaneously weakening union clout and membership. This, not education, is their sole purpose, and the sole intent of their promoters. Claims in regard to improving education are mere eyewash to deceive the thoughtless, and are never, repeat never, actually delivered on.

Cons: everything else.

Does your child ever have difficulty performing on tests? Do you like to have any say in the things your child is being taught in school? Do you feel that experience in the teaching staff is an important component in a good education for your child? Are you uncomfortable sending your child to a school that has little oversight over curriculum and standards?

If you answer yes to any of those questions, a charter school is probably not a good idea for you.

Also, consider the fact that if a charter school moves into your town, education dollars will likely be siphoned off the regular public school to fund the charter school, so if your child stays in the regular public school, there will be less funding for him or her.

My final item would be that if a charter school does come into your town, and you are interested in it, look carefully into who is sponsoring it. There are some charter school corporations that are seriously unsavory, and they are often the ones with the best sales spiels.

what I thought also and I expressed those thoughts at the school board meeting last night and I got a lot of stink eye from the charter school group that was there. Our towns school board express the same concerns that you folks mentioned. The charter school people said that they would bring young people out fresh out of college and pay them $34,000 a year which I thought was fucking cheap. The whole thing stunk to high heaven and I recommended that the school board vote no.