Introduction

Sam Houston would have loved charter schools. The defining hero of early Texas had trouble sitting still in a classroom as a youth, putting in perhaps only six months of formal schooling by the age of 14. Years later, he reflected: "It is a matter of great satisfaction to me to hope that my children will be in circumstances to receive a good education. Mine was defective and I feel the inconvenience, if not the misfortune, of not receiving a classical education. Knowledge is the food of genius, and my son, let no opportunity escape you to treasure up knowledge."

Thousands of parents send young Texans to charter schools believing they will provide relief from the "misfortune" that befell Houston. The growing statewide charter school system is scrambling against odds, marked by heroes and the occasional rascal -- in many ways like the fledging republic that Houston governed.

There are charter schools in Texas that truly earn their spurs. They move students toward remarkable levels of achievement and may even prompt reform in their surrounding systems. But there also are mavericks, poking along in need of better direction or a final roundup. The range of performance among Texas charter schools remains perhaps wider than in other states and probably far too wide for those who view charters as either a panacea or a threat.

The promise of chartering, of creating new schools grounded in liberty but held to tough standards, is still bright. The task for Texas is to provide resources, develop consistent but firm oversight, and keep a light touch on the reins so that a growing number of exceptional charters can spur excellence statewide.