Three New Charter Schools Give More Options For Tulsa Parents

TULSA, Oklahoma -

There will be more school choices for Tulsa parents next fall. Tulsa Public Schools approved plans for three new charter schools during a meeting Tuesday.

The schools will be part of Tulsa's public district and free for students. TPS said it's excited about the additions because the charter schools will help fill a gap in some areas in need of a little extra education attention.

9/2/2014 Related Story: TPS Approves Three New Charter Schools

Nikhil Kawlra knows all about starting up a charter school, it's something he's already done once in Philadelphia.

Charter schools are important because they're able to work differently to meet the needs of children differently, he said.

Now he's founding a second school, this time Collegiate Hall, which will fill a void for 120 fourth through eighth graders near 61st and Peoria, where there is no middle school.

Our goal is really to instill fundamentals as well as character education for all of our children, Kawlra said.

Charters Schools, while public, have more flexibility than traditional public schools.

As Chelsea Vanacore puts it, teachers are allowed to think outside the box a little more freely to provide a holistic learning experience; but the charters will also mean more class time for students - it comes out to about 40 extra days.

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Three New Charter Schools Give More Options For Tulsa Parents