Charter schools are public but a great portion of the educational establishment hates them. A close relative and member of said establishment, PHD, no less, reacted with withering insults, wailing and gnashing of teeth when we put our child in one. All second thoughts vanished when that happened! One reason they hate them so much is because they regularly beat the pants off regular public schools in graduation rates and test scores. It’s not an ideal option but for the average struggling family it is often the only alternative.