Since the adoption of the first charter school law in Minnesota in 1991, charter schools have received considerable attention from policy makers, parents, educators, and the media. In the United States, at the national level, three consecutive presidents--Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama--have actively supported charters. Given the political attention focused on charter schools and the growing populations of children, it is critical that public educators have a clear and research-based understanding of these institutions. In this article, the author discusses how charter schools operate, who attends them, how they are distinctive, and how they are faring academically. She examines some of the reasons advocates commonly cite for their support of charter schools and considers how these beliefs stand up against the research base.