In this article, the author reports on how several locally authorized charter schools generate academic gains through their freedom to significantly alter staff development and school culture. Although many districts authorize public charter schools, the school districts maintain no role in the day-to-day operations. This separation has given charter schools flexibility to set their own school day, school year, curriculum, hiring practices, professional development programs and much more. In the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools' recent publication, "Free to Lead: Autonomy in Highly Successful Charter Schools", significant autonomy from district structures is identified as vital to the success of charter schools. Autonomy also has allowed public charter schools to serve a wide variety of student needs in ways that dramatically differ from the past.