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The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) brings together students, parents, educators and administrators who all share a common goal: to improve the quality of public education by promoting and strengthening charter schools throughout the State of Illinois.

There are currently 35 charters in the state, serving more than 19,000 Illinois children at 63 campuses.

What We Believe

At INCS, we believe strong charter schools help create a better public school system for everyone. Some of the benefits charter schools deliver include:

• Excellence: Charter schools are setting high standards for academic excellence, including strong results on the ISAT and PSAE tests and a high rate of student advancement to higher education.
• Accountability: Charter schools are directly accountable for high academic standards—to local school boards and the State of Illinois, as well as to parents and the public at large.
• Options: Charter schools give parents and students more options within the public education system.
• Community Involvement: Charter schools directly involve parents, community members, teachers, and civic leaders who serve on their boards of directors.
• More Learning Time: Charter schools offer longer academic years, longer school days, and often smaller classes. This means more time to learn and a more focused learning experience for students.
• Innovation: Charter schools' missions allow them to test innovative educational practices that can then be put to work to benefit the entire educational system.
• Flexibility: Charter schools have more freedom in setting curriculums and designing programs, allowing them to tailor lessons and activities to the individual needs of their students.

In order to make the most of the benefits charter schools have to offer, we need strong statewide advocacy and support systems that will help charter schools as they work to improve education throughout Illinois.

What We Do

INCS works to strengthen charter schools and the communities they serve in a number of important ways:

• Advocacy: As the voice of charter schools throughout Illinois, INCS guides and informs public policy, advocating for public policies that will help charter schools grow and flourish.
• Educating the public: INCS helps increase public awareness of the value and benefits of charter schools.
• Providing services to schools: INCS provides a variety of services to charter schools to increase their cost-effectiveness and help them grow.
• Helping parents and students: INCS helps families find the best charter schools to suit their needs.