More than 10 percent of Florida’s public schools are charter schools. The first charter school in the state opened in 1996, and 15 years later, there are 520 charter schools serving more than 177,000 students. This clear and steady rise in enrollment is because parents want to provide their child with the best public educational option that fits their individual needs, instead of a one-size-fits-all neighborhood school.

With that in mind, charter schools are producing results. They are tuition-free public schools that are open to all students, regardless of ethnic background or socioeconomic status, in the districts where they operate.

They are free to be innovative with their curriculum, schedule and staff. Some charter schools include themed learning approaches focusing on areas such as the arts, sciences, and technologies. Others provide services to special populations such as students at risk of academic failure, or students with disabilities.

In exchange for this independence, charter schools operate under contracts that allow them to be closed for failing to reach specific academic goals or financial instability.

Florida’s charter schools have increasingly diverse student populations. A recent Miami Herald series questioned whether charter schools “cherry-pick” their students. But the facts speak for themselves. According to the Florida Department of Education, 63 percent of the students served during the 2010-11 school year were minorities. And nearly half were receiving free or reduced lunches.

The series by the Miami Herald also questioned whether students with disabilities were being denied access to charter schools. What some people don’t understand is that these students usually have an Individualized Education Plan, or IEP, developed by teachers, parents and specialists who have the child’s best interest in mind. Often times, because the traditional public schools may have a better equipped program or more resources, due in large part to the scale of the school district, the IEP team will recommend a traditional school as opposed to a charter.

Charter schools are meant to provide high-quality public educational options to families with students who may be struggling in the traditional district school, and they are poised to continue expanding into more struggling neighborhoods. By passing and implementing the High Performing Charter School law, which encourages the growth of schools with high academic achievement and financial stability, Florida is sending the right message that we need to replicate the best schools in order to give more parents in more neighborhoods quality options.

Education management organizations like Academica, were also singled out by The Miami Herald for being a “for-profit” company. While that’s fact, it is also known for taking successful education models and techniques developed in a charter school and replicating them to produce even more quality educational opportunities for a growing number of students.

Let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture. Charter schools are here because they are meeting the needs of students and parents.

This fall marked the opening of 76 new charter schools across the state, a clear sign that parents are exercising their option to send their kids to the high-quality public school of their choice. This demand is further driven home by a recent Gallup/Phi Delta Kappa International Poll that found charter schools are garnering a 70 percent public approval rating. This is because charter schools produce results and if they don’t, they are closed.

Florida takes accountability very seriously, closing 18 schools last year for failing to meet the terms of their contract, the third-highest closure rate in the nation.

Today, families have the option to choose the school that best meets the needs of their child. They can choose traditional district schools, private schools, and magnate or charter schools. There is a reason that families continue to enroll their children in charter schools. Every child is different and a one-size-fits-all is an antiquated way of thinking when it comes to educating the nation’s children. Charter schools are providing an opportunity for all students from all backgrounds to receive a high-quality education.

Cheri Shannon is president and CEO of Florida Charter School Alliance.