Charter schools receive public funding but, unlike public schools, employ
mostly nonunion teachers and have autonomy in school districts, which allows them to set their own conditions, such as longer school days.
However, pilot schools, which were started by Boston Public Schools and the Boston
Teachers Union, remain part of the local school district and are continuing to grow — seven new schools are slated to open this September; charter schools have independent advisory boards, are
mostly nonunion, and report directly to the state.