August 28, 2012 3:34PM # The Charter School Paradox By [Adam B. Schaeffer](https://www.cato.org/people/adam-b-schaeffer) --- SHARE Is it possible for charter schools to increase educational options and diversity in the public school system but decrease it overall; to spend less money than regular public schools but cost taxpayers more overall; and to outperform regular public schools but decrease achievement overall? Unfortunately, it is possible, and this mix of intended and unintended outcomes is the “[Charter School Paradox](https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/impact-charter-schools-public-private-school-enrollments).” But it is only a paradox if we take a narrow view of charter school effects. Rigorous new research concludes that public charter schools are seriously damaging the private education market, adding to the taxpayer burden, and undermining private options for families and healthy competition in the education sector. Fortunately, we have a solution in education tax credits … Take a look at the [full paper](https://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/PA707.pdf) by Richard Buddin, my [short companion piece](https://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/Charter-School-Paradox.pdf), and our brief [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJVoUYpgnAA) on the findings and implications of this path-breaking new research. ##### Related Tags [Education](https://www.cato.org/education), [General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Center for Educational Freedom](https://www.cato.org/center-educational-freedom) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).