Charter? Magnet? Public? Private? Home school? There are so many different types of schools these days, many people have no idea what is what.  I thought I'd give a very brief rundown on the differences between them.

Public Schools: These are schools in which everyone can attend and are free of charge (well, except to taxpayers).  There is no waiting period or applications to fill out, ANYONE can attend.

Magnet Schools: These are schools which typically have an educational focus, such as math, or the arts, or science, etc.  A student must apply and be accepted into these schools.  The qualifications vary based on the school and what its focus is.  These are still publicly funded, so they are "public" schools in the sense that they are tuition free, but it can be difficult to get accepted into such a school.

Charter Schools: These schools are all the rage right now.  They are public schools, so they are tuition free (common misconception that it costs to attend one).  There is an application process and a student must be accepted.  The schools vary widely on their qualifications, sometimes it's just a lottery process of getting in.  Some Charter schools have a specific focus, but they don't have to.  Charter schools are different in the sense that they have their own school board and do not answer to the "county's school board".  They are self governed, independent from the county.

Private School: These are schools which have a tuition and some type of requirements students must meet to be eligible.  Those requirements vary greatly, so it just depends on the school you're looking at. 

Home School: These are education settings in the home, where "usually" a parent teaches the children daily and the students take a standardized test at the end of the year.  Different states have different guidelines for such schools, so be sure to check out the specifications for your state.

Like I said before, this is a very brief description of each school.  Please let me know if you have any questions.