Stephen Lendman’s ArticlesWhen addressing issues of employment and collective bargaining with classified and certified staff, some states allow their charter schools to bargain independently and directly with staff while others do not. In Arkansas, for example, charter schools are bound by school district collective bargaining agreements and teachers in each of a state’s charter schools have equal access to the public school teachers’ retirement system. In Minnesota, on the other hand, charter schools are not bound by district collective bargaining agreements. Minnesota charter school’s teachers may negotiate as separate unit with the charter school governing body or work independently. A charter school’s bargaining unit may remain part of the school district unit if teachers, the charter school governing board, the local school board and the teachers’ union in the school district agree. In Oregon, a charter school’s teachers may participate in existing