Our Public Schools Belong to Us Our public schools belong to all of us. Charter schools do not.. Charter schools, whether for-profit or nonprofit, are privately held corporations. They are not public schools. They do not belong to us. For over a decade politicians and those in favor of privatizing public education have told us that charter schools are public schools. As if simply saying it makes it so. The more you repeat it, the truer it is. The truth is charter schools are