The purpose of this dissertation is to describe the environment of current Texas Subchapter E University charter schools in Texas and some of the teachers that currently work at those charter schools. Two research questions guided this study: (1) What are teachers' experiences in Texas University Charter schools? How do their experiences compare to those in traditional public-school settings? (2) What are teachers' perceptions of the most important factors contributing to the legitimacy of charter schools? Small-group purposeful groups from one of the locations informed the development of a questionnaire sent to both site locations in two of the five university charter school locations in Texas. Small-group interviews indicated that teachers at university charter schools place a high value on autonomy, school size, and had a negative experience in traditional schools. Descriptive statistics were conducted on a teacher perceptions survey questionnaire related to legitimacy, and appropriate non-parametric statistics were compiled. Results of the study indicate charter teachers achieved absolute consensus in their perception that legitimacy is conferred by the Texas Education Agency (from this point forward referred to as TEA). In addition, the findings indicate differences between peer groups based on grade-grouping of the perception that parents confer legitimacy. Further analysis indicated that the teacher's perception of high academic expectations at charter schools and parents' trust in charter schools were positively correlated. Knowing the variables that motivate teachers to select charter schools will inform practitioners and other key stakeholders. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]