Charter Schools

July 12, 2019

New charter schools to open this fall despite efforts to curb growth

Four charter schools will open after each was initially denied by its local school board, forcing the schools to turn to county boards.

Michael Burke

July 9, 2019

Governor's team jumps into fray over contested charter school bill

Senate hearing indicates that further changes will be needed to reach a deal on a bill charter school leaders fear would cripple growth.

John Fensterwald

June 7, 2019

Gov. Newsom’s task force recommends more discretion to deny charter schools

The group reached a consensus on giving school districts the power to consider the “saturation” by and the academic need for charter schools.

John Fensterwald

June 7, 2019

Charter schools cost East Bay district nearly $1,000 per student, report asserts

Charter school association says report, commissioned by the West Contra Costa Unified School District, is “pure propaganda.”

Theresa Harrington

June 4, 2019

California needs all its K-12 public schools to be strong: traditional and charter

State should preserve appeals process for charter schools, former State Board member says.

Trish Boyd Williams

June 3, 2019

Drive to cap California charter school growth stalls

Sponsoring legislators make their proposals two-year bills after a lack of support.

Louis Freedberg

May 22, 2019

Jackie Goldberg pushes parcel tax measure at LAUSD board swearing-in ceremony

Swearing-in ceremony to a seat on the Los Angeles school board becomes opportunity for Jackie Goldberg to urge support for parcel tax.

Michael Burke

May 16, 2019

Gov. Newsom proposes tighter rules on charter school enrollment

Critics complain some California charter schools screen out students with disabilities and academically struggling students.

John Fensterwald

May 15, 2019

‘Inconvenient truths’ missing from Oakland report on charter schools

Charter schools did not cause Oakland’s problems and preventing more students from choosing charter schools will not fix them, researchers say.

Robin Lake and Ashley Jochim

May 15, 2019

Jackie Goldberg wins L.A. Unified school board seat in special election

Veteran lawmaker and activist Jackie Goldberg returns to the LAUSD school board after a decisive win.

Michael Burke

May 8, 2019

Oakland Unified offers critical view of charter schools to state task force

Oakland report on charter schools provides one of the most detailed portraits of their impact on a large urban district.

Louis Freedberg And Theresa Harrington

May 1, 2019

After years of avoidance, time to take on challenges posed by California charter schools

Early backer of charter law says no easy answers to issues raised by charter school expansion in the state.

Carl Cohn

April 19, 2019

Outside public view, panel faces tight deadline to recommend reforms of California's charter school law

The Charter Task Force is taking on one of the most heated education reform issues in the state and is shooting to come up with recommendations to send to Gov. Newsom by July 1.

Louis Freedberg

April 12, 2019

Restrictions on charter school growth move forward; efforts for more fairness in school renovation funding

This week, arguments for and against the bills seeking to limit charter school growth and how state bond money for facilities could be more fairly distributed.

EdSource staff

April 11, 2019

Efforts to restrict charter school growth in California inch forward in state Legislature

The Assembly Education Committee chaired by Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, a former high school teacher, approved legislation that, among other things, would place a cap on charter schools in the state to approximately their current levels and deny the State Board of Education the ability to approve a charter application after being denied by a school district or county office of education.

Louis Freedberg