Charter Schools

Don Shalvey, ‘fearless’ charter school pioneer and mentor, dies at 79

March 18, 2024

Shalvey created the state's first charter school, its first multi-school network, Aspire Public Schools, and left his imprint on the charter sector and its leaders.

John Fensterwald

Commentary

Academic rigor versus cultural relevance is a false choice

February 14, 2024

By reframing them as mutually reinforcing rather than mutually exclusive, we can transform education for every child.

Chris Carr

Commentary

Newsom's veto enables charters to remain close to the communities they serve

October 18, 2023

Newsom says bill would have unfairly increased facilities costs.

Rich Harrison

LAUSD considering a policy to limit charter co-locations, prioritize vulnerable students

September 25, 2023

The Los Angeles Unified School District school board is considering a resolution that would exclude 346 school campuses serving its most vulnerable student populations from space-sharing arrangements with charter schools.

Mallika Seshadri

Commentary

California's public charter schools — and their students — deserve equitable funding

September 19, 2023

Under the Local Control Funding Formula, public charters are penalized for serving a greater share of high-need students than their district.

Mala Batra

North Valley Military Institute shuts down amid widespread controversy

September 19, 2023

The North Valley Military Institute voluntarily surrendered its charter and closed its doors permanently on Aug. 25, leaving nearly 800 students and 180 employees in the Los Angeles area without a place to learn and work.

Mallika Seshadri

570 California schools targeted for low vaccination rates

September 7, 2023

State funding reductions are possible if students are improperly allowed to attend classes despite not having all their required immunizations.

Diana Lambert, Daniel J. Willis, And Yuxuan Xie

Commentary

Stop comparing charters and traditional schools and learn from the best of both

July 12, 2023

It's misleading to suggest that a recent head-to-head comparison of standardized test results of public schools and their charter "twins" revealed a meaningful performance advantage by charter school students.

Bill Honig

An Inglewood charter school looks to literacy to build success among its Black students

April 7, 2023

Wilder’s Preparatory Academy in Inglewood boasts test score results that reflect performance far above that of the state average for all schools regardless of racial composition.

Kate Sequeira

Charter schools, abundant in California, could be a Supreme Court target

June 29, 2022

Critics of the Carson v. Makin decision are warning that charter schools could be drawn into the next skirmish over religious expression.

John Fensterwald

Commentary

Students in personalized learning schools deserve equitable funding

June 15, 2022

Personalized learning offers an alternative to students who don't thrive in traditional classroom settings. These public schools need the same protections against the financial disruptions of pandemic-related enrollment declines as other California schools.

Jeff Rice

Commentary

It's time for win-win district and charter relationships to address declining enrollment   

June 14, 2022

Educating children shouldn’t be a Machiavellian zero-sum game.

Janie Dam

A new chapter for charter schools in California as enrollment drops for first time in 3 decades

April 25, 2022

With California charter school enrollment declining for the first time in three decades, operators and funders look to new areas of the state for future growth.

John Fensterwald

The late state Sen. Gary Hart's legacy looms large on California education

February 1, 2022

Former state Sen. Gary Hart, who died last week at 78, authored bills allowing charter schools in California, creating a statewide student assessment and a minimum school year.

John Fensterwald

Commentary

Quarantines are costing our students financially

January 23, 2022

California schools must be allowed to follow state-mandated quarantine requirements without losing funding.

Mala Batra