NAACP president tackles charter school question
Charter schools have been embraced not just by Republicans but by some Democrats as well.
Derrick Johnson’s comments stemmed from the NAACP's passage of a resolution in 2016 at its national convention that called for a moratorium on the expansion of charter schools until there was more accountability and transparency in their operations. | Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
With charter schools, “people only want to highlight successes and never want to talk about the failures. With the NAACP, we want to eradicate the failures because our future is at stake, particularly African-American children and especially African-American males," said Johnson, in an interview with POLITICO.
His comments stemmed from the NAACP's passage of a resolution in 2016 at its national convention that called for a moratorium on the expansion of charter schools until there was more accountability and transparency in their operations. The vote showcased the divide among Democrats and the civil rights community over whether the schools are a viable alternative to traditional public schools.
The move was also surprising, in part, because charter schools are popular among many African-American families — more than 800,000 black students attended charter schools in the 2016-2017 school year.
Charters have been embraced not just by Republicans like President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, but by many Democrats as well as a choice option for families who want out of failing schools. Charters use public funds, but are run outside the confines of many of the rules that apply to traditional public schools.
Johnson said the convention delegates brought forward the issue because they were seeing problems in their communities, particularly among for-profit operators. Continue reading: NAACP president tackles charter school question - POLITICO
