California law requires charter schools to end secrecy about how they operate
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) did something on Tuesday that his Democratic predecessor, Jerry Brown, had refused to do: sign into law a bill that requires charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately operated, to be as transparent to the public about how they operate as are traditional public school districts.
The change has long been sought by critics of the charter school movement in California, which has more charter schools and charter school students than any other state. California has allowed charters to expand with little oversight amid growing controversy over financial scandals and other issues.
The law follows a nonbinding December opinion by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who said charter school governing boards should be required to comply with the same transparency laws as public school districts.
The move marks a shift in the state government’s attitude about charter schools — and more change may be coming. Last week, Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell (D), chairman of the Education Committee in the Assembly, along with some colleagues, introduced legislation that would significantly restrict the growth of charter schools in the state in several important ways. There are more than 1,300 charters in California.
While it is not clear what will happen with the four new bills — Newsom has not taken a position — a charter moratorium has new support in unlikely places.
The Los Angeles Board of Education passed a resolution urging the legislature to place a moratorium on new charters in the Los Angeles Unified School District as one concession to end a teachers’ strike in the largest school district in California. That was a big shift for the pro-charter board. The same thing just happened in Oakland, where a pro-charter school board agreed to support a halt on new charters to end a teachers’ strike CONTINUE READING: California law requires charter schools to end secrecy about how they operate - The Washington Post
