Monday, July 22, 2019

Cynthia Liu: California’s Strong Charter Accountability Bills Weakened by the Governor—Why? - Progressive.org

California’s Strong Charter Accountability Bills Weakened by the Governor—Why? - Progressive.org

California’s Strong Charter Accountability Bills Weakened by the Governor—Why?
A grassroots effort to close charter loopholes made its way to the State Assembly, just to be undermined by the state’s highest office.






Two 2019 teacher strikes in California capped a series of walkouts in 2018 for better student learning conditions, crucial student mental and physical health and college readiness supports, and increased funding to school facilities and teachers.

The grassroots have spoken. We see it in the tens of thousands who rallied in support of charter accountability, in picket lines at hundreds of individual schools in Oakland and Los Angeles, in public comments offered in Sacramento at state legislative committee meetings, in petitions to lawmakers, in resolutions from the California Democratic Party to support a charter moratorium, and that public funds be prioritized for public schools with public oversight.



We also see it in the election of candidates who oppose the charter lobby, including Governor Gavin Newsom, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, and Los Angeles Unified School Board member Jackie Goldberg. We see it in school board resolutions calling for a statewide moratorium on charters and charter school accountability, and in numerous unanimously agreed-upon CONTINUE READING: California’s Strong Charter Accountability Bills Weakened by the Governor—Why? - Progressive.org