What an amazing week for charter public schools in California!
First, charter public schools in the Bay Area and in Los Angeles were recognized as top schools in helping to close the achievement gap in Math and English for low-income Black and Latino students. This came courtesy of a new joint report by Innovate Public Schools and the University of Southern California (USC). The report found:
- 27 percent of the top Los Angeles County public schools are charter schools, which only serve about 17 percent of students in the county.
- Of the 51 schools in the Bay Area recognized as top schools, 29 were charter public schools, or 57 percent.
Then, U.S. News and World Report issued their 2019 Best High Schools rankings. It was yet another strong showing for charter public schools on the annual list:
- Four of the top 10 public high schools in California are charter schools.
- Overall, charter public schools make up about 30% of California’s best high schools, while accounting for just over 10% of public schools in the state.
Finally, on the eve of College Signing Day, the L.A. School Report reported that 86 percent of charter public school students in Los Angeles are eligible for state universities, 24 points higher than their peers in traditional public schools.
With all of this success, it seems like it would be a no brainer for every legislator in Sacramento to learn what these public schools are getting right and champion the vital role they are playing in helping students from all backgrounds receive a great education. We can only hope that as charter public schools continue to demonstrate their excellence, legislators either on the fence or supportive of extreme bills will abandon them all together.
Want to tell your legislators to champion great charter public schools rather than try to close them down? Go here.
Photo credit: Granada Hills Charter High School
