--- title: "We know how you feel, North Carolina: There’s a smear campaign in California, too" description: Powerful special interests have spent millions of dollars to deny parents across our state access to schools that better meet their needs. image: https://info.ccsa.org/hubfs/Image%20from%20iOS%20(1)-2.jpg --- [![ccsa](https://info.ccsa.org/hubfs/CCSA_March2026/images/ccsa.svg "ccsa")](https://www.ccsa.org/) - Discover CCSA - [Who We Are](https://www.ccsa.org/who-we-are) - [What We Do](https://www.ccsa.org/what-we-do) - [CCSA Awards](https://www.ccsa.org/ccsa_awards) - Members - [Member Portal](https://portal.ccsa.org/login?_gl=1*1xr28g1*_gcl_au*MTE1MTU4OTI3Mi4xNzczNjM0NTM5*_ga*MTgwOTU2MTUzNC4xNzczNjM0NTM5*_ga_JL8WD9ZG7Q*czE3NzM2MzQ1MzkkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzM2MzgzMTIkajYwJGwwJGgw) - [School Membership](https://www.ccsa.org/member-services) - [Vendor Membership](https://www.ccsa.org/vendor-membership) - [PR & Creative Services](https://www.ccsa.org/pr-creative-services) - [Student Scholarship](https://www.ccsa.org/scholarship) - Events - [CCSA Conference](https://charterconference.org/2027/?_gl=1*1l3ad8i*_gcl_au*MTE1MTU4OTI3Mi4xNzczNjM0NTM5*_ga*MTgwOTU2MTUzNC4xNzczNjM0NTM5*_ga_JL8WD9ZG7Q*czE3NzM2MzQ1MzkkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzM2MzgzMTIkajYwJGwwJGgw) - [CCSA Events](https://events.ccsa.org/en/30Bg95/g/PxWc6XJ8Ha?_gl=1*1l3ad8i*_gcl_au*MTE1MTU4OTI3Mi4xNzczNjM0NTM5*_ga*MTgwOTU2MTUzNC4xNzczNjM0NTM5*_ga_JL8WD9ZG7Q*czE3NzM2MzQ1MzkkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzM2MzgzMTIkajYwJGwwJGgw) - Families - [About Charter Public Schools](https://www.ccsa.org/what-is-a-charter-school) - [Find a Charter Public School](https://www.ccsa.org/find-a-school) - Newsroom - [Blog](https://info.ccsa.org/blog?_gl=1*1jj3xcn*_gcl_au*MTE1MTU4OTI3Mi4xNzczNjM0NTM5*_ga*MTgwOTU2MTUzNC4xNzczNjM0NTM5*_ga_JL8WD9ZG7Q*czE3NzM2MzQ1MzkkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzM2MzgzMTIkajYwJGwwJGgw) - [News](https://www.ccsa.org/posts) - [Podcast](https://charternation.buzzsprout.com/) - [Press Contact](https://www.ccsa.org/ccsa-press-media-contact) - [Subscribe](https://share.hsforms.com/1J2pmLebTT3e17u5xIaN2Og1td43) - [Give](https://www.ccsa.org/give) - [Home](https://info.ccsa.org/) - [CharterNation](https://info.ccsa.org/blog) - We know how you feel, North Carolina: There’s a smear campaign in California, too [California Charter Schools Association](https://info.ccsa.org/blog/author/california-charter-school-association) 08/22/2019 ## We know how you feel, North Carolina: There’s a smear campaign in California, too ![We know how you feel, North Carolina: There’s a smear campaign in California, too](https://info.ccsa.org/hubfs/Image%20from%20iOS%20(1)-2.jpg "We know how you feel, North Carolina: There’s a smear campaign in California, too") ***“The suggestion that district schools are being resegregated through ‘white flight’ schools to schools of choice is nonsense.”*** That was Baker Mitchell, founder of the Roger Bacon Academy charter school in North Carolina, [writing in the Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-smear-campaign-against-charters-11565737066?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=75676192&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9fhS_b17R_2Gw_rg5AuTY_S31WkplhPgiYyIvaZrPYSrXPMvWv7WwtgJp_uSQa5N6atqLQLb24DM20wCGTUXjHucUZQQ&_hsmi=75676192) last week. It was a powerful op-ed that pushed back against the smear campaign taking place against charter public schools in North Carolina.   Like their counterparts in the Tar Heel state, charter schools in California have been up against their own smear campaign. Powerful special interests, like the California Teachers Association, [spent $3.6 million](https://www.sacbee.com/article233393557.html?utm_campaign=P2A%20and%20CN%20Statewide%20Nurturing%20&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-95uVtqg7n2tGyPXBtLelfg2VyZMGoH5igs8iXYnJefTZvURW63ZmKj9UJFJgalmKqfFXWp) in just three months to ensure hundreds of thousands of parents across the state are denied access to public schools that better meet their needs. Rather than drive policy changes through a fact-based conversation, CTA and their allies have turned to dishonest attacks and scapegoating to promote their misguided and wrongheaded policies. They’ve blamed charter schools for everything from segregation in our education system to bankrupting districts. Facts alone make the outlandish claims easy to debunk.   But what’s really made the difference in putting this smear campaign back on its heels is the thousands of parents, educators, and kids who have raised their voices in unison against a status quo that leaves too many students trapped in failing schools. All that to say, thank you for speaking out, Mr. Mitchell. We know exactly how you feel.    --- #### Share: - [Follow us on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://info.ccsa.org/blog/smear-campaign-against-charter-schools) - [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://info.ccsa.org/blog/smear-campaign-against-charter-schools&text=We%20know%20how%20you%20feel,%20North%20Carolina:%20There’s%20a%20smear%20campaign%20in%20California,%20too) - [Follow us on Linkedin](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://info.ccsa.org/blog/smear-campaign-against-charter-schools) - [Follow us on Pinterest](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://info.ccsa.org/blog/smear-campaign-against-charter-schools&text=We%20know%20how%20you%20feel,%20North%20Carolina:%20There’s%20a%20smear%20campaign%20in%20California,%20toodescription=“The%20suggestion%20that%20district%20schools%20are%20being%20resegregated%20through%20‘white%20flight’%20schools%20to%20schools%20of%20choice%20is%20nonsense.”&media=https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/3049635/Image%20from%20iOS%20%281%29-2.jpg) - [Follow us on Mail](mailto:?subject=We%20know%20how%20you%20feel,%20North%20Carolina:%20There’s%20a%20smear%20campaign%20in%20California,%20too%20&%20body=https://info.ccsa.org/blog/smear-campaign-against-charter-schools) - Follow us on Copy Copied to clipboard --- - Members - [School Membership](https://www.ccsa.org/member-services) - [Vendor Membership](https://www.ccsa.org/vendor-membership) - [CCSA Events](https://events.ccsa.org/en/30Bg95/g/PxWc6XJ8Ha?search=&sortBy=date&category=&date=TODAY&keywords=) - [Member Portal](https://portal.ccsa.org/login?_gl=1*1d1ovhq*_gcl_au*MTczODg2NDQ0OS4xNzczNjM5Mjkx*_ga*MzQ1NTk0MDkyLjE3NzM2MzkyOTE.*_ga_JL8WD9ZG7Q*czE3NzM3NDEyMDEkbzExJGcxJHQxNzczNzQxOTI4JGo2MCRsMCRoMA..) - Connect - [News](https://www.ccsa.org/posts) - [#CharterNation Blog](https://info.ccsa.org/blog?_gl=1*7lq4v1*_gcl_au*MTczODg2NDQ0OS4xNzczNjM5Mjkx*_ga*MzQ1NTk0MDkyLjE3NzM2MzkyOTE.*_ga_JL8WD9ZG7Q*czE3NzM3NDEyMDEkbzExJGcxJHQxNzczNzQyMDI5JGo0MiRsMCRoMA..) - [#CharterNation Podcast](https://charternation.buzzsprout.com/) - [Press Contact](https://www.ccsa.org/ccsa-press-media-contact) - Careers - [CCSA Job Openings](https://www.ccsa.org/about/careers) - [NAPCS Job Board](https://publiccharters.org/job-board/) Social [![FACEBOOK](https://info.ccsa.org/hubfs/CCSA_March2026/images/ccsa_de404e90-e97a-4e6e-ace0-c4c9408dbcdc_icon-fb.svg "FACEBOOK")](https://www.facebook.com/calcharters/) [![INSTA](https://info.ccsa.org/hubfs/CCSA_March2026/images/ccsa_fbf79749-3668-4c2a-a89c-f472ba2347d6_icon-insta.svg "INSTA")](https://www.instagram.com/calcharters/?hl=en) [![X](https://info.ccsa.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CCSA_March2026/images/Zl-TJJm069VX1diK_logo-white.png?width=150&name=Zl-TJJm069VX1diK_logo-white.png "X")](https://x.com/calcharters?lang=en) [![LINKDIEN](https://info.ccsa.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CCSA_March2026/images/f933e34e-37a2-4b09-a4c0-8599cb933704_Daco_368194.png?width=150&name=f933e34e-37a2-4b09-a4c0-8599cb933704_Daco_368194.png "LINKDIEN")](https://www.linkedin.com/company/california-charter-schools-association/?_l=en_US) [![YOUTUBE](https://info.ccsa.org/hubfs/CCSA_March2026/images/ccsa_61d077e4-4d1a-408c-ba20-06c6eb84d72c_icon-yt.svg "YOUTUBE")](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuatukE6VTyzMqKIaJDGXlg) [![ccsa](https://info.ccsa.org/hubfs/CCSA_March2026/images/ccsa.svg "ccsa")](https://www.ccsa.org/) © 2026 All rights reserved. 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