Media Contact:
Brittany Parmley
916-221-8588
bparmley@ccsa.org
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) moved to a neutral position on Assembly Bill (AB) 1505, authored by Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, after securing important protections for existing high-quality charter public schools that have demonstrated success in closing the achievement gap, balancing students’ academic needs with fiscal impact considerations for new petitions, and restoring an appeals path to counties and the State Board of Education. CCSA’s decision to remove opposition to the bill follows extensive conversations with the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Teachers Association.
“We are committed to moving forward together to increase access to high-quality public schools of all types and for all kids - regardless of where they live, their race, income, or their educational needs,” said Myrna Castrejón, president and CEO, CCSA. “For 25 years, California’s charter public school movement has relentlessly run towards the greatest challenges in public education. Far too many of our most vulnerable students have been underserved by our current public school system, which is exactly why we’ve engaged in thoughtful conversations and shown a willingness to compromise on this important legislation.”
Read Governor Newsom’s statement on the legislation here.
When AB 1505 was originally introduced in February, it included devastating consequences for the state’s most vulnerable students and would have ripped away access to quality public schools in neighborhoods most in need. Since the bill’s introduction, thousands of charter school families, students, and supporters visited the Capitol, participated in grassroots meetings with legislators and made phone calls to express their concerns with AB 1505.
Collective action of the charter schools sector ensured CCSA was able to secure significant protections for charter school students and schools, including the restoration of county appeal rights, protecting a role for the state in the appeals chain, negotiating a five-year transition for existing non-core charter school teachers to secure certification, granting charter schools that are closing the achievement gap streamlined renewal, and balancing the consideration of the academic needs of students against fiscal impact considerations for new petitions.