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Autonomy and Flexibility of Charter Public Schools Play Key Role in Retaining a New Generation of Public School Teachers, CCSA Report Finds

June 1, 2023

CCSA President & CEO Myrna Castrejón Leads Roundtable Discussion to Analyze Key Findings During Livestream Event

LOS ANGELES, CA – The California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) released the second part of its study, The Face of California’s Charter Public School Teachers 2023, which found charter public school teachers value the autonomy and flexibility of charter public schools, and the creativity and innovation they can create, as top reasons for choosing to work within the charter public school sector.

Researchers interviewed charter public school teachers across the state and pinpointed five other factors that attract educators to charter public schools including: 

·      The opportunity to represent the students and communities they serve

·      Deep community ties that their charter public schools have developed and nurtured  

·      Networking among charter public school educators and the personal impact they have

The Face of California’s Charter Public School Teachers 2023 is the first comprehensive look at the state’s charter public school workforce in recent history. To highlight the findings and policy recommendations, CCSA President and CEO Myrna Castrejón lead a roundtable discussion Tuesday evening with the report’s author and two charter public school teachers which was livestreamed on CCSA’s social media channels.

“Teachers leave indelible marks on the lives of the children that they teach, however their voices are often missing in the existing research and political discourse about charter public schools and education policy,” said Ms. Castrejón during the livestream event.This report takes a direct look at charter public school teachers and helps policymakers and the public understand the incredible benefit and value these dedicated individuals bring to California’s public education system.”

In 2019, there were 30,114 public school teachers working at charter public schools in California – that represents 10% of the state’s teacher workforce. To date, there are 1,285 charter public schools in the state serving 685,549 students – 12% of the state’s public school population.

Based on the research gathered for the report, CCSA also released policy recommendations aimed at strengthening and growing the charter public school workforce including prioritizing support for programs that increase the recruitment and retention of diverse teachers.

CCSA has been focused on understanding California’s charter school teacher workforce during the entire month of May, beginning with the release of Part I of the report during Teacher Appreciation Week on May 9.

That component of the study found charter public school teachers are mostly female (74%) and tend to be new to the profession with nine years of experience. In addition, Pacific Islander, Asian and Black charter public school teachers are more likely to have advanced degrees than their peers. Overall, 21% of charter school teachers are Latino, 6% are Asian, and 5% are Black.

“I have worked at charter school my entire teaching career … and what I enjoy the most about working at charter schools is the autonomy and the willingness from school leaders to let me try new things in my classroom,” said Wanda Ramirez, a second grade teacher at El Sol Science and Arts Academy of Santa Ana who participated in the livestream event. “If I have a program or an idea that I want to pilot, I can go to my school leaders and they’re always willing to hear the research and the data behind what I’m trying to do with my students.”

El Sol Science and Arts Academy is one of the state’s leading dual-immersion charter public schools located in Orange County that offers intensive academic instruction in Spanish and English that prepares students for entrance into a college preparatory track at the high school of their choice. Founded in 2001, El Sol has been recognized as a “Bright Spot in Hispanic Education” by U.S. Department of Education, one of “America’s Best Schools” by the National Center for Urban School Transformation, and a California Distinguished School by the CA Department of Education for closing the achievement gap and exceptional school performance.

>> To access the livestream event which provides a breakdown of the findings, please click this link: A Roundtable Discussion: Who Are California’s Charter Public School Teachers?

>> To download the entire report (Parts I & II), please click here: The Face of California’s Charter Public School Teachers 2023

For additional media inquiries about this report or to schedule interviews with charter school teachers or CCSA subject matter experts, please contact press@ccsa.org.

About the California Charter Schools Association

The vision of the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) is to build great public schools of joy and rigor that prepare all California students for success in college, career, community, and life. The mission of CCSA is to meet parent, educator, and community need for great public school options by supporting and advocating for high quality non-profit charter schools and sharing their success throughout California’s public schools. Learn more.

 

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