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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Out-of-state expansion of California charter school companies could affect in-state growth | EdSource Extra!

Out-of-state expansion of California charter school companies could affect in-state growth | EdSource Extra!:


Out-of-state expansion of California charter school companies could affect in-state growth

By Louis Freedberg ~ EdSource Extra

Elementary kids w/ pencilsThe decision by two of California’s best known charter management organizations to try to open schools in Memphis and Nashville raises this question: Will the expansion of California-based charter schools outside the state come at the expense of their growth inside the state?

Nearly four years ago, Green Dot Public Schools, which runs 18 charter schools in Los Angeles, opened a charter school in the South Bronx. But it hardly led to a surge of California-based charter schools to open similar schools outside the state. That may be about to change.
Aspire Public Schools, the state’s largest charter school provider, with 34 schools in six California cities, wants to open ten charter schools in Memphis over the next five years.Rocketship Education, which currently runs five charter schools in San Jose, wants to open eight schools in Nashville and another eight in Memphis.  It has already signed on to open