State burdened by oversight of more charter schools
By Louis Freedberg ~ EdSource Extra
Photo by Seth Sawyers
The closure and bankruptcy of a West Sacramento charter school this fall highlights the State Board of Education’s increasing role in granting charters to charter schools—and its limited ability to oversee those schools.
As charter schools continue to expand dramatically across the state, the number authorized and overseen by the board has grown from six charter schools five years ago to 31 today.
As charter schools continue to expand dramatically across the state, the number authorized and overseen by the board has grown from six charter schools five years ago to 31 today.
Nearly two decades after California’s charter schools were first established, the oversight structure of charter schools may need an overhaul. That could include setting up a separate charter authorizing board to relieve pressures on an overburdened State Board that is spending increasing amounts of time on charter schools, which serve about 6 percent of students in the state’s public schools.
“One of the things we have learned is that the work of authorizing and oversight is a lot
