As early as 1983, the California legislature mandated higher standards, revamped curriculum frameworks, lengthened the school day and year, established mentor teacher programs, improved textbooks, and set up teacher accountability systems. In recent years, the state also has passed laws to create more school-based management systems and teacher career opportunities and to promote school restructuring.
Yet, legislators and educators were dissatisfied with student learning progress resulting from these changes. The charter originally was proposed in 1987-88 by California public school educators frustrated by bureaucracy and eager to have real freedom with accountability. A year after Minnesota enacted its charter law, California passed legislation authorizing up to 100 Charter Schools beginning in 1993.
California's charter law seeks to:
However, a referendum on tax-financed vouchers that will be on California's general election ballot in November is threatening the future of California's Charter Schools. The referendum would allow parents to pay for private schooling with vouchers. If the referendum passes, it may make the current California law on charters obsolete, according to Les Martisko, Executive Director of the South Central Education Cooperative Service Unit (SC/ECSU) in North Mankato, Minnesota. A July 8 article from the "Report on Education of the Disadvantaged" also notes that the National Education Association (NEA), which opposes vouchers on the basis that they would prompt the removal of the most advantaged pupils from public schools and isolate at-risk students, is spending $1 million to battle the voucher referendum in California.
For an update on Charter Schools issues in California, see "California and Arizona Updates," from Policy Briefs, "Charter Schools Update" (Report 2, 1994).
Posted on March 6, 1995
URL: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/go/93-2CA.HTM