California is in danger of compromising charter school independence with AB 1531, a union-sponsored bill that would essentially give local school boards control over charter schools, stripping their autonomy, which is a hallmark of their success.
This is nothing more than an attempt by the California Teachers Association (CTA) to gain control over public charter schools. Local school boards are the most common charter school authorizers in the Golden State, and this legislation would force charter schools to “require that the initial chartering authority appoint a majority of the members of the board of directors,” thus giving local boards even more power over charter schools.
Claims from the CTA that this legislation is about protecting teachers’ pensions and collective bargaining rights are merely a distraction from the realities of this legislation. This is more about creating a process in which union allies infiltrate charter governing boards in attempts to tighten the union stranglehold on public education in California.
This legislation would be a massive step backwards for California’s charter schools and the students they serve.
Tell California legislators it’s absolutely essential to reverse course on AB 1531, and to instead embrace best practices when it comes to ensuring all students have access to an education that best meets their needs.
Click here to find your legislator and make your voice heard.
For the full text of AB 1531 see here:
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB1531
For more on why this legislation is harmful to California charter schools, see here:
http://unionwatch.org/charter-chicanery/