Says charter caps like those in Massachusetts are “arbitrary” and “a mistake”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 19, 2016
Today Secretary of Education John King, in remarks at the National Press Club, joined the chorus of education leaders, elected officials and respected members of the African-American community in criticizing by the NAACP‘s decision to demand moratoriums on charter schools.
He commented that caps on charter schools only serve to limit the amount of high-quality classroom seats available. King explained that “any arbitrary cap on the growth of high-performing charters is a mistake in terms of our goal of trying to improve opportunity for all kids”.
King’s comments on charter schools come right on the heels of comments made by Sephira Shuttlesworth, wife of the late civil rights leader Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, who in the Lowell Sun called on Massachusetts voters to approve more charter schools and bring her late husband’s vision to life, “… educational opportunity for all …the battle for which he and others repeatedly put their lives on the line rages on.” Rev. Shuttlesworth founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was one of the key leaders in the civil rights movement.
Earlier this fall, chief of staff and advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Wyatt T. Walker said if Dr. King were alive he would have supported charter schools “without a doubt.” The interview appeared in Real Clear Life in September.
“Charter schools have proven to be some of the most effective means to educating students most in need of diverse learning opportunities. They have the changed lives of countless individuals in the communities they serve,” said CER Board of Directors member Donald Hense. Hense, himself a civil rights activist, founded Friendship Public Charter Schools in Washington, DC and served under Marion Wright Edelman at Children’s Defense Fund. “Limiting charter schools is like limiting education,” added Hense.
About the Center for Education Reform
Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that the conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.