State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Provides Charter Task Force Report for Recommendations to Governor Newsom

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond yesterday released the much-anticipated Charter Task Force Report of Recommendations to the Governor and his team ahead of the July 1 deadline. In late February, Governor Gavin Newsom requested that Superintendent Thurmond convene a group of experts to closely examine the impact of charter school growth on district budgets and to provide a report with recommendations by July 1, 2019. The task force has been meeting regularly since early March and has culminated with a report that has both recommendations that were unanimously agreed upon by the task force members as well as discussed proposals that, although they did not meet full consensus, provide opportunities for future efforts.

“It’s important to include both the areas where a consensus was reached, as well as the areas where a majority was reached, in order to show the depth that members were willing to go and the challenging and difficult conversations that occurred throughout this process,” said Thurmond. “The public deserves a transparent report, and one that also reflects honestly that there is more work to be done. The California Department of Education, under my leadership, will lead the efforts to provide solutions to the issues surrounding current standards, guidelines, and authorization processes. We will continue working with the Governor, legislators, and stakeholders, as well as welcome the opportunity for public input, as we lead this next phase.”

The full report includes a central focus on the fiscal impact that charter schools have on traditional public schools as well as the inconsistencies in how charter schools are authorized throughout the state. Recommendations were made to alleviate concerns in these areas and provide specific ways to address fiscal impact and authorization challenges. View a copy of the full CDE report, titled California Charter School Policy Task Force Report (PDF).

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100