National Alliance for Public Charter Schools President and CEO Nina Rees released the following statement on Bloomberg Philanthropies’ new five-year program to help close student achievement gaps and create an additional 150,000 seats at high-quality charter schools in 20 U.S. metro areas.
"The National Alliance thanks Mike Bloomberg for his leadership and unwavering support of public charter schools in New York and across the country. As Mr. Bloomberg points out in the piece he wrote for the Wall Street Journal, we already know that charter schools perform well. Now it’s time to support more of what works. With many partners at the local, state, and national levels, we work to support these high-quality public schools and their leaders and teachers. We want to replicate their successes so more families in America have great choices and opportunities in public education. Mr. Bloomberg’s investment into these public, tuition-free, open-to-all, innovative schools is significant, not only because it will create more dedicated schools and leaders, but also because it signals that government, politics, philanthropy, and the nation are taking notice of how charter schools can be a lifeline for so many students.
"Bold investments in public education for our families will propel our country forward. Sadly, the growth of charter schools is not keeping pace with demand in our country. Restrictive caps on charter school growth, as well as attempts in many state legislatures to enact moratoriums or block funding, are subverting the will of the people. The only federal program to support and expand high-quality charter schools has been flat-funded for five years. And overwhelming parent demand for more and better public education options for their children, likely spurred on by the pandemic, makes this investment timely. We are excited for this time of unprecedented support and growth for charter schools."