National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Applauds Several States That Will Advance to the Next Round of Race to the Top

Five states lifted charter caps; five had strong charter laws in place already

WASHINGTON, March 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is pleased to see several states with strong support for charter schools advance to the next round of competition for Race to the Top funding under the U.S. Department of Education.

"We are encouraged to see Georgia, Colorado, Florida, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. listed among the group of finalists," said Nelson Smith, president and CEO, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.   "We are also pleased to see that states like Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, Tennessee and Massachusetts – who lifted charter caps in response to Race to the Top criteria – are included in this advancing group.

Five states that do not support charter school growth and expansion were also named as finalists today.  Kentucky has no charter law, while New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Rhode Island have in place restrictive caps on charter growth.  

"The Department of Education has taken the first step in selecting Race to the Top finalists.  While certain states are standouts in education reform, especially with respect to their support for high-quality charter schools, others have been less willing to truly embrace systemic reform," said Smith.  "We will continue to watch as this process unfolds, and urge the Department of Education to ultimately select only those states committed to education reform that includes charter schools as a building block."

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (http://www.publiccharters.org) is the national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement. The Alliance works to increase the number of high-performing charter schools available to all families, particularly low-income and minority families who currently do not have access to quality public schools. The Alliance provides assistance to state charter school associations and resource centers, develops and advocates for improved public policies, and serves as the united voice for this large and diverse movement. More than 1.5 million students attend nearly 5,000 charter schools in 40 states and the District of Columbia.

SOURCE National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

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