National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Applauds the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for Promoting District-Charter School Collaboration Compacts in Nine States

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools today released the following statement from its President and CEO, Peter C. Groff, on the new ways that public charter schools and traditional public schools in nine communities are working to provide high-quality education for all students:

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"The Collaboration Compact is a serious step toward substantive education reform.  We are thrilled to see this level of partnership, and the willingness to put the needs of children first.  In the end, both charter schools and district schools want the same thing – to provide a high-quality public education for all students.  When both sides are working together, they will be able to share best practices, leverage resources and ultimately provide a better set of options for parents, teachers and students.  Several of these cities, like Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Nashville, Tenn., New York and New Orleans have a strong charter school presence and a visible commitment from local leaders to embrace all forms of education reform. Baltimore, Denver, Hartford, Conn., and Rochester, N.Y. are also among the communities boldly incorporating public charter schools into their overall efforts to improve public education.

"We also applaud the role of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in encouraging these innovative partnerships.  It is our hope that these Collaboration Compacts will serve as a model of what can and should be done in every community across America.  It is essential that our mayors, school boards, teachers' unions, superintendents and charter school leaders work collaboratively to improve student achievement and make our communities stronger.  Public education is, after all, a public trust.  Everyone has a stake in making it better."

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 1.6 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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