A New Era for California Charter Schools
By Cristina de Jesus
Chief Executive Officer,
Green Dot Public Schools California
Today marks a new era for California charter public schools. Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1505 into law—a historic agreement that affirms high-quality charter schools are here to stay and that charter schools are a critical lever in ensuring quality school options for all families across the state.
Originally, AB 1505 included devastating consequences for the state’s most vulnerable students and threatened to take away access to quality public schools in neighborhoods most in need. Thanks to the efforts of thousands of charter school families, students, and charter advocates across the state, we were able to secure critical provisions for the charter community. With the signing of AB 1505, we can finally put to rest lingering questions about the fate of charter schools across the state, and we can now turn our collective attention towards continuing to change the odds for the students we serve.
Green Dot California is a vital part of the educational ecosystem in the state, and we must continue our work to ensure that all students, regardless of background and zip code, have access to great schools.