California's broken charter school law has defied reform. Can Newsom break the gridlock?
LOS ANGELES - California is home to about one out of every five charter schools in the United States, but state oversight of them is far from a national model.
Since the Charter Schools Act of 1992 was passed more than a quarter-century ago, a political standoff in Sacramento has made it almost impossible to repair even the parts of the charter law that no one disputes are broken.
Even though Democrats have a firm grip on the Legislature, they are not united on charter schools. Torn between allegiances to pro-charter philanthropists and the powerful teachers union, lawmakers have for years begun each legislative session by introducing a handful of bills favorable to one side or the other. Many have died in committee. Those that have made it to a governor's desk often have been vetoed.
With the arrival of Gov. Gavin Newsom, there are signs that the gridlock is ending.
Shortly after he was sworn in, Newsom instructed lawmakers to fast-track charter legislation that politicians had been arguing over for years. The law he signed in February makes charter schools subject to the same public records, open meeting and conflict-of-interest laws that apply to traditional public schools.
