It went on to say that pupils are interested in their school work, pleased with their teachers, and likely to return next year. The charter school concept is a relatively new educational reform movement. Minnesota passed the nation's first charter school law in 1991, authorizing schools to operate essentially free from most state regulations. Today nearly 800 charter schools are in operation around the country serving about 150,000 students. California quickly followed in 1992 as the second state to pass legislation.
Charter schools enjoy bipartisan support.
President Clinton stated his desire to expand the number of charter schools to 3,000 by the year 2000. The only Republican criticism was that 3,000 charters were not enough. Today it is the only statewide organization dedicated solely to California charter schools. California Network of Educational Charters is a statewide nonprofit, non-partisan association of individuals who share the belief that charter schools provide exciting options for meaningful education reform and allow communities to invent the type of schooling that meets their unique needs. The Board is supported by a team of advisors representing the California Department of Education, the California State University system, and business.