The initiative, targeted for the November 1998 ballot, was written by Don Shalvey, a 30-year veteran of California public schools, and businessman Reed Hastings. The aim of the Initiative is to repeal the 100-school limit of California's 1992 charter school legislation, and to provide the legal and financial framework to support the growth of more than 2,000 quality charter schools. That framework includes a streamlined approval process and clarification of the constitutionality of reasonably independent charter schools. The Initiative also provides that parents of the worst public schools would be allowed to bring in an already successful charter operator to operate the site. To enforce strict accountability, a procedure is established for closing charter schools that do produce the superior results required of them.
Charter schools are innovative public schools organized by teachers, parents, and the community.
They offer parents new choices for their children's education, with each charter school adopting a specific educational approach to improve student learning. Charter schools in California commit to enroll any child who applies, and to have their pupils achieving at higher levels than similar pupils in the regular public schools within three years. If they fail, their charter is revoked. School Reform News School Reform News is a project of The Heartland Institute .