The nation’s charter school movement is about to get an infusion of new support. Last week, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a $750 million investment to create more charter schools. In a December 1st op-ed in The Wall Street Journal titled “Why I’m Backing Charter Schools,” he wrote:
“Today there are long waiting lists for charter schools across the country, but mayors and governors aren’t getting the support they need from Congress and the White House to open new charter schools. To begin meeting the demand for charters, Bloomberg Philanthropies is launching a five-year, $750 million effort to create seats for 150,000 more children in 20 metro areas across the country.
“We will provide seed capital to open new, high-quality charter schools with leadership and staff members that reflect students’ diversity. This investment will also help existing charter schools grow. We will also fund work to strengthen schools’ data systems, train and develop principals and teachers, and study what is working well to develop best practices for the nation.”
Read the press release from Bloomberg Philanthropies with more details.
