18 Governors Sign Letter Opposing Federal Charter Regulations

By April 19, 2022 News

The pushback against the Biden Administration’s proposed charter regulations has a new set of allies: the governors of 18 states. Yesterday, the governors sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. They urged changes to the regulations and requested more time for the public to weigh in.

The governors wrote:

We oppose any attempts by the federal government to act as a national charter school board, impose a top-down and one-size-fits-all approach, and undermine the authority of parents to choose the educational option best for their child. Specifically, we take issue with both the substance and process of the proposed rule, and therefore, we ask that the comment period be extended, the community impact analysis requirement be removed, and implementation be delayed by one year.

The letter is the latest installment of what has become a national backlash against the regulations. Earlier, on April 6, U.S. Senators Burr, Braun, Cornyn, Cassidy, Scott, and Rubio sent a letter to Secretary Cardona asking for more time for public comment. As a result, the Department extended the comment period for five days, from April 13 to April 18. As of 11:59 p.m. last night, the end of the comment period, the Federal eRulemaking Portal had registered nearly 30,000 comments.

Read more about action nationwide

  • The Washington Post‘s editorial referring to the Administration’s “sneak attack” on charter schools
  • National Review‘s coverage of the governors’ letter
  • The 74‘s article covering push-back from charter advocates

Learn more about action in North Carolina

Finally, read an earlier blog post outlining specific Coalition concerns with the regulations.