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AN EDUCATION EARTHQUAKE. 30 years ago, the education establishment’s world was rocked when the first charter school law was enacted in Minnesota, June 4, 1991. The idea began not with Al Shanker from the AFT as some argue, but with Ray Budde, an educator whose 1974 paper, Education By Charter, which talked about restructuring school districts, got the attention (after its publication in 1988) of the truly progressive (by the real definition – to progress, not stay stuck) union leader, who along with others, started talking about the notion of teachers being empowered, and parents having the chance to choose from the offerings created by educators. And that is precisely the origins – as Ted Kolderie has argued – diversity AND choice – divorced from the “exclusive franchise” of school boards.

REVISIONIST HISTORY. There are those who will have you believe it was an experiment. It was not. It was intended to upset all of the traditional boundaries and bureaucracies. There are those who will have you believe it was about creating new programs and innovations only. They ignore the fact that sometimes innovation is just doing something differently and having a better outcome. There are all sorts of myths that circulate, precisely because the movement started and did what it intended — so take this occasion to get educated. Here are some handy dandy links from the mouths of those who were there, not those who claim to know otherwise:

WATCH: 

• “How Charter School Laws Really Got Started” – Long before there was a DFER, a SFER, a STAND, a CAN or New Schools, individuals launched a movement with strategy and resolve. Who were they? CER in 2013 brought together pioneers from CA, NY, PA, MA, DC, NJ and of course MN to share the real stories of how charters came to be.

• “Charter Schools Are A Form Of Self-Determination” – Civil Rights advocate and education choice pioneer, Dr. Howard Fuller speaks truth to power.

READ: 

• “The States Will Have To Withdraw The Exclusive Franchise – ‘Public Services Redesign Project’” – July 1990 – Ted Kolderie, godfather of charters and founding partner at Education Evolving.

• HIT THE DRUM: An Insider’s Account of How the Charter School Idea Became a National Movement (2019), by Sarah Tantillo, New Jersey charter pioneer.

 

• Charter Schools: Creating Hope and Opportunity for American Education (1999) by Joe Nathan, one of the mighty few who made Minnesota and so many other laws happen, wrote this semi-autobiography.

 

• A Light Shines In Harlem: New York’s First Charter School & the Movement It Led (2016) shows the story and courage of a diverse coalition of activists, parents, teachers, students who teamed up with a Civil Rights hero and a Wall Street star to launch the Sisulu-Walker Charter School of Harlem.

 
JOIN: ​

• Meet some of the pioneers highlighted above THIS THURSDAY when the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture hosts a conversation with charters’ founding generation, including Michigan’s  Jim Goenner and Minnesota’s own Ember Reichgott Junge on June 10, 3:15 EST.

A BI-PARTISAN SUCCESS. If you’re younger than 35, it might be hard to imagine that there was unity across the aisles on any issue, once upon a time, or that one party could praise another for its good works. But it has happened (and continues to, in education, despite detractors’ efforts). In 2001, on the 20th Anniversary of the birth of charters, the MN Legislature issued this proclamation praising the diverse cadre of supporters whose efforts together over the years led to the quake. They included not only Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson, a Republican who signed the law, but his predecessor, Rudy Perpich, a Democrat, who worked for years to advance public school choice in the land of 10,000 lakes, which would spread like a tsunami nationwide as they talked to their colleagues around the country at various gatherings of governors. From Bill Clinton to George W. Bush, from Pete Wilson to Tom Carper, Ds and Rs were in agreement then – as they are now if you look below the predictable press and social media haters – united in their belief that all children deserve the best education – no matter what.

Congratulations to all who have worked to achieve this incredible milestone. You number in the thousands – tens of thousands – and like the lakes, you have created a watershed for improving lives that will continue to spread for generations, as long as you work to protect it.

GO TO THE LIBRARY. The National Charter Schools Founders Library, created in partnership with the National Charter Schools Institute and led by former state representative and charter pioneer Ember Reichott-Junge, is collecting and capturing the history of the charter schools movement for future generations to enjoy and learn from, and the Institute is spearheading the next 15 months of education and celebration about the movement that changed public education for good.

EDREFORM U. More history awaits you at CER’s own “university.” Life-long learners may want to understand the good, the bad and the ugly. Almost 30 years of work and observations are stored at EdReformU. For the unfiltered record of the work behind education reform, and about what it takes to make schools work better for all children, you’ll want to bookmark this section of 2024.edreform.com.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS. Join CER for another edition of its acclaimed ACTION Series Webinars on June 16 at 12:00pm (EST), where we’ll talk with legal experts and issue analysts about the most recent upsides and challenges arising from the Espinoza v. Montana Dept. of Revenue Supreme Court decision, which marked an unprecedented, historic milestone for education opportunity everywhere. Register here.

That’s a wrap for us this week. Grab a piece of cake or glass of champagne and start your celebration of 30 years of innovation, excellence and opportunity!