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Charter Schools Being Urged to Serve ELLs

A kindergartner at Raul Yzaguirre School for Success holds up signs in English and Spanish. Advocates say more charter schools should follow the Houston school’s example and better serve English-language learners.

—Smiley N. Pool for Education Week

Report Maps Out Steps

By Mary Ann Zehr

With support for charter schools growing across the country, some education and advocacy groups are calling on policymakers and educators to give more consideration to how charter schools can do a better job of serving the nation’s increasing population of English-language learners.

Just this month, two such Washington-based groups— The National Council of La Raza and the Center for American Progress —put out a report spelling out how state governments can change their policies to ensure charter schools serve ELLs well and tailor their programs for the needs of such students.

The report features two charter schools that are part of a network of about 100 supported by the National Council of La Raza and two charter schools that aren’t part of the network considered to...