Researchers with the Center on Reinventing Public Education in a new report zero in on the San Francisco Bay Areafor clues on the reasons behind the nationwide slowdown in charter school growth.
Last year, more charter schools closed than opened in the area for the first time since California passed its charter law in 1992. To find out why, researchers examined data on school authorizations, openings, student enrollment, and closings, and interviewed dozens of charter school officials.
“Overall, our interviews revealed a fatigued sector dealing with a powerful trifecta of new factors: scarce facilities, rising costs, and rising political backlash,” the authors write. They also note a shift among large charter school chains—charter-management organizations—away from opening new schools to focus on consulting and professional-development services.
Among its recommendations, the center suggests that charter schools coordinate to tackle shared problems such as teacher recruitment.
