The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (National Alliance) has released the following statement upon the announcement that the Black Alliance for Educational Options will end operations at the end of 2017:
“The Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) has been at the forefront of empowering families to choose high-quality educational options for nearly two decades. The importance of diverse leadership at all levels of education cannot be overstated, and through their robust program of local and national advocacy, BAEO has helped ensure that the perspectives of Black students, families, and educators do not go overlooked.
“The National Alliance has been honored to partner with BAEO in this work. Across the country, over 730,000 Black students are attending public charter schools—one stop on a path of academic success that will take them to and through college. Over 80 percent of Black parents who partook in a nationally representative survey favor allowing parents to choose the best public school option for their children. These kinds of game-changing results aren’t possible without engaging families in the broader movement for public school choice, and for this we’re incredibly grateful to BAEO.
“We are heartened by the fact that so many of BAEO’s leaders remain in the movement, and remain fighting for families. And we are energized knowing that every day new, talented individuals join the cause to empower families with high-quality public school options. As we move forward, we will keep BAEO’s mission close to our work and hearts.”
About Public Charter Schools
Public charter schools are independent, public, and tuition-free schools that are given the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. Since 2010, many research studies have found that students in charter schools do better in school than their traditional school peers. For example, one study by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found that charter schools do a better job teaching low income students, minority students, and students who are still learning English than traditional schools. Separate studies by the Center on Reinventing Public Education and Mathematica Policy Research have found that charter school students are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college, stay in college and have higher earnings in early adulthood.
About the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the public charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter sector. For more information, please visit www.publiccharters.org.
