Today kicks off the National Charter Schools Conference, Delivering on the Dream, in Washington, D.C., and for the first time ever, a contingent of Washington state public charter schools supporters are attending.
The group of a dozen includes parents, grandparents, educators, and community members who all want to learn more about charter school best practices.
Conference Keynoter Armando Christian Perez (aka “Pitbull”), founder of SLAM Public Charter School and a charter school parent, spoke for many in the Washington delegation. “I stand with the millions of families who simply want a good school for their kids.”
Nationally 2.3 million students are enrolled in over 6,000 public charter schools. A recent survey reports that nearly 1 million names are on charter school waiting lists, an increase of 300,000 from last year. Nearly seven out of 10 public charter schools have waiting lists with older, more established schools reporting longer waiting lists.
Check back for more reports from the charter schools conference.