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Quality growth in the charter school movement has benefits for children, families, communities, and advocates. The Charter Launch Program is a membership organization by the California Charter Schools Association that aims to lead the charter public schools movement in California. By examining the program’s successes and challenges, key aspects and learnings begin to emerge that are relevant for stakeholders and other charter support organizations (CSOs) interested in starting a similar service.
Top Takeaways
- The Charter Launch Program was born from 3 emerging trends in the California charter landscape: a focus on quality, increasingly stringent authorizer requirements, and gaps in service offerings for developers.
- Key elements of the Charter Launch Program include an emphasis on capacity building, regionally-focused program implementation, and a curriculum focused on the 16 elements of a charter petition the state requires.
- One of the 6 key lessons learned has been the regional staffing model which was implemented by the Charter Launch Program in part to deepen relationships with local authorizers.
Local advocacy matters. It is the most valuable thing CSOs [charter support organizations] can do for developers.
Myrna Castrejón, Senior Vice President, School Development and Outreach
California Charter Schools Association
