WASHINGTON D.C.- On the eve of the NAACP’s annual board meeting, where members are expected to ratify an unpopular call for a moratorium on charter public schools, another organization stepped into the fray calling for the NAACP to reject the resolution. All twelve members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), chaired by Senator Isadore Hall, signed a letter to the NAACP urging reconsideration and touting the gains made by charter school students in their state.
The vote is scheduled to take place today in Cincinnati during the NAACPs annual board meeting.
In 1992, California was the second state to pass a charter law and the state has seen gains made by students attending charter schools, especially among African-American and Latino students.
The CLBC letter is latest in what is a chorus of voices speaking out against the resolution and calling on the NAACP to stand with Black families. In September, 160 Black leaders sent a letter to the NAACP urging the organization to reconsider a moratorium and learn more about how charter schools are working to help communities of color. Black charter school families from New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington state also penned a letter to the NAACP, expressing their stance on charter schools as a critical component to student success. Their ChartersWork petition attracted more than 3,000 signatures from parents from across the country in a matter of days and the list is growing.
Complete letter pasted below:
