Two interesting national stories

The trend across the country, accelerated since the Republican sweep in 2010, has been to grant charters more autonomy, expand their reach, and remove limits on growth.  Washington and Alabama, two states that have never had charter schools, have legislation pending that would authorize them.

Two stories in national publications highlight this trend, along with a few exceptions.  This first one, whose approach is biased, lists the big changes in effect or pending across the country.  The author uses it to show "how powerful the charter school lobby is today."

This one is about the different approaches in New Jersey and Georgia.

Legislators in Georgia voted recently to make it easier for the state to approve new charter schools, regardless of whether local authorities want them or not. Their measure awaits voter approval. In New Jersey, the legislature is considering a measure to slow down the state’s approval of charters, by requiring local endorsement of each charter application. The New Jersey measure still requires passage by the Senate, where it has yet to be introduced, but if successful, charter experts say it would represent an unusual direction for charter school legislation.