California charter schools use loophole to skirt earthquake building standards

In the Public Interest’s pick of recent news about the effort to privatize public education in California. Not a subscriber? Sign up here.

Charter schools aren’t as safe as neighborhood schools during an earthquake. CBS Los Angeles investigation has found that charter schools — like 18 L.A. campuses of Alliance Schools — don’t have to comply with the Field Act’s earthquake building standards, even though they accept public money to rent their buildings. CBSLA

Prop 39 crackdown. The Los Angeles Unified School District is cracking down on charter schools that take district classrooms and then don’t use them. “A state law known as Prop. 39 requires California school districts to offer classrooms at a relatively modest cost to any charter school that asks for them — and in L.A., many charters do ask. Roughly one out of every five charter schools in the city is ‘co-located’ on an LAUSD campus.” LAist

Credit ratings agency weighs in on charter schools. In rating San Diego Unified School District bonds, the credit ratings agency Fitch has spelled out how charter schools can have a “volatile” financial impact on district funding. Fitch

Inspire Charter Schools is flailing. The founder and CEO of the San Diego-area Inspire Charter Schools was placed on a temporary leave of absence. Last week, the California Charter School Association rescinded the school’s membership and recommended an independent audit of its management. NBC San Diego

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