Protecting accountability and parents’ choice in charter schools

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OPINION – Last year’s legislative session tested the strength and resilience of California parents and the public charter school community. The debate over AB 84 revealed deep concern among parents, students, educators, and school leaders who believed the bill imposed sweeping bureaucratic burdens that would harm students by diverting scarce resources away from classrooms. For many families who have chosen and rely on charter schools to meet their child’s unique needs, it felt as though their voices were ignored, their questions unanswered, and their needs buried in a political fight.

That is why Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent effort to bring together charter school leaders, parents, and public education stakeholders is an important turning point.

There are plenty of issues where I disagree with Governor Newsom — but rather than allowing last year’s divisions to define the future, he convened a serious and good-faith proposal aimed at finding a common-sense path forward — one that strengthens accountability without punishing students and families who have made a thoughtful choice for their children’s education.

We wholeheartedly agree that accountability matters. Charter schools are public schools, and with public funding comes public responsibility. No one supports fraud, mismanagement, or bad actors who undermine public trust. In fact, current laws have already addressed the so-called “bad apples.” Those who committed fraud have been investigated, prosecuted, and removed from the system. Funding has been restored where wrongdoing occurred. Oversight mechanisms exist, and they work when applied properly.

What parents did not oppose accountability, what they opposed was overreach. AB 84 risked piling broad, costly bureaucratic mandates on all charter schools in response to isolated incidents of misconduct. Every school would have been forced to take money from classrooms, student services, and teacher salaries — and redirect those resources to meet bureaucratic compliance requirements. In a time when every education dollar counts, that trade-off would have hurt the very students lawmakers say they want to protect.

In response to that experience, parents and school leaders launched the Parents Matter Campaign. Our goal is simple: educate lawmakers about how certain proposals, however well-intended, can unintentionally siphon money out of classrooms and limit opportunities for students. The Parents Matter Campaign is not about politics — it is about perspective. It ensures that families — not just education special interests — are present during policy conversations that shape their children’s futures.

Equally important has been the role of the Parents Matter Campaign in facilitating direct briefings between parents, lawmakers, and legislative staff. These conversations have created meaningful opportunities for policymakers to hear, firsthand, how proposed legislation affects real families and students. By bringing parents to the table—not as an afterthought or for damage control, but as central stakeholders—the campaign has helped foster informed dialogue. When lawmakers and their teams engage directly with families rather than relying solely on institutional voices, policy discussions become more grounded, balanced, and responsive to the students they are meant to serve.

Equally important is reaffirming the relationship between charter schools and their local authorizers. Strong, transparent partnerships between schools and districts are essential for maintaining trust and ensuring performance standards are met. Accountability should reinforce that relationship—not strain it.

Governor Newsom’s new budget trailer bill reflects a more measured approach. It acknowledges the need for oversight while avoiding sweeping mandates that would destabilize high-performing schools. For parents, this signals that their concerns may have been heard. It demonstrates that consensus is possible when leaders prioritize students over ideology.

California’s charter families do not seek special treatment. They seek fairness, transparency, and the freedom to choose the educational environment that best serves their children. By bringing diverse stakeholders together and steering the conversation toward practical reforms, Governor Newsom can show the kind of leadership this moment requires.

We are grateful for his engagement and for the opportunity to continue working collaboratively with him and lawmakers during this legislative session. When accountability and parental choice are treated not as competing values but as complementary ones, students win—and that is the outcome we all share.

Tab Berg is the President of California Parents for Public Virtual Education.