House committee advances bipartisan bill supporting charter school educators

The House Education and Workforce Committee has moved forward with H.R. 3453, known as the Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act. This bipartisan legislation aims to enhance access to high-quality public charter schools by allowing states to allocate Charter Schools Program (CSP) funds directly to experienced educators. These funds are intended to assist educators in designing innovative charter schools and navigating the application process.

Public charter schools in the United States adhere to stringent accountability standards within public education. The development of a robust charter school application can be a lengthy process, often causing skilled teachers to delay their initiatives. The bill proposes one-time investments of up to $100,000, enabling educators to focus on launching schools that cater specifically to their communities' needs.

Starlee Coleman, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, stated: “The Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act was introduced in direct response to the strong and growing demand for charter schools, with nearly 4 million students now enrolled nationwide.” She acknowledged Representatives Letlow and Tokuda for introducing the bill and Chairman Walberg for supporting it. Coleman added: “If we want to elevate opportunity and outcomes for more students, we must find new ways to uplift teachers’ deep insights and expertise—and this bill does just that. We now call on Speaker Johnson and members of both parties to pass this bill through the full House.”

Key provisions of the Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act include:

- Allowing states greater flexibility without increasing spending by using existing CSP funds during the charter school design and application phase.

- Investing in educators with proven classroom experience, leadership skills, and a history of improving student outcomes.

- Raising caps on administrative and technical assistance from 3% to 5% and from 7% to 10%, respectively, facilitating better support for high-quality charter growth.

By focusing on empowering qualified educational experts—teachers—the act seeks to ensure that more students nationwide have access to free, high-quality public education tailored specifically for them.