Thursday, February 2, 2006
RAISE THE CAP
By Randy A. Daniels
Last week, as co-chairman of the Charter School Committee of the State University of New York,
I joined my colleagues to approve the final four available charters to open new schools in underperforming
communities across New York State.
I felt pride, because the 50 schools that will now be operating under a SUNY charter resoundingly confirm
all that we had hoped for in 1998, when the New York State legislature first approved this major educational reform.
Throughout New York City and State, charter schools have significantly improved educational outcomes,
in some cases dramatically so. More importantly, they have belied the notion that, somehow, nothing could be
done to help students, who were falling behind. In this way, they have infused hope into the system,
while also pointing the way to new areas for reform that can improve public education for all children.
