Do charter schools have bipartisan support?
YES, both Democratic and Republican leaders support chartered public schools. The Federal Charter School Grant Program started under President Bill Clinton in 1996 with strong bi-partisan support that has expanded over the years. ************************ In the fall of 2005, Senator Barack Obama (Dem, IL) stated: Government must honor its sacred commitment to provide the best schools, places of imagination and challenge where children can achieve their potential. That is why I believe in a broader federal investment — in K-12 schools, in college tuition, but also in innovative ideas like charter schools and teaching academies that train and value a new generation of educators. ************************ Joe Nathan, Director Center for School Change in Minnesota notes some prominent Democrats that have supported charter schools. There is an article from the NY Times explaining that Rosa Parks spent part of the last decade of her life trying to help start a charter public school in Detroi
