KPCC News In Brief

Charter schools advocacy group head leaves to join educational services company

The head of an influential charter schools advocacy group is leaving the job to join a Southland educational services company. KPCC’s Cheryl Devall has the story.

Cheryl Devall: The country’s largest concentration of charter schools – independent, usually small learning centers that operate within public school districts – is in the Los Angeles Unified School District; it’ll include 150 charters when classes start this fall.

That reflects the advocacy of Caprice Young, a former L.A. Unified board member. During the five years she led the California Charter Schools Association, Young re-shifted the organization’s focus from suburban public districts to urban schools. Young is leaving the charter schools non-profit to join Knowledge Universe, a training and curriculum development company owned by the Milken Family Foundation.

Former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan, a political ally of Young’s, told the Los Angeles Times that he regrets her departure from the charter school organization. Young, he said, raised the profile of charters, and “opened up the door for all schools to challenge and help each other.”

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• August 21, 2008 11:26 AM
• Categories: Education, Politics/Public Affairs