FA Family Speaks Out at National Charter School Rally in Washington DC

As soon as Charlottee Tullo Littles was invited to join a rally for charter schools, she knew she would be going – and bringing her sons with her.

 “I knew this would be a great learning experience for them,” she said

Ms. Littles is a volunteer parent advocate for FA, where her sons have been enrolled since 2014. The option to attend a public charter school is important, she said, because parents should have choices to meet the needs of their children. 

New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association recently released a statewide poll finding a majority of voters support public charter schools, with parents having an even higher level of support – 56% support compared to 24% oppose. Support for charter schools among Black voters (58% support and only 20% oppose) and Latino voters (52% support and only 23% oppose).

Among Trenton survey respondents, 62% of voters support public charter schools, with support rising to 74% among local parents, 70% among Black voters and 67% among Latino voters. 

NJPCSA engaged Change Research to conduct the poll. Change Research surveyed a total of 3,080 registered voters in New Jersey from February 28-March 6, 2022, including 332 respondents in Trenton. Details on the NJPCSA website here.

The national rally, held during National Charter School Week, gave families a chance to advocate for continued federal support of public charter schools. All charter schools in New Jersey are non-profit organizations governed by an independent board of trustees. 

The vast majority of funding for charter schools comes from federal, state, and local tax dollars, and, as with all public schools, charter schools fundraise from a variety of sources, such as families at the school, local businesses, and foundations.