42 San Fernando Valley Charter Schools Form Council

With San Fernando Valley having the greatest number of affiliated charter schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District in conjunction with the continued loss of federal Title I monies being sent to schools with higher numbers of low income students, the Valley Affiliated Charter Schools (VACS) officially formed in November, reports the Los Angeles Daily News.

As a united council of 42 San Fernando Valley affiliated charters, the VACS aims to work as a single voice to achieve goals such as getting accurate information about charter-school funding, advocating for their communities and sharing best practices.

Joe Martinez, principal of Carpenter Charter Elementary School in Studio City, is VACS chairman and says it just made sense to have one unifying voice for the 42 charters.

"Our job is to provide quality schools and a quality partnership, and this new council helps streamline communications," Jose Cole-Gutierrez, chief of LAUSD's Charter Schools Division, told the Daily News.

Click here for the full story, as well as previous Daily News coverage from May when LAUSD approved a large slate of affiliated charters for the Valley.

For more information on the LAUSD Charter Schools Division, click here.