County board OKs charter petition
By Melody Gutierrez/Sacramento Bee
Sacramento County Office of Education trustees approved Margaret Fortune's charter school system aimed at improving the academic achievement of African American students in Sacramento County. After an eight hour meeting Tuesday, the board approved the creation of five charter schools to be opened over the next five years, with the final five charter schools subject to a renewal process. Board trustees voted 4-1 with two abstaining. "We are elated," Fortune said after the meeting ended at 2:30 a.m. "We found this board acted with courage." Dozens of supporters, many of them wearing orange Fortune School shirts, said something needs to be done now about the achievement gap between African American students and their white counterparts. (more...)