Founders Library

1992

1992: The Business Sector Enters Public Education

At the same time charter schools was emerging as a policy, another idea to improve education was emerging: privatization.   In the early 1990s, “privatization” was a global trend to try to lower the cost of government and increase the quality of services with a goal of bringing the best of the private sector—efficient delivery […]

1992: Chartering Spreads Throughout the Nation

A Santa Barbara High School teacher-turned-state legislator, state Senate Education Committee Chair Gary K. Hart, was first introduced to the idea of charter schools by AFT President Al Shanker’s 1988 New York Times column. Hart, a Democrat, was attracted to the idea’s boldness. “I felt that not just simple innovations, but some bold experiments, particularly […]

SB 1448: How California Launched Charter School Reform

Summary of the 1992 SB 1448 Third Reading Analysis Senate Bill 1448, authored by Senator Gary K. Hart and supported by education reform advocates, proposed the establishment of charter schools in California. The bill introduced a legal framework allowing teachers and others to petition for the creation of charter schools—public institutions operating independently from many […]

Bill Clinton Promotes Charter Schools in 1992 Presidential Debate (clip)

Bill Clinton advocates for an aggressive school reform program to address the issue of high school graduates lacking basic skills. He supports increasing choices within public education, including charter schools, while opposing the use of tax money for private schools. Clinton emphasizes the importance of decentralization, empowering better-trained principals, teachers, and parent councils to have […]