Contra Costa Times

Although California's 471 charter schools are often considered competition for traditional public schools, they need the OK of a district, county or state board of education to open and operate.

This rule strikes many charter school advocates as counterproductive. A public school board, after all, might not have the best interests of the charter school in mind if it views the school as a siphon of students and much-needed funding.

Charter schools are independent, publicly funded schools that are given freedom from many state education laws so they can try innovative and unconventional teaching methods.

Now, as part of a push to quadruple the number of students educated in charter schools in California by 2014, advocates are lobbying lawmakers to expand the types of agencies that can grant charters, starting with the state's public colleges and universities.

A bill now in the Legislature would allow community colleges, and the California State University and the University of California systems, to approve and oversee charter schools.

Richard Atkinson, former UC president, backs the bill.

Atkinson joined the board of directors of the California Charter Schools Association, after he stepped down as UC president last year, because of the contagious enthusiasm in the charter school movement and because he believes charter schools are making a difference, he said.

``It's good to have some alternatives, and these alternatives could stimulate improvement throughout the K-12 system,'' he said.

Caprice Young, president and chief executive officer of the charter schools association, said public colleges and universities have an interest in making sure K-12 schools are successful. About 60 percent of incoming CSU freshmen need remedial math or reading help.

Some universities, such as UC-San Diego, already partner with school districts and community organizations to help run charter schools. But others are discouraged by roadblocks in school district bureaucracy, said Gary Larson, spokesman for the charter schools association.

UC-Berkeley wants to open its own charter school in fall 2005 to serve a diverse group of students from throughout the East Bay.

P. David Pearson, dean of UC-Berkeley's Graduate School of Education, said the university plans to seek approval from a school district or county board of education.

He said he is conflicted about giving colleges and universities the power to grant charters. He sees it as an opportunity for the university to become more active in K-12 education issues. But he likes the idea of working directly with a school district, because it would allow faculty and students to filter their ideas through the lens of K-12 public school concerns, he said.