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How each state gives parents the ability to choose a safe and effective school for their children.

School Choice
in America

California

All States:

Summary:

California offers families limited school choice options. The state does not support private school choice. But it does allow choice within the public education system.

Public School Choice:

The Education Commission of the States reports that California has enacted two open enrollment policies: a mandatory intra-district and a voluntary inter-district open enrollment. The Center for Education Reform reports that California has one of the nation's strongest charter school laws and a thriving charter school network. In all, 238,000 students attended one of the state's 730 public charter schools in 2007-08.

Online Learning:

The Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning report states that California has extensive online opportunities. California provides a state-led program as well as 25 online charter schools. The University of California Santa Cruz operates the state-funded University of California College Prep (UCCP) program.

Click here for detailed information on California's public school system and see below for school choice contacts in California.

State Contacts

Want to join the fight to improve education in California through school choice programs? You can:

Contact your elected officials
Call talk radio
Write a letter to the editor
Support education groups in California

Association of Christian Schools International, Northern California/Hawaii Regional Office Rohn J. Ritzema, M.A., Regional Director 9581 Calvine Rd. Sacramento, CA 95828 Phone: (916) 681-8451 Fax: (916) 681-8452 Website: http://www.acsi.org/web2003/default.aspx?ID=1677 E-mail: rohn_ritzema@acsi.org		Association of Christian Schools International, Southern California Regional Office Jerry Haddock, Ed.D. 731 N. Beach Blvd., Suite 210 La Habra, CA 90631-3659 Phone: (562) 694 -4791 Fax: (562) 690-6234 Website: http://www.acsi.org/web2003/default.aspx?ID=1678 E-mail: jerry_haddock@acsi.org
California Charter Schools Association Caprice Young, CEO and President 818 West 7th Street, Suite #910 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Phone: (213) 244-1446 Fax: (213) 652-1000 Website: www.charterassociation.org E-mail: helpdesk@charterassociation.org		California Department of Education Linda Wyatt, Education Program Consultant 1430 N Street Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 319-0800 Website: www.cde.ca.gov E-mail: lwyatt@cde.ca.gov
California Parents for Educational Choice Alan Bonsteel M.D., President 294 Cecilia Way Tiburon, CA 94920 Phone: (415) 389-8262 Fax: (415) 389-8263 Website: www.CPEConline.org E-mail: abonsteel@earthlink.net		California State CAPE Dr. Ronald Reynolds, Executive Director, California Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO) 15500 Erwin St. #303 Van Nuys, CA 91411 Phone: (818) 781-4680 Fax: 818-781-4680 Website: www.capso.org E-mail: ronreynolds@capso.org
Capitol Resource Institute Karen England, Executive Director 1414 K Street Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 498-1940 Fax: (916) 448-2888 Website: www.capitolresource.org E-mail: kengland@capitolresource.org		Catholic Education Foundation Kathleen H. Anderson, Executive Director 3424 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90010-2202 Phone: (213) 637-7475 Fax: (213) 637-5901 Website: www.CatholicEd-foundation.org E-mail: KHAnderson@cefdn.org
Center for the Study of Popular Culture David Horowitz, President 4401 Wilshire Boulevard 4th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90010 Phone: (323) 556-2550 Website: www.cspc.org E-mail: info@cspc.org		Charter Schools Development Center Eric Premack, Co-Director 7750 College Town Drive, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95826 Phone: (916) 278-6069 Fax: (916) 278-4094 Website: www.cacharterschools.org E-mail: epremack@calstate.edu
Christian Home Educators Association of California P.O. Box 2009 Norwalk, CA 90651-2009 Phone: (800) 564-2432 Website: www.cheaofca.org E-mail: info@cheaofca.org		Claremont Institute Brian Kennedy, President 937 West Foothill Boulevard Suite E Claremont, CA 91711 Phone: (909) 621-6825 Fax: (909) 626-8724 Website: www.claremont.org E-mail: info@claremont.org
Independent Institute David J. Theroux, President 100 Swan Way Oakland, CA 94621 Phone: (510) 632-1366 Fax: (510) 568-6040 Website: www.independent.org E-mail: See form on web site.		National Home Education Network (NHEN) Christine Webb, Media Contact Phone: (503) 647-2992 Fax: (503) 647-3285 Website: www.nhen.org E-mail: retromom@earthlink.net
Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy Lance Izumi, Director Education Studies Unit 1414 K Street, Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 448-1926 Fax: (916) 448-3856 Website: www.pacificresearch.org E-mail: Izumi58@aol.com		Reason Public Policy Institute 3415 South Sepulveda Boulevard Suite 400 Los Angeles, CA 90034 Phone: (310) 391-2245 Fax: (310) 391-4395 Website: www.reason.org E-mail: chris.mitchell@reason.org
San Francisco Independent Scholars Ann Fry, Program Manager 755 Sansome Street Suite 450 San Francisco, CA 94111 Phone: (415) 989-0833 Fax: (415) 989-2411 E-mail: afry@pacificresearch.org		Southern California Children's Scholarship Fund Erica Macias, Program Director 626 Wilshire Blvd Suite 515 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Phone: (213) 689-8909 Fax: (213) 689-8910 Website: www.sccsf.org E-mail: emacias@sccsf.org
State Policy Network Tracie Sharp, President PO Box 5208 Richmond, CA 94805-5208 Phone: (510) 965-9700 Fax: (510) 965-9701 Website: www.spn.org E-mail: spn@spn.org		The BASIC Fund Meghan Magilligan, Administrative Director 268 Bush Street Suite 2717 San Francisco, CA 94104 Phone: (415) 986-7221 Fax: (415) 986-5358 Website: www.basicfund.org E-mail: meghan@basicfund.org
The Guardsmen Scholarship Fund Elizabeth Castaing, Scholarship Administrator 340 Brannan St, Suite305 San Francisco, CA 94107-1836 Phone: (415) 856-0939 Fax: (415) 856-0949 Website: www.scholarship.org E-mail: scholarship@guardsmen.org		The Hoover Institution Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305-6010 Phone: (650) 723-1754 Fax: (650) 723-1687 Website: www.hoover.org E-mail: horaney@hoover.stanford.edu

View Archived History, Pre-2006

Background/Footnotes: