Supreme Court Preserves Public Status of Charter Schools in Split Ruling
DFER Welcomes Outcome in St. Isidore v. Drummond, Avoiding Nationwide Disruption to Charter Laws and Student Access
(May 22, 2025, New York, NY) — Today, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s split decision in St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond, Democrats for Education Reform CEO Jorge Elorza released the following statement, applauding the outcome as a key step in preserving stability for families and reaffirming the public status of charter schools:
"The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond is welcome news for our education system and the four million students who rely on high-quality charter schools across the nation.
While the Court’s decision was split 4–4, the result affirms that charter schools are indeed public schools.
A ruling in the opposite direction could have thrown charter laws into disarray nationwide, forcing states to revisit statutes, inviting legal confusion, and ultimately disrupting learning for millions of students and families. Thankfully, that chaos has been averted for now.
Because the court’s decision was split, it does not set a legal precedent and the Court released no opinions or reasoning for either side of the argument. There may be future challenges, which means that we must all stay vigilant. We must continue to protect what works and stand up for children. Charter schools are delivering results for students, particularly in communities that have been underserved for far too long. Our focus should remain on expanding access, ensuring quality, and keeping students at the center of every conversation."
###
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(New York, NY, April 30, 2025) — Today, Democrats for Education Reform’s CEO Jorge Elorza released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s hearing of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond, a case that could fundamentally alter the definition of public charter schools:
“Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is closely monitoring the Supreme Court’s consideration of Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board and St. Isidore Of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Gentner Drummond and its implications for the future of public charter schools.
“DFER urges the Supreme Court to uphold the decision of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which, by a 6-2 majority, affirmed that charter schools are public schools. By law, charter schools have always been considered public schools in every state. However, a ruling in favor of St. Isidore could, for the first time, declare that charter schools are private schools—not governmental entities or state actors—and therefore can be religious.
“Such a decision would likely force states to revisit and revise their charter laws, creating disruption and uncertainty for charter schools and the four million students they serve. Delivering great results for children is already challenging and this decision would complicate matters even further.
“Regardless of the outcome, DFER remains committed to protecting the rights of students and families to access a high-quality public education. We urge policymakers to make this their priority.”
###
" ["post_title"]=> string(67) "DFER Urges Supreme Court to Uphold Public Status of Charter Schools" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(67) "dfer-urges-supreme-court-to-uphold-public-status-of-charter-schools" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2025-07-07 00:04:27" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2025-07-07 00:04:27" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(24) "https://dfer.org/?p=6301" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [2]=> object(WP_Post)#3180 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(6278) ["post_author"]=> string(2) "98" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2025-03-13 17:06:29" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2025-03-13 17:06:29" ["post_content"]=> string(4260) "March 13, 2025 (New York, NY) - Today, Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) released the following statement announcing DFER's endorsement of Brittany Kinser for Superintendent of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).
DFER has followed Wisconsin’s Spring non-partisan election for Superintendent of Public Instruction very closely. Based on our review of each candidate’s positions on education policies that prioritize students, particularly those from working-class and low-income families, DFER is pleased to announce our support for education reform champion Brittany Kinser.
Kinser has been an exceptional education leader at every level. As a school leader, her previous school was recognized for “Beating the Odds” by former State Superintendent and current Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. She has consistently delivered results for kids and families throughout her career and will continue to do so as Superintendent. “She moves with conviction and courage, believes in high standards, and will always be guided by what is right for kids,” said Jorge Elorza, CEO of DFER.
The most recent scores on the Nation’s Report Card again show Wisconsin with the widest achievement gap in the U.S. for math and reading scores between white and Black students. DFER works with leaders who seek to reverse these conditions and create systems where all students—including students of color and those mired in poverty—have access to the highest quality schools.
Outside of Wisconsin, Brittany’s candidacy comes at a particularly important moment for Democrats and education policy. Ten years ago, Democrats, nationally, enjoyed an advantage of +26 points over Republicans in terms of voter trust on education. Today, that advantage has vanished as Americans no longer see Democrats as the Party of Education, and they doubt our party’s ability to deliver on their education needs.
“Challenging the educational status quo is both good policy and smart politics for Democrats. As our Party seeks to reconnect with working-class voters, particularly in purple states, we need candidates who are relentlessly focused on outcomes for families, who bring a mindset of Abundance and believe in high standards, and who act with the urgency that the education crisis deserves. Brittany Kinser is that person,” Elorza concluded, “and we encourage voters to cast their ballots for Kinser on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.”
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About: Jorge Elorza is the Chief Executive Officer of Democrats for Education Reform. He served two terms as mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, where he undertook bold actions to prioritize education. This included taking the unprecedented step to engage the state Department of Education to turn around the city’s chronically underperforming school system, creating the city’s Eat, Play, Learn Initiative to expand out-of-school enrichment. Notably, he invested $400 million into repairing school buildings and supported the expansion of high-quality public charter schools.
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) works to get Democratic leaders to embrace and enthusiastically champion innovative, evidence-based, high-quality public education options for all students, particularly students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and other historically underserved students. Learn more about DFER, or find an expert by following us on Twitter.
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DFER Welcomes Outcome in St. Isidore v. Drummond, Avoiding Nationwide Disruption to Charter Laws and Student Access
(May 22, 2025, New York, NY) — Today, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s split decision in St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond, Democrats for Education Reform CEO Jorge Elorza released the following statement, applauding the outcome as a key step in preserving stability for families and reaffirming the public status of charter schools:
"The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond is welcome news for our education system and the four million students who rely on high-quality charter schools across the nation.
While the Court’s decision was split 4–4, the result affirms that charter schools are indeed public schools.
A ruling in the opposite direction could have thrown charter laws into disarray nationwide, forcing states to revisit statutes, inviting legal confusion, and ultimately disrupting learning for millions of students and families. Thankfully, that chaos has been averted for now.
Because the court’s decision was split, it does not set a legal precedent and the Court released no opinions or reasoning for either side of the argument. There may be future challenges, which means that we must all stay vigilant. We must continue to protect what works and stand up for children. Charter schools are delivering results for students, particularly in communities that have been underserved for far too long. Our focus should remain on expanding access, ensuring quality, and keeping students at the center of every conversation."
###
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