When it comes to raising academic achievement for students living in low-income households, California charter schools are leading their traditional district school neighbors. The report released today by the California Charter Schools Association looks at more than 3,000 public schools where at least 70% of the student body qualifies for free and reduced price lunches  and finds that 12 of the top 15 public schools serving low-income student populations are charter schools. Mitchell Landsberg of the Los Angeles Times writes here that the American Indian Public Charter School topped the list and George B. Sanchez of the Los Angeles Daily News also covers the report here.

In other headlines....

SC: Governor Mark Sanford speaks out against recent reports that Greenville charter schools have been barred from educating parents on charters as a public school option in the same venues that district officials inform parents about magnet school programs. Greenville Online staff writer Ron Barrnet reports that Sanford wrote directly to state Superintendent Jim Rex discussing the matter here.

TN: Charter schools in the state are currently subject to administrative fees that the attorney general has reportedly called illegal. Jaime Sarrio of the Tennessean writes that state law requires 100% of per-pupil state and local funds to be turned over to charters, but Metro school officials collect a 5% administrative fee that does not reach the charter schools here.

CO: School choice supporters have two good reasons to be happy about this fall's elections, and they are Speaker of the House Terrance Carroll and Senate President Peter Groff. This article in Face the State chronicles how each man has supported charter schools and school choice in his career.