Fighting for education reform has been a long struggle for families living off a small income. Most of these families hope and strive to get their children to the best schools their money can afford. Public schools may be within range of most families’ financial capabilities, but the quality of education is somewhat lackluster compared to that of private schools.

Enter public charter schools. These schools are owned by the government but the main difference is that these educational institutions are managed by private organizations/individuals. And throughout the years, the public charter school has been one of the most successful school reform programs launched by the government, yielding positive results in terms of the number of students that have either enrolled or graduated in contrast to public schools.

However, oppositionists are gaining ground to cut government funding for public charter schools and divert these funds towards public schools. Critics like the school boards have stated that charter schools have siphoned financial resources that would have been used to improve public school facilities and services.

In 2006, families across the state of California have rallied to stop the planned budget cut from charter schools in the state. These families branded themselves Families That Can and together they were able to save $8 million. Now, Families That Can provides the voice for families and charter schools supporters who are underrepresented. They help make sure that their opinions on the matter are heard.

Currently, Families That Can is fighting for additional classroom space for public charter schools in California. This action requires money, time, and effort but the added spaces as well as the certainty of the status of charter schools are pivotal in providing quality education for children from poor communities.

Families That Can works in partnership with the California Charter Schools Association and EdVoice, a coalition of educational philanthropists based in California.