Gov. Quinn Signs Charter School Legislation at Alain Locke

On July 30th, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, selected the Inner-City Teaching Corps' Alain Locke Charter Academy as the location for the signing of a monumental piece of Charter School Legislation. Senate Bill 612, more commonly referred to as the Charter School Reform Act of 2009, doubles the state's charter cap, from 60 to 120, allowing 45 new charter schools in Chicago, five of which will be reserved for schools enrolling high school dropouts. Fifteen additional charters have been allotted for the rest of the state.

ICTC and Alain Locke founder Pat Ryan Jr. introduced Governor Quinn to a packed gymnasium, which included school officials, representatives from the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS), and local political figures including State Senator Kimberly Lightford, the bill's main sponsor, State Senator Heather Steans and Representative Jerry Mitchell.

This event highlighted the significance of Charter School success in Illinois and positioned Illinois as the first state to answer President Obama's charge to expand charter school opportunities as a means for driving innovation and accelerating student achievement. Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as one of seven schools nationwide best closing the achievement gap and posting the largest growth in test scores in Chicago in the history of the ISAT exam, Alain Locke is an exemplary model for Charter School achievement and served as an ideal location for this event.