In North Carolina, we’re celebrating 25 years since the law creating public charter schools was passed. Over 1.5 million charter school graduates later, we know that students thrive when given the options for success that work best for them. However, the anniversary also reminds us that our work is far from finished.

First, the good news. Let me tell you about a recent win for our state’s students that we’re proud of in North Carolina. In late August, Gov. Roy Cooper (a Democrat) and our state Legislature (Republican majorities in both chambers) passed and signed into law a wide-ranging COVID relief bill for K-12 public schools (also known as Senate Bill 654). The new law was a win for all North Carolina students and their families.