CANEC Celebrates National Charter Schools Week; Fourth Annual Event to be Celebrated Through Several Statewide Events.

News Editors/Education Writers

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 28, 2003

The California Network of Educational Charters (CANEC) is celebrating the fourth annual National Charter Schools Week from April 28 - May 2 with several statewide events -- featuring several prominent statewide and national leaders in the education reform movement.

Highlighting the salute to charter schools is a luncheon on Tuesday, April 29 in Los Angeles featuring Nina Rees, Deputy Under Secretary of Education; Jeanne Allen, President of the Center for Education Reform; Caprice Young, President of the LAUSD Board of Education and Frank Baxter, Chairman of the Los Angeles Alliance. The event will begin at noon at the Regency Club in Los Angeles, located at 10900 Wilshire Blvd.

Also during National Charter Schools Week, CANEC will honor its legislators of the year for 2003: Assembly Members John Campbell and Joe Simitian, as well as State Senators Dick Ackerman and John Vasconcellos. This award is given annually to legislators who have supported the development of California's charter schools.

California's charter schools are also celebrating National Charter Schools Week through several different local events. This includes through various open house events, legislative visits and school tours.

"This year's National Charter Schools Week promises to be another big success," said David Patterson, CANEC's Interim Executive Director. "CANEC member schools, working with CANEC's Regional Coordinators, are hosting activities and conducting events up and down California. "

For more information on events planned during National Charter Schools Week, visit CANEC's web site at http://www.canec.org/ncswhome.html.

About National Charter Schools Week

April 28 - May 2 marks the fourth annual National Charter Schools Week. All across the country schools will celebrate the 11th anniversary of the opening of the first charter school -- and the almost 2,700 additional charter schools that have opened nationwide since to serve more than 600,000 children. National and local education groups, charter schools, community activists and parents will all highlight the importance of charter schools and how they continue to change the face of public education.

About CANEC

The California Network of Educational Charters (CANEC) is California's premier charter school networking and service organization and is the public voice of its members for the charter school movement in California. CANEC represents its members through networking, advocacy and public awareness.