Senator Richard Durbin Awarded 2013 Charter School Champion Award by National Alliance of Public Charter Schools

CHICAGO, May 16, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Illinois Network of Charter Schools President Andrew Broy presented Illinois Senator and Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin with the 2013 Charter Champion Award from the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools. "Senator Durbin has been a champion for charter schools at the national level and we in Illinois are proud that our home state senator is being recognized for his strong support of our nation's public charter school movement," said Andrew Broy, President of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. "We value our relationship with the Alliance and Senator Durbin was instrumental in bringing the LEARN Charter School network to North Chicago, a district in desperate need of high-quality school options. We are proud to report that today hundreds of students are enrolled in the first ever public charter school in North Chicago."

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130516/DC15917)

Given annually during National Charter Schools Week, the Charter Champion awards recognize public officials for their outstanding service to the students, parents and families of the public charter school movement. The Charter Champion awards are presented to the very top federal, state and local public officials who serve as the most visible charter school advocates and who – throughout their career in public service – have tirelessly supported charters as a high-quality public school option. Senator Durbin is one of the strongest proponents of public charter schools in the United States Senate. In 2010, he introduced a bipartisan bill, the All STAR Act, to replicate and expand the most successful of charter schools across the country.

Now in its eighth year, the awardees were honored last week during National Charter Schools Week, which celebrates the great work accomplished by public charter schools across the country that serve more than 2.3 million students collectively and provide parents with high-quality public education options. Next month, the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools will convene more than 4,000 charter school advocates, like Senator Durbin, for the National Charter Schools Conference on June 30 – July 3 in Washington, D.C. to learn, connect and share ideas on advancing the charter school movement.

Durbin is one of four recipients from across the country being recognized for their work on behalf of charter public schools according to the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools. Former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley received the award in 2007.

The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) is dedicated to the improvement of education by establishing high-quality charter public schools that transform lives and communities.  As the voice of the Illinois charter schools, INCS advocates for legislation on behalf of the charter sector, provides support to strengthen charter schools, and influences education policy for the benefit of all public school students.

Contact:
Jodie Cantrell 
312-629-2063 ext. 28

Sylvia Ewing 
312-629-2063 ext. 33

SOURCE Illinois Network of Charter Schools