As a preschool administrator, the executive director of a nonprofit serving the autism community, and a mom of a grade schooler, I’ve spent my career fighting for kids who don’t fit the mold—and I’ve seen firsthand that not every child learns at the same pace or in the same way. I’ve watched the devastating effects of post-COVID learning loss in my daughter’s classroom, and even in my college aged nieces who missed critical academic years.
In my own community, charter schools and homeschool programs—especially nonclassroom-based (NCB), or “flex-based” models—have been nothing short of life-changing. I’ve seen pregnant teens get a second shot at graduation. I’ve met students battling anxiety or who’d fallen so far behind in traditional school that they had given up entirely—until they enrolled in a program that let them work at their own pace with the support they needed to catch up and graduate on time. Some of those students went on to be the first in their families to earn a high school diploma.
These flexible models aren’t just convenient—they are necessary. They meet students where they are, and they especially matter for Latino students, foster youth, students with disabilities, and families without access to expensive tutors or private schools. These are the kids who need more choices, not fewer.
Unfortunately, powerful interests in Sacramento continue to push for laws that chip away at educational options for families. This year, it’s Assembly Bill 84, authored by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, D–Torrance.
AB 84 specifically targets charter schools—especially flex-based models—by eliminating due process in the current funding model that aligns with actual services provided to students and instead imposes a rigid formula with steep penalties. It’s a complete mismatch for schools that are designed to serve students outside the traditional classroom structure.
The California Charter Schools Association estimates this bill could strip more than $1 billion in funding from charter schools—diverting funds from the classroom and into layers of bureaucracy.
Worse, these rules wouldn’t even apply to traditional school districts running similar programs. This is a targeted attack on charter schools under the guise of reform.
AB 84 stems from a reaction to isolated incidents of fraud that were prosecuted years ago. But let’s be clear: there is no evidence of systemic failure in the charter model. The real failure is happening in too many traditional public schools, where over 50% of students aren’t meeting English standards and nearly 65% are failing to meet math standards.
Compare that to charter schools, where students—especially Black, Latino, and low-income students—are showing faster growth in reading and math, according to Stanford’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes.
Flex-based charters serve nearly 100,000 students across 56 of California’s 58 counties, including military families, foster youth, medically fragile children, students dealing with trauma, those seeking credit recovery, and kids simply in need of a different environment. These schools are 58% socioeconomically disadvantaged, 7% English learners, and 15% students with disabilities.
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The Assembly has passed AB 84. It now heads to the Senate. No hearing has been scheduled yet—but we cannot wait.
Join me in standing up for educational freedom. If AB 84 makes it to the Senate floor, I’ll be voting NO.
Call the Senate Education Committee and tell them: Vote NO on AB 84. California kids deserve more options, not fewer. Let’s fight for students who don’t fit the mold.
Suzette Martinez Valladares represents the 23rd Senate District, serving communities in the Santa Clarita Valley, the Antelope Valley, and the Victor Valley.
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