Congressman Miller Endorses Clayton Valley Charter School

Rep. George Miller has endorsed  to become a charter school.

Miller, who represents California's 7th Congressional District, which includes Clayton and Concord, publicly released a letter written to Superintendent Steve Lawrence in support of the conversion. (Read the letter by clicking the PDF file to the right.)

"It is my opinion that it is in the best interests of all MDUSD stakeholders to support this charter petition and allow CVCHS a chance to explore, develop and share their success," Miller wrote.

An endorsement from Miller, a 19-term Democrat, holds significant weight. He's a leader in Congress on education and is the former chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. He's the committee's ranking member.

Miller had been following the effort to convert Clayton Valley to a charter school and reached out to leaders of the conversion effort, steering committee co-chair Neil McChesney said.

He sat down with members of the steering committee at last week to discuss the conversion.

"(The steering committee) displayed enthusiasm and commitment to the limitless potential of this movement that was inspiring," Miller wrote. "This energy, coupled with important partnerships with some of the best charter support groups in the business, should undoubtedly lead them down the right path."

The school needs approval from the MDUSD board, which is expected to vote on the proposal Sept. 13. If the board rejects the proposal, .