ABSTRACT
A chief argument made by school choice advocates is that charter schools provide new opportunities for students of color. However, immigrant students—especially those who are undocumented or designated as English Language Learners (ELLs) —have been underrepresented in certain contexts. This case explores how one community-minded, academically successful charter school in Brooklyn, New York, underserved its local immigrant population even though it received acclaim for being racially and economically diverse. Special attention is given to new state laws and guidance for charter schools around the recruitment and retention of ELL populations. In this case, although school leaders attempted to comply with new state laws, their efforts to recruit and retain ELLs fell short due to a lack of commitment from school leaders and a failure to establish community partnerships. The Teaching Notes provide strategies for how charter and magnet school leaders can best attend to state law and serve immigrants and ELLs.
