On average, the funding gap between charter schools and traditional schools is 22 percent, or $1,800 per pupil. The average charter school ends up with a total funding shortfall of nearly half a million dollars.
Source: Charter School Funding: Inequity’s Next Frontier
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Note: Please be aware that online publishers often change URLs or no longer provide access to articles after 7 days. If any of the below links no longer work, access the publishing newspaper and search the archives for the keywords in the subject matter. Good luck.
St. Louis Charter Schools "Booming"
Charter schools in St. Louis are attracting a more diverse population. Middle class students are joining struggling urban children in charters, and most schools are seeing their test scores rise. "Wealthier students bring more than just their own high test scores," said Gerry Lukaska, principal of Academie Lafayette. "They help the students around them do better in school." Plus, she said, every school needs help from its parents. Dave Camden, one of the authors of Missouri's 1998 charter school law, calls it the "mother network." "When parents like their school, they tell their friends, who tell their friends. And schools grow." Charter management organizations, such as Edison Schools and Imagine Schools, are encouraged by the increasingly popularity of charters in the city and plan to open several more charter schools in the next few years.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, (11/12/2006)
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Study of Utah Charters Completed
A study of Utah's charter schools will be discussed this week at the state Legislature's Executive Appropriations Committee. The Legislature had asked for the study to answer a variety of questions, many related to charter school funding. A separate charter school audit will be completed by the start of the next legislative session. That analysis, by the Office of the Legislative Auditor General, will include a review of charter schools' financial practices and compliance with state law.
Source: Salt Lake Tribune, (11/11/2006)
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Jon Meacham, Editor of Newsweek, to Keynote at 2007 National Charter Schools Conference
Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham will be the kickoff keynote speaker at the 7th National Charter Schools Conference, set for April 24 – 27 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. More than 3,000 charter school colleagues will convene in the "Land of Enchantment" to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the movement and to hear Meacham's global outlook for educating students in the next 15 years and beyond. Meacham joins Kevin Johnson, former NBA basketball star and Founder/Chairman of the Board of St. HOPE Academy Charter School, as conference keynotes. Go to the conference website to register, make hotel reservations, and find out how to sign up for graduate credits/CEUs or to participate in the Virtual Career Fair. Hosted by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the conference will feature more than 120 breakout sessions, focusing on Quality, Policy, Advocacy and Capacity. For questions, e-mail nationalconference@publiccharters.org or call 206-463-3344.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (11/09/2006)
Also See
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Pittsburgh Parents Risk Jail Time to Keep Children Enrolled in Charter Slated for Closing
Families are risking a $300 fine and possible jail time for refusing to withdraw their children from Career Connections Charter Middle School and enroll them in Pittsburgh Public Schools. The local board voted Sept. 27 to revoke the charter and close the school. The board questioned the suitability of the Boys & Girls Club building where classes are held. The school has continued operating, claiming that there is nothing wrong with the building and that the school board has exceeded its authority. Parents said they will stand their ground because of the school's curriculum, small class sizes and welcoming environment. Only two of the school's 75 sixth- and seventh-graders have transferred since the district began warning of truancy citations if students were not enrolled in district schools. Patti Jones, whose granddaughter attends the school, said she refuses to be threatened by the district's warnings, which she "filed in the garbage." If necessary, "I'll go to jail," she said.
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, (11/09/2006)
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DC Board Approves Move to Give Up Chartering Responsibility
On November 8, the D.C. Board of Education voted 6-1 to give up its power to establish charter schools in the District. The decision does not immediately relieve the board of its oversight responsibilities of its 18 chartered schools, but it informs the D.C. Council and Congress that the board wants to shift its focus exclusively to schools in the traditional district school system. Some charter advocates praised the vote, saying the board had never fully embraced its charter role. It was not clear who would inherit oversight over the board's existing charter schools. A working group has been established to address the oversight issues.
Source: Washington Post (free registration required), (11/09/2006)
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CORRECTION: Charter Schools May Replace Struggling District Schools in Chicago
Last week, the Chicago Tribune reported that four charter schools were being recommended to the Chicago Public Schools board for approval to replace low-performing schools in under-served neighborhoods. The paper incorrectly reported the status of the schools. Polaris Charter Academy is a charter school; Frazier Preparatory Academy, Austin Polytechnical Academy and Frazier International Baccalaureate Magnet School are not.
Source: Chicago Tribune (free registration required), (11/08/2006)
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Union Calls for Moratorium on New Charters in Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has called for a moratorium on the creation of charter schools in an effort to close the district's $73.3 million deficit. Philadelphia schools chief Paul Vallas said that $4.6 million of the district's deficit could be attributed to higher enrollment in charter schools than expected. Larry Jones, president of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools, said the state's charter legislation was designed to give families' more educational choice. "I could see it if there wasn't a demand, but there is a demand," said Jones. "You have 26,000 students on charter-school waiting lists. The people have spoken."
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, (11/08/2006)
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Impact of Elections on Charter Movement Assessed
Last week, Nelson Smith of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools gave an assessment of the impact of the elections on the charter school movement. He found there were "some turnovers that will mean 'good-bye' to charter stalwarts – but (the movement has) retained some important allies of both parties and maybe picked up some new friends as well." He says that this fall and winter, charter advocates have much work to do. The "lame duck" session will deal with an education appropriations measure from which the Credit Enhancement for Charter Facilities funding has been cut and, in January, many of the newly elected leaders may need an education about charters.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (11/08/2006)
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