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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National Charter Schools Conference Program Now Online During National Charter Schools Conference
The 124 sessions to be presented at the 2007 National Charter Schools Conference are available for viewing online at the conference website. Conference strands include: Charter School Design; Instruction and Leadership; Charter School Funding, Facilities and Finance; Performance and Accountability; Advocacy and Messaging; Policy Environment; Governance and Operations; and State of the Movement. Keynote speakers include US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, Newsweek Magazine Editor Jon Meacham, and Kevin Johnson Founder of St. HOPE Public Schools. Register today to join 3,000 colleagues in Albuquerque, New Mexico April 24th–27th to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the charter school movement. For questions, call 206-463-3344 or e-mail nationalconference@publiccharters.org.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (03/01/2007)
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"Going Charter" Revives Failing Urban School
Parents used to scramble to avoid sending their children to San Diego's Gompers Middle School and teachers couldn't wait to leave. With behavior problems and chronic poor performance, the school was described by some as a "prelude to prison." After a long struggle that pitted parents against the local school board, Gompers became a charter school in 2005. Leaders at the school, now known as Gompers Charter Middle School, designed a new educational program which marries an intense academic focus with enrichment programs. They hired teachers who wanted to be there, mandated school uniforms, and instilled a code of conduct that cut down on campus violence. Suspensions have plummeted, and daily attendance and performance are rising. Parents say their children are getting a quality education. "When you see the teachers want to come here and teach and you see the students want to come here to learn something, to me, that's very amazing," said one parent.
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune, (02/12/2007)
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Charter Cap and Lotteries Frustrate Families in Illinois
More than 10,000 students statewide are on waiting lists for enrollment in one of Illinois' 34 public charter schools. Few charter schools have attendance zones and are open to residents citywide to apply by lottery. "It's crazy because I'm outside directing traffic for these people's kids and I can't put my child in this school, all because of some lottery system," said Virginia Jones, parent of a child who is eager to attend a charter school just across the street from their home. State charter school law was adjusted two years ago so attendance zones could be created to avoid this situation and ensure a greater chance of admission for low-income minorities. Currently, only two charter schools in Illinois have attendance zones.
Source: NWI Times, (02/11/2007)
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New Orleans Education Leader Considers Leaving
After New Orleans Recovery School District Superintendent Robin Jarvis announced she might soon resign, staff and members of the community have encouraged her not to give up. Following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, Jarvis inherited nearly one-half of the schools of the nation’s most dysfunctional school system. "I have literally worked 20 hours a day, seven days a week. My health has suffered and my family has suffered," said Jarvis. "And at this point, I do not feel like I have the support of the public in New Orleans." Jarvis's announcement, which some worry could usher in more chaos in an already struggling system, follows criticism of her leadership from state and local politicians. The district has struggled to reopen enough buildings and hire enough teachers. Unlike schools controlled by the local school board and some charter school boards, the district has no enrollment caps and has had to place hundreds of children on waitlists.
Source: The Times-Picayune, (02/09/2007)
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Charter School Enrollment May Be Down in Some Parts of Arizona
Charter school enrollment appears to be down in the Southeast Valley of Arizona, an area that includes Tempe and Scottsdale. Keith Vaughan, a district director of planning, said there could be several factors in the decline. "It's my personal philosophy that the homes are getting more expensive and that we're getting less school-age children," he said. "Another situation is that they keep opening more charter schools and they may have saturated the market." Destiny Community School Principal Wendy Noble agreed that fewer students could be moving into the area. She notes, however, that enrollment at her school has been steady. "Due to our limited space, there really is not room for more," she said of her K-8 charter. "I don't see us growing but we definitely did not decline."
Source: Arizona Central, (02/09/2007)
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Charter School Enrollment Increases by 26 Percent in Columbus
Charter schools are increasingly popular in Columbus, Ohio and have seen a 26 percent increase in the number of students this school year. In February, 8,518 district students were attending charters. The Columbus Public Schools district has lost more money to charter schools than expected, but the impact on the district's total budget has been less painful because fewer students than expected left to use vouchers. Columbus expects to lose about $59.27 million. Of that amount, about $55 million in state financial aid is expected to be turned over to the charter schools. In Ohio, charters operate on the $6,500-a-year given per student from the state. The money is first given to the district, then transferred to the charter school where the student has enrolled.
Source: The Columbus Dispatch, (02/08/2007)
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Texas Legislators Propose Sweeping Overhaul to Texas' Charter School System
The Champion Charter Schools Act, a bill introduced recently by Texas state senate leaders, calls for increased charter school accountability and facility funding rewards for high-performers. Charter schools that do not have at least 25 percent of students consistently passing state assessment tests would face closure. The bill would also give money for facilities to charter schools and districts with exemplary or recognized ratings, the two highest marks, for two years in a row. The facilities incentives would go up to $1,000 per student. The bill also seeks to dissolve every charter in the state and require schools to re-apply for state licenses. Only those that meet minimum standards could be relicensed. "We need to weed out the bad and make the good ones solid," said Sen. Florence Shapiro. "Those schools that do well must have the freedom and encouragement to continue to do well, and those that don't must close."
Source: Austin American Statesman, (02/07/2007)
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