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.
National Charter Schools Week to Be Celebrated This Week
Beginning today, charter advocates, parents, teachers and students from across the country will celebrate the role high-performing charter schools play in opening doors to opportunities for families. With the theme of "Closing the Gap," the 8th annual National Charter Schools Week will highlight how charter schools are making meaningful gains for disadvantaged children. In honor of the celebration, President George W. Bush made a proclamation, saying "Charter schools are getting results and helping guide children across the country on the path to a better life…we thank educational entrepreneurs for supporting charter schools, and we honor all those involved in charter schools for helping their students reach high expectations." To help make the week a success, the Alliance is offering a toolkit, which includes suggested engagement activities, templates, and talking points.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (04/30/2007)
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Four Individuals to be Inducted into the Charter School Hall of Fame During National Charter Schools Conference
In addition to the more than 120 breakout sessions, as well as keynotes, networking opportunities, and table talk sessions, the Alliance has established the National Charter Schools Hall of Fame for this year's National Charter Schools Conference (April 24-27 in Albuquerque, NM). Come celebrate the accomplishments of four individuals who have made a lasting impact on the charter school movement. These inaugural inductees will be recognized for their contributions in the following areas: pioneering efforts in the development/growth of charter schools; commitment and contributions to charter schools and education; innovative ideas and successful implementation of those ideas; and inspiration to others in the charter school movement. Visit the conference web site for the program agenda, lodging, and travel information.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (03/26/2007)
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Massachusetts' Highest Court Rules Districts Cannot Challenge Approval of Charter School
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled last week that three districts could not legally challenge a 2004 decision that approved a charter school. The districts had sued the Massachusetts Board of Education and the Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School, claiming the state illegally granted the school a charter. The court ruled that districts cannot seek judicial review of the granting of a charter, that the 1993 state law governing charter schools does not allow for court challenges, and that the granting of charters would become a much more combative process if school districts could sue the state every time they opposed a charter school. Heidi Guarino of the state Department of Education said the court decision supports the work that the board has done in reviewing and granting charter applications. "Bottom line - the court agreed that the board was right and did the right thing," she said.
Source: Metro West Daily News, (03/24/2007)
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Minnesota Senate Proposes Capping the Number of Charter Schools
Some legislators in the state that gave birth to the charter school movement are calling for capping charters at 150. The charter moratorium is part of the Senate's education spending package that was released last week. Supporters of the provision said it would allow the state to take a better look at how it funds all schools. Charter school enrollment has surged from 10,162 students in 2001 to 23,689 this school year. There are currently 131 charters in the state and they are increasingly popular in a variety of communities. "If we're being successful, why would the state put a moratorium on giving young people more choices?" asked Eugene Piccolo of the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools. "It makes no sense to me." It is thought that the moratorium will not have the support of Governor Tim Pawlenty and will have little momentum in the House.
Source: Pioneer Press, (03/23/2007)
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Legislators Consider Limiting Growth of Charter Schools in Illinois
This session, policymakers in Illinois are considering whether to limit the growth of public charter schools. Eleven years after charters were first authorized, enrollment has surged to nearly 20,000 students in 34 charter schools. Approximately 15,000 children applied to the state's charter schools last year, but there was only room for 5,000 new students. The popularity of charter schools concerns some legislators. It is "a sad commentary on our existing public schools," said Chicago Rep. Monique Davis, who has filed legislation to halt charter school growth. Charter school advocates are fighting that legislation and lobbying policymakers to lift the ceiling on the number of charter schools. "We've entered a second decade and people know that charter schools are not an unproven experiment. A track record exists, a track record of success," said Elizabeth Evans of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools.
Source: Chicago Tribune (free registration required), (03/22/2007)
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Proposed Changes to Oregon Charter Legislation Draws Significant Opposition
Oregon Senate Bill 621 which would require all charter school teachers and administrators to be state-licensed, and would make the school sponsor, not the charter school itself, the employer of the teachers for collective bargaining purposes, is drawing strong opposition from the charter school community. The bill requires that 80 percent of a charter school's students live within the sponsoring school district boundaries, and puts a cap of 10 percent on the share of a district's students that can go to a charter school. The Ohio Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, is pushing the bill in an effort to restrict the growth of charter schools. Kaaren Heikes, Oregon Director of the Charter School Development Center, said the proposal would roll back fundamental parts of the 1999 charter law that were crafted over three legislative sessions. Oregon currently has 70 charter schools.
Source: The Oregonian, (03/22/2007)
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KIPP Plans Significant Expansion in Houston
The Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), a charter school network that began in Houston 13 years ago, has announced a $100 million plan to expand its operations to serve 10 percent of the city's public school population. KIPP currently operates eight schools and plans to grow to 42 schools serving 21,000 students (K-12) over the next decade. "Houston is very fertile ground to start new public schools," said Mike Feinberg, co-founder of KIPP. "There's a decent to good charter law, tremendous support for KIPP in the community and a very generous private sector." A spokesman for the Houston schools, Terry Abbott, said the district welcomed KIPP's expansion. "It simply gives kids and parents more choices, and we think that's a good thing. I think it'll make us work harder to recruit and keep students."
Source: New York Times (free registration required), (03/21/2007)
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Colorado State Senator Scolds District for Suing Charter School
Colorado State Sen. Abel Tapia (D-Pueblo) openly criticized the Pueblo City Schools Board of Education last week, complaining that the board was spending funds suing a local charter school that could be better used for education. "The district in my (region) has spent about $500,000 fighting charter schools. This is $500,000 that could have been spent on kids. I think they've wasted $500,000." Tapia said he was angry with the district for spending taxpayers' money in suing the Cesar Chavez School Network. He said there is no reason why charter schools and traditional public schools can't co-exist, and he scolded the Pueblo district for trying to squelch the Cesar Chavez Academy, rather than to trying to improve its own students' academic performance. "I keep on saying, if we don't change the way we're doing public education, we can't expect the results to be any different," Tapia said.
Source: The Pueblo Chieftain, (03/21/2007)
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Minneapolis District Feels Impact of Charter Popularity
The Minneapolis district has room for 50,000 students, but enrollment is around 36,000, and that's expected to continue to fall. The North Side of Minneapolis has felt the enrollment drop most acutely, losing 44 percent of its K-8 enrollment in the past five years, with most going to charter or suburban schools. District school leaders have named six schools they want to close, leaving almost 2,100 students to find new schools. The district has proposed an initiative to ensure that all of the remaining schools offer a core academic curriculum along with fine arts, music, languages and full day kindergarten. Officials hope that improving academic offerings will stop the enrollment loss. "We've lost half our students on the north side," said district spokesman Steve Liss. "We realized that, combined with the issues of academic achievement, we really had to do something, and we had to do something this year."
Source: Star Tribune, (03/20/2007)
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Study Finds Disadvantaged Families Bear Burden of Legislated Charter Caps
A new study has found that demand for high-performing public charter schools continues to go unmet in 25 states and the District of Columbia, where legislated restrictions are limiting charter school growth. Caps are severely constraining charter school growth in nine states where thousands of children only have access to local low-performing district-run schools. In New York, Massachusetts and Illinois, the names of over 10,000 students sit on charter school waiting lists in each state. "Why shouldn't more parents be allowed the opportunity to send their child to a public charter school?" asked Nelson Smith, president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. "Charter schools are opening doors for disadvantaged children. If we are to continue to close the achievement gap, legislated caps, which only undermine this progress, must be eliminated. Children shouldn't be trapped in low-quality schools with no way out."
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (03/19/2007)
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We Need Your Feedback: Please Take Our Satisfaction Survey This Week
In order to continue producing the News Connection and the Monthly Resource Update we need your help determining just how valuable they are. Since 2004, UScharterschools.org has been hosting a weekly summary of charter school news and monthly resource updates for the national charter school community. For the past two years, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools has lent its generous financial support and the number of our subscribers has now grown to more than 12,000! We need your feedback to continue this service and to make it better. Please enter your email address upon completion of the survey (voluntary!) to enter a drawing to win a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com!
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (03/18/2007)
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