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 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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LAUSD Claims Reopening Shuttered Schools for Charters Costs Too Much
Five district schools lay unused in Los Angeles and district officials maintain it would cost too much to reopen the schools as charters. Charter leaders say they cannot afford to pay the cost of updating the decrepit campuses and that voter-approved Proposition 39 makes the district responsible for providing them with classroom space and helping to pay for renovations. A lack of facilities is a challenge to the growth of the area's charter movement, with many charters operating out of offices, churches and warehouses. "I think this should be a joint venture between the district and charter schools, not just this constant complaining and haranguing about nothing's happening," said Greg McNair, a district administrator. Caprice Young of the California Charter Schools Association said she was willing to collaborate but was skeptical of the district's commitment. "They're all talk and no action, but we're ready to get it done."
Source: Los Angeles Daily News, (04/16/2007)
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San Francisco Union Angered by Poll Asking Whether Mayor Should Open Charter Schools
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who is trying to win the teachers union's endorsement for his re-election campaign, has angered the head of United Educators of San Francisco over an online poll that asks whether the mayor should be able to open charter schools. Dennis Kelly said the poll sends the wrong message. "It's just so antithetical to everything he has said that it was astonishing to see this on the Web site," he said. The question on Newsom's campaign site asks, "Should the mayor have the authority to open charter schools?" Late last week, the vote was 98 in favor and 57 against. Newsom said "We're just talking about education," and that the poll question did not reflect his opinion on the topic. "It's a whole series of things that we're doing to create a dialogue."
Source: San Francisco Examiner, (04/13/2007)
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Charter Legislation Introduced in Maine
Maine is one of the remaining states without charter legislation and some state lawmakers are pushing to change that. Last week, the legislature's Education and Cultural Affairs Committee held a public hearing on a bill that would create up to 20 charter schools within school districts. The measure would create charter programs based on a particular theme or discipline, such as science or the arts. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Boyd Marley (D), a school teacher, said the idea is to try to engage students by teaching them what most interests them. "These programs would be educational incubators that will spark some of the best practices that will help small groups of students," he said. Judith Jones, head of the Maine Association for Public Charter Schools, said the bill would help bring more school choice to students. "It is reasonable to start creating alternatives to the existing system," she said. A vote on the bill is expected in May.
Source: Maine Today, (04/13/2007)
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New York Legislature Creates Charter "Transition Aid" for Districts
Districts in New York with large numbers of charter schools soon will be able to tap into a newly created pool of "transition aid" designed to cushion districts when making transfer payments to charter schools. Gary Crosby, chief operations and financial officer for the Buffalo school district and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, who was instrumental in lifting the cap, said the transition aid signals the legislature's willingness to help districts with many charter schools. The legislature also doubled the statewide cap on the number of charter schools to 200. "The victory here is that you'll have more charter schools and that the law remains largely intact," said Peter Murphy of the New York Charter Schools Association. "The message will get out that we're now back in business."
Source: Buffalo News, (04/13/2007)
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Ohio Governor Seeks to Reduce Funding to Charters
Charter schools in Ohio already receive at least $3,000 to $4,000 less per student than the school districts in which they are located and now Governor Ted Strickland has proposed to halt charters' access to the state's $470 million parity aid fund. Charter supporters say the plan looks like a blueprint for charter school annihilation. "It's already really taxing our ability to provide a high-quality education to our children," said Perry White, director of Citizens' Academy in Cleveland. "With the proposed cut in parity aid, we'd have to make extensive cuts in our instructional staff. We're already as lean as we know how to be administratively." Because charter schools cannot tax local constituents, they should not collect parity aid, said the Governor's spokesman Keith Dailey. Strickland is also seeking to place a moratorium on new charter schools and banning for-profit management firms from operating charters.
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer, (04/13/2007)
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NewSchools Venture Fund Invests in Chicago Charter Program
NewSchools Venture Fund, a national nonprofit venture philanthropy firm, announced last week that it will invest $1.6 million in Perspectives Charter Schools, a nonprofit charter management organization that seeks to educate underserved students in Chicago. With the support of the grant, the organization plans to operate by 2014 up to 10 schools serving more than 4,500 students annually. A recent study by the Consortium on Chicago School Research showed that Perspectives graduates almost twice as many students as schools serving similar populations. "For many years, Perspectives has offered an excellent public school option to some of Chicago's highest-need students," said Jim Peyser, Partner at NewSchools. "NewSchools looks forward to supporting Perspectives as it grows, in order to prepare even more of the city's high-need students for success in college and beyond."
Source: PR Newswire, (04/11/2007)
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Colorado Charter Students Lobby Legislators
In early April, charter school students from across Colorado lobbied state lawmakers to encourage them to support charter schools. Groups from Denver and Colorado Springs chanted and cheered outside while legislators inside debated a proclamation on their behalf. House Joint Resolution 1030, marking the 14th anniversary of the Charter Schools Act, noted Colorado has at least 130 charter schools with a combined enrollment of more than 53,000 students. A spokesman said charter schools students make up seven percent of the state's entire school-age population. The resolution was approved overwhelmingly on a voice vote, despite an outcry from Rep. Jack Pommer who called charters a "segregated system" of schools. Jim Griffin of the Colorado League of Charter Schools said despite their success, charter schools encounter continued resistance, especially from the traditional school lobby.
Source: The Journal-Advocate, (04/09/2007)
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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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