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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Dayton Charters Outperform District Schools
While charters in some parts of Ohio struggled on recent state assessments, the performance of Dayton charter schools was slightly better than that of their school district counterparts. Overall, charters were more likely to be rated in the state's top three performance categories. A larger percentage of the district's schools were rated in "academic emergency." Forty percent of Dayton Public Schools were rated in academic emergency compared to 28 percent of the city's charters. "When you get people invested in the school and they take ownership, you are more apt to see results," said Terry Ryan, vice president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, which sponsors charter schools in Dayton. Dayton ranks second behind New Orleans for the highest percentage of students attending charter schools.
Source: Dayton Daily News, (08/27/2007)
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Charter Schools Popular with African American Families
Charter schools targeting under-served student populations are flourishing and have lengthy waiting lists. Charters are increasingly popular with African American families who are attracted to the curriculum, smaller class size, and dedicated teachers. Some educators worry that charters could re-segregate public schooling; in almost every state, according to Gary Orfield of the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, the average Black charter school student attends school with a higher percentage of Black students. Advocates, however, point to the benefits of strong academic programs that incorporate leadership training and life skills. "We believe strongly African-American children have the potential to become great leaders in our community. We challenge them to be great thinkers, have great discussions..." says charter school principal Brian Taylor.
Source: Black Voice News, (08/27/2007)
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National Charter School Research Project Aims to Deliver Balance and Rigor
Researchers at the Seattle-based National Charter School Research Project are trying to bring a rigorous approach to the national debate about charter school achievement. "Our goal is to have something that an intelligent layman will understand, and that an academic will think is solid," said Paul Hill, the chairman of the NCSRP and a prominent researcher on school choice. The organization readily points out research design flaws, whether the findings are favorable or unfavorable to charters, and seeks to highlight both the strengths and weaknesses of charter efforts. Robin Lake, the NCSRP’s executive director, says that the initiative looks at charter school issues pragmatically. "Everybody benefits when existing charter schools do better. Wherever you stand on the issue, they're there." Todd Ziebarth of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, says he finds the work both fair and helpful. "They have done a very good job of identifying some of the thorny issues."
Source: Education Week (subscription required), (08/26/2007)
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New Mexico Charter Schools Outperform District Schools in AYP
A greater percentage of New Mexico's charter schools than district schools have achieved "adequate yearly progress" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act Statewide. Forty-seven percent of charter schools (22 out of 47) made AYP, compared to 41.5 percent of district schools. Despite opposition from some state legislators and districts, nearly 70 charters have been approved since the legislature passed the New Mexico Charter School Law eight years ago. Resentment between state, district and charter school leaders appears to be reducing. While there are some unresolved issues, officials from charter and traditional schools agree that a once-contentious relationship has smoothed. Joe Guillen of the New Mexico School Board Association said that both types of public schools should keep one thing in mind. "I think as more and more schools are chartered, it's going to become a way of life for us to work together," he said. "It's very important because they're all our students."
Source: Santa Fe New Mexican, (08/25/2007)
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California Charter Schools Leaders Upset Over Proposed Legislation
Aiming to give local districts more power over charter schools, California lawmakers have crafted a bill tying increased funding to restrictions on opening new charters. Senate Bill 92 includes $18 million for facilities grants for charter schools in low-income areas -- meaning that if charter-school advocates oppose the policy change and defeat the bill they also will slash their own funding. The legislation has sparked an outcry among charter school founders and leaders. "This is just a sneak move," said Mike Piscal of Inner City Education Foundation, which operates nine charter schools in South Los Angeles. "It's a move designed in that part of the bill to punish the highest-performing charter-management organizations - the highest-performing organizations that have been serving the poor." Speaker Fabian Nunez, the bill's principal supporter, says he supports charters but believes they should be approved through local districts. "I don't like local governments to be circumvented," he said.
Source: Los Angeles Daily News, (08/24/2007)
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Illinois Governor Vetoes $3.5 Million in Charter School Grants
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has vetoed $3.5 million in grants, which would have provided $250 per pupil to 34 new and recently opened public charter school campuses in the Chicago public school system and an additional school in Kane County. Responding to the cuts, Elizabeth Evans of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools said “the Governor's veto of the charter startup grants and his failure over the last five years to provide leadership on broader education funding reform issues have created a doublewhammy for public school children, particularly in the African American and Latino community." The start-up funding had been overwhelmingly approved by the General Assembly.
Source: Chicago Public Radio, (08/24/2007)
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Charter Schools Popular in Maryland
While late to the charter school movement, charters are increasingly popular with families in Maryland. The existing charter schools have had varying degrees of academic and fiscal success, but parents and advocates are undaunted. "Given the law that we have and the environment of the charter schools in Maryland, I think we're making pretty amazing progress," said Joni Berman of the Maryland Charter School Network. "They offer parents options that weren't there before. They've pulled kids back into the districts from private schools and home schooling." JoAnne Carter, deputy state superintendent for instruction and academic acceleration, said state education officials have been "pleased" with the schools' growth and academic performance and noted that parents are happy with them. A 2006 evaluation found that 92.3 percent of charter school parents surveyed were satisfied with the schools.
Source: Washington Post (free registration required), (08/22/2007)
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