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.
Ohio Attorney Sues Charter Schools
Ohio's Attorney General Marc Dann has sued two Dayton charter schools, saying they have consistently failed to meet academic standards. He vows to take similar legal action against other charters across Ohio that fail to meet state academic and financial standards, but does not wish to shut down all 311 of the state's charter schools. Republican House Speaker Jon Husted says Dann is overstepping his authority as attorney general. Some charter advocates see the move as an attempt to circumvent state law, which requires that charter schools rated in the lowest state category for three straight years must close.
Source: The Columbus Dispatch, (09/17/2007)
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Delaware Lawmakers to Debate Charter School Funding
When the Delaware legislature convenes in January, members will debate whether the state should help finance and fund real estate purchases or construction by public charter schools. Some lawmakers think the state’s charter law should be amended to clarify that charter schools are eligible to use low-interest state bonding. Others believe that the current law - which provides an equal amount of per-student state aid for charter operations, but mandates that no state money can support charter's capital needs – should be kept in place. Rep. Nancy Wagner said any decision should be made after a broader look at overall school funding. "The charters, like the Charter School of Wilmington and Delaware Military Academy, are doing a good job -- there's no question about that," she said. "But helping them isn't as easy as that."
Source: The News Journal, (09/16/2007)
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Arabic-Language Charter Schools Draw Attention and Students in Ohio
Arabic-language public schools are in the spotlight. New York City's first publicly funded Arabic-language school opened earlier this month despite critics that warned it could foster anti-American Islamist extremism or even just include Islamic teachings. In Ohio, two public charter schools, Central Academy and Bridge Academy, are run by Global Educational Excellence, which also runs five Arabic-themed schools in Michigan. Mohamad Issa, director of the company, said parents have been asking him to start such schools for years, and that school leaders "make it clear to parents that this is only teaching culture and teaching the language. We are not going to teach any religion." Many of the teachers at all of the company's schools are non-Arabic, though the majority of students do come from Arabic-speaking homes.
Source: Toledo Blade, (09/16/2007)
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Brevard County Relinquishes Control Over Charter Schools
In Florida, the Brevard County School Board has voted unanimously to surrender its role as sole charter overseer in the community. Under the change, charter schools will have the choice of being overseen by a new statewide commission or opting to continue to work in a collaborative relationship with the district. A recent state review evaluated Brevard Public Schools' relationship with its charter schools and found several areas of concern. It found that the district did not consistently adhere to its contracts and contract renewal policies, did not meet all timelines and guidelines laid out in the state law, and did not allow all schools to participate in the free and reduced lunch program. The review team also said that Brevard's policies and procedures do not encourage charter schools, unlike neighboring counties who were rated as more supportive. Charter parents and leaders applauded the move.
Source: Florida Today, (09/13/2007)
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New Mexico Commission Denies All But One Charter School Application
A recent change in New Mexico's charter school law gave applicants the choice to go straight to the state for approval. In its inaugural application process, the state's Public Education Commission denied all but one application for new state-chartered schools. Some applicants thought the application process was flawed and applicants needed more clear direction. "This commission needs to take responsibility" in making sure charter developers know what's expected of them, said Dennis Deliman, whose Arenas Valley Charter School was denied. Lisa Grover of the New Mexico Coalition for Charter Schools said the application process focuses too much on small details and should instead look at school management and academic programs. "We're talking about where governing councils' agendas are posted," said Grover. "That to me is not where we would like to see the conversation."
Source: Santa Fe New Mexican, (09/12/2007)
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Alliance Testifies to Congress on Behalf of Charter Schools
On September 10, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on the Miller/McKeon Elementary and Secondary Education Act discussion draft released earlier this month. Nelson Smith of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools was asked to testify on behalf of the charter sector. He said that with respect to Title V, the new draft is "to be applauded for taking bold steps to enhance quality and accountability in the federal Charter Schools Program." In Title I, he voiced concern over the proposed addition of multiple indicators, saying that it "introduces a level of complexity in data collection and reporting that will weigh heavily on charter schools and their authorizers.”
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (09/11/2007)
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