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 Conference (New Orleans, June 22-25)
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools will host the 2008 National Charter Schools Conference from June 22-25 in New Orleans, LA. "Still We Rise: Achieving Academic Excellence at Scale" is the conference theme, reflecting the growth of quality public charter schools across America. The theme has special resonance in New Orleans, which boasts the nation's largest percentage of public charter school enrollment. Register for the conference or apply to sponsor/exhibit at http://www.nationalcharterconference.org. The conference is the largest gathering of charter school operators and proponents in the nation. Geoffrey Canada, President and Chief Executive Officer for the Harlem Children's Zone, will offer the keynote speech. Attendees will learn and share best practices, discuss national and state policy issues, have the opportunity to volunteer at local charter schools, and enjoy special events featuring New Orleans traditions, food and music! Questions? Call 206-463-3344 or e-mail nationalconference@publiccharters.org.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (03/01/2008)
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St. Louis Mayor Hopes to Draw Families Back to the City with Charter Schools
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay hopes to attract families to the city with new public charter schools. "Our city is cleaner, safer and more beautiful than it has been in a long time," Slay wrote in a letter to local educators, nonprofit education groups, and charter school companies across the country. "In short, St. Louis has it all -- except enough quality public schools." While some local educators are concerned that more charters will draw thousands away from struggling district schools, Slay says he can no longer wait for the district to improve. His office has designed an application and review process to help select which proposed schools to help. St. Louis charter schools can only be approved by one of three groups: the St. Louis Public School District, the state department of education, or certain colleges and universities. Representatives at three universities said they would consider sponsoring the right charter schools under the mayor's expansion plans. The mayor's office will provide support for charter applicants and operators and could help secure school buildings, find loans, build school boards, attract sponsors, and, ultimately, gain approval.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, (11/12/2007)
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Utah Residents Oppose Vouchers but Eager for Charter Schools
Last week, Utah voters resoundingly defeated a proposed school voucher program, but public charter schools have more support than ever. Fifty-eight charter schools enroll about 22,000 students and some schools have waiting lists of 1,000 or more students. Smaller class sizes are a draw for many families. While clearly popular with families in both rural and urban areas, the state has not yet made an investment in charter school evaluation and some people are beginning to ask for more achievement and comparative data. Yongmei Ni, an assistant professor at the University of Utah, hopes to begin a study soon about whether charter school students are more successful in their new schools and if so why.
Source: Salt Lake Tribune, (11/11/2007)
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Florida School Boards Association Considering Lawsuit Over Loss of Exclusive Charter Authorizing
Last month, Florida's Department of Education denied all but three districts the exclusive ability to authorize charter schools. Charters can now bypass the local district and apply directly to a seven-member commission appointed by the state. In response to the state's decision, the Florida School Boards Association is considering filing a lawsuit on behalf of the denied districts. The association believes districts should retain exclusive authority to approve charter schools. "It shouldn't be another entity (giving approval)," said Wayne Blanton, executive director of the association. Blanton said he hopes to get about half of the districts in the state to join the lawsuit, which could be filed sometime in early January.
Source: TC Palm, (11/11/2007)
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Philadelphia School Reform Commission to Vote This Week on Revised Charter Policies
The Philadelphia School Reform Commission may soon adopt new policies that would allow officials to visit the district's 61 charters more frequently and clarify the criteria used to grant and renew charters. One of the more significant changes would give the commission the flexibility to consider charter applications every two years instead of annually. That would go against the state's charter school law, but the legislation that allowed the state to take over Philadelphia schools in December 2001 exempts the Commission from many of the charter law's provisions. The commission has delayed voting until May on 11 charter applications submitted a year ago. An additional 17 charter proposals for schools to open next September were submitted last month. The commission has not indicated when it will consider them.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, (11/08/2007)
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Advocates Hopeful New Indianapolis Mayor will Continue Focus on Charter Schools
Democrat Bart Peterson, the two-term mayor of Indianapolis, lost his re-election bid last week. Peterson, the nation's only mayor who can authorize charter schools, is a strong champion of the charter school movement. He successfully authorized 16 charter schools in the city and his rigorous application requirements and annual accountability reports have drawn national praise. Republican Greg Ballard, who won the election, has made little mention of charters, but charter advocates are hopeful that he will continue to support charter school growth and maintain a focus on accountability.
Source: Indianapolis Star, (11/07/2007)
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Study Shows Public Charter Schools in DC Greatly Outperform DCPS Schools
A new analysis by FOCUS, a D.C. non-profit that supports public charter schools, found that charter students significantly outperformed students in the DC public school system (DCPS) on the Spring 2007 DC Comprehensive Assessment System. The charter school advantage was greatest in middle and high school, especially those schools serving a high percentage of students from economically disadvantaged households. According to reading and math test-score data released by DCPS, twice the number of secondary charter school students scored proficient in both reading and math than students in traditional DCPS schools. In schools with 76-100 percent of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, 40 percent of charter school students scored proficient in math versus just 14 percent of DCPS students. In reading, 39 percent of charter school students scored proficient versus 17 percent of DCPS students. "These results show that D.C.'s public charter schools represent real school reform and have greatly improved the schooling available to D.C.'s most needy children," says Robert Cane, Executive Director of FOCUS.
Source: FOCUS DC, (11/06/2007)
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