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 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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Nevada Places Moratorium on Approval of New Charter Schools
Last week, the Nevada Board of Education voted 8-0 to place a moratorium on new charter schools because state education officials say they are unable to handle the workload from as many as 11 new charter school applications submitted for possible startup in the 2008-09 school year. Board member Cindy Reid argued the moratorium will allow time to consider how to provide adequate resources to monitor the growing number of charter schools. Nevada has 23 charter schools. Five are sponsored by the state Education Department, with two more expected to open next fall. Others are sponsored by school districts.
Source: Las Vegas Sun, (12/04/2007)
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Mayor-Elect in Indianapolis Comes Out in Support of Charter Schools
Indianapolis Mayor-elect Greg Ballard recently met with charter school leaders and pledged his support. Marcus Robinson, principal of Charles A. Tindley Academy, said he hopes that Ballard keeps much of the same authorizing staff in place, and he's excited about Ballard's term as mayor. "He has expressed a commitment to continue the city's work toward charter schools," he said. "We're very excited about that and the parents are very excited about that." Last year, Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Eugene White had suggested a moratorium on new charter schools. Ballard's full education plan has not been made available, but he seems poised to expand chartering in the city. "I favor the expansion of charter school opportunities," he said. "I already have met with the charter school folks. As long as they perform well, there will be no problems."
Source: Indianapolis Star, (12/02/2007)
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Texas Community Considering a Charter School District
Officials in Arlington, Texas, the state's seventh largest city, are considering a charter school district. "It's an idea that we're going to follow up with our new superintendent when he starts February 1st," said Jim Ash, president of the Arlington Independent School District Board of Trustees. "Our initial conversation centered around an idea that might be beneficial to the Arlington Independent School District, as we help our students. What kind of restrictions, what kind of burdens do we work under that we might eliminate?" said Ash. "I would support anything that would improve the lives of our students in this school district and their academic achievement," said Carla Crow, president of the local PTA association.
Source: WFAA News, (12/01/2007)
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New Orleans Schools' Outsourcing Draws National Attention
Throughout New Orleans, various local and national organizations have stepped in to perform the functions no longer handled by a traditional central office. To the principal of Sophie B. Wright Charter School, Sharon Clark, and other principals, outsourcing to an array of organizations can be complicated, but also advantageous. "There's nothing like needing pencils for your students and having to go through three different offices to get three different approvals only to have pencils shipped 30 days after you need them," she said, referring to the district's central office before Hurricane Katrina. "Now I can go to Office Depot and buy pencils for my kids and be back in an hour. I love that. I really love that." The new way of doing business comes with its own challenges, including concerns about gaps in service and financing. "You are no longer a charter school principal, you become a charter school CEO" under the new system, said Clark. "You are no longer just responsible for instruction, you are responsible for the budget and finances. You are responsible for making sure grants get written. You are responsible for making sure there's transportation, for making sure the Title 1 application is turned in, for making sure the food services are there every day."
Source: The Times-Picayune, (12/01/2007)
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Lawsuits May Decide Future of Chartering in Florida
Governance and financial issues are at the heart of two lawsuits recently filed in Florida. Last month, the Florida School Boards Association filed suit against the State, challenging the authority of the Florida Schools of Excellence Commission, a new state charter authorizing agency. "The overriding issue is governance," said Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association. In Pembroke Pines, city and charter school officials are demanding a share of local property tax dollars for the community's charter schools. Unlike traditional schools, charter schools in the state do not receive county property taxes to assist with facility costs. "There was no other place for the city to go other than to have the courts make a decision about who's right," said City Manager Charles Dodge, who also is the superintendent of the city's charter school system.
Source: Sun Sentinel, (11/30/2007)
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Ohio Attorney General Plans to Sue Additional Charter Schools
After suing three charter schools, Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann has announced plans to sue more in an attempt to shut them down. Dann accuses the schools that by failing to adequately educate their students they violate laws that govern charitable trusts in Ohio. Dann's strategy of using charitable-trust laws remains controversial and unproven in court. The Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools has created a legal defense fund to try to persuade courts to reject Dann's approach. "The issue for us is that the attorney general is using this charitable-trust device, which we think there's no basis in law for," said William Sims, president of the Ohio Alliance. "If he were to succeed in this, it means the attorney general could subjectively decide to sue whatever school he wants to shut down."
Source: The Columbus Dispatch, (11/29/2007)
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New York Charter Schools Advocates Fight Wage Mandate
In a recent letter to New York charters, the Department of Labor alerted them that they are subject to the prevailing wage law. Prevailing wage law in New York requires that laborers be paid a minimum hourly rate, which generally corresponds to local union wages on public works projects. Several charter school groups have filed suit against the department to overturn the wage mandate, contending that education law exempts the schools from these mandates. Advocates say the exemption is critical for charter schools, which are excluded from the almost $2 billion in annual state building aid that flows to regular public schools.
Source: New York Sun, (11/28/2007)
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