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.
Long Waiting Lists for Rhode Island's Charter Schools
Rhode Island's charter schools are so popular that thousands of children are on their wait lists. According to the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools, about 3,100 students attend the state's 11 charter schools. Another 2,500 students applied for 400 open spots for the current school year, leaving a wait list of about 2,100 students. Enrollment in charter schools statewide jumped between 2000 and 2005, growing about 25 percent a year as more schools opened and existing schools expanded. Growth slowed significantly after lawmakers imposed a moratorium on new charters in 2004, partly in response to pressure from unions and partly in response to concerns about how charter schools are financed. That moratorium expires June 30. "We want ... a school that has a close-knit community and a small student-to-teacher ratio and a place that is focused on the individual child and allows the child to move through the grades at their own pace," says one hopeful parent.
Source: Providence Journal (free registration required), (03/30/2008)
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Florida Senate Passes Charter Bill Requiring Performance Reports and Forbidding Conflicts of Interest
The Florida Senate unanimously passed an education bill on March 27 that would require charter schools to publicly report student performance and to operate free from conflicts of interest. Senate Education Chairman Don Gaetz credited an Orlando Sentinel investigation of charter schools last year with helping frame the legislation, which allows school districts to close charters that have financial emergencies for two years. It also would prohibit business conflicts of interest between charter administrators, board members and employees. Meanwhile, the House Schools and Learning Council passed a companion bill that did not include all of the accountability measures that were part of the Senate version.
Source: Orlando Sentinel (free registration required), (03/28/2008)
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Teachers' Union Asks IRS to Examine Non-profit Status of White Hat Management in Ohio
The Ohio Federation of Teachers has asked the Internal Revenue Service to examine the non-profit status of charter schools managed by White Hat Management. Lisa Zellner of the OFT said that a ruling against the White Hat charter schools would force the company to pay taxes "like the rest of us," and possibly jeopardize their standing, because state law requires all charter schools to be nonprofit. The OFT complaint states: that "contrary to the impression created by the term 'community schools,' as charter schools are also known, the White Hat schools did not spring from community or parent involvement. Parents and community activists did not create governing authorities that, in turn, chose a management company from a variety of alternative operators. Instead, documentation suggests that White Hat negotiated with the state about the creation of the schools, set up the separate corporate school entities, and also handpicked the board members, many of whom serve on a number of Hope Academy or Life Skills Centers Boards." White Hat issued a statement calling the OFT's accusations a publicity stunt. "'The Internal Revenue Service is aware of the community school structure and White Hat Management's contract provisions making the management company responsible for all start-up and day-to-day operations of its contracted schools," the press release noted.
Source: Akron Beacon Journal, (03/28/2008)
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Life of New Hampshire's First Charter School Extended Through State Aid
New Hampshire's first charter school, Franklin Career Academy, will be able to stay open until the end of the school year, thanks to an additional $53,200 more in state money. The initiative was worked out through Governor John Lynch and will come from funds previously set aside for three charter schools, including Franklin, whose shaky financial situations put them in danger of closing. Instead of providing funds incrementally, state officials will distribute the remaining funds to the three schools in one lump sum. "The Department of Education worked . . . to release the remaining money early because no one wants to see children have to change schools before the end of the school year," said Lynch spokesman Colin Manning.
Source: Concord Monitor, (03/27/2008)
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Guam Legislators Push for Up to 7 Charter Schools to be Allowed to Open
Bill 248 is seeking to allow up to seven charter schools in Guam. Guam’s public schools have struggled with problems such as high dropout rates and poor test scores for some time now. Legislators hope that charter schools will raise student achievement and provide parents more choice in their child’s public education. The bill states the legislation would authorize charter schools that provide "opportunities for teachers, parents, students and community members to establish and maintain schools that operate independently from the Guam Public School System." Goals include: increase learning opportunities for all students, with special emphasis on expanded learning experiences; encourage innovative teaching methods; and expand the choices of students and parents when it comes to educational opportunities. Charter schools will provide "a unique opportunity to create immersion schools that would focus on preserving the Chamorro culture, language, and traditions," said Sen. James Espaldon.
Source: Pacific Daily News, (03/27/2008)
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Philadelphia District Budget Deficit May Mean No Funding for New Charter Schools
The Philadelphia school district will end the fiscal year on June 30 with a $21 million budget deficit, jeopardizing the opening of some approved charter schools. There are 17 applications to open charters this fall - six submitted to the School Reform Commission during this academic year and 11 submitted during 2006-07. The district's interim chief executive officer, Tom Brady, said the district would continue to look for savings and ask the city and state to provide more help. The state finances about 60 percent of the district's budget with the majority of the rest coming from the city.
Source: Philadelphia Daily News, (03/27/2008)
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Charter Schools in Philadelphia On Par with District Schools According to New Report
A report released this month by Philadelphia's Accountability Review Council (ARC) found that "charter schools are not performing substantially better nor substantially worse than district schools in raising student achievement." ARC was created as part of the state's takeover of city schools in 2001 and serves to evaluate the district's reform efforts and report annually on its findings. The report found that, from 2002 to 2007, charter schools had the largest percentage increase in schools making adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind law, when compared with district-managed schools and district schools operated by educational-management organizations. But charter schools, the report noted, have few subgroups of students, such as those with special education needs and those who are learning English as a second language. "It's somewhat inconclusive. We could see that more study will have to be conducted. For example, the charter high schools are doing better than the elementary charter schools. . . . We've concluded that we're going to have to spend a lot more time drilling down looking at individual schools and the success that they are having rather than just this monolith called charter schools," said James E. Lyons, Sr., ARC chairman and secretary of the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
Source: Philadelphia Daily News, (03/19/2008)
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National Public Charter Schools Week to Be Held May 5-9
National Public Charter Schools Week will be celebrated May 5-9, 2008. A primary purpose of this annual event is to connect public charter school students, parents, teachers, and leaders to policymakers, so they can experience the schools and the enthusiasm of the people supporting them. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools encourages charter schools to participate in a dynamic video campaign called "See Us Growing Excellence" - go here for more information.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (03/15/2008)
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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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