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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Pennsylvania's Public Charter Schools Grow Stronger
About 64,000 students are enrolled in 126 public charter schools across Pennsylvania, and about 20,000 students linger on waiting lists. Esther Bush, president and CEO of the Urban League of Pittsburgh said some decision-makers are "still warming up" to public charter schools, but they are gaining popularity. Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt said the state charter school law is written so that "it almost makes you by necessity adversarial." He is seeking to develop "a more collegial relationship" with public charter schools in which they share resources and keep in mind they all have the goal of serving the city's public school children. Timothy Daniels, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools, a statewide advocacy and support organization, considers Pennsylvania to be the leader in public charter schools in the Northeast. The coalition is conducting its state conference this week in Pittsburgh and is expected to attract more than 1,000 people.
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, (04/28/2008)
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New Hampshire Senate Education Committee Votes Unanimously to Approve Public Charter School Funding Boost
The New Hampshire Senate Education Committee voted 6-0 last week to give independent public charter schools an extra $2,700 per student for the coming academic year. Bill Wilmot, the director of Seacoast Charter, said public charter school advocates had actively lobbied the senators and he holds out hope that the bill will move easily through the legislature. "While there are mixed views on how charter schools came to be in New Hampshire, I think that many agree that they are doing wonderful things for kids. We cannot emphasize enough how important this money will be to the continued success of our schools." IF HB No. 1642 fails, public charter schools independent of local districts would be forced to try to operate on less than $4,000 per student next year, plus any money they could raise privately.
Source: Sea Coast Online, (04/27/2008)
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L.A. District May Reconsider Offers of Sharing Classroom Space with Public Charter Schools
Under pressure from teacher union leadership, district school leaders, and even some public charter school leaders, L.A. district official Ramon Cortines has vowed to reconsider offers of sharing traditional campus facilities with public charter schools. Under state law as well as a recent settlement of litigation, the Los Angeles Unified School District is required to share facilities "fairly" with public charter schools. The idea of public charters sharing space with regular district schools has been met with fury at many affected campuses and some public charter school leaders are frustrated, either awaiting offers or trying to consider whether proposed facility-sharing deals are affordable or adequate. "I want to review each issue," Cortines said at a "town hall" meeting last week before a standing-room-only audience. "We had to pause, take a breath and look at . . . what we must do for charter schools but also how it affects . . . the regular school." Under state law, public charter schools have until May 1 to accept offers. But Cortines indicated that the deadline might have to be adjusted.
Source: LA Times (free registration required), (04/26/2008)
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$19 Million Pledged for Newark Charter School Fund
Last week, four national foundations (the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Donald & Doris Fisher Fund, Robertson Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation) each pledged $4 million in an effort to support and strengthen Newark's 12 public charter schools through a new foundation, the Newark Charter School Fund. In addition, three Newark foundations each pledged $1 million, bringing the Fund closer to its ambitious goal of raising $25 million for the city's public charters. Education has been a focus of Mayor Cory Booker's administration and he was given much of the credit for inspiring the groups to start up the fund. Newark should have a "portfolio of excellent options to best meet the needs of kids," which means there should be excellent charter, magnet and traditional public schools, Booker said. "In a city where our schools need improvement we need to be willing to embrace change and innovation," he said. "We can't keep doing things the same way over and over again and expect different results." Fund staff member, Jim Shelton, said having one organization will make it easier for public charter schools to request aid. "It's a smart thing to do, and we wanted to find a good place to do that work and Newark stood out because of the quality of schools, the need and the leadership of the mayor," Shelton said.
Source: New Jersey Star-Ledger, (04/25/2008)
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Public Charter School Funding in Hawaii Not Keeping Up with Student Enrollment
While the budget for public charter schools in Hawaii is expected to grow by about $5 million next school year, the appropriation is $15.8 million short of what public charters had sought from Governor Linda Lingle, and per-pupil funding is predicted to drop because of increased enrollment. Under the proposed funding plan, some 8,000 public charter schools students would each get about $7,000 next school year, down $1,000 from this year. Linda Smith, the Governor's policy advisor, acknowledged enrollment projections for public charter schools have risen since the administration finalized its executive budget. She said the administration is working with lawmakers to check whether any adjustments can be made. "What we are trying to do is see how we can increase that per-student amount," she said. Sen. Rosalyn Baker, chairwoman of the Ways and Means Committee, said it is unlikely money would be added to the budget so close to the end of the legislative session. "We ought to rewrite the entire charter funding mechanism," she said. "It doesn't give either the Legislature or the charters any comfort in predictability."
Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin, (04/24/2008)
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Algiers Public Charter Schools System Votes Out First CEO
Following an emotional meeting last week, the Algiers Charter Schools Association in New Orleans voted 4-3 to remove Brian Riedlinger from his position as CEO of the public charter school system. The board had been in negotiations with Riedlinger and had requested that he resign from his other job to spend full time with the school system. Riedlinger reportedly agreed to resign from that post, but he was still voted out as CEO. Riedlinger can stay on until April 2009, but his contract will end at that time. The decision drew an angry response from parents and others at the meeting.
Source: WWL-TV, (04/24/2008)
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Seventeen More Public Charter Schools in California Receive Certification for High Standards
Seventeen public charter schools were honored last week by the California Charter Schools Association for their adherence to high academic, fiscal, ethical and governance standards. The schools were added to a list, now up to 73, of "certified charter schools." Gary Larson, a spokesman for the association, said the certification process is similar to that which most California schools undergo when they are accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, but "a little more rigorous." Caprice Young, president and chief executive of the association, said the certified public charter schools "are paving the way for continued success and accountability in California’s charter school movement.”
Source: LA Times (free registration required), (04/23/2008)
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Utah State Charter School Board Seeks Approval for Seven New Applications
The Utah State Charter School Board plans to recommend that the Utah Board of Education approve seven new public charter schools to open in the 2009-10 school year, plus allow expansion in enrollment and grades in nine existing schools. The public charter school board had received requests that would have created space for 9,000 students, but it is restricted by law from approving growth exceeding 1.4 percent of the previous year's public school enrollment, which meant it could approve requests for no more than 7,300 students. "There are a limited number of seats, and schools are competing for those," board chairwoman Julie Adamic said.
Source: Salt Lake Tribune, (04/22/2008)
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Single Gender Public Charter Schools Legalized in Delaware
Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner has signed legislation allowing same-gender public charter schools. House Bill 285 explicitly permits single-gender public charter schools, which are permissible under federal law. That will allow Prestige Academy, a Wilmington all-boys public charter school geared toward at-risk youth, to open in the fall. An amendment tacked on to the bill requires that the next single-gender public charter school approved be for girls, marketed toward a similar demographic base and be "substantially equal" to Prestige Academy. State Representative Deborah Hudson and Senator Margaret Rose Henry co-sponsored the bill. They say the new public charter school will fill an urgent need to close the achievement gap, especially for black and Hispanic boys who live in the city.
Source: CBS3, (04/22/2008)
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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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