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
|
|
 |
|
|
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 Opinion Poll Reveals that Americans Want More Public School Options
More than three out of four voters (77%) favor giving parents more options when choosing a public school for their children, according to a new national poll conducted for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. The nationwide study of 800 registered voters by the Glover Park Group found that minority voters (82%) and parents (81%) most strongly express the desire for greater public school choices. When a description of public charter schools was provided to surveyed parents, 60 percent expressed interest in enrolling their children in a public charter school. Respondents gave broad support for many of the qualities that public charter schools provide. Over 90 percent of voters said they support providing a more structured learning environment, requiring more parental involvement (94%), and holding students, teachers and parents accountable for improved student achievement (93%). "Americans clearly want to see more choices within public education," said Nelson Smith, president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. "Most also believe that giving parents more options will help strengthen public schools."
Source: The Examiner, (05/12/2008)
Also See
-----------------------------------------------
Public Charter School Leaders in Hawaii to Face Financial Challenges This Year
Last week, leaders of district and public charter schools in Cleveland, Ohio agreed to work together to provide opportunities for the city's children. "We're in this together," said Eric Gordon, chief academic officer for the Cleveland public schools. "We either go down together, or we reinforce things that work." Gordon appeared at a forum sponsored by the City Club of Cleveland with representatives of three of city’s top-performing public charter schools: Citizens' Academy, the Intergenerational School and the Entrepreneurship Preparatory Academy. The discussion may signal a new era of cooperation between the district and public charter school leaders. "This is about changing the conversation," said Cathy Whitehouse, co-founder and chief educator at the Intergenerational School, a public charter school that has received the state's top academic rating each of the last four years. "We'd like to teach other interested schools in the community or districts things we found that have worked." Public charter schools in Cleveland have spurred the district to try new strategies. Cleveland has established single-gender academies and other specialty schools to keep the district competitive in the education marketplace.
Source: Honolulu Advertiser, (05/11/2008)
-----------------------------------------------
Virtual Public Charter School for At-Risk Students in Nevada Moves Forward
Nevada's newest virtual public charter school, which will serve at-risk high school students across the state, is expected to begin operating this August. The State Board of Education voted May 2 to approve Insight School of Nevada. The school's partner, Oregon-based Insight Schools Inc., is an online learning company with eight high schools in eight states. Nevada law does not allow for-profit public charter schools. However, governing bodies may hire outside companies to provide services. Two other state-sponsored virtual public charter schools, Nevada Virtual Academy and Nevada Connections Academy, opened last fall.
Source: Las Vegas Sun, (05/10/2008)
-----------------------------------------------
Public Charter School and District Leaders in Cleveland Pledge to Work Together
Last week, leaders of district and public charter schools in Cleveland, Ohio agreed to work together to provide opportunities for the city's children. "We're in this together," said Eric Gordon, chief academic officer for the Cleveland public schools. "We either go down together, or we reinforce things that work." Gordon appeared with representatives of three of Cleveland's top-performing public charter schools: Citizens' Academy, the Intergenerational School and the Entrepreneurship Preparatory Academy. (The latter is sponsored by the Cleveland district.) The discussion signaled a new era of cooperation between the district and public charter school leaders. "This is about changing the conversation," said Cathy Whitehouse, co-founder and chief educator at the Intergenerational School, a public charter school that has received the state's top academic rating each of the last four years. "We'd like to teach other interested schools in the community or districts things we found that have worked." Public charter schools in Cleveland has spurred the district to try new strategies. The Cleveland city schools has established single-gender academies and other specialty schools to keep the district competitive in the education marketplace.
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer, (05/09/2008)
-----------------------------------------------
New Round-up of Public Charter School Statistics Released
A compendium of new public charter school statistics, the Public Charter School Dashboard, was released during National Charter Schools Week (May 5-9) in a Capitol Hill briefing. The report finds that the demand for public charter schools continues to grow among American families. Nationwide, in 40 states and Washington DC, over 4,300 public charter schools enroll more than 1.2 million public school students. In the past four years, 1,600 new public charter schools opened and 500,000 additional public school students chose to enroll in public charter schools. This past fall, more than 350 new public charter schools opened and an additional 115,000 public school students enrolled in these schools. At least 60 percent of public charter school students are minorities; 52 percent are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch; 11 percent of public charter school students are identified as special education students; and 12 percent are English language learners.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (05/09/2008)
-----------------------------------------------
Colorado Families Demand More Public Charter Schools
In April, numerous parents stood before the Denver school board, holding up newspaper articles about a high-performing public charter school and asking why their children were unable to receive the same education. "We want this for our kids and our families," said Luci Saenz. "We are ready to fight. We believe in our children, and we believe they deserve it." Like other urban districts around the country, Denver Public Schools has had difficulty in educating the city's poorest students. But some public charter schools in the community are proving it can be done. At least a dozen public charter schools are being planned for the city over the next decade based on high-performing models. And a group of public charter advocates is planning to add dozens more public charter schools to teach low-income urban youth on Colorado's Front Range. "You are going to see more and more of this — more schools are going to get created and more communities demanding them," said Tony Lewis, director of the Donnell-Kay Foundation. "I don't think this is an aberration. This is a new trend."
Source: Denver Post, (05/07/2008)
-----------------------------------------------
2008 Champions for Charters Honored
Last week, as part of the celebration of National Charter Schools Week, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools presented the 2008 Champion for Charters Award to U.S. Senator Thomas Carper of Delaware, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Colorado State Senator Peter Groff. The public officials were selected because theychampioned major public charter issues, served as highly visible public charter school advocates amd consistently supported public charter schools as a quality school choice option. "Improving public education is politically difficult, but these policy makers stand out as forward-thinking leaders who recognize that America's parents and children deserve to have high-quality public education options," said Nelson Smith, president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Source: PR Newswire, (05/05/2008)
Also See
-----------------------------------------------
Countdown to New Orleans: National Charter Schools Conference Less Than One Week Away (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. Major speakers at the conference include Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, actor and education activist Danny Glover, Alliance President Nelson Smith and Geoffrey Canada, President and Chief Executive Officer for the Harlem Children's Zone. 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)
-----------------------------------------------
Thank you for your interest:
Please be aware that publishers sometimes change URLs or no longer provide access to articles. If this occurs, access the publishing newspaper and search for the subject matter.
Submit news items on the Web:
You can view archives or submit news items at: http://www.uscharterschools.org/pub/uscs_docs/n/index.htm.
To unsubscribe or subscribe:
If you would like to be removed from this list, send an email to: cs.unsubscribe.a.16@email.edgateway.net or manage your subscription via your user profile at USCharterSchools.org. We respect your right to privacy. Please read our privacy policy. To subscribe or contribute news items you will need to register with USCharterSchools.org.
Did you receive this issue as a forward from a friend? Get your own subscription to the Charter Schools News Connection here.
Charter Schools News Connection is sponsored by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and distributed by WestEd.
|
|
