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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Four Districts Awarded Public Charter District Status in Georgia
The Decatur, Marietta and Gainesville, and Warren County school systems have won approval from the Georgia Board of Education to have system-wide public charter status. Georgia is the first state to allow entire school systems to seek public charter status. "Today is a milestone for Georgia," said Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who pushed legislation through the state legislature last year authorizing the creation of public charter systems subject to state approval. "Charter systems offer the truest form of local control." Public charter status for all four systems goes into effect in August with the new school year.
Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution, (06/12/2008)
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Overwhelming Interest in Girls Public Charter School in Georgia Pushes Enrollment Increase Before School Opens
Last week, the Georgia Board of Education approved an amendment to increase the enrollment at Ivy Preparatory Academy, a new all-girls public charter school opening this fall. State officials fast-tracked the amendment process so that more girls could be accepted into Ivy Prep's inaugural sixth-grade class. Nina Gilbert, lead founder of Ivy Prep, said the enrollment for 2008-09 can now grow from 126 students to 175. But she said only 160 will be accepted to keep class sizes small. "We have the facility that will allow us to grow," she said. Interest in the school has been overwhelming, Gilbert added. "We have gotten e-mails from mothers who are still expecting and wanted to be on the wait list," she said.
Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution, (06/12/2008)
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U.S. Department of Education Awards Florida $33.6 Million Grant to Help Create More Public Charter Schools
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Raymond Simon announced last week the award of a $33.6 million grant to Florida to help create more quality public charter schools and increase school choice opportunities. State educational agencies with a specific statue authorizing public charter schools may apply for funding. They then make competitive sub-grants to public charter schools developers. "As laboratories of innovation for the best practices, high quality charter schools are proving that all children - regardless of their socioeconomic status, family background, or where they live - can learn and achieve, said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Raymond Simon. "We must now replicate the most effective models. This is why I'm happy that Florida will use its grant to help create high-quality charter high schools which will assist students in meeting the state's academic standards." More than 350 public charter schools serve more than 100,000 students across the state, and education leaders believe Florida is poised to focus on scaling up high-performing models.
Source: News-Press, (06/11/2008)
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L.A. Public Charter Schools Outperform Traditional District Schools
Public charter schools in Los Angeles generally perform better academically than nearby district public schools, and public charters improve over time, according to a new study released on June 10 by the California Charter Schools Association. The study found that public charter schools did especially well in educating African American students and that they showed some of the strongest success in middle schools. "It's pretty significant that seven out of 10 charters actually outperform their most similarly matched district public school," said CCSA CEO Caprice Young, citing one finding in the report. Young said the study was intended to answer the question parents are most likely to ask: How does their local charter school stack up against the nearest comparable regular schools? Young hopes the study will firmly legitimize public charter schools in the eyes of parents. "We are hoping that this study helps recognize charter schools as a viable and important school option," she said. Ramon Cortines, L.A. Unified's newly appointed senior deputy superintendent, said the report pointed to how traditional district schools could learn from public charters. "I think that what it says is that they have some best practices, and those should be replicated in the district in all schools," he said. "I would say the same about islands of excellence in the Unified district. . . . We need to each learn from each other."
Source: LA Times (free registration required), (06/10/2008)
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New York Daily News Profiles Public Charter School Entrepreneur
Raj Thakkar, founder and owner of Charter School Business Management, a New York provider of education business services, got involved with public charter schools when he realized educators were tied up with business and administrative matters, distracting them from the goal of helping students achieve. "We take care of all the annoying stuff so school leaders can stay focused on what they know best," Thakkar said. Thakkar thrives on the challenge of managing his company's growth as well as that of his clients. Most are startup public charter schools that can expand quickly. "There aren't too many organizations that would want to double in size each year," he said. He advises public charter schools to clearly separate business and operations from the responsibilities related to education and teaching. Thakkar said he has focused much energy on building his team, recruiting people who "really love the charter school world." "My goal is to support it for the rest of my life," he said.
Source: New York Daily News, (06/09/2008)
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Concerned Philadelphia Parents Launch "Parents Unified for Charter Schools"
A group of parents in Philadelphia who are concerned about the troubled relationship public charter schools have had with the school district have created Parents Unified for Charter Schools. The city-wide group is designed to improve communication among parents and help build bridges with district officials, public charter schools and public charter families. Founding member Karen Lash said she has grown tired of feeling like the "neglected stepchild" since her two sons attend a local public charter school. "I think recently the feeling was we were getting beat up a bit, becoming sort of a target,” she said. She hopes the group can help push improvements for the entire education system. "It's still public education," she noted. "I'm pro-child."
Source: Metro Philadelphia, (06/09/2008)
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Congress Debating Yearly Appropriations Bills, Including Funding for Public Charter Programs
The federal government is currently crafting its 2009 funding levels for departments and agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education and the Public Charter School Programs. The President's budget proposed an increase for the federal public charter programs: $236 million for the public charter school grants (the Charter Schools Program and the State Facilities Incentive Grants), an increase of $25 million over last year, and $36.6 million for the credit enhancement for public charter school facilities program. The federal public charter schools programs provide support in critical areas: helping cover the costs of launching successful public charters; disseminating their successful innovations to other public schools; and providing financial incentives to state governments and private lenders that help enable schools to build and renovate facilities. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools has made available an online "Action Alert" which allows readers to write an online letter to their U.S. Senators and Representatives to voice support for increased funding for public charter schools.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (06/08/2008)
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National Alliance to Honor Three Education Pioneers with Public Charter Schools Hall of Fame Award
On June 24, three education leaders will be recognized for their outstanding achievements furthering the public charter school movement and promoting high-quality education for all students in a ceremony at the National Charter School Conference in New Orleans. Award recipients are Linda Brown, Founder and Executive Director of Building Excellent Schools; Dr. Yvonne Chan, Principal of Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in Pacoima, California; and former Minnesota State Senator Ember Reichgott Junge who authored Minnesota's first-in-nation public charter school law. Recipients of the Public Charter Schools Hall of Fame award are selected on the basis of their pioneering efforts in the development/growth of charter schools; long-term commitment and contributions to charter schools and education; innovative ideas and successful implementation of those ideas; and their inspiration to others in the public charter school movement. "These three inductees have been at the forefront of the charter movement since its inception," said Nelson Smith, President of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. "Each has fought to influence legislation, shape public opinion, and most importantly, to support academically excellent public charter schools."
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (06/05/2008)
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Public Charter School Network's Power Upheld by California Judge
A county judge in California has upheld a decision by the state board of education to grant a statewide charter to Aspire Public Schools, allowing the network to open new campuses without seeking approval from local district officials. The California School Board Association's Education Legal Alliance had sued the state board last fall, claiming the board had overstepped its authority in January 2007 by approving Aspire Public Schools' petition to create "statewide benefit" public charter schools. Education Legal Alliance director Richard Hamilton expressed disappointment at the ruling and warned it will be appealed. He said it "will open the door and encourage charters to bypass local school districts and county offices of education in an attempt to avoid local oversight." Aspire co-founder and CEO Don Shalvey said he is "certainly pleased" by the ruling "because it just means that much more opportunity for the kids that we serve: predominately first-generation college-goers" from the state's lower-performing school districts. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger praised the decision, saying it will "allow for many more charter schools in California, especially for students in high-risk areas of our state that could benefit greatly from access to new avenues of learning."
Source: Inside Bay Area, (05/23/2008)
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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)
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