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.
Public Charter Schools in 9 States Win National Blue Ribbon Awards
Public charter schools in nine states have been honored as No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. The federal award recognizes public and private schools that either earn significant gains in student achievement or demonstrate academic superiority. Nominated schools are subjected to an in-depth evaluation process by a panel of state education experts. A second national review panel then recommends honorees to the U.S. Secretary of Education, who makes the final selections. The schools, located in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania were among 320 public and private schools nationally that received the Blue Ribbon Award. For a full list of schools, click on the link.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (09/16/2008)
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Illinois' Noble Street College Prep Applauded on NPR
"Noble Street College Prep is a remarkable example of what a school can do for kids who've never known success," reports National Public Radio this week. Against daunting odds, 100 percent of the public charter school's students graduate, and almost all go to some of the nation's top colleges. "Teachers want to be in a place where they can be successful, and they want to be able to give their all to kids," says Principal Bill Olsen. "It's phenomenal when you get a student who comes to you and says 'I know I have a long way to go, but I will do anything to get there. Just help me; teach me; I will do the work.' And that happens all the time here at Noble Street." A longer school day, a longer school year and mandatory weekend tutoring prepare the students for college. The class of 2008 alone received $2 million in college scholarships. Casey Carter, a senior fellow with the Center for Education Reform, says Noble has created an educational template that works. "We've been talking for 30 years about how we replicate what works," Carter says."Typically, it's not the outcome of children learning that's driving the principal or teachers, unfortunately," Carter says. "We need a system that rewards, encourages and inspires."
Source: National Public Radio, (09/14/2008)
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Talented Public Charter School Leaders Leaving Boston for Pro-Charter Cities
A recent piece in the Boston Globe examines why so many public charter school leaders who had come to Boston to "build charter schools, offering students - mostly from poor neighborhoods - a superior education" are leaving for New York and other urban areas that are supporting public charter schools. The city is approaching a statutory cap on the number of public charter schools allowed and schools often experience a hostile environment. While public charter schools are rapidly expanding in other urban communities and states, last year, Massachusetts enrolled fewer than 2.5 percent of its public school students in public charter schools, placing the state 19th among the 41 states that have enacted charter laws. The limitation on public charter school growth not only limits access to the schools for students, but it also discourages the best public charter school leaders. Urban districts that are leading the way in charter school growth have openly embraced charters and charter networks as essential parts of systemwide reform and have drawn away several Boston public charter school founders and leaders. "There is no substitute for a high-performing system of public education," the author James Peyser, a partner with NewSchools Venture Fund, writes. "Yet we are driving away the very people who are capable of contributing the most to this critical cause."
Source: Boston Globe, (09/14/2008)
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Massachusetts' Leaders Call for Immediate Lift of State Cap on Public Charter Schools
More than two dozen business, civic, and university leaders announced last week that they have formed Leaders for Education, a coalition to advocate for changes in public education. Among the actions they are demanding is an immediate lift of the state cap on public charter schools. Currently, state law allows for a maximum 120 public charter schools with no more than four percent of the state’s students collectively enrolled. The coalition plans to meet with the governor and other legislative leaders to advocate its positions, and it may hold forums and release position papers on various issues, said Paul Grogan, a coalition member and president of The Boston Foundation. "The coalition came together out of the belief that we are in a new phase of attempting to improve educational results in Massachusetts and Boston," Grogan said. "Independent civic and business leaders need to be deeply involved. Some things being done will be difficult and expensive."
Source: Boston Globe, (09/12/2008)
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American Federation of Teachers Announces $1 Million Reform Effort to Include Public Charter Schools
The American Federation of Teachers announced last week that it intends to put $1 million toward helping school systems fund innovative reform projects. These projects are expected to include union-run public charter schools, peer-review teacher evaluations, and merit pay plans. The funds would pay for implementing programs, lobbying school boards or even supporting union-friendly candidates who favor teacher-generated reforms. Joe Williams of Democrats for Education Reform, a nonprofit that has taken positions routinely at odds with unions, calls the move "a pretty important green light for innovation and experimentation, not just from the union to teachers, but from the union to elected officials."
Source: USA Today, (09/11/2008)
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Six New Public Charter Schools Up for Consideration in Arkansas
A total of six open-enrollment public charter schools are up for consideration by the Arkansas Board of Education for opening in 2009. If all were approved by the board later this year, the number of open-enrollment public charter schools could be up to 23, just one short of the state public charter school cap of 24.
Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, (09/11/2008)
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NEA Applauds Obama's Education Reform Plan and Offers Support for Doubling of Federal Aid to Public Charter Schools
The National Education Association (NEA) has released a supportive statement of presidential candidate Barack Obama's education plan, including support for the doubling of federal aid to public charter schools. Obama's plan includes investing in innovation, integrating technology into coursework, increasing college access and affordability, recruiting, preparing and retaining qualified teachers, as well as the additional funding for public charter schools. "Those of us in the education community can learn from charter school success stories and failures," said Dennis Van Roekel, president of NEA. "The key is to identify what is working that can be sustained and reproduced on a broad scale so that as many students as possible can benefit." Van Roekel added he was glad to see that Obama's plan for charter schools included accountability, both academically and financially.
Source: National Education Association, (09/09/2008)
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Public Charter Schools Job Board Connects Schools and Professionals
Looking for a few good teachers? Want to teach at a public charter school in your state? The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools recently launched a new Public Charter Schools Job Board. Currently available jobs range from special education teachers in D.C. to an Executive Director of a new public charter school support organization in North Carolina. The job board is intended to be an easy-to-use tool matching highly-skilled professionals and highly-rewarding jobs in public charter schools, support organizations, authorizers and other employers throughout the charter school community. ““Whether you're a professional looking for the right charter school position or a charter school looking for the right professional, the Public Charter Schools Job Board is the first place to look,” said National Alliance for Public Charter Schools president and CEO Nelson Smith in announcing the new service. The site is free to both employers and potential employees, and it is exceptionally easy to post a job or a resume.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (09/07/2008)
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