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.
Los Angeles County Officials Vote to Create Public Charter Schools at Juvenile Probation Camps
Los Angeles County officials have voted to create public charter schools at three juvenile probation camps. The charters would be the first in the county camp system. Education at the camps is supervised by the county Board of Education and managed by the state-funded Los Angeles County Office of Education. Many teachers at the camps oppose the change, claiming that the switch to public charters is an excuse for the county to hire cheaper, less-experienced, and nonunion staff. Supervisor Don Knabe, who supports bringing public charter schools to the camps, says administrators and teachers with the county education office have been underperforming for years and need to be challenged. "You need to have multiple educational opportunities for these kids," Knabe said. "We're dealing with a whole new breed of kids. These are gang kids. Tough kids," said Roger Gitlin, a union representative at Camp Scudder who has taught probationers for 18 years and opposes the public chartering plan. "Many of them have never even gone to school, kids who are born into a tough situation, and we are supposed to provide some sort of miracle formula." Still, Gitlin said: "I understand Mr. Knabe's frustration. He wants results."
Source: LA Times (free registration required), (11/24/2008)
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Illinois TV Station Runs Series on Why Public Charter Schools Work
Over three days this week, Sunday through Tuesday, the WIFR TV station in Rockford, Illinois is profiling public chartering. Looking at Chicago's public charter schools, the series will focus on why chartering get results, like high test scores and graduation rates and better discipline.
Source: WIFR, (11/23/2008)
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Economic Crisis Forces Some South Florida Public Charter Schools to Reduce Pay and Layoff Faculty
Broward County's public charter school leaders are feeling the nation's economic crisis, just like leaders at district schools, but some of their cost-cutting measures have had to be more dramatic than districts' actions. Some public charter schools have had to lay off teachers and guidance counselors. Staff at other schools have opted for pay cuts so their co-workers could stay employed. "We're all facing it," said Rod Sasse, regional director of Imagine Charter Schools, which operates five campuses in South Florida. "These are very difficult decisions." Schools are seeing their expenses grow, officials said. Electric bills, for example, jumped by about 8 percent when Florida Power & Light Co. boosted monthly rates in July. "You can cut down material and supplies. You can cut down on some paper, but usually about 50 percent of [a school's] budget is for faculty," Sasse said.
Source: Sun Sentinel, (11/23/2008)
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New Hawaii Public Charter School Chief Seeks More State Funding
Hawaii Charter Schools Administrative Office chief Vanelle Maunalei Love said her top priority will be securing higher state funding for public charter schools. Meanwhile, state education officials have already proposed budget reductions of almost $46 million. Some public charter school leaders acknowledge that, in the current economic environment, they are unlikely to get additional funding next year and said they would be happy to just maintain current funding levels.
Source: KITV, (11/22/2008)
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Denver Public Schools Board Approves Facility-Sharing Plan
The Denver Public Schools Board has approved a facilities-sharing proposal that will allow four public charter schools to co-locate with traditional district schools. Rishel Middle School will be phased out; a KIPP charter high school and an elementary school run by the Denver teachers union will be added. Smiley Middle School will share space with a public charter high school run by the Envision Schools nonprofit. Kunsmiller Arts Academy, which opens next year at Kunsmiller Middle School, will be joined by West Denver Preparatory charter middle school for two to three years. West High School will share space with a middle school operated by the Edison charter school company. Superintendent Michael Bennet applauded the board's actions. "As with every effort where you are dealing with change, it's tough," Bennet said. "Sometimes it's a lot easier not to make decisions. But the kids in Denver need us to make decisions."
Source: Denver Post, (11/21/2008)
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Texas Bumps Up Against Public Charter School Cap
Last week, Texas handed out eight public school charters raising the total number of public charters to Texas' cap of 215. That action significantly increases pressure on the state to either lift its cap or shut down low performing campuses to make room for more public charters. "There's a growing realization that parents are looking for additional educational opportunity," said David Dunn, executive director of the newly formed Texas Charter Schools Association. "At the very least, we think the 215 needs to be raised." Several successful charters, such as KIPP, have opted to expand in Texas under their pre-existing charters, rather than to seek new charters for each campus. While they can forgo the rigorous application process that way, they also miss out on the $450,000 that new charter holders receive over their first three years. KIPP officials hope that the bipartisan momentum created for charter schools during the recent presidential election spills over to Texas' upcoming legislative session. "With reaching the cap, it actually raises the opportunity to spark that debate again in Texas," KIPP spokesman Steve Mancini said. "We think this will be a big year for charter schools."
Source: Houston Chronicle, (11/21/2008)
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Minneapolis District Seeks Partnership with Public Charter Schools
For years, Minneapolis Public Schools has viewed public charter schools as competitors and kept its distance. Last week, however, the district signaled a change of heart, announcing an intended partnership with public charters. The Minneapolis school board also is considering a plan to sell three shuttered district schools to public charter schools. Board member Chris Stewart said the partnerships come at a time when public education in all of its forms is under attack. As a result, Stewart said partnering gives both sides the opportunity to validate their mission to help all students achieve. "People will watch us and see how this works out," he said. "Let's do a bang-up job and have some successes."
Source: Star Tribune, (11/19/2008)
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Miami-Dade Closes Four Public Charters and Approves 19 New Ones
Last week, the Miami-Dade School Board voted to close four public charter schools -- and approved contracts for 19 new ones. According to Miami-Dade records, the four schools facing closings had been running deficits for multiple years. The board voted to close the schools citing their failure to be "financially responsible." Teachers at the schools have been hit hard. "It's devastating to me," said Vonesia Campbell, who teaches at Excel Academy, "because we were not given a chance or an opportunity to correct things."
Source: Miami Herald (free registration required), (11/19/2008)
Also See
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Public Charter and District Schools in North Carolina Told to Return Funds to Help Cover Budget Shortfall
Outgoing Governor Mike Easley has ordered the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to find $119 million worth of cuts to help cover a projected budget shortfall. State officials found about half of that amount at the state level. The rest will have to come from the state's 115 local districts and charter schools. The state is letting local school superintendents decide how to find the money, said Vanessa Jeter, a spokeswoman for NC DPI. "The goal is always to minimize the impact at the student and teacher level," Jeter said.
Source: Winston-Salem Journal, (11/19/2008)
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