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By Kara Kerwin
The Detroit News
November 20th, 2014

Too few state leaders appreciate the role they must play in bringing about substantive change in America’s schools.

Even with more than half of states electing reform-minded governors who have either proven to be champions of reforms during their tenure or have run on platforms that don’t shy away from being vocal about putting parents and students first, it’s imperative all leaders come to appreciate good governance and reach across the aisle for the sake of children. That’s how some of the boldest reforms, such as charter schools, were born.

Charter schools educate over 2.5 million students nationwide today. Yet despite the fact that 42 states and the District of Columbia have charter school laws, the reality is that charter schools are expanding in low numbers still in many states as demand for educational options increases, as the average charter school waiting list has grown to nearly 300 students.

State leaders are the key to improving education and creating an environment that will allow charter schools to meet the growing demand for excellent educational options.

It is imperative that elected leaders understand what education reforms like charter schools are, and what they aren’t, as myths and misinformation continue to plague media coverage and permeate public psyche.

One of the most common misconceptions is that charter schools are privately-funded institutions. A 2013 survey from the Center for Education Reform (CER) found that only 20 percent of Americans correctly identified charter schools as public schools. Charter schools are in fact independent public schools that are held accountable for student results. They do this with 36 percent less funding compared to their traditional public school counterparts.

Another common falsehood is charter schools “cream” students.

According to CER’s 2013 Survey of America’s Charter Schools, only 45 percent of charter students are white, while 52.5 percent of public school students are white.

Additionally, 61 percent of charter schools serve a student population where over 60 percent qualify for free and reduced lunch.

But perhaps the biggest myth charter schools face today is that they aren’t accountable.

This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Unlike all other public schools, charters must be proactive in their efforts to stay open.

Calls for more charter regulation and oversight in the name of “transparency,” even from fellow colleagues in the education reform community, are misguided, as charter schools actually have more oversight and evaluation than traditional public schools because of their contracts with authorizers.

Over-regulating charter schools would convert charters from autonomous, grassroots laboratories of innovation to the very schooling entities from which they seek to break away. The hallmark of charter schools is autonomy and performance-based accountability.

It is crucial that even those who support charter schools remember this, and don’t fall prey to letting a few bad apples result in loving charter schools to death via unnecessary regulations.

Nearly 20 percent of all charter school closures occur because a school failed to meet acceptable student performance levels according to CER’s report, “State of Charter Schools: What We Know — And What We Do Not — About Performance and Accountability.”

In Michigan, for example, 22 percent of charter schools ever opened have been closed, far outpacing the national charter school closure rate of 15 percent.

The importance of a strong charter school law cannot be understated in creating a vibrant charter school sector.

Strong laws generally consist of multiple and independent charter approval bodies known as authorizers, no caps on the number of charter schools allowed, operational and fiscal autonomy, and equitable funding.

In states like Michigan, with multiple and independent authorizers, stronger, more objective oversight is used to ensure that successful charter schools remain open and those that fail to perform are closed. States with multiple authorizers were home to nearly 80 percent of the nation’s 5,400 charter schools in 2010-11.

With over 1 million students on charter school waiting lists nationwide, demand for charter schools is clear. In fact, 73 percent of Americans support the concept of charter schools. After over 23 years of seeing these autonomous public schools in action as viable educational alternatives for children, it is imperative that lected leaders separate fact from fiction when it comes to charter schools, and educate their colleagues in state legislatures to ensure that myths and misinformation does not get in the way of uplifting educational opportunities for America’s children.

By Kara Kerwin
Las Vegas Review Journal
November 16th

Too few of our modern-day state leaders appreciate the absolute role they must play in bringing about substantive change in America’s schools.

Even with more than half of states electing reform-minded governors who have either proved to be champions of reforms during their tenure or have run on platforms that don’t shy away from being vocal about putting parents and students first, it’s imperative all leaders come to appreciate good governance and reach across the aisle for the sake of children.

After all, it’s how some of the boldest reforms were born, such as charter schools in Minnesota in 1991.

Charter schools educate more than 2.5 million students nationwide today. Yet despite the fact that 42 states, including Nevada, and the District of Columbia have charter school laws, they are expanding in low numbers in many states as demand for educational options increases, with the average charter school waiting list at nearly 300 students.

State leaders are the key to improving education and creating an environment that will allow charter schools to meet the growing demand for excellent educational options. It’s imperative that newly elected leaders understand what education reforms such as charter schools are, and what they aren’t, as myths and misinformation plague media coverage and permeate public psyche.

One of the most common misconceptions is that charter schools are privately funded institutions. A 2013 survey by the Center for Education Reform found that only 20 percent of Americans correctly identified charter schools as public schools. Charter schools are in fact independent public schools that are held accountable for student results. And they do this with 36 percent less funding compared with their traditional public school counterparts.

Another common falsehood is charter schools “cream” students, when the reality is a majority of charter school students are nonwhite, or minority students. According to CER’s 2013 Survey of America’s Charter Schools, only 45 percent of charter students are white, while 52.5 percent of public school students are white. Additionally, 61 percent of charter schools serve a student population where more than 60 percent qualify for free and reduced-price lunches.

Perhaps the biggest myth charter schools face today is that they aren’t accountable. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Unlike other public schools, charters must be proactive in their efforts to stay open. Calls for more charter regulation and oversight in the name of “transparency,” even from colleagues in the education reform community, are misguided, as charter schools actually have more oversight and evaluation than traditional public schools because of their contracts with authorizers.

Overregulating charter schools would convert charters from autonomous, grass-roots laboratories of innovation to the very schooling entities from which they seek to break away. The hallmark of charter schools is autonomy and performance-based accountability. It’s crucial that even those who support charter schools remember this, and don’t fall prey to letting a few bad apples result in loving charter schools to death via unnecessary regulations.

Nearly 20 percent of all charter school closures occur because a school failed to meet acceptable student performance levels, according to CER’s “State of Charter Schools: What We Know — And What We Do Not — About Performance and Accountability.” In Michigan, for example, 22 percent of charter schools ever opened have been closed, far outpacing the national charter school closure rate of 15 percent.

Finally, the importance of a strong charter school law cannot be understated in creating a vibrant charter school sector. Strong laws generally consist of multiple and independent charter approval bodies known as authorizers, no caps on the number of charter schools allowed, operational and fiscal autonomy, and equitable funding. In states with multiple and independent authorizers, stronger, more objective oversight is used to ensure that successful charter schools remain open and those that fail to perform are closed. States with multiple authorizers were home to nearly 80 percent of the nation’s 5,400 charter schools in 2010-11.

With more than 1 million students on charter school waiting lists nationwide, demand for charter schools is clear. In fact, 73 percent of Americans support the concept of charter schools. After 23 years of seeing these autonomous public schools in action as viable educational alternatives for children, it’s imperative newly elected leaders separate fact from fiction when it comes to charter schools, and educate their colleagues in state legislatures to ensure that myths and misinformation do not get in the way of lifting educational opportunities for America’s children.

FOX45 Baltimore
November 13, 2014

Last year, many Maryland schools began implementing new federal standards called Common Core.

The new system has been met with mixed reviews.

For years some educators have sung the praises of Common Core. Dr. Joe Hairston, former superintendent of Baltimore County Schools is among those who give the new standards very high marks.

“The Common Core is an evolution,” Hairston said. “It’s something that is good and it is for the future.”

However, some parents disagree, calling it a corporate-driven money-maker for those who write textbooks and tests.

“And really it’s an abandonment of many things that have worked, ” says parent Cindy Sharrett.

Sharretts is critical – in part, because the new curriculum was created mainly by corporate executives, with clear business interests.

“The large employers say, ‘This is what I’d like in a ready-made, potential employee,’” Sharretts said. “’And so would you please create that type of thinker and that type of producer.'”

Parents also have a problem with the way some educators are teaching “to the test,” meaning everything they do in the classroom is focused on new standardized exams.  But at some schools, confusion has led to lower scores.

One mother explained to FOX 45, “Now you’ve got kids, because of Common Core standards, already thinking they’re failures at school before they’re not even at the age of 6 or 7 because they’re not reading at the proficiency determined by a corporate agenda.”

But proponents of Common Core say it encourages higher-order thinking and claim that most of the resistance comes from parents and teachers who weren’t properly prepared for changes.

“States in areas where there’s a lot of frustration and frustration…are those who’ve not had appropriate resources and support in professional development and those who have perhaps rushed into implementation.” Hairston said.

So why rush it in the first place ? Some blame the Feds.

“I think both opponents and proponents of the Common Core can agree on one thing – that when the federal government got involved, it’s where this really went awry,” Kara Kerwin from the Center for Education Reform in Washington DC said.

Kerwin says Common Core is often misunderstood and that states have interpreted the standards differently. In fact, she says there’s not much “common” about it.

“There’s a huge disconnect between what it actually is and what the content should be and then how to do it,” Kerwin said.

When the Obama administration began tying teacher assessments and “race to the top” grant money to the new tests, it caused some unnecessary panic.

Hairston explains, “I think the real issue at this point now is to clearly understand that the federal government has no constitutional responsibility to force the curriculum.”

The lack of clarity about Common Core is only part of what convinced Ann Miller to pull two of her children out of public school.

“With everything that I was learning, I became very alarmed,” Miller said.

Her main fear however is the data that’s being collected on students – from both exams and surveys.  Its information the government and private companies will be able to access for many years to come and she questions — for what purpose?

“Children are actually the demographic that is most targeted for identity theft, by far,” Miller said. “So this is a gold mine here and our legislature and our school system is failing to protect our children.”

The fears surrounding Common Core are widespread and there’s still no real evidence that it will improve our educational system.

So critics remain skeptical…and educators, hopeful.

By Kara Kerwin
The Chattanoogan
November 8, 2014

Too few of our modern-day state leaders appreciate the absolute role they must play in bringing about substantive change in America’s schools. Even with more than half of states electing reform-minded governors who have either proven to be champions of reforms during their tenure or have run on platforms that don’t shy away from being vocal about putting parents and students first, it’s imperative all leaders come to appreciate good governance and reach across the aisle for the sake of children. After all, it’s how some of the boldest reforms were born, such as charter schools in Minnesota in 1991.

Charter schools educate over 2.5 million students nationwide today, yet despite the fact that 42 states and the District of Columbia have charter school laws, the reality is that charter schools are expanding in low numbers still in many states as demand for educational options increases, as the average charter school waitlist has grown to nearly 300 students.

State leaders are the key to improving education and creating an environment that will allow charter schools to meet the growing demand for excellent educational options. It’s imperative that newly elected leaders understand what education reforms like charter schools are, and what they aren’t, as myths and misinformation continue to plague media coverage and permeate public psyche.

One of the most common misconceptions is that charter schools are privately funded institutions. A 2013 survey from the Center for Education Reform (CER) found that only 20 percent of Americans correctly identified charter schools as public schools. Charter schools are in fact independent public schools that are held accountable for student results. And, they do this with 36 percent less funding compared to their traditional public school counterparts.

Another common falsehood is charter schools “cream” students, when the reality is a majority of charter school students are non-white, or minority students. According to CER’s 2013 Survey of America’s Charter Schools, only 45 percent of charter students are white, while 52.5 percent of public school students are white. Additionally, 61 percent of charter schools serve a student population where over 60 percent qualify for Free & Reduced Lunch.

Perhaps the biggest myth charter schools face today is that they aren’t accountable. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Unlike all other public schools, charters must be proactive in their efforts to stay open. Calls for more charter regulation and oversight in the name of “transparency,” even from fellow colleagues in the education reform community, are misguided, as charter schools actually have MORE oversight and evaluation than traditional public schools because of their contracts with authorizers.

Overregulating charter schools would convert charters from autonomous, grassroots laboratories of innovation to the very schooling entities from which they seek to break away. The hallmark of charter schools is autonomy and performance-based accountability. It’s crucial that even those who support charter schools remember this, and don’t fall prey to letting a few bad apples result in loving charter schools to death via unnecessary regulations.

Nearly 20 percent of all charter school closures occur because a school failed to meet acceptable student performance levels according to CER’s State of Charter Schools: What We Know – And What We Do Not – About Performance and Accountability. In Michigan, for example, 22 percent of charter schools ever opened have been closed, far out-pacing the national charter school closure rate of 15 percent.

Finally, the importance of a strong charter school law cannot be understated in creating a vibrant charter school sector. Strong laws generally consist of multiple and independent charter approval bodies known as authorizers, no caps on the number of charter schools allowed, operational and fiscal autonomy, and equitable funding. In states with multiple and independent authorizers, stronger, more objective oversight is used to ensure that successful charter schools remain open and those that fail to perform are closed. States with multiple authorizers were home to nearly 80 percent of the nation’s 5,400 charter schools in 2010-11.

With over 1 million students on charter school waiting lists nationwide, demand for charter schools is clear. In fact, seventy-three percent of Americans support the concept of charter schools. After over twenty three years of seeing these autonomous public schools in action as viable educational alternatives for children, it’s imperative newly elected leaders separate fact from fiction when it comes to charter schools, and educate their colleagues in state legislatures to ensure that myths and misinformation does not get in the way of uplifting educational opportunities for America’s children.