Sign Up For Our Newsletter

17^th Edition March, 2017

Since 1996, CER’s yearly scorecard and ranking of state charter school laws has provided guidance and feedback to policymakers on the relative strengths and weakness of charter school policies and their effectiveness in fulfilling the true meaning of the words “charter school law,”— i.e., paving the way for high numbers of strong, autonomous, healthy charter schools, that provide meaningful opportunities for families and their children, and the chance for innovation for all involved.

Sixteen successive reports were based on a variety of criteria first designed and validated by the pioneers of chartering. Each year, the national rankings established by CER have not only predicted how a particular law might work in practice, but presented a real-time evaluation of whether, and how, charters are able to operate given the freedoms or restrictions embedded in law. The rankings and corresponding analysis are grounded in the principles and intent of chartering. We review whether a state’s charter school law:

• establishes the ability for citizens to create schools that are independent, in oversight and operations, from the traditional school bureaucracies;
• gives schools wide latitude to operate and innovate without onerous administration rules and regulations dictating what they can do and how they do it at every turn;
• and provides parents with an expansive amount of options from which to choose the schools that best meet the needs of their students.

We are now well into the third decade since Minnesota passed the first state charter statute. The number of charter schools has continued to increase each year at a steady but relatively slow pace. But this past year, that growth abruptly came to a near halt. Overall, the nation’s nearly 7,000 charter schools still serve a fairly small percentage of the

Read More …

On Thursday, May 7th, Paul Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. hosted its 2nd Annual “My Brother’s Keeper…Responding to the Call” event focused on effective efforts to prepare young boys of color for college and community action surrounding those strategies. The forum strengthened the dialogue about key issues like inequality and the achievement gap, an especially significant discussion given the recent happenings in Baltimore, Maryland.

Jami Dunham, CEO of Paul Public Charter School, D.C. native, and Howard University alumna, explained how central education is to helping the country’s most disadvantaged communities, telling those in attendance last night, “What happened in Baltimore is a reflection of the adult culture that has failed those children. We as adults have failed to give them the tools to succeed.”

Dr. Robert Simmons, Chief Innovation Officer at D.C. Public Schools, challenged the audience, saying, “D.C. could easily become Baltimore. We need to ask ourselves if we are doing enough to affect change in education.”

And in fact, just today the Washington Post Editorial Board made this same connection, writing:

The state of Baltimore’s public schools was spotlighted in the aftermath of riots that rocked a city mourning the death of a young black man, Freddie Gray, while in police custody. Bad schools are only one element of urban dysfunction. But they are both a consequence and a cause of inequality, and improving them is essential to keeping another generation from being trapped by poverty. There’s no excusing violence. But as the attorney for Mr. Gray’s family said of the young people who took part in the rioting, “The education system has failed them.

Giving poor parents the kind of alternatives that wealthier families take for granted would help. Some competitive pressure on the school system might help, too. But

Read More …

Often we hear about children being “stuck” in poorly performing, unsafe, traditional public schools. Last week, The Center for Education Reform (CER) staff got a taste of something different during two charter school visits. “Stuck” is never a word that you would use to describe a student in a charter school. In fact, charter school parents and students are willingly, excitedly, and proudly engaged and active in the school community, and are there because they choose to be, not because they were arbitrarily assigned based on their zip code.

CER toured two schools in the nation’s capital last week – Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts, and Achievement Prep Public Charter School. Both schools are located across the Anacostia River in Southeast D.C., a section of the city with high levels of poverty. But these schools are making a difference; they are changing their community and are engines of opportunity. The parents know it and the kids know it, and one reporter even came all the way from Rochester, New York to see what his city can learn from these schools in D.C. “across the river”.

Parents at both schools spoke about the value of having a choice in where their children go to school. One Achievement Prep parent, Deborah, said, “We didn’t have to go uptown to get the education that our son is getting. We would not have gone to a district school if not for Achievement Prep. If not for Achievement Prep, we would have to make ends meet to pay for a private school. We have had a rich experience because our son has gone to charter schools.”

Another Achievement Prep mom lovingly told CER staff that her third-grade daughter already has goals

Read More …

Founded in 1999, Rise Academy in Lubbock, Texas has achieved a high level of success. For six years in a row, the school has been an “Exemplary School” in the eyes of the Texas Education Agency.

But this success hasn’t been obstacle-free.

The school “does more with less” to provide traditionally underserved populations of pre-K through 8^th grade students a superior education. According to a 2014 University of Arkansas study, traditional district schools in Texas would have received $1 billion less in funding if they were funded at the same level as their public charter school peers.

Unfortunately, funding equity for these alternative public schools is not just a problem in Texas, but nationwide. On average, charter schools receive 36% less in revenue per student than traditional public schools according to the Survey of America’s Charter Schools. And, to add insult to injury, unlike other public schools, most do not receive facility funds.

However, Rise Academy and charter schools across the nation are providing parents innovative and transformative options despite the numerous challenges they face. But as waitlists for charter schools continue to grow, so must charter schools to meet demand. Equitable funding and autonomy for schools would allow schools of choice to increase and accelerate the pace of reform efforts across the country.

This is blog #2 in a weeklong series of blogs featuring charter schools during Charter Schools Week 2015. Sign the pledge to show your support for public charter schools!

Sometimes adults are scared that the next generation won’t have the knowledge to lead our country through the various issues that it faces.

Parents of Challenge Charter School students don’t have to worry about that.

The Arizona Department of Education has recognized Challenge Charter School in Glendale as a School of Excellence in Civic Engagement.

The state’s first official Core Knowledge School has put the pedal to the metal when it comes to preparing students for participation in society by integrating civic education across different disciplines and grade levels. Kindergartners learned about Abraham Lincoln on Presidents’ Day, 4^th graders made flags and learned about the American Revolution, and some students even worked together to raise money for tsunami relief.

On Constitution Day (September 17), 6^th graders prepared and gave speeches about what civic engagement and the School of Excellence award means to them. In true democratic fashion, the student body voted to decide which student would attend the Department of Education’s award ceremony to represent Challenge Charter School.

“This award means so much to me and my school,” says one student. “Our mascot is the eagle, which is not only our mascot but our nation’s symbol. The eagle symbolizes power, strength, and freedom. That freedom allows us to have the kind of school that we have today.”

And it is exactly those freedoms that we celebrate during Charter Schools Week, and must continue to

Read More …

National Charter Schools Week is May 3-9!

To celebrate National Charter Schools Week 2015, The Center for Education Reform is shining a spotlight on positive outcomes our nation’s charter schools are achieving for our children.

Each day we’ll be posting a blog highlighting a charter school – check back here daily for a new story from another school!:
Blog #1: An “Academic Dynasty”
Blog #2: Engaging the Next Generation of Leaders
Blog #3: Rising to the Challenge
Blog #4: Schools of Choice: No One is Stuck
Blog #5: Are We Doing Enough to Affect Change in Education?

GET INVOLVED

For the movement to grow and meet the demand of parents in need of education alternatives, it’s essential to showcase the hard work charter school leaders and educators are doing day in and day out. Help celebrate #CharterSchoolsWeek by signing and sharing the pledge to support public charter schools!

Click here to share the Charter Schools Week Pledge on Twitter now!

Click here to share the Charter Schools Week Pledge on Facebook now!

FACTS & INFORMATION

Fast Facts on Charter Schools Today (for more information on Charter Schools, visit the Charter School Facts & FAQs page)

• Demand for charter schools remains strong, with over 1 million students on charter school wait lists around the nation.
• Independent charter authorizers play an essential role in the health of the charter school movement. An authorizer other than a local school board has granted over 60 percent of charters across the country.
• Charters serve a more disadvantaged student population compared to traditional public schools, including more low-income and minority students. Sixty-one percent of charter schools serve a student population where over 60 percent qualify for the federal

  Read More …

by Kara Kerwin
Macon Telegraph
May 4, 2015

Today in the U.S. there are approximately 3 million students being served by nearly 7,000 charter schools across 43 states and the District of Columbia. We’ve come a long way since the first charter school opened its doors in Minnesota back in 1991, but I ask myself as we celebrate National Charter Schools Week, have we come far enough?

Across the country students are stuck on charter school wait lists — with most schools reporting wait lists of nearly 300 students each — and demand continues to outstrip supply, suggesting that charter schools could grow significantly faster to serve more students if the policy environments were more supportive.

For 19 years, The Center for Education Reform has evaluated state charter school laws to address these fundamental issues with a thorough review of what the words of laws actually mean in practice, not just on paper. Interpretation and implementation vary depending on how the regulations are written, and frankly, who’s in charge.

Charter school growth does continue at a steady, nearly linear pace nationally, especially in states with charter laws graded “A” or “B,” but an even more accelerated pace would allow charter schools to play a more central role in addressing the demands and needs of our nation’s students. Even the top five charter school laws in the nation — The District of Columbia, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan and Arizona — while earning “As,” are still 10 or more points away from a perfect score.

Public charter schools are an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to giving parents power over their children’s education and the freedom to choose the best environment for their children’s unique individual learning needs. Parents deserve access to a portfolio of excellent education options — from public charter schools, to

Read More …

This is blog #1 in a weeklong series of blogs featuring charter schools during Charter Schools Week 2015. Sign the pledge to show your support for public charter schools!

When people hear the word “decathlon,” images of the Olympics and athletic prowess in track and field come to mind.

For the parents, students, and teachers at Granada Hills Charter School, intellectual expertise and academic success are instead what shine through

In 2011, 2012, and 2013, Granada Hills Charter High School won the national title at the National Academic Decathlon Championships. The school persevered and repeated the win this year – prompting CBS News to call it an “academic dynasty”.

On paper, some might be surprised that the school has reached such great heights. The school serves thousands of students that participate in the free and reduced lunch program, serves other traditionally underserved student populations, and is located in the challenging Los Angeles area.

But the school has always been a leader, and a pioneer in the education reform movement. When it was founded 12 years ago, teachers put in hard work to convert the 4,500 student traditional Los Angeles public school into a charter school. Today, Granada Hills is multicultural, multifaceted, and multitalented. How does it do it all?

Board member and co-founder Sonja Eddings Brown says the success of the school is supported by its diversity, by ensuring money stays closest to the kids, and by treating educators like true professionals.

Everyone is looking for a good school, and wants to know how to build one, says Brown. She says that children everywhere would have a greater chance

Read More …