Special daily briefing for National Charter Schools Week, 2002
From the Center for Education Reform

CHARTER SCHOOLS: CHANGING THE FACE OF AMERICAN EDUCATION

COMMUNITY APPRECIATION DAY
Monday, April 29, 2002

        While charter schools are serving nearly 600,000 children, there are still many people who are unaware of the impact these schools have had in their brief 10-year history. Beginning today, CER will be providing you with a glimpse into a few charter school success stories each day this week, and a look at what's happening around the country. You can also log onto our National Charter Schools Week 2000 Home Page for more information, resources, trends and up-to-the-minute details of things happening in the nation, including in your own area!

Working for the Good of the Community

Rapoport Academy, Waco, Texas 
http://www.rapoportacademy.com

        In the heart of a poor, working-class area of the city, Rapoport sits across from a housing project from which it draws many of its students. Whereas many traditional schools cannot attract the teachers and leaders they need, this vibrant, community-involved school is led by a team of talented teachers and an extraordinary director, Nancy Grayson, who works for free. The school offers parents the opportunity to eat lunch free with their children at school. The school's library is open during the summer for all area children (whether they are students of the school or not) and provides weekly reading enrichment activities.

        Clearly their work both in and out of the classroom is paying off. At the start of the year, this year's entering Kindergarten class had only two students who could read and recognize letters. That class now has two students reading at the first grade level and two students reading at the second grade level. The third graders achieved a year's worth of growth in just seven months. The fourth graders are doing so well that the reading assessments included with some of their textbooks are "too easy" for them. These fourth graders read at fifth through seventh grade levels, and there are still a few months left in the school year.

        Rapporport Academy has won over the community as well. The school is set to open a separate middle school campus, but neither the school district nor the Academy provide transportation - a real obstacle for students to get to a new campus. So a local car dealership stepped up to the plate and donated two new Suburbans to transport the students from the current campus to the middle school next year.

Making the Community Count

Center for Literacy & Creativity, Detroit, Michigan

        Charter schools focus on achievement, a goal that may be broader than just academics. Consider the choice made by this school on how to celebrate National Charter Schools Week. On Friday, May 3, more than 200 students, parents and teachers will walk in support of the American Diabetes Association. The school and its supporters did not take this on lightly - they are walking in solidarity with three of their own (a student, a teacher and a staff member). Last year the team earned $4,000, which it expects to top this year. This 160 student K-8 school combines academic performance and community involvement by regularly engaging the community through activities like assemblies with Detroit city officials, firemen, local radio personalities and political candidates.

Meaningful Partnerships

Guajome Park Academy, Vista, California 
http://www.gpa-inc.com

Guajome Park has blazed new paths with its Job Corps partnership. The school provides the academic component leading to the student's high school diploma, a shift from the Job Corps' usual policy of awarding a GED, and recognition of the diploma's long term benefits. The school's seven sites in California encourage drop-outs to resume their education by making education relevant. The schools use their own computer-based academic mastery program that weaves elements of job training into the curriculum. Since the Job Corps schedule differs for each job type, the school makes the curriculum flexible and works to schedule the appropriate blocks of time between 8 and 5 on weekdays and has an open, year-round rolling admissions policy. Guajome Park was one of six schools nationwide to receive the Department of Education's New American High Schools Award, and was recognized by the Department of Labor with its Alpha Award.

Today's Notable Events

Orlando, FL: U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Gerald Reynolds will be visiting two Florida charter schools and giving remarks at a special luncheon.

For a listing of other events, go to: http://www.charterfriends.org/csweek-events.html

For more on the week, go to CER's National Charter Schools Week 2000 Home Page. To visit other charter schools online, go to CER's links to over 700 Charter School Websites Across the Nation.

# # #

The Center for Education Reform is a national, independent, non-profit advocacy organization providing support and guidance to individuals, community and civic groups, policymakers and others who are working to bring fundamental reforms to their schools. For further information, please call (202) 822-9000.

National Charter Schools Week 2002 Home Page CER Home Page Charter Schools Home page