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

CHARTER SCHOOLS: CHANGING THE FACE OF AMERICAN EDUCATION

PARENT/VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION DAY
Wednesday, May 1, 2002

Winning Parent Involvement

Arizona Charter Schools Half-Hour H.U.G. Initiative Winners

        Each year the Arizona Department of Education sponsors a program to honor active parents who support their children's academic activities. In March, the Half-Hour H.U.G. Initiative chose 27 parents from 3,000 entries, and they were given a framed certificate and a class trip to the IMAX theater. Six parents, one from each of the following charter schools, were among the winners: Hopi Junior/Senior High School, Kingman Academy of Learning's Primary and Middles School Campuses, Arizona Montessori Charter School, and Edu-Priz Charter School.

Parent Power Demonstrated

Vista Literacy Academy Charter School, Vista, California

        Parents in Vista, California won their battle to form the Vista Literacy Academy Charter School in 2001, but only after a raucous public school board meeting drove the board behind closed doors and a recall of any board member who voted against the charter was threatened. When supporters of the status quo resisted creating the school and thought they could quietly reject it, more than 100 people turned out at the evening board meeting to demand approval. "We, the Latinos, want our kids to get success, and we can't get it in the (traditional) public schools," said Alejandro Sanchez, who had four children in public school. Dismayed by the turn of events, the Vista School Board moved their final vote to an 8:00 am meeting when most parents would be at work. Parents promptly announced a recall campaign against any board member who voted "No." The democracy lesson paid off as the final vote was 5-0 in favor of the school. The school currently serves over 500 children in grades K-6, and helps alleviate the overcrowding problem in the district. Vista Literacy Academy Charter School was the first new elementary school opened in the district in nine years.

A Determined Parent can Move Mountains

Cesar Chavez Public Policy Charter School, Washington, D.C.
http://www.cesarchavezhs.org

        A Cesar Chavez freshman, the daughter of El Salvadorian immigrants, came to the charter school last year from a district school with "D" and "F" grades. For much of her first year, this student skipped classes and paid little attention to her class work. As her mother struggled to provide for her and her two younger sisters, she spent long-hours away from home. Because of these absences, this student spent a lot of time with friends who had dropped out of school, and who were involved with local gangs and drugs. The student's mother came to the school expressing concern for her daughter's future and her life. Cesar Chavez hired the mother as a maintenance worker which helped her be around her daughter. That intervention has paid off. Toward the end of last year, the student's attendance improved and there was a renewed commitment to her studies. Although the student is repeating ninth-grade, she is in an accelerated math course and is now taking 11th-grade level math. She has been on the honor roll every quarter and has been chosen as student of the month in several different courses.

A Profile in Success: Community Partnership Breeds Student Excellence

The Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington, Delaware
http://www.charterschool.org

        Opened in 1996, this unique mathematics and science college preparatory school was the product of efforts by a consortium of six companies including Astrazeneca, Christiana Care Health System, Conectiv, DuPont, Hercules Incorporated and Verizon. Approximately 900 students come from 6 public school district, and 31percent from private schools. While diverse and community involved, the stellar academic accomplishments of the school's students are even more impressive. The school's college placement rate is 98%. Some recent achievements include being the top scoring high school in Delaware in Math (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001), Reading (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001), Writing (1999, 2000, 2001), Science (1999, 2000, 2001), and Social Studies (1999, 2000, 2001); having the highest average SAT scores in Delaware among all public high schools; receiving the most awards for a school at the Delaware Science Expo (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001); winning first place in the team engineering competition at both the Junior Varsity and Varsity levels (2000, 2001); and having the winning the American Chemical Society National Chemistry Week essay (1998, 1999). As one of only 10 charter schools in Delaware, this school shines as an example of the best in education.

Today's Notable Events

Wilmington, DE: U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education Carol D'Amico will be visiting The Charter School of Wilmington today for a tri-state event. The Charter School of Wilmington (http://www.charterschool.org) opened fall 1996.

Buffalo, NY: U.S. Department of Education Under Secretary Eugene Hickok will participate in a regional event at the Center for the Arts on the SUNY-Buffalo campus. Activities include essay contest awards (sponsored by the Buffalo News) and other student activities. For more on New York charter schools go to: http://www.nycsa.org.

Reno, NV: U.S Department of Education Regional Representative Mary Jane T. Pearson will participate in a charter school forum featuring student performances and awards.

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.

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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.

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