Vol. 4, No. 13
April 3, 2002

CHARTERS:

*PENNSYLVANIA: Pennsylvania's Einstein Academy, the nation's largest cyber charter school, will remain open for the next two years, but will operate under new rules spelled out in an agreement reached by the school, the local school board and the state. The good news is that the school will finally be paid the $3.4 million that the state has been withholding. But as a condition of the agreement, the school will have to operate more like its brick and mortar counterparts, keeping the same school calendar and hours. Einstein also has had the length of its charter shortened to three years, despite the five-year length of the original charter. Other conditions for release of the money -- due since the start of the school year -- included the loss of fiscal autonomy, an enrollment cap, and additional levels of oversight regarding curriculum and ascertaining the authenticity of student work. The state-imposed actions resulted from difficulty in processing what cyber-schools are all about. If cyber schools succeed in their missions, it is likely that concerns will quickly dissipate.

*VIRGINIA: The School Board in Hampton, Virginia ended a bid by Hampton University to open the state's seventh charter school. In explaining why they voted down the Hampton University Charter School for Math, Science and Technology, School Board members cited such things as failure of HU to hold its enrollment lottery at the same time as other district schools with lottery-based admissions. They also cited unsatisfactory transportation and curriculum plans. However, the real issue seems to be money: the district has it and they don't want to let it go. In fact, in a district in which per-pupil spending is $6,400, only $2,359 per-pupil was offered for the charter. As Wanda Mitchell, chair of Hampton University's education department, told Newport News's Daily Press, "You can't run a high-quality program with that money. We couldn't even do it low quality." If Hampton School Board members really want options for their children, they need to loosen their grip on funds and let them follow the students.

*DELAWARE: Delaware's Georgetown Charter School, facing a projected deficit of $1.5 million through the end of the academic year, appears to have lost its bid to remain open. It seems unlikely that the school serving 617 students will reopen after Spring Break. The school's plight originated with higher than expected expenditures required to bring its facility into compliance with code standards, and from the purchase of land for a permanent facility, actions the state insisted be taken before it would allow the school to increase the number of grades it served. When faced with the financial reality, the school sought to work the situation out with the state. Nothing happened, though, until the state "discovered" the shortfall and initiated closure procedures. Meanwhile the students, some of whom gained nearly 2 academic years in 7 months, will be left with few options on where to finish out the year. Sadly, most will be forced to return to the schools they left in the first place.

UNIONS, etc:

* NEVADA: In Nevada, bribery seems to have become the latest recruiting tool for education unions. Two unions in the Clark County School District - the Education Support Employees Association (ESEA) and the Clark County Education Association (CCEA) - have initiated membership drives featuring "welcome to the union" cash payments. The ESEA, a union for non-licensed support personnel, recently handed out $50 bills to all new members, this despite the fact that the union has failed to pay nearly $7 million in delinquent medical claims. The response of the ESEA chief when questioned about the payments: "ESEA is a labor organization . . .Our members pay dues for representation and services." Not to be outdone, the CCEA offered potential new members $100 to join. No word yet about how much will be offered to members who teach well or make the schools run better.

* NEW YORK CITY: In New York City the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) apparently hasn't been providing cash bundles large enough to promote obedience to the union boss. At least that's the impression one gets from union President Randi Weingarten, who last week warned Mayor Bloomberg that she might not be able to control her members if they don't get a new contract. Recalling a UFT strike in 1975, in which union members struck despite then-UFT President Al Shanker's instructions not to, Weingarten warned that "calls for strikes are coming from more "than a few hotheads." The convenient implication: If there is a strike, don't blame the union boss -- it's out of her hands.

* OREGON SCHOOLS RACE: In a recent debate among candidates for state superintendent, education issues and reform seemed to be the furthest things from the mind of all but one candidate. In the debate, incumbent Superintendent Stan Bunn and state Senator Susan Castillo traded barbs over who committed what ethics violations. (Bunn has been laboring under an ethics panel's finding that he had committed 1,433 violations of ethics law; Castillo admitted that she may have violated ethics laws by using state telephones for personal calls.) Only Rob Kremer came to speak about the issues and, in response to questions, was the only one of the three who was able to name even one regulation he would repeal as Superintendent.

National Charter Schools Week is coming, April 29-May 3! CER's National Charter Week Action Kit is now available. Call 1-800-521-2118 to reserve your copy, free to any charter school -- or download it right here online. And don't forget to check out more in depth news of events happening round the country. Click on Monthly Letter to Friends for the most notable in reform news!

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