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A Leader’s Choice

January 26, 2016 By

“It’s not an experiment anymore. It’s not a demonstration. It’s not a what-if. After 20 years, we have overwhelming evidence . . . of kids, parents, families who have found what they were looking for in the charter school movement here in the Commonwealth of Mass.”

Those are words from Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker as he addressed the crowd of parents, educators and advocates at the State House last week as they prepared to press lawmakers to lift the cap on charter schools.

Since October 2015, the Governor has been pushing legislation that would allow 12 new or expanded charter schools statewide annually in low-performing districts.

While eliminating caps completely and allowing for independent authorizers could really help charter schools grow and thrive in the Bay State, the expansion would without a doubt be a positive step forward, as the state has nearly the s37000kidsMAchartersame number of children on charter school wait lists (about 37,000) as they do enrolled in public charter schools (approximately 40,000). Compared to traditional district schools, public charter school students in Massachusetts score proficient or advanced in all subject tests at every grade level. In fact, some of the state’s urban charter schools with populations that are mostly low-income and minority students are ranked among some of the best schools in the state.

“Governor Baker is putting a lot of political capital on the line for school choice for some of the poorest students in the state,” Mary Kissel of the Wall Street Journal notes. Despite the fact that charter schools have disrupted traditional public education in positive ways, there’s still reluctance and backlash to expand choices because of pushback from groups like the teacher’s union interested in maintaining the status quo.

From the cap push in Massachusetts, to Tennessee where progress toward full vouchers for the most needy is finally on a positive path and holds hope for that governor’s initial promises, it’s important to not just know, but highlight how state chief executives are doing in ensuring innovation thrives in our schools.

Today, we celebrate Gov. Baker’s commitment to children, and all elected officials across the nation taking their responsibility seriously to create more and better learning opportunities for children by championing school choice.

This is one of a series of posts highlighting numerous diverse opportunities from towns to nations for National School Choice Week 2016.

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso Tagged With: , , ,

State of the States: How Do Our Governors Stack Up on Education?

January 26, 2016 By

Governors all over the country are in the midst of delivering their State of the State addresses, laying out their reflections on the last year and where they plan to go this year. What better time than during National School Choice Week for reformers to compare and challenge – what’s your chief executive’s record compared to when he or she ran for office and what have they done?

CER’s Educationfifty.com offers analysis on where governors stand on three core edreform tenets: 1) strong charter school laws, 2) meaningful school choice, and 3) strong teacher quality efforts, providing information to help you gauge whether they are acting on their original commitments, today.

From Boston, Mass. where there is a major cap lift going on and a governor that’s been true to his promises, to Tennessee where progress toward full vouchers for the most needy is finally on a positive path and holds hope for that governor’s initial promises, it’s important to not just know but highlight how state chief executives are doing in ensuring innovation thrives in our schools.

With states our laboratories for change, it’s a critical time just one month into the new year to take stock.

Here’s a list of State of the State addresses that have already occurred, and whether or not education reform was addressed (Click on a state’s name to be taken to full Education50 analysis):

Alaska
Gov. Walker’s State of the State address touched on the need to ensure high-quality educators for Alaska’s children.

Arizona
Gov. Ducey, in his State of the State address, discussed philanthropic foundations that are investing into the state education system and his intent to partner with them to expand opportunities for low-income children (and to further arts and sciences programs).

California
Gov. Brown’s State of the State address did not address education reform.

Colorado
Gov. Hickenlooper’s State of the State address did not address education reform.

Florida
Gov. Scott’s State of the State address did not address education reform.

Georgia
Gov. Nathan Deal touched on teacher quality reform in his State of the State e address, stating that he created a Teacher Advisory Committee by executive order to help retain lead teachers, increase assistant teacher salaries and maintain classroom quality. He also mentioned that this year’s budget would include funding for the Education Reform Commission, tasked with examining Georgia’s education system and reporting “bold” recommendations on how to improve it, but he did not go into specifics.

Hawaii
Gov. Ige’s State of the State address did not address education reform.

Idaho
Gov. Otter mentioned teacher quality reform in his State of the State address, discussing the need to invest in the professional development of teachers in order to successfully retain them. He called for more than $38 million to continue putting the teacher career ladder in place.

Indiana
In the State of the State address, Gov. Pence noted that the state now has one of the largest school voucher programs in the country. He also stated that Indiana has become the first state in the U.S. to make vocational and career education a priority in high schools.

Iowa
Gov. Branstad’s State of the State address noted increased funding for teacher leadership.

Kansas
Gov. Brownback’s State of the State address discussed the necessity of quality teachers and how they build the education system. He addressed implementing innovative options like merit pay in order to reward exceptional teachers.

Massachusetts
Gov. Baker discussed his support for expanding the availability of public charter schools across the state in his State of the State address. He mentioned lifting the cap that the state holds on charter schools because, “These are families that can’t afford to move, and they can’t afford to send their kids to private schools. This is their chance – and it’s a good one.”

Michigan
Gov. Snyder, in his State of the State address, mentioned that he would like to see an educational system where parents, students and teachers look to a more proactive approach.

Missouri
Gov. Nixon’s State of the State address did not address education reform.

Nebraska
Gov. Ricketts’ State of the State address did not address education reform.

New Jersey
Gov. Christie’s State of the State address did not address education reform.

New Mexico
Gov. Martinez’s State of the State address discussed the need for a quality teacher in every classroom.

New York
Gov. Cuomo stated in his State of the State address that charter schools are public schools and “education laboratories”, and he is proud that they serve some of the neediest students, nearly 100,000 across the state. He said charters are an important option for communities with failing schools, and an economical option, and he encourages their development in this budget.

South Carolina
Gov. Haley, in her State of the State address, noted that she wants to end the high turnover of teachers in rural and poor districts. She proposed paying for state college tuition of teachers who would agree to spend eight years teaching in a rural or poor district.

South Dakota
Gov. Daugaard addressed the need to retain and recruit high-quality teachers saying, “the key to student achievement is an effective teacher,” in his State of the State address.

Vermont
Gov. Shumlin’s State of the State address did not address education reform.

Virginia
Governor McAuliffe’s State of the State address did not address education reform.

Washington
Gov. Inslee’s State of the State address did not address education reform.

West Virginia
Gov. Tomblin noted in his State of the State address that he created the Innovation in Education Grant Program designed to reward teachers and students in West Virginia for innovation and creativity in the classroom.

Visit Educationfifty.com today, and check back often as State of the State addresses continue through February.

 

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso Tagged With: ,

A Family’s Choice

January 25, 2016 By

From the Nevada Public Public Policy Research Institute comes this story of a couple who have made it their mission to help low-income children through education, and whose dreams may be shattered by the anti-reform efforts of unions and other groups to block Nevada Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in court from becoming reality in the classroom.

Starting as educators in Detroit, DaJuane and Tamara Anderson moved to Las Vegas, Nevada and founded The Anderson Academy of Mathematics and Science, a private school “with the sole purpose” of helping at-risk students succeed with their education.”

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“So many parents in this community have a one-track mind when it comes to private schools,” DaJuane told the Nevada Policy Research Institute. “They think all private schools are expensive, far away or not designed for struggling minority students. We want to tear down that perception.”

Nevada’s new Education Savings Account (ESA) program made the $500-a-month tuition more feasible for low-income families searching for an alternative to their assigned neighborhood school failing to meet their child’s learning needs.

Sadly, Nevada’s program is in legal limbo right now because it is being challenged by a group of parents and the ACLU in two different lawsuits, threatening the potential for more parents to give their own children the dream of a great education, and not just parents who want better education opportunities for their children, but parents who want to CREATE better education opportunities for kids, like The Andersons.

Today we celebrate families helping other families make it possible to make the best possible choice for their children’s education.

This is one of a series of posts highlighting numerous diverse opportunities from towns to nations for National School Choice Week 2016.

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso Tagged With:

Neither Snow, Nor Storm, Nor Dark of Night…

January 25, 2016 By

…Can Keep School Choice Week from Taking Flight!

At the heart of any successful education reform effort is freedom – the freedom for students, parents and educators to have new opportunities, and schools to pursue new innovations or ideas.

That’s why we’re thrilled to have a week to share how freedom works when it’s permitted in education. We salute all those engaged in thScreen Shot 2016-01-25 at 8.31.37 AMis, the 6th annual National School Choice Week, and join with the tens of thousands across the country – and globe – in celebrating the power and ever-growing potential of school choice. This year, there are more than 16,000 events planned in the U.S. and beyond, making this week the largest celebration of education choice in history.

Throughout the week, we will share numerous and diverse choice opportunities in education to help you follow the events of the week and share across the net to help raise public awareness for school choice.

And Don’t Forget!

1. Use #SCW to add your voice to the largest ever digital #SchoolChoice event!

2. Find an event near you! Use the school choice week map to locate and attend one of the more than16,000 events planned across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.!

3. Watch & share the official NSCW 2016 kickoff video!

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4.Get educated! Learn facts about school choice and share them with the click of a button.

And let us know if you have questions, suggestions or ideas to share and we will help you get them out there!

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso Tagged With:

A Call for Candidates – How We Expect Our Leaders to Speak

January 14, 2016 By

The other day we developed and distributed our wishlist for the State of The Union and what we hoped to hear the president discuss. While he touched on education more than in most previous speeches and amplified the importance of technology and preparing students for the future, we were looking for more about the most important quest this nation faces – the importance of ensuring opportunity for every child, and underserved and unsatisfied students.

So with another important national event happening tonight — the Republican Presidential debates — we offer the same, consistent vision for how we expect our leaders to speak. Once again, our recommendations reflect the philosophies of those who work on the ground daily to advance innovation, freedom, and flexibility in American education. To all you candidates, please consider and lend your voice to the following important guidelines by which all efforts should be driven:

Education is not about space, a place, or time. Education is not a brick and mortar building; it is not about one person, concentrated on one methodology, or about one option. Innovative education transcends such confines to ensure that our students are prepared to be the future of our country.

  • WE MUST DO BETTER. Despite national graduation rates touted at 82%, our students still lack proficiency in the basic necessities of life such as reading and mathematics; and do not possess the knowledge necessary to preserve our freedom and ensure America’s national and international success.
  • EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITY AGENDA. America needs educational opportunity for every child, regardless of zip code, time, and place. From Pre-K through post-secondary education, candidates could consider informing the American people that ‘one size fits all’ education is an archaic vision that negatively impacts our children, specifically those who lack opportunity. Students of all ages should have the opportunity to access classes, programs, and schools both online and on site; and be rewarded for their unique contributions and accomplishments.
  • BE BOLD. Candidates must speak about and demonstrate their commitment to being “big and bold.” We must erase the boundaries that lock kids into seats at the expense of progress.
  • FREEDOM AND FLEXIBILITY. Opportunity isn’t something that the President can or should define…this definition should be left to American citizens. To accomplish this goal, citizens need the freedom to spend their tax dollars where they choose, and the ability to support the concept that parents should be recognized and empowered as the first and most important teacher that children have.
  • INSIST ON INNOVATION. Each state has tackled innovation and reform in different ways. Charter school laws differ state to state, and scholarship and voucher programs vary in scope and substance. Many states employed rigorous, high-stakes standards of learning prior to the national debate over Common Core. Equally, there are still states that have their heads buried in the sand, in desperate need of a jolt to get on board with innovation, equality, and opportunity.

There is no education issue that has not already been debated, discussed, or dueled over…

  • STATES ARE THE LABORATORY FOR CHANGE. Similarly, there is not one issue that has not been studied, researched, validated and also dismissed. The states have been and continue to be laboratories of innovation. The states are where the status quo in education was first challenged, and where a new paradigm for schooling will continue to evolve.
  • LET’S NOT FEAR UPSETTING THE STATUS QUO. We know now, and have always known what works. We need the courage to say so – at all levels. Without a President willing to exercise his bully pulpit to shine the light on success, to ensure that federal policy follows state policy, and to call attention to that which we have failed to achieve, we will not succeed.

Stay tuned to edreform.com for more insight on all candidates leading up to the election!

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso Tagged With:

President Obama Should Seize Opportunity To Address Education Reform in Omaha

January 13, 2016 By

Today, President Obama will visit Omaha. This will be the President’s first visit to Nebraska since taking office in 2008. He should seize this opportunity to address an education system in Omaha that is failing too many children, and children of color in particular. The President also has an opportunity to address shocking and ongoing disparities in Omaha with regard to unemployment, violence, the juvenile justice system, and over the incarceration of black men. The President’s leadership has the potential to put Omaha on a better path.

Sixteen months before President Obama took office, the Omaha World Herald published an article called “Omaha in Black and White: Poverty Amid Prosperity.” The article addressed troubling disparities based on race. The worst black child poverty rate in the country, was but one example of such disparity. Omaha’s Mayor at the time pledged to address the academic achievement gap. The President of the Chamber of Commerce discussed a development plan for North Omaha, the heart of Omaha’s black community.

There was also reference in the 2007 Omaha World Herald article to new initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty and improving educational outcomes for black and Latino children. Within one year, many of Omaha’s most generous philanthropists launched the Building Bright Futures initiative and, shortly thereafter, the Avenue Scholars Foundation to do just that. A retired Omaha Superintendent served as CEO of both. Within six years, Building Bright Futures shuttered after spending $50 million and showing no significant progress.

During this same time, urban charter schools rapidly expanded around the nation. Children attending urban charter schools, on average, gain an additional 40 days of learning in math and 28 days of learning in reading each year. The benefits for poor children and children of color are even more substantial. Furthermore, children living in poverty who attend high performing charter schools are not only more likely to perform better in school, but also more likely to attend college, less likely to experience teen pregnancy and less likely to be incarcerated. Yet, in 2016, Nebraska remains one of only seven states to not allow public charter schools.

According to the Omaha World Herald, during his visit, “Obama will chat about ‘the progress we’ve made and how we can continue taking action in the next year to help hardworking Americans get ahead. Nebraska’s low unemployment rate is just one reason why the White House thinks that the city makes a great backdrop for the conversation’”. The President’s conversation regarding low unemployment should consider why Omaha has one of the worst black unemployment rates in the nation.

In his ongoing efforts to address and reduce gun violence nationwide, President Obama also has an opportunity to address the violence plaguing Omaha: in 2011, Nebraska had the worst black homicide rate in the nation. There were 37 homicides in Omaha that year. In 2015, there were 50 homicides, the most in recorded history. Police speculate that at least half of the murders in Omaha are gang related.

Black men make up a disproportionate percentage of gang members as well as incarcerated individuals, including juveniles in the criminal justice system. Gang members rarely graduate from high school. Of all juveniles entering into the court system, 85% are functionally illiterate. The same can be said for 60% of all prison inmates. Inmates have a 16% chance of returning to prison if they receive literacy help, as opposed to 70% for those who received no help. Therefore, to adequately address gun violence, juvenile justice and over incarceration, the President must also address black student outcomes in Nebraska.

Though Nebraska has the second highest high school graduation rate in the country, according to the Schott Foundation for Public Education, Nebraska has the second worst graduation rate for black males (50%) and the largest black-­white graduation gap in the nation. In 2013, black students in Nebraska performed worse on the National Assessment for Educational Progress in math than did black eighth graders in any other state. Many schools in North Omaha have a combined math and reading proficiency rate below 20%.

As a longtime champion of K­12 education reform, the President supports opening the doors to, and sustaining, high performing public charter schools. The President’s courage to fight for such reforms has positively impacted children’s lives across the nation. Students, and students of color in particular, have been the benefactors. The President took such issues head-­on before many in his party were willing to do so. Given his record of putting students first, despite the political risk, the President should not waste an opportunity to do the same in Omaha.

If you are white, perhaps Omaha is the best place to live in the country: jobs are plentiful, neighborhoods are safe, and high quality schools are abundant, as is the opportunity to choose amongst them. But Omaha may be the worst place in America to be black: high paying jobs are scarce, violence is rampant, and the neighborhood schools are failing. The cause for such disparities may be complicated. The opportunity for the President to address them is not.

-Katie Linehan, Executive Director of Educate Nebraska

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso

Quality Counts: A Closer Look at Education Week’s Report

January 12, 2016 By

While still big on inputs and spending to rank states (giving New York inflated scores over Florida despite achievement gains of the latter over the former) Education Week’s Quality Counts is a welcome and informative tool in the area of student achievement. If you break out the results from the inputs, the story of American education progress is clear — states that are innovators and have created and sustained structures that challenge the status quo do better with students who are behind and improve schooling for all as a result.

Given the passage of the Student Success Act (NCLB’s Successor) just signed into law, the 20th Annual Quality Counts appropriately focuses on accountability as its theme. Education Week’s research team looked at trends on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, over the time NCLB helped set the tone for state accountability from 2003-2015.

While the research and corresponding reports are well-summarized on the site and don’t require additional summary, here are a few key takeaways for reformers:

1) States are graded in three large categories, comprised of 39 indicators, and while less weight is put on state inputs as in past years (parent’s income, educational level and property taxes), these indicators still play a major role in how states score.

2) States like Vermont and Maryland, which consistently score at the top of the rankings have more to do with the inputs (money) than achievement gains those states make with students. Indeed Maryland’s educational standing is often misquoted by its leadership and the press, giving credit to schools for having advantaged families with all the educational support that permits, as opposed to making progress.

3) The District of Columbia was ranked 28th overall but its K-12 achievement gains and progress in reality was ranked 47th in the nation.

4) Interestingly, of the 11 states that earned B’s (the highest score) in Quality Counts, in CER’s Parent Power Index, only two of those states are in the Top 10, and the average grade for those 11 states in the Quality Counts is a D. Arizona is ranked 3rd in PPI, but only 45th on Quality Counts, despite dramatic achievement gains, as measured by NAEP from 2003-2015.

5) Also, states that have made significant progress in expanding educational opportunity to kids and that fall in the top ten of both Quality Counts and the CER Parent Power rankings are Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Overall, this annual report has improved to be a great compilation of accountability data, but as always, it’s important to take grades with a grain of salt and always look under the hood of any rankings. What’s most important is that the schools are serving students and families the best they can, and until the answer is yes for every single student across America, we’ve got lots of work to do to expand opportunity to all children.

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso Tagged With: ,

From the Chair: On the Cutting Edge of Innovation

December 7, 2015 By

A Message from CER Chairman Jon Hage

Dear Friend,

I’m excited to be attached to this amazing organization, which since 1993 has been demanding and ensuring the proliferation of freedom, flexibility and innovation in U.S. schools.

After having written Florida’s first charter school law, I put policy into practice. My first charter school was a municipal partnership, my next a workplace effort, and soon Charter Schools USA was supporting families and citizens who sought entrepreneurs to help them create personalized, exceptional learning environments for their students.

CER was for us the first, most resolute advocate for lasting, substantive and structural change in U.S. education, and I am proud now to serve as its Chair. The Center was founded with a simple, but ambitious, guiding principle: to restore excellence to education by bridging the gap between policy and practice such that great ideas are put into action. Its leaders helped introduce the first school choice laws and cultivated a new generation of advocates who spearheaded change in their own states and communities.

I know. I am one of those advocates, and I can speak firsthand to the direct impact CER has had on creating the policy environments necessary for expanding choice and creating change. And because CER finds, cultivates and cuts the learning curve in half for interested citizens, I am proud today to help lead a multi-pronged statewide coalition of charter and choice schools that is improving opportunities for students throughout the U.S. 70,000 students attending 77 CSUSA schools are benefitting in some way from the Center’s work, adding to the countless others who’ve achieved and gone on from schools of choice across the nation.

You see, the Center is an organization of action and results. We have had a direct impact on laws in over 30 states. We have reviewed, vetted, and analyzed the research from thousands of sources and have provided accurate, succinct and actionable reports to policymakers and parents to ensure cutting edge relevance and efficacy.

Take a look at what an organization that once-Newsweek reporter Jonathan Alter called “a small, spunky organization” has done to create an education reform movement that is rooted in opportunity and educational equality for all. Then, consider how far we still have to go to achieve that goal for everyone. We can’t do it without you. To that end, I humbly ask your financial support of the Center, and your partnership.

I invite you to join our fight to make all schools great, for all children.

Sincerely,

Jon Hage, Founder and CEO, Charter Schools USA

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Indiana earns ‘B’ grade on state education tax credit scorecard

October 5, 2015 By

Tribune Star 
September 30, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Indiana ranks fifth-strongest of the 16 states that have education tax credit programs, earning a “B” grade according to the second edition of “School Choice Today: Education Tax Credit Laws Across the States, Ranking and Scorecard 2015,” released by the Center for Education Reform. In all, two states earn A’s, three earn B’s, seven earn C’s, three earn D’s and one earns an F. The report provides analysis and state-by-state comparisons, ranking states not only based on the law itself, but real results of programs.

“Over 200,000 students are benefiting from tax credit scholarships today,” said Kara Kerwin, president of the Center for Education Reform. “As the momentum for choice programs grows, with half of these 16 states enacting tax credit programs in the last three years, it’s essential to evaluate which elements foster the creation of meaningful choices to the most number of students. Simply having a law alone does not translate into more and better opportunities for children.”

Indiana has a relatively large program, designed to include both low- and middle-income families with its reasonably high income cap, which is why it currently serves over 11,000 students in the state. The program is growing quickly despite some design drawbacks, and served more than double the amount of students this past school year compared to 2013. One drawback is that Indiana’s law only allows donors to take a tax credit for half of the donation value.

The scorecard methodology has been revamped from last year’s analysis, placing greater emphasis on participation and implementation, and taking a deeper look at rules and regulations governing programs. There are four major components that determine the strength of high-quality education tax credit programs across the states: participation and purchasing power, eligibility, credit design and operational autonomy.

“States that implement tax credit programs well will see reductions in overall expenditures in addition to growth in investments in K-12 education,” continued Kerwin. “This fairly simple concept of allowing individuals, businesses or both to claim a tax credit for contributions made to scholarship organizations provides big benefits, with the most important being a shift in the power to choose a school from bureaucrats to parents.”

“The goal of this ranking and analysis is to provide a roadmap for lawmakers, parents and advocates to bring about substantive and lasting change,” said Kerwin. “We look forward to furthering debate and discourse to ensure laws being enacted are indeed fostering a marketplace where parents have the power to make choices among excellent options.”

To view the scorecard visit edreform.com/2015/09/education-tax-credit-laws-across-the-states-ranking-and-scorecard-2015/.

 

Filed Under: CER in the News

Does Your State Offer Tax Credits To Education Donors?

September 30, 2015 By

By Jason Russell
Washington Examiner
September 21, 2015

More than 200,000 students benefit from education tax credit scholarships in 16 states.

Education tax credits allow individuals or businesses to claim a tax credit in exchange for donations to scholarship organizations. The organizations then use the donations to fund scholarships for eligible students to attend participating private schools.

The programs are good for parents and state budgets.

“In states where these programs have been implemented well, policymakers have noted reductions in state expenditures and huge growth of private investments in K-12 education.” Kara Kerwin, president of the Center for Education Reform, wrote in the center’s second annual rankings of education tax credit laws. “Another significant benefit of these scholarship programs is that they shift the power of choosing a school from bureaucrats to parents.”

The 16 states with education tax credits vary in terms of the amount of freedom they give parents. Arizona has the best education tax credit in the country, followed by Florida, the center’s report says. Those two states are the only ones to receive an A grade in their rankings. Kansas has the worst law and is the only one of the 16 states to get an F grade.

Arizona and Florida get high marks for having high levels of participation, proportional to the number of public school students in the state. More than a third of students benefiting from education tax credit scholarships nationwide are in Florida. Wide eligibility for the scholarships also helps in the rankings, as does wide eligibility for those wishing to claim the tax credit for their donations.

Montana and Nevada passed education tax credits earlier this year, so it will be hard to rank their laws until more is known about how many students participate.

Eight of the 16 states with the tax credit programs adopted them in the past three years.

Filed Under: CER in the News
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