The Center for Education Reform, Author at The Center for Education Reform

WA Governor: “Charters appear to have secured funding”

September 17, 2015 By The Center for Education Reform

Governor Inslee has said he will not call a special session of the legislature on the matter of charter schools, but recently indicated it appears charter schools have secured private funding to continue operating. In a letter to members of the legislature, he stressed the necessity that students’ education not be interrupted.

Washington state charter schools are doing everything they can to make sure there is no disruption in the education of their 1,200 students.

Click to read letter from Washington State Governor Inslee

Filed Under: Choice & Charter Schools

EdNext Releases 2015 Poll

August 26, 2015 By The Center for Education Reform

In its latest annual public opinion poll, Education Next reveals high levels of support for education reform policies nationwide. In addition, new data on the acceptability and usage of educational choices paints a clear picture of parental demand for school options.

The poll finds that more than a quarter of parents with school-aged children have previously taken advantage of, or are currently using, an educational option alternative to a traditional public school.

Although slightly down from 2014 results, support for charter schools remains high and is still double that of the opposition. Participants in the survey also responded with higher support for charter schools after the definition of charter schools was provided.

Other popular school choice programs garnered high levels of support as well. Education tax credit scholarships for low-income children commands a clear majority of support at 55 percent. In regard to school choice vouchers, minorities are the strongest supporters, with 65 percent of Hispanics and 58 percent of African Americans in favor of school vouchers, and less than 20 percent of each of these subgroups in opposition to vouchers.

A majority of Americans still support treating teachers like professionals with merit pay, and equally oppose teacher tenure.

Implementation of online and digital learning in classrooms also has high levels of support. For example, 55 percent of African Americans believe that students should spend at least 45 percent of their school day utilizing digital learning and receiving individualized instruction on a computer.

It is clear that education options and programs that allow parents to choose the best fit for their child’s academic needs are in high demand.

Click here for an interactive view of the full data released by Education Next.

Filed Under: News & Analysis

EDlection Chatter Begins: Candidates Talk Prominent Education Issues at New Hampshire Education Summit

August 21, 2015 By The Center for Education Reform

The New Hampshire Education Summit, hosted by The Seventy Four and the American Federation for Children, provided a rare opportunity to hear about six presidential candidates’ views about education reform in a more in-depth and focused way, as education is sadly not usually the headline topic during election cycles. Below are some thoughts on their interviews:

Jeb Bush

Since Jeb Bush has spent much of his hiatus from elected office in the education reform world, it was unsurprising that he gave a true wonk’s performance during yesterday’s summit. The former Florida governor talked about his record in Florida, touting his reforms such as A-F school grading, merit pay for teachers, the voucher program (stuck down by the Florida Supreme Court), and the largest tax credit scholarship program in the nation, which CER ranked near the best in the country last year. He pointed to the innovative Florida Virtual School, and the potential shift towards content-mastery rather than seat time as a measurement for educational attainment. The governor also pointed to the results of his reforms, including an increase in NAEP scores and narrowing of achievement gaps between racial and socioeconomic categories.

Gov. Bush said he was “tired” of hearing people blame poor academic achievement on “the circumstances of life” rather than on a failed system.

Florida ranks #2 on CER’s Parent Power Index.

Carly Fiorina

Because her private sector background differs from those of the other candidates at the summit (all current or former governors with concrete education records to point to), Carly Fiorina took the opportunity to introduce summit attendees to her education reform principles. She focused on the purpose and necessity of an excellent education system for the United States, both as a republic and in global competition.

Fiorina pointed to the importance of character and other non-academic factors. Interestingly, many charter schools and turnaround operators point to their ability to build a high-achieving culture and how this often ties to academic success.

Fiorina spoke encouragingly about charter schools and other innovative options, dispelling the myth that more spending means higher achievement. She also stressed the importance of innovation, saying it is “the coin of the realm in the 21st century.”

Carly Fiorina discusses innovation in education with Campbell Brown at the New Hampshire Education Summit.

John Kasich

Ohio Governor John Kasich also touted his school choice record. He pointed out the successes of the Cleveland voucher program, and stressed the need for accountability in the charter sector and among authorizers. However, the governor was not clear about what he meant by more accountability – did he mean transparency and accountability to parents for all schools? Or did he mean more bureaucratic accountability by re-regulating charter schools and making it more difficult for them to open and operate? We sure hope it’s not the latter!

Gov. Kasich also criticized “last in, first out” teacher layoff policies, saying that they deprive students of some of their best teachers.

Gov. Kasich urged the audience to “shake things up.” “We cannot worship at the altar of the status quo,” the governor proclaimed.

For more on Gov. Kasich’s views on education issues, visit Education 50.
Ohio ranks #8 on CER’s Parent Power Index.

Scott Walker

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is known for his tough stances against unions, including the teacher’s unions, and he continued on that theme during the summit, discussing the “barriers” put in place by unions that prevent kids from getting an excellent education. He also told the history of the groundbreaking Milwaukee voucher program – the longest-running private school choice program in the country – and how it has expanded under his tenure as governor. School choice, said Gov. Walker, is an “economic and moral imperative.”

For more on Gov. Walker’s views on education issues, visit Education 50.
Wisconsin ranks #9 on CER’s Parent Power Index.

Gov. Scott Walker discusses education with Campbell Brown at the New Hampshire Education Summit.

Bobby Jindal

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal followed Governors Bush and Kasich in highlighting the school choice successes in his state. Gov. Jindal echoed CER’s sentiments that it shouldn’t take a hurricane or other horrific disasters to break open monopolies in the education system, pointing to New Orleans, now nearly all charter schools, and Louisiana’s voucher and tax credit programs as proof of his school choice bonafides. We were happy to hear Gov. Jindal clearly state where he thinks real accountability lies, when he announced “the best accountability system is parents!”

While Louisiana has indeed been a school choice leader, we would have liked to hear Gov. Jindal address the lack of options outside of New Orleans, as well as the low school participation rates in the state’s private school choice programs.

Gov. Jindal closed his interview by saying if he could snap his fingers and change a single thing in the education system, it would be to have dollars follow the child, because doing so would create pressure for excellence.

For more on Gov. Jindal’s views on education issues, visit Education 50.
Louisiana ranks #7 on CER’s Parent Power Index.

Chris Christie

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie championed reforms like a longer school year, and higher use of technology during his turn in Campbell Brown’s hot seat.
“Parents deserve more choice,” said Gov. Christie, “and kids’ priorities should be placed ahead of the comfort of adults.” Despite these strong words and reiterating his sentiment that the teacher’s unions deserve “a punch in the face,” Christie criticized Jeb Bush for saying he wouldn’t work with teachers’ unions, implying that the reality on the ground means that reformers must sometimes compromise with union leaders to get some reforms through.

Gov. Christie closed by pointing out that wealthy families already have school choice, and families of all incomes should be able to choose the best educational options for their children, not just families like Christie’s.

For more on Gov. Christie’s views on education issues, visit Education 50.
New Jersey ranks #32 on CER’s Parent Power Index.

Thank you to The Seventy Four and the American Federation for Children for putting together the summit, and to all six candidates for sharing their education visions.

As the 2016 election gets closer, CER will continue to keep you informed about where candidates stand on education issues, so that when it comes time to head to the polls, you know which candidates are the most likely to make policy decisions that empower parents by giving students choices.

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso

Philanthropy makes up small portion of D.C. charter schools budget

August 17, 2015 By The Center for Education Reform

By Moriah Costa
Watchdog
August 17, 2015

Only six percent of funding for D.C. charter schools comes from private contributions, disproving claims that significant philanthropic contributions gives charter schools an advantage over traditional public schools.

A report released by the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute earlier this month found the majority of funding for charter schools comes from the D.C. government. The report is in line with other studies, including a 2011 analysis from the University of Arkansas that found nationally, traditional public schools often receive more money on average than charter schools.

“I think it’s one thing about where people say the funds come from and it’s another thing to look where the actual money comes from, so I don’t think this is all that surprising if we looked across in other states,” said Alison Consoletti Zgainer, executive vice president of the Center for Education Reform. “I think it’s just the rhetoric of charter schools being supported by philanthropy is louder than what the reality is.”

Zgainer said a 2010 survey her organization conducted found that only 8 percent of funding for charter schools came from private philanthropy. The findings were not published.

The D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute did not respond to a request for comment.

About 44 percent of D.C. students are enrolled in a charter school. Both charter schools and traditional public schools receive funding per student. The report found that charter schools spent an average of $14,639 per student in fiscal year 2014. That’s in line with district schools, which received an average of $14,497 per student. Charter schools also receive an additional $3,000 per student for facilities, while district schools receive long-term building funds from the D.C. capital budget.

Of the 60 charter schools, 21 were high-performing financially and seven were deemed low and inadequate. Eighteen schools were operating at a deficit, but seven of those were closed or are closing with the rest being monitored by the charter school board.

The report also found that charter schools spend an average of 61 percent of their budgets on personnel, while 11 percent is spent directly on students.

The study was based on data from the Financial Audit Review, released annually by the D.C. Public Charter School Board. The review does not reveal which charter schools are low or high-performing.

The study’s authors recommend the board rank schools based on financial performance, similar to how schools are currently ranked based on academic performance.

IN OTHER NEWS: Parents of children with autism found school, thanks to school choice

Charter school finances have come under scrutiny recently after two lawsuits alleged that for-profit management companies diverted millions of dollars of public money for personal gain. The two schools, Options Public Charter School and Community Academy Public Schools, were given favorable financial reviews. The board said it was because current law prevented it from accessing financial records of the companies. They are working with the D.C. Council to pass legislation that would require management companies to reveal its finances, but it would only apply to three charter schools in D.C.

Most schools in D.C. are run by nonprofits.

Filed Under: CER in the News Tagged With: Charter Schools, charter school funding

On his birthday, Milton Friedman celebrated by school choice movement

July 31, 2015 By The Center for Education Reform

by Jason Russell
Washington Examiner
July 31, 2015

Today, the school choice movement still recognizes the significance of Friedman to all the progress that’s been made in advancing school choice. Friday would have been Friedman’s 103rd birthday, and the movement took an opportunity to reflect on his work.

Milton Friedman was one of the first school choice advocates. Back in 1955, the economist and eventual Nobel laureate lamented in an essay that government pays for and runs most schools in a country that is otherwise “predominantly free enterprise in organization and philosophy.” Friedman wanted an education system that would “center attention on the person rather than the institution.”

To do so, Friedman proposed government grants to families to pay for education. Today, these grants are sometimes called school vouchers or opportunity scholarships. A new form of grants called educational savings accounts are now available in several states.

“Government, preferably local governmental units, would give each child, through his parents, a specified sum to be used solely in paying for his general education; the parents would be free to spend this sum at a school of their own choice, provided it met certain minimum standards laid down by the appropriate governmental unit,” Friedman wrote.

“Milton Friedman is the father of school choice — one of the greatest legacies of the Nobel winning economist,” Susan Meyers, national media relations director of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, told the Washington Examiner. “For decades his vision of choice for all students and parents was debated as noble. But in the past three years we’ve seen that dream become reality. There are now 51 private school choice programs in 24 states and Washington, D.C. — most offering segments of the student population school choice. But Nevada this year set the standard of Milton’s vision of school choice for all when it adopted Education Savings Accounts — a new type of school choice tool — to give all children the opportunity to pick an education that works for them.” Friedman and his wife, Rose, founded the Friedman Foundation in 1996. Rose was a noted economist in her own right.

“The work — and name — of Milton Friedman continues to be a huge asset to school choice supporters,” Neal McCluskey, director of the libertarian Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom, told the Examiner. “Just being able to say ‘Milton Friedman wanted this’ is immensely powerful, and Friedman’s work is an indispensable touchstone whenever we get bogged down in political grappling and need a reenergizing reminder of what choice is all about.”

“Dr. Friedman’s influence continues to grow in the field of education with dozens of private choice programs having been enacted across the country,” Matthew Ladner, senior adviser of policy and research for the Foundation for Excellence in Education, told the Examiner. “Without Dr. Friedman’s work, school choice would likely be confined to debates over school district transfer policies and magnet schools. … When it comes to Dr. Friedman’s education legacy, we’re just getting started and the best is yet to come.”

“Milton Friedman’s legacy of freedom has undoubtedly influenced school choice today,” Kara Kerwin, president of the Center for Education Reform told the Examiner. “It’s imperative for Parent Power that more states implement policies that allow more parents to choose the best education option for their child.”

“Milton Friedman’s vision laid the ground work for what has grown to become an education revolution,” Betsy DeVos, chairman of the American Federation for Children, told the Examiner. “Milton Friedman deserves credit for starting the education revolution underway by reimaging the public investment in education — where dollars follow a child, rather than a child following the dollars. It was this impetus that lit the spark of the education revolution underway today.”

Filed Under: CER in the News

What Are Parents Telling You?

May 22, 2015 By The Center for Education Reform

The media has been focusing on a certain D.C. school as of late because of its instructional model. But after taking a closer look, parents hold the school in high demand because of its instruction, but also because it’s an open, safe, and diverse community that makes learning fun.

Two Rivers Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. has been the subject of increased media attention since it is the most in-demand charter school in the entire district. Its wait list is 1,381 children long, and has very few seats available to parents annually. As the local ABC affiliate noted, the school is harder to get into than Harvard. What makes seats at Two Rivers the most sought-after in D.C.?

The media points to the school’s expeditionary learning and project-based curriculum, which are used to engage students at a higher level. At a tour of the school this week, CER staff was able to see the project-based model in action. Kindergartners were learning about insects, second graders were conducting physics experiments, and fourth graders were mapping the Anacostia Watershed.

With the increased press pointing to project-based curriculum as the main draw, we wondered – what are parents actually saying about why they chose Two Rivers Public Charter School? CER staff brought this up with Jessica Wodatch, the school’s executive director. As it turns out, parents are looking for something else in the school that they choose for their child. Jessica says parental demand for Two Rivers is high due to the school’s welcoming, safe, and open community, and the diversity of the school. She said of the school’s instructional model, “Parents don’t come for the expeditionary learning, but they stay for it.”

Many parents are going to have the ability to stay with Two Rivers, as the school is opening a second campus in the fall to help address its long wait list. It is clear that the school is listening to what parents are saying, and paying attention to what parents want and need – not the media noise surrounding it.

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso

Newswire: May 19, 2015

May 19, 2015 By The Center for Education Reform

Vol. 17, No. 20

POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE. More students across the country are donning their caps and gowns this spring with U.S. graduation rates at an all-time high. However, the numbers aren’t telling the whole story. The Associated Press reported last week that “the record high graduation rate masks large gaps among low-income students and those with disabilities compared to their peers.” Not only are there major gaps, but overall achievement could certainly be better, with less than 50% of our nation’s 8th grade students able to do math and read proficiently. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan pointed out that gains in grad rates aren’t everything, and that we must ensure all students are prepared for life beyond K-12 education. And parents agree, as their demand for better schooling opportunities continues to outstrip the supply. It is time for state and local lawmakers to get serious about substantive and lasting change and work harder to bring about reform faster, bigger and better. Click here if you agree that it is truly time to put parents in the driver’s seat of their child’s education.

100 PERCENT. Meanwhile, we could all learn a thing or two in addressing the achievement gap from Gary, Indiana’s 21st Century Charter School. The school’s 2015 graduating class has a four-year graduation rate of 100%, and 100% of them have been accepted into college, with about 90% of the students being accepted to a four-year university. The Gary, Indiana charter school was founded in 2005 and has been extremely successful since it opened its doors. Remarkably, an overwhelming majority of the students come from poverty but they are beating the odds and inspiring the rest of the student body to aim high. It’s no wonder Indiana has remained the reformiest state in the nation by stimulating greater #ParentPower!

HOW WILL YOU BE REMEMBERED? With the achievement gap growing, and parent demand for choice at an all-time high, we may be the last generation to truly be in a position to save the next through education. But in order to bring about that change one must know how we got here. Make history, don’t repeat it! That’s the goal of EdReformU™, the nation’s first and only effort to inform, educate and arm the next generation of leaders to make real change happen in America’s schools. Building on the inaugural pilot course (video highlights here!), EdReformU™ is now seeking applicants for a new six-week course, History of Charter Schools (HistoryCS-201), beginning June 8, 2015. Prospective students can find details at university.edreform.com and should tweet @edreform saying why they want to apply by Tuesday, May 19, using the hashtag #ERU. Authors of the most compelling tweets will be invited to apply for a seat. You’ll go down in history. It’s up to you how. Make it; don’t repeat it. Hope to see you on campus!

OPPORTUNITY KEEPS KNOCKING. “When parents have better choices, their kids have a better chance,” said school choice champion Senator Tim Scott at last week’s D.C. Opportunity Scholarship (DC OSP) hearing at Archbishop Carroll high school. And indeed, the data, the student stories and parent testimonies all indicate that this school choice program is working across the board and raising the state of education in our nation’s capital. Not only does the DC OSP have an excellent return on investment, with a 93 percent graduation rate for 40 cents on the dollar, but students are saying that the chance to use a scholarship to choose the best educational environment for them allows them to build a strong foundation for their future. It’s a shame critics continue to dig up old rhetoric against the program and Congress has to fight annually to ensure it remains appropriated. Here’s to hoping student and parent voices stand out when this program is up for reauthorization again in 2016.

HIDDEN TREASURE. Montana Governor Steve Bullock allowed a tax credit program to become law without his signature, after earlier vetoing an education savings account program for students with special needs. While the Treasure State’s new school choice program could be stronger, it’s certainly a first step for the state that has continued to rank dead last in Parent Power and saw five of six total school choice bills killed in the Legislature this year. Thankfully, 2015 so far has seen a flurry of steps in the right direction when it comes to increasing Parent Power and choice in education across the U.S., but we must encourage states to push harder and stronger in order to accelerate the pace at which our children have access to learning options that deliver on the promise of an excellent education.

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

Why D.C. Parents NEED School Vouchers

May 19, 2015 By The Center for Education Reform

In 4^th Grade, Shirley-Ann Tomdio’s life changed forever when she was accepted into the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (DCOSP), which allowed her to transfer from a failing D.C. public school to Sacred Heart, a private Catholic school. Shirley, the daughter of two Cameroon, African immigrants, used the voucher for nine years.

Shirley testified to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on May 14, 2015 at Archbishop Carroll High School in Northeast D.C. to discuss the possibility of reauthorizing the DCOSP.

“In 2009, I graduated Sacred Heart School as the valedictorian and took my Opportunity Scholarship across town to Georgetown Visitation (Prep School)!” Shirley told federal lawmakers on Thursday. “At Visitation, I made Second Honors my first two years and First Honors in my third and fourth year. I was a decorated member of the track and field team, co-editor of our school’s Art and Literary magazine, a cheerleader for our school’s pep rally, and the Secretary and Treasurer of the Black Women’s Society. In May 2013, I walked across the stage and accepted my diploma.”

The voucher program for low-income children was enacted a year after congress passed the D.C. School Choice Incentive Act of 2003. The program has been extraordinarily successful for the District’s most disadvantaged children. Consider:

in 2014, 89 percent of beneficiaries graduated on time vs. 58 percent of D.C. public school students;
for a high school education, it cost $12,000 per scholarship student annually vs. $20,000 per D.C. public school student; and
97 percent of voucher recipients are African American or Latino.

The scholarship program has been under assault since President Obama took office. The program ceased to exist in the first year he took office, but came back in 2011 through passage of the bipartisan SOAR Act. Every single year since then, his Administration has proposed to eliminate program entirely by excluding it from the budget.

Each year, supporters of the scholarship work extremely hard to get congress to reauthorize the program. The critics, led by the president and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, fight tooth-and-nail on behalf of failing schools and the unions, by rehashing old arguments and using outdated numbers. Thankfully, the bipartisan coalition led by school choice champions like Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN) on Capitol Hill continue to remain strong and committed to ensuring parent choice prevails.

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso Tagged With: DC, school choice, vouchers, DC Opportunity Scholarship

Bad Deal in Baltimore

May 19, 2015 By The Center for Education Reform

Progressives and unions gut a charter-school reform.

May 18, 2015
Opinion
Wall Street Journal

The Baltimore riots produced national lamentations about urban poverty, but don’t expect much to be done about it. Witness how the Maryland legislature gutted a charter-school reform that could have offered an escape for poor children.

Baltimore schools are some of the worst in the country. According to the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress, a mere 14% of Baltimore fourth graders and 16% of eighth graders were proficient in reading. One in four students fails to graduate from high school. This is a disgrace.

Many states have used charter schools as an alternative to let educators operate without the rules that favor teacher tenure and other protections over student learning in failing schools. But Maryland’s chartering law is one of the stingiest. It makes local school boards the sole chartering authority, and they see charters as competition. The state also limits the freedom of charter schools to innovate and demand high performance.

Baltimore has successes such as KIPP schools among its 31 charter schools teaching some 11,000 students, though those are remarkably small numbers for a city its size. In 2013 New York City had 70,000 students in 183 charter schools, rising to 210 for 2015-2016. More than 11,000 Maryland students are on charter waiting lists. That’s because, even with the state’s restrictions, charter students outperform those in traditional public schools in 4th and 8th grade reading and 8th grade math.

The tragedy is that last week Governor Larry Hogan signed a bill that leaves the city’s relatively few charter schools under the sway of the teachers unions. The new Governor’s original plan would have allowed charters to operate outside union collective-bargaining agreements, given charter operators greater autonomy over staffing and improved the state’s funding formula.

Those goals died at the hands of Democrats who dominate the state legislature, in particular state senator and former teachers union member Paul Pinsky. One of the first reforms killed was a measure to give charters the choice of participating in a collective-bargaining agreement. So charters must continue to answer to unions for work rules, tenure, even pay.

The reform victories that survived are modest. If a charter school has a good track record for five years, it can request exemptions from “textbook, instructional program, professional development and scheduling requirements.” How generous—a mere five-year wait to design a better curriculum. The law also requires the school district to let teachers transfer to charters if they want to go, and gives charters more control over the assignment of school principals.

Meanwhile, the Center for Education Reform notes that the law takes away much of the State Board of Education’s power to review local school-district actions on charters and makes it harder for the Governor to shape policy through appointments to the board. Under the new law, no plan for a charter school “may be construed to take precedence over an agreement of a local bargaining unit in a local school system.”

All of this reflects the power that government unions have over Democrats in Maryland, one of the country’s most left-leaning states. It also reveals the disconnect between the left’s rhetoric on poverty and its refusal to change the policies and practices that destroy economic opportunity. Look for another generation of education failure in Baltimore, and more riots down the road.

Filed Under: CER in the News

Support Edreform When You Shop Amazon!

April 24, 2015 By The Center for Education Reform

You Shop. Amazon Gives!

All you have to do to is go to smile.amazon.com and select The Center for Education Reform (CER) as your charitable organization of choice, and continue shopping as you would normally!

Every effort helps when it comes to ensuring ALL of our children have access to learning opportunities that deliver the promise of an excellent education.

Wait, how exactly do I select CER as my charitable organization of choice?
1) Shop AmazonSmile.com. Login with your Amazon account information, or create an account.
2) Select The Center for Education Reform as your charitable organization.
3) Shop as you would on Amazon!

What is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support CER every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase price to CER.

Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations?
Almost all of Amazon products are available for AmazonSmile! You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages.

Where will your donation go?
Donations from AmazonSmile will help CER…

Give children access to learning environments that best meet their needs
Empower parents to make educated decisions about schools
Inform and arm grassroots organizations on the ground
Bring ideas to states and engage policymakers for reform

More Answers to FAQs on AmazonSmile here!

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso

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