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Charter School Achievement Data

October 17, 2014 By

Links to various reports & studies highlighting charter school achievement across the U.S.

December 2019

A Good Investment: The Updated Productivity of Public Charter Schools in Eight U.S. Cities, by DeAngelis et al., University of Arkansas, April 2019
Lifetime earnings for students attending charter schools are four- to six-times the amount of money invested in their education. On average, they’ll reap .37 for every dollar in charter schools and .41 for every dollar in traditional public schools.

Charter Schools Bright Spot in Disturbing Schools Report, by Will Flanders, RightWisconsin, Oct. 30, 2019
Per NAEP scores, Milwaukee’s charter schools are performing much better than traditional Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) district schools. In 4th grade math, Milwaukee charter schools scored 235 , close to the state average for 4th graders of 242. MPS scored a 212.

Apples to Apples, The Definitive Look at School Test Scores in Milwaukee and Wisconsin for 2019, by Will Flanders, Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty
Milwaukee's 24 independent public charters outperform MPS by 8.2 % in math and the 13 district public charters outperform traditional MPS schools by 13 percent in math.

Student Achievement in Florida’s Charter Schools: A Comparison of the Performance of Charter School Students with Traditional Public School Students, Florida Department of Education, March 2019
Florida's annual charter report showed that in 89% of comparisons, African American students in charter schools performed better than African American students in traditional public schools

DC Graduation Rate Holds Steady in 2019, Despite Drop in Traditional School System, by Perry Stein, The Washington Post, Nov. 8, 2019
D.C Charters are college & career pipelines and consistently graduate more seniors than traditional public schools (76.4 % compared to 65.1%)

DC’s Public Charter Schools, DC Public Charter School Board, Feb. 2019
In Washington, DC, charter-school enrollment has increased by nearly 60% since 2009. DC’s public charter schools educate a student body that is 75% African American and 44% at-risk, with both populations outperforming traditional public schools.

Let the Numbers Have their Say, Evidence on Massachusetts’ Charter Schools, by Thomas J. Kane, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2018
Thomas Kane, a Harvard Graduate School of Education professor stated that “the oversubscribed charter schools in the Boston area are closing one half of the Black-White achievement gap in math and roughly one fifth of the Black-White achievement gap in English.”

Charters Continue to Close the Proficiency Gap, New York City Charter School Center, Aug. 26, 2019
New York City charter students have shown greater improvements than their traditional school counterparts, showing 63 additional days of learning in math, and 23 days in reading.

What We’re Learning: Nashville’s Charter Schools, Scarlett Family Foundation, Jan. 23, 2019
The two highest achieving charter elementary schools in Tennessee almost doubled the district’s overall student achievement. Purpose Prep had 57% of students achieve on track or mastered for ELA and 65% for math; Nashville Classical had 49% and 55% respectively

Get the Facts: Charter Public Schools Change Lives, Here’s How, Illinois Network of Charter Schools, 2019
In Chicago, charter students have a 7.2% college enrollment rate compared to 2.2% of similar high school students in traditional public schools. Charter students have a higher completion of college coursework with 21.4% completing at least 4 semesters compared to 13.0% of traditional public school students

The Charter Effect, by Mary Neiderberger, PublicSource, Aug. 14, 2017Based on academic performance, Downtown-based City Charter High School stands out as having the most impressive record of achievement among charter schools in Allegheny County, and among all schools in the City of Pittsburgh, with a school performance profile score of 89.8. In Pittsburgh, City Charter High School enrolls 85% of its students from the Pittsburgh Public Schools and still has the highest-achieving as it outscores all of the Pittsburgh district schools. In addition, the graduation rate at City Charter, which is 97 percent, exceeds all of the Pittsburgh district high schools, whose graduation rates range from 96.5 percent at Pittsburgh CAPA to 63 percent at Westinghouse.

Historical AzMERIT Dashboard, Arizona Charter Schools Association, 2015-2018 Data
AzMERIT scores released last month showed public charter students outperformed by 9 percentage points the state average among students who took the English/Language Arts portion of the test. In terms of Mathematics, charter students exceeded the state average by 6 percentage points. Charter students of every race and ethnicity, as well as low-income, Limited English Proficiency and Special Education subgroup, scored better than the statewide average of their peers on AzMERIT.

School Performance, Colorado League of Charter Schools, 2019
According to U.S. News and World Report, seven of the top ten Colorado high schools in 2017 were charter schools. Seven of the top 10 public schools with the highest SAT scores in Colorado in 2017 were charter public schools according to the Colorado Department of Education SAT school results.

Charters Up Close: Kids First, California Charter Schools Association, 2019
Across the state of California, charter schools are increasing student learning for low-income and minority youth. Research proves charter school students gain extra weeks and months of learning annually. The Los Angeles charter school sector is one of the strongest in the nation. Oakland charter school students are outperforming their peers in traditional district schools.

The Nation’s Report Card, Public, Private, and Charter Schools Dashboard, National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), 2019
Although 2019 NAEP results did not show significant growth in 4th and 8th grade math and reading achievement nationally, the data shows that charter schools do a measurably better job of educating low-income African American and Hispanic students than their traditional public school counterparts.

Poor children are still left behind in DCPS schools, by David Osborne and Tressa Pankovits, The Washington Post (Dec. 6, 2019)
The city’s annual PAARC test results confirm what we saw on the NAEP. In wards 5, 7 and 8, which have the highest concentrations of poor children, 22 of the top-performing 23 schools were charters. The one DCPS school in the top 23, McKinley Tech High School, selects its students. The charter schools vastly outperform DCPS schools in these three wards — roughly doubling DCPS’s percentage of students who score a 4 or 5 (meeting or exceeding expectations).

From Rising Tide: Charter School Market Share and Student Achievement, by David Griffith, Fordham Institute, Sept. 26, 2019

1. In large urban areas, higher charter market share is associated with significant achievement gains for black and Hispanic students.
2. In suburban and rural areas, higher charter market share is associated with significant achievement gains for Hispanic students, and black students in rural districts also see gains.
3. There is no evidence that higher charter market share is associated with achievement gains for white students.

Study: Maryland charter students’ gains outpace those at traditional schools; black, Hispanic pupils benefit most, by Jean Marbella, Baltimore Sun, Jul 16, 2019
A new study has found that students at Maryland charter schools, especially those who are black or Hispanic, have on average made greater academic progress than their counterparts in traditional public schools.

Charter School Performance in Maryland 2019, Center for Research on Education Outcomes, Stanford University, 2019.

CREDO found that "In the last school year of the study, 2016-2017, students in Baltimore’s public charter schools gained an additional 47 days of reading and an astronomical 59 days of math achievement. These additional days of achievement are not due to more physical time in school but done in the same 180 days required of all public school students.
(Note: Credo has found several states and cities’ charter schools outperforming traditional public schools. However, we have concerns about their methodology that underestimates the effects of charter schools because of their use of “virtual twin” methodology. For more on this topic, please see CER’s brief on this topic here: https://edreform.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/No_More_Waiting_Charter_Schools1.pdf)

CER Survey of America’s Charter Schools
2014 report highlights the environment and conditions charter schools function in, which lead to achievement

The Productivity of Public Charter Schools, July 2014
A University of Arkansas study reveals charter schools use public dollars far more efficiently than traditional public schools. For every ,000 invested, eighth grade charter students achieved on average an additional 17 points in math and 16 points in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Louisiana Charter School Achievement, August 2013
Part of CREDO’s state by state look at charter school achievement, results show Louisiana charter school students learning more in a school year than traditional students. While CER finds flaws in CREDO’s methodology, local instead of national achievement comparisons, makes results more comparable and therefore more reliable.

D.C. Charter School Achievement on DC-CAS, July 2013
-Additional Commentary and Data on D.C. Charter Schools, Matthew Ladner
D.C. public schools showing showing improvement on standardized test, but charter schools improving at much faster rate

Illinois Charter School Achievement, June 2013
Students in Chicago charter schools higher-achieving than traditional school counterparts.

Michigan Charter Schools Outperform Traditional Public Students, May 2013
CREDO state report finds Michigan charter school students gaining at a faster rate than traditional school students. Provides more detail on CER’s critique of their methodology.

Massachusetts Charter School Achievement, March 2013
Six-year study showing charter school’s surpassing traditional schools, especially in Boston.

New York City Charter School Achievement, February 2013
Continued success of New York City charter schools compared with conventional public schools in the Big Apple.

CMO’s Positive Impact on Student Learning, November 2011
Report by Mathematica Policy Research found that charters operated by a Charter Management Organization are generally more effective managerially, academically, and operationally.

CER Fact-Checking Charter School Achievement, October 2010
CER-issued document to counteract the first CREDO report. Contains great information on charter school achievement, demand, and demographics

Hoxby and New York Charters Affecting Achievement and Closing Achievement Gap, 2009
Dr. Caroline Hoxby examines charter schools in New York City to find that they are closing the achievement gap for students the longer they attend a charter school.

Filed Under: Choice & Charter Schools

Wisconsin Sunk $139 Million Into Private Schools Booted From Voucher Program

October 16, 2014 By

By Arianna Prothero
Education Week
October 13th, 2014

Over the past decade, Wisconsin has spent around $139 million on school vouchers to pay tuition for students attending private schools that were eventually disqualified from the state’s program, according to a review by the Wisconsin State Journal.

In an August report, Wisconsin was ranked, alongside Ohio, as having the second best voucher program in the country by the advocacy and research group Center for Education Reform. CER’s rankings are based in part on how much autonomy private schools are allowed to keep once they enter a voucher program.

Read the rest of the article here.

Filed Under: CER in the News

Making the Grade: Where Does Your State Voucher Program Rank?

October 16, 2014 By

Maggie Thurber, Watchdog Wire

Want to know how state voucher programs stack up? The Center for Education Reform has the answer.

In their new report, School Choice Today:  Voucher Laws Across the States Ranking and Scorecard 2014, CER takes a look at the 15 voucher programs currently in existence and gives them a grade. There are three As, three Bs, seven Cs and two Ds.

It’s the first analysis of its kind, providing a state-to-state comparison of the various voucher laws and builds on the work CER has done to rank charter school laws and tax credit-funded scholarship programs.

“Having a voucher law on the books is a good start, but not enough to make sure students are actually benefitting from school choice programs,” Kara Kerwin, CER president said in a press release. “Policy design is critical, but the true strength of school choice voucher programs depends heavily on implementation.”

The state voucher programs were evaluated in four areas:

  • Student eligibility requirements
  • Program Design
  • Preservation of private school autonomy
  • Student participation

“From the types of students eligible to the number of regulations imposed on private schools, each element of a voucher program’s design impacts how effectively the voucher truly empowers parents with the ability to choose the best school for their child,” Brian Backstrom, CER senior policy advisor and author of the report, said.

Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin earned an A grade for their programs.

With 31 out of 50 total points, Indiana offers a universal voucher program available to all students and imposes no limits on the number of vouchers awarded. But it ranked second worst in the nation when it comes to infringing upon the private schools’ autonomy because it mandates course content and allows government observation of classes.

Ohio earned 30 points for what the report called a “piecemeal” approach to vouchers with five different programs. But its top ranking for student participation was praised as a “worthy achievement.”

Wisconsin, home of the oldest voucher program in the county, also earned 30 points, with its strong Milwaukee/Racine programs offering choice to 12 percent of the state’s school-aged population.

Washington, D.C., Arizona and North Carolina tied for fourth place with 27 points, earning them a B grade.

The D.C. program has a high percentage of children receiving vouchers, but its strict income eligibility threshold is the lowest in the country which limits the program’s reach, the report said.

For the 2014-15 school year, North Carolina’s program got twice as many applications as there were vouchers available. The state is currently defending a lawsuit against the voucher program which is on hold due to an injunction halting the distribution of the funds.

Arizona’s personal education accounts worked so well it was expanded in 2013. The state deposits educational funds directly into an account controlled by the parents who can choose how to spend the funds using a type of debit card that is coded to allow its usage only for pre-approved expenses. The accounts can be used for tuition at any school, to pay for college or university courses while their child is still in high school, for online education, certified tutors, testing preparation like for SATs, or even a la carte public school courses (foreign languages, for example). They also have the choice to not spend it and put it toward a future college education. Anything not used in a year is allowed to accumulate.

It’s a popular idea. Florida just implemented a similar one and Delaware just proposed their own program based on the concept.

Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah and Mississippi all earned a C grade with scores of between 19 and 23 points.

Louisiana imposes “such significant regulatory intrusion” that it ends up with a C. Their regulations are such that new private schools are prohibited from participating.

The ranking for Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Utah and Mississippi are due primarily to the fact that their programs are only for special needs students.

Colorado’s program is tied up in legal wrangling, but even if it were implemented, it only offers 500 vouchers for the more than 62,000 eligible children.

Vermont and Maine both earned D grades because they don’t offer a modern-day voucher program, but merely a method by which students in areas and towns without any district school systems can get an education.

The report states that legislators considering vouchers or modifying their existing programs “would be well-served by examining the design elements that have led to the success of several state programs, and the components of state voucher program laws that are holding some states back.”

With “reliable policy blueprints and visible implementation of strong voucher programs, more state leaders need to step up to the plate in order to grow and expand school choice opportunities across the U.S. so more children have access to options that best meet their individual learning needs,” Kerwin said.

Filed Under: CER in the News

D.C. school spending: Don’t forget to read the fine print

October 15, 2014 By

Scott Pearson
Fordham B. Institute Flypaper
October 15th, 2014

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s Metro D.C. School Spending Explorer offers the public a great resource by sharing data on public school spending (at the school level) across the District. As with any financial data, though, the fine print is as important as the headline.

The map says that D.C.’s public charter schools had a total operating expenditure of $18,150 per pupil in the 2011–12 school year, compared with total operating expenditure at D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) of $15,473. But this is misleading. Many public charter schools rent their space, and rental payments are considered operating expenses. Meanwhile, school-system buildings are decades old and are almost exclusively paid for from the city’s capital budget—which is not included in the comparison. Moreover, more than $1,000 per pupil of DCPS maintenance expenses are provided free by the city—these expenditures aren’t included either.

The fine print found in the Fordham Institute map describes the real situation—public charter schools receive less money per pupil than DCPS. This disparity is carefully documented in a 2012 study commissioned by two charter advocacy groups. It found that the total amount of extra non-uniform local operating funds DCPS receives compared to public charter schools ranges from $72 to $127 million annually. The report also makes the case for why some of these disparities exist, noting that charters are schools of choice, while “DCPS operates as a system of right, which requires schools be available across the city to serve every neighborhood at every grade level.”

Indeed, the District government’s own funding adequacy study, issued a year later, found D.C. education funding to be inequitable, and “these disparities in funding are contrary to D.C. law.” The funding inequities are also the subject of a lawsuit against the city jointly filed recently by the D.C. Association of Chartered Public Schools and individual charter schools. The outcome of this lawsuit likely won’t be known for years. Meanwhile, the city has taken some measures to reduce, but by no means eliminate, the inequities that have been so carefully documented.

These inequities have real impacts on charter schools. I frequently hear from public charter school leaders how they struggle to match salaries and bonuses paid at DCPS. As D.C.’s charter authorizer, we support the recommendation in the Adequacy Study that critical resources given by city agencies to both the traditional schools and charter schools should be funded through the Uniform Per-Pupil Funding Formula. This remedy would bring us closer to the funding equity required by law, as well as tap into fundamental fairness.

In the meantime, charter leaders have found innovative ways to support their programs and serve students. Charter school students outperform the state average in reading and math and, according to a recent CREDO study, receive the educational equivalent of ninety-nine extra days of school each year. Those are impressive results, especially given the funding inequities. It brings real meaning to the term doing more with less. D.C.’s charter schools and their students prove that every day.

Filed Under: Opinions

NEWSWIRE: October 14, 2014

October 14, 2014 By

Vol. 16, No. 40

BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL. Every morning, New Orleans native and local pastor Oscar Brown greets students at Homer A. Plessy Community Charter School. Boasting an art-centered curriculum that brings out students’ creativity, Plessy is a neighborhood school in the truest sense. Prior to opening, parents and community members all pitched in with painting, upkeep, and any other tasks needed to ensure a safe, adequate facility for students, and parents have had ample input in how their kids are learning in the classroom. The facility undertaking provides some tangibility to the financial and operational challenges charters face reflected in CER’s Survey of America’s Charter Schools. Now in its second year, Plessy’s diverse student body and creative approach are emblematic not only of New Orleans’ rich culture, but also the resolve to unite neighborhoods through improving education.

THERE’S NEED FOR THE OSP. Refuting the suggestion from a recent federal report that there is dwindling demand for the wildly successful DC Opportunity Scholarship Program (DCOSP), the American Federation for Children rightfully set the record straight. A staggering 97.2 percent of participating students are African-American and Hispanic, and more schools are accepting DCOSP scholarships since the 2011 passage of the Scholarships and Opportunity for Results (SOAR) Act, which reauthorized the DCOSP. Expanding student eligibility would bolster the DCOSP’s effectiveness, a program currently earning a “B” grade according to the 2014 Voucher Laws Across the States Ranking & Scorecard. At the end of the day, something about less demand for school choice in a city with underserved students in one of the most vibrant charter sectors in the nation just doesn’t pass the smell test.

SETTLING THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL. Perhaps a little more frustrating than the Carolina Panthers tie with the Bengals this past Sunday is the fact that North Carolina families still must face uncertainty due to a legal challenge against the state’s new Opportunity Scholarship Program now helping approximately 2,000 kids receive a better education. That said, the State Supreme Court has now decided to hear the case, expediting the legal process and potentially giving parents more security knowing they’ll have this life-saving educational option available for their kids. Fourteen voucher programs exist in other states; it’s time North Carolina gets fully on board with true implementation.

AP PROGRESS. There are some positive takeaways from the numbers surrounding Advanced Placement (AP) exams released by The College Board. For one, more kids from all backgrounds are taking AP courses, up 3.8 percent from last year, meaning there are more students who are consciously deciding to lift internal expectations and make the month of May that much more stressful. Approximately 57 percent of kids who took AP exams received a three or higher, a score usually considered as passing by most colleges and universities. AP exams offer many key benefits, such as obtaining college credit while in high school, which increases college preparedness as well as chances of graduating on time. The uptick in students taking these types of courses is a promising sign that families are demanding more out of education, and want learning environments and options to help make that happen.

ARE YOU VOTING THIS NOVEMBER?… For the candidate that will put student results first? Do your research before heading to the polls by checking out Education50, CER’s newly updated resource delivering hard-hitting analysis on candidates in each of the 36 gubernatorial elections. Want to spot the real education reform-minded candidate in other races too? This toolkit on how to spot the real reformer has everything you need to know.

CER IS 21! On October 13, 1993, The Center for Education Reform was officially incorporated to unite varied coalitions under the banner of school choice and accountability. Twenty one years later, we continue that important work to create the conditions for more educational choices in communities nationwide.

AS CER ENTERS ITS THIRD DECADE, the Board of Directors welcomed David Hardy, CEO of Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School and nationally recognized authority on school reform, and elected new leaders with Frank Bonsal III, EdTech investor and Director of Entrepreneurship at Towson University, as Chairman.

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

Survey: Utah parents have ample power in child’s education

October 14, 2014 By

Tracie Sullivan, The Spectrum

CEDAR CITY – Utah parents appear to have ample control over their child’s education, the Center for Education Reform reported. It ranked Utah sixth out of 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Climbing four spots from its previous number 10 ranking last year, Utah earned an 80 percent ranking on the Parent Power Index, a Web-based report card put out by CER.

The Index evaluates and ranks states based on qualitative and proven state education policies.

According to a press release put out by CER, the higher a state’s grade, the more parents are afforded access and information about learning options for their children.

“The index tool is for parents and policy makers to use in order to understand what policies and laws may be needed to bring about better educational opportunities. There are five main components that comprise state PPI scores — charter schools, school choice, teacher quality, transparency and online learning,” said Kara Kerwin, President of CER.

Utah has improved in several areas, which has helped move it up on the index including improved online educational options, a special-needs voucher and charter schools.

The voucher is available to disabled students ages 5 to 21, although participation is limited to the amount of money appropriated each year by the Utah State Legislature. Currently the state has appropriated $3.9 million, providing funding for 650 students to use the voucher.

CER considers Utah’s charter school laws strong because it provides equitable funding for the schools. However, it threatens parent access by imposing enrollment caps, Kerwin said.

Michelle Cameron recently moved to Utah from West Virginia. With two children in school, Cameron said she feels she has a lot more say in what happens with their education here, especially with her autistic son.

“We have options here we didn’t have in West Virginia like speech therapy, and one-on-one speech therapy too,” she said. “They had quit offering him that there a long time ago, so I was surprised when here they asked me if I wanted to put him in it.

“They also asked me if I wanted him to have time in other classes like cooking and music with the other kids. They never took him out of the classroom in West Virginia even for the minimum time he was supposed to be out.”

In an online discussion about whether parents felt they had control, Lesa Nelson, a Cedar City resident, said she has a significant influence in her son’s education.

“I have always been able to go to any of them (teachers) and express my concerns . . . I have felt I have always had a say in my son’s education,” she said.

But in the same online discussion, several local parents shared their frustration about not having control over their child’s education.

“Around here there isn’t much of a choice other than public or home school,” said Daniel Houchen, a Cedar City resident.

Filed Under: CER in the News

State ranks 36th in report card for parents

October 13, 2014 By

Advanced Monticellonian

Arkansas ranks #36 out of all U.S. states and the District of Columbia when it comes to giving parents fundamental power over their child’s education, according to the fifth edition of Parent Power Index (PPI), released by The Center for Education Reform (CER). While only six states earn rankings above 80 percent on PPI, Arkansas scores 63.8 percent.

Parent Power Index is a web-based report card that evaluates and ranks states based on qualitative and proven state education policies. The higher a state’s grade, the more parents are afforded access and information about learning options that can deliver successful educational outcomes for their children.

“While it’s true some states have made progress, it’s not nearly enough to meet demand. Simply put, we need more learning options available to more families, and we need them fast,” said Kara Kerwin, president of the Center for Education Reform.

“Out of the over 54 million K-12 students nationwide, only an estimated 6.5 million students are taking advantage of charter schools, school choice programs such as vouchers or tax credits, and digital or blended learning models,” said Kerwin. ”With the United States’ school-aged population expected to grow at unprecedented rates in the next 15 years, how will our school system be able to meet demand when we already have wait lists for charter schools and oversubscribed scholarship programs?”

A median PPI score of 67.4 percent (Delaware) shows just how poorly most states have implemented policies surrounding charter schools, school choice, teacher quality, transparency, and online learning, the five main components that comprise state PPI scores. Mississippi, ranked 20, made the most progress, moving up 21 spots and breaking into the top 20 states after being in the bottom 11 states on previous analyses.

“With 36 governor races this November, including in Arkansas, it’s time enacting parent-empowering policies take front and center, especially when only 30 percent of Natural State eighth graders are proficient in reading and 28 percent are proficient in math. America’s future depends on states’ ability to enact good policy to accelerate the pace of education reform and grow new and meaningful choices for parents.”

CER President Kara Kerwin and CER Executive Vice President Alison Consoletti Zgainer are available for comment on CER’s Parent Power Index. Members of the media should contact CER Communications Director Michelle Tigani at 301-986-8088 or michelle@edreform.com to set up interviews.

The PPI education scorecard reveals state summary data, while full state-by-state details, including methodology, can be found atparentpowerindex.com.

Filed Under: CER in the News

Politico’s Morning Education: Movers and Shakers

October 9, 2014 By

By Caitlin Emma
Politico
October 9, 2014

MOVERS AND SHAKERS
The Center for Education Reform has elected new officers to its board of directors: Frank Bonsal III, former director of entrepreneurship at Towson University, will serve as chairman; CEO of GSV Capital Michael Moe was elected vice chair; Managing Director of BMO Capital Markets Susan Wolford will serve as treasurer; and Friendship Public Charter Schools CEO Donald Hense was elected secretary.

Filed Under: CER in the News

The Center for Education Reform Elects New Officers to Board of Directors

October 8, 2014 By

CER Press Release
Washington, D.C.
October 8, 2014

The Center for Education Reform (CER), the organization which strives for educational excellence and stands for increasing parent choice by increasing alternative school providers, elected new officers at its annual board meeting this week, in addition to refreshing its membership with the election of David Hardy, CEO of Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School.

Hardy is a nationally recognized authority on charter school education and school facility financing. In 2005 he had the vision of starting an all-boys charter school to address the unique academic and social needs of urban boys. By 2008, Hardy had led the total transformation of a former Catholic school and church into one of the most modern, state-of-the-art school facilities in the region.

“I’m honored to have David Hardy join our Board of Directors, and so excited to be part of an organization that is represented by such a diverse and accomplished group of individuals working toward elevating the conversation and securing an opportunity for every child to learn no matter what the delivery mechanism,” said CER President Kara Kerwin.

The new CER Board of Directors leadership is:

  • Frank Bonsal III of Baltimore, MD was elected Chairman. Bonsal is a former educator, EdTech investor and the Director of Entrepreneurship at Towson University.
  • Michael Moe of Menlo Park, CA was elected Vice Chair. Moe has served as Treasurer of the organization for the past three years. He is the co-founder and CEO of GSV Capital.
  • Susan Wolford of Princeton, NJ was elected Treasurer. She is Managing Director of BMO Capital Markets.
  • Donald Hense of Washington, DC was elected Secretary. He is the founder and CEO of Friendship Public Charter Schools.

 

“CER is in the opportunity business,” says Jim Goenner, CER board member and the President and CEO of the National Charter Schools Institute. “We’re in the business of better education for kids, parents and country. And our board reflects that.”

More information about the organization, our board and staff can be found at edreform.com.

Filed Under: Press Releases

Governors, Candidates Evaluated on Education

October 8, 2014 By

Educationfifty.com Provides Public with Critical Analysis

CER Press Release
Washington, D.C.
October 8, 2014

Education50, launched today by The Center for Education Reform (CER) is an interactive web-based voter’s guide designed to empower the public with information to sort through the campaign rhetoric when it comes to education reform issues like charter schools, school choice and teacher quality.

“With 36 gubernatorial races this November, and growing impatience with state elected leaders when it comes to education issues, it is important that the American public have a tool to determine whether those seeking to be the next chief executive of their state are truly committed to ensuring better student outcomes or merely paying lip-service to maintain business as usual,” said Kara Kerwin, president of The Center for Education Reform (CER).

According to a recent survey conducted by CER in launching its Campaign for Education Reform in advance of the 2014 mid-term elections, 86 percent of Americans support greater accountability in our schools. Additionally, two-thirds (65 percent) rate their state elected officials as “fair” or “poor” when it comes to education issues.

“Too few of our modern-day state leaders appreciate the absolute role they must play in bringing about substantive change in America’s schools. Bold reforms were once a result of strong governors who knew it was their job to educate their colleagues in the legislatures and convene deep discussions, often putting partisanship aside,” Kerwin stated. “It’s as if there’s been a retreat from that kind of leadership and governance, and in 2014 it’s critical that we keep education reform front and center.”

In addition to the gubernatorial races, Education50 provides data on all 50 governors and those candidates seeking the mayor’s office in the District of Columbia. Education50 provides toolkits like “How to Spot the Real Reformer”, addressing many hot topics from the Common Core and standards to funding and curriculum, and also has tools to access state-specific data and stats.

“At a time when fewer than 40 percent of our nation’s eighth graders can read, add and subtract at basic proficiency, we must resolve to make education the most important issue when we head to the polls this November and elect governors who have a real sense of urgency when it comes to our schools,” Kerwin continued.

Filed Under: Press Releases
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