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NEWSWIRE: April 8, 2014

April 8, 2014 By

Vol. 16, No. 14

SINK OR SAIL. There’s a perfect storm brewing in Tennessee, with proposals aimed at expanding educational choices coming from all directions. It’s a perfect storm because while there are pieces in place that could expand the state’s charter school sector, there are also proposals that would help expand the entire portfolio of options for Volunteer State children, and students need quality schools of ALL shapes and sizes. Items proposed run the gamut of factors that affect much-needed Parent Power from permitting parents to petition for change in schools, to awarding opportunity scholarships for underserved students, to creating more favorable conditions for charter schools to truly flourish. It’s extra critical that lawmakers put aside political considerations to focus on legislation that would both increase school choice and accountability for students who deserve better. Now, it’s time to seize the opportunity.

DEAN OF STUDENTS. In an evolution possibly slower than Vermont’s signature maple syrup, former Green Mountain Gov. Howard Dean recently declared a newfound support for the charter school movement and the young generation of reformers set on finding solutions to America’s educational woes. Dean has been out of office for a few years now, but better late than never for witnessing first-hand the benefits of charter schools. When talking about his son’s experience teaching in an inner city school, Dean correctly frames the conversation of obtaining a quality education as a civil rights issue, prompting his realization of the need for any solution that could improve the U.S. school system. Dean’s conversion reinforces that lawmakers should take time and visit charter schools to see how they’re a positive force in the communities they represent before taking a status-quo stance against these innovative schools.

TELL THE TRUTH, MR. ATTORNEY GENERAL. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is dismissing the claim that the DOJ has taken an anti-voucher stance in its actions against the Louisiana Scholarship Program, saying it was only looking for information about the program and never intended to stop it in its tracks. Holder must be forgetting that pesky injunction the DOJ initially sought against the program, which was pretty hard to miss seeing as it was the very first item mentioned in the original complaint. After all, the injunction was the major reason why the DOJ’s actions deserved condemnation in the first place. If Holder really meant what he said (under oath), the DOJ would end efforts to provide excessive oversight over a popular and necessary program for so many Louisiana families.

A REAL K12 EDUCATION. According to K12 Inc. educator Summer Shelton, the online learning experience is just like being in a brick-and-mortar classroom in terms of what’s being taught, except  that students are being educated completely online instead. And, being educated online doesn’t mean that students aren’t held to high expectations. Online learning is a growing and exciting trend, but many parents still don’t have the necessary access to the best options that fit their child’s learning needs. Provided an online experience is right for a student, learning is based on mastery of subjects, and educators like Shelton are held to high standards themselves. As student populations continue to grow (in the coming years it’s expected that the U.S. will gain 11 million more students!), it’s paramount to increase availability of new and innovative options, and inform parents through toolkits and media of the facts behind approaches such as online learning.

EDUCATION REFORM: BEFORE IT WAS COOL. Finally, there is now a detailed anthology of the modern-day education reform movement designed for people who want to understand the real practice and successes of the past 20 years by the pioneers in the field who worked tirelessly to improve schools for all children. Broken down into seven parts, this indispensable book is great for anyone interested in learning about the groundwork laid for the next generation of reformers. Click here to secure your copy today!      

JOIN SUNSHINE STATE PARENTS making their voices heard THIS Wednesday at a press conference at the FL State Capitol, sharing how charter schools have positively benefitted their children. Click here for more information. Don’t forget to like The Florida Parents Network on Facebook so you can stay informed on preserving the rights of parents to choose quality schools for their child, expand in-demand options and ensure all students are receiving equitable treatment.

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

State Law Hinders Charters

April 7, 2014 By

Editorial, Wyoming News

The issue: The Center for Education Reform has given Wyoming’s charter school statutes a “D” grade.

We believe: This is one big reason that the state has so few charter schools: The law hinders, rather than helps, advance the concept.

It continues to be a mystery why Wyoming does not have a robust charter school movement.

This is a state that treasures independence, free market competition and local control of schools. It also has a conservative political mindset, which should make it fertile ground for education reform.

True, the Legislature has been busy with other matters. It has been trying to install a system of school accountability. And the brouhaha over State Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill is consuming a lot of energy and time.

But that does not mean lawmakers should not be looking at this issue.

Accountability is one big piece of the puzzle. But so is competition. Academic success outside the system n which charter schools offer n can help push the public schools off dead center.

Perhaps the biggest impediment to the charter school movement in Wyoming is the state law. Quite simply, it gets in the way of charter schools, rather than helping them to prosper.

That the state law needs work was proven once again n as it is every year n by a report from the Center for Education Reform. It gives Wyoming’s charter school statutes a “D” grade, ranking them 40th out of the 43 states that have such laws.

Two of the biggest impediments in the law are a lack of multiple authorizers and the freedom for charters to operate in ways they see fit.

In terms of authorizer, the current process of having school boards approve charters is unproductive. It forces boards to worry about a charter’s impact on funding. Then there is the fear that it actually may succeed and what that says about current schools.

Wyoming needs an independent authorizer to open up the system. Besides, that could allow for greater expertise in the decisions; even district officials admit they are in over their heads in analyzing the quality of charter petitions.

As for autonomy, charters now have to rely on the districts’ goodwill if they want to operate outside current policy. Yet the movement relies on a trade: charter school freedom for results. If that is not given n and it is not in Wyoming n then the full benefits of the charter idea cannot be enjoyed.

Lawmakers must open the system to the competition that they say they so dearly love. Perhaps some legislative candidates will make that point about the charter law in this year’s elections.

Follow the law

The Laramie County Commission clearly broke the state’s open meetings law this week. Rather than meeting at its announced time of 2:15 p.m. on Monday, it met earlier.

The commissioners say it was just an error. Perhaps. But another opinion being expressed is that they wanted to meet with off-track betting officials outside the view of the public. A variety of motivations for that have been speculated upon.

No doubt, the commissioners will say none of that is true. But that is why there is a law: Meeting in public doesn’t allow for rumors or innuendo n or bad behavior, if any.

The County Commission should know better. The law is clear. Follow it.

Filed Under: CER in the News

New Book Offers Vital Insight for Next Generation of Education Reform

April 4, 2014 By

     Education Reform: Before It Was Cool –The Real Story and The Pioneers Who Made It Happen

CER Press Release
Washington, D.C.
April 4, 2014

An indispensable new anthology on the beginnings of the modern-day education reform movement, Education Reform: Before It Was Cool – The Real Story and The Pioneers Who Made It Happen, is designed for people who truly want to understand and learn first-hand from the greatest contributors to the movement to make our nation’s schools work better for all children through choice, accountability, and innovation.

Published by The Center for Education Reform (CER) and edited by founder and president emeritus Jeanne Allen, Education Reform: Before It Was Cool is born not out of theory, but out of real practice and success witnessed in over twenty years in the field.

“As The Center for Education Reform turned 20 years young and looked back at the history it helped create, it became clear that the next generation of reformers should learn from the lessons of the past, the battle lines drawn and re-drawn, the missteps made, and the victories won,” said Allen. “One must know who fought the early battles, who took the first arrows, and who made it cool for a new generation to come to the party.”

Education Reform: Before It Was Cool breaks down the history of the movement into seven parts, relating the experiences of accomplished activists and policy makers across more than a dozen states and numerous communities. Highlights include the efforts of a parent turned state superintendent of schools the growth of a city wide block of charter schools and social service organizations in one of the poorest sections of Los Angeles, the leadership of an African-American Mom who had lost her son to gun violence and who made it possible for other sons and daughters to receive a safe and successful education, and the evolution of a city councilman from establishment to reformer. These and other leaders paved the way for today’s reform efforts.

“I’m grateful to the leadership at CER for producing this important historical book and guidepost to the future. Without an opportunistic outlook we will become just like the institutions we sought to change twenty years ago,” said Allen. “Good intentions won’t deliver American kids from embarrassingly low proficiency in the basics, restore rigor to their classrooms, or ensure college—and career-readiness. Only hard, smart decisions and substantive efforts will.”

History is the best teacher, and Education Reform: Before It Was Cool equips the next generation of leaders with rare insights about how real substantive and structural change got started, and is a handy guide to avoiding repetitive failure and ensuring repetitive success.

To purchase an e-copy of Education Reform: Before It Was Cool or reserve a hard copy, please go here.

About the Editor: Jeanne Allen is the founder of The Center for Education Reform and served as its president from 1993-2013. Today, Jeanne is a Senior Fellow and president emeritus, and serves on CER’s Board of Directors. Jeanne Allen is Vice President of K-12 Programs for HotChalk, Inc., an education technology company.

Filed Under: Press Releases

Tennessee Turns Its Back on Results

April 3, 2014 By

Lawmakers Decline to Improve School Conditions

CER Press Release
Washington, D.C.
April 3, 2014

The Center for Education Reform’s President, Kara Kerwin, issued the following statement in reaction to the blocking of HB 1693 in the Tennessee Legislature today:

“There is no reason a bill allowing for public-private partnerships in the oversight and administration of charter schools should have been rejected by the Tennessee House Calendar and Rules Committee.

“In every industry, including education, the State government and city of Nashville has approved, time-and-again, the use of for-profit, private entities to manage public services that affect every aspect of people’s lives.

“The reason Tennessee’s charter school sector is still considered to be nascent is due in large part to the incremental steps lawmakers have taken to bolster it. The assimilation of groups that prioritize performance and outcomes above all else would represent a monumental step forward in improving Tennessee schools, both charter and traditional.

“The careless dismissal forbidding charter schools to contract with education management organizations unfairly eliminates high quality, results-driven providers from helping Tennessee charters create a better option for students, parents and teachers.”

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Read why Tennessee’s Charter School Sector Would Benefit from Public-Private Partnerships here

Filed Under: Press Releases

New Hope Academy Charter School Students Speak Up

April 3, 2014 By

New Hope Academy Charter School students made an open letter video to voice their concerns to the York City School Board members.  These Pennsylvania students were prohibited from speaking at the March 19th meeting. Board members barred students and other school supporters as well, claiming they were solely accountable to “taxpayers”. The Board voted not to renew New Hope Academy’s charter, despite the school’s repeated successes and high achievement. Fighting to keep the doors of New Hope Academy open, students ensured their voices would be heard through this open letter.

Filed Under: Choice & Charter Schools

The Real Threats to Charter Autonomy

April 1, 2014 By

In recent remarks, Robert Cane, executive director of Friends of Choice in Urban Schools (FOCUS), issued a powerful warning to the charter school movement in the District of Columbia.

Cane spoke of the momentous progress that has been made over the years in making charter schools promising educational options for DC students, but also of the threats to derail the engine driving much-needed reform in the District.

There’s no denying the strides made in DC’s efforts to create a robust charter school environment and the increased student proficiency as a result, but even the most Parent Power friendly areas still face challenges.

Of all the attacks on the charter movement, Cane says, “the most insidious is the continuous assault on what truly defines charter schools: individual-school control over operations and freedom from burdensome oversight.”

This assault comes through in a number of ways, from the ‘controlled choice movement’ to the burdensome regulations charter schools increasingly endure.

Said Cane, “Over the years legislation and regulations have been proposed that, for example, sought to require every charter school to use the same reading program; to impose uniform truancy and disciplinary policies and procedures on charters; to require every charter regardless of its mission, to adopt  “universal values,” “financial literacy,” and “environmental literacy” curricula.

He continued, “Now getting serious traction nationally, the controlled choice movement would limit choice by empowering the government to centrally engineer school admissions in order to achieve increased racial and socioeconomic diversity or other goals.”

“The idea that central planning of any kind should be applied to the charter schools is more frightening than any moratorium on chartering,” he said.

In Cane’s view, charter autonomy is crucial to improving student achievement:

“The success of the charter schools also shows what all of us already know:  that we’re still far short of our goal of educating every charter school kid to the limits of his or her ability.  I know that many charter educators spend the majority of their waking hours working on this problem and I’ve no doubt that over time they’ll solve it in their own individual ways if given the leeway to do so.”

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso

NEWSWIRE: April 1, 2014

April 1, 2014 By

Vol. 16, No. 13

NY APRIL FOOLS BUDGET? New York’s budget passed late Monday night, and it’s being billed as a “bold course” of action for charter schools. April fools? If only. The sad reality is that this budget is nowhere near bold because it neglects more than half of the state’s charter schools! Apparently many lawmakers who honed in on scoring political points in New York City’s charter school debate have never made the seven hour drive from Long Island to Buffalo, otherwise they’d know there’s a lot more to New York than just the Big Apple. Last night’s budget provides facility funding support only to new and growing NYC charters, allotting nothing additional for charters outside the City. Further, the maintenance of a charter per-pupil spending freeze while other school spending goes up represents yet another disparity for charter students statewide. Perhaps it’s a novel concept, but state policies are supposed to be state-based, and a student attending a traditional or charter school in Rochester should be treated the same as a student in Brooklyn.

TENNESSEE’S MULTIPLE FRONTS. Lawmakers might be upset that the Vols got knocked out of the NCAA tournament, but that’s no reason to carry the disappointment over into the legislative arena. In another moment of legislative disappointment, the Tennessee House pushed back a vote on allowing the State Board of Education to oversee and monitor charter schools in the event capable schools face local hostility and appeal. Although this was a temporary setback in the push to expand quality options for Tennessee students, today legislation passed the House education committee that would allow public-private partnerships within the state charter sector, vastly improving the potential for quality schools to gain a foothold in the Volunteer State. These efforts cobbled together represent a concerted move towards the ultimate goal of creating numerous quality learning opportunities for children.

FIGHTING ILLINI. To say deep-pocketed unions and special interests have launched a full-frontal attack on Illinois charter schools would be an understatement. Multiple pieces of legislation are now gaining traction in Springfield, that aside from inhibiting choices for underserved students, weaken the already lousy charter policy environment in Illinois, indicated by its charter law grade of ‘D’ and low Parent Power standing. In addition to bills that would severely limit autonomy on how charter schools spend their funds, there are a litany of other proposals aimed at limiting the charter appeals process and subjecting charters to burdensome standards to which they’re already accountable due to existing legislation. Join thousands of others and make your voice heard to urge lawmakers to fight for charter school equity and survival.

MAINTAINING TRUE CHOICE. Robert Cane of Friends of Choice in Urban Schools (FOCUS), delivered a powerful warning of the potential derailment of the charter school engine driving education reform in the District of Columbia. Playing a prominent role in the DC charter landscape, Cane has learned that with all of the charter school successes embodied by student achievement, efforts to inhibit growth have always persisted. Whether it’s burdensome regulation and paperwork, or attempts to control charter school curricula or work rules, there have been and always will be threats to charter school autonomy, which is what allows educators to innovate and do what they do best. Recently, some 17,000 DC families enrolled in the District’s lottery in search of the best possible education for their young students. For these families and many others in need of better opportunities, it’s critical to stand firmly against efforts to co-opt the charter school movement.

DO YOU KNOW quality teachers in non-traditional schools whose passion and dedication to educating makes a difference on a regular basis? Who are we kidding, of course you do! Visit publicschooloptions.org to nominate that outstanding educator for the 5th Annual American Pioneer of Teaching Award, and the lucky winner will be announced May 6th. Go to PublicSchoolOptions.org for more information.

 

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

Tennessee’s Charter School Sector Would Benefit from Public-Private Partnerships

March 31, 2014 By

Performance-based accountability is the hallmark of charter schools and reforms aimed at improving student learning.

Unlike all other public schools, charters must be proactive in their efforts to stay open. They must set and meet rigorous academic goals, and actually meet or exceed their state’s proficiency standards. Unlike the traditional public schools that intentionally remain under the radar, charter schools operate under intense scrutiny from teachers unions, the media, and lawmakers. In states with strong charter school laws that allow for objective oversight, it is clear that performance-based accountability is working.

In the $607 billion enterprise that is the U.S. K-12 education system, public-private partnerships have played, and continue to play an integral role.

Tennessee’s charter school law currently prohibits the non-profit boards of charter schools to contract with education management organizations (EMOs) for services. This is a major flaw in the Volunteer State’s law that is way outside the norm of best practice from almost every other state. In fact, only 10 states of the 43 that allow for charter schools limit a school’s autonomy to contract with EMOs, and these states are among the weakest for charter school laws in the country.

There are over a dozen high-quality management firms that are driven by capital operating in the public charter school sector. They are building public-private partnerships whose bottom line is for the greater good of the public interest. Their entire business model is predicated on student outcomes. If it’s not, they will lose business.

One such EMO, Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) has achieved outstanding results with all students—particularly low-income and minority students—that are significantly higher than the average academic achievement results for such students in the states where CSUSA operates. In Florida, for example, where around 70 percent of CSUSA schools operate, Hispanic and Black students, English Language Learners (ELL), and students who are economically disadvantaged attending CSUSA schools outperformed the state average by 11 percentage points in reading, 7 percentage points in mathematics, and 6 percentage points in writing each year for the past 8 years. (CSUSA also continues to show higher performance than the state with White students, too, and CSUSA’s total student population outperformed the state average by 6 percentage points in reading, 3 percentage points in mathematics, and 6 percentage points in writing. As a district, CSUSA earned an “A” academic average for 6 out of the last 7 years from the Department of Education.

Ninety-six percent of students completing 8th grade at National Heritage Academies partner schools go on to graduate from high school, well surpassing the national average for low-income students (70 percent) and all students combined (83 percent). Additionally, 37 percent go on to graduate college with their bachelor’s degree or higher, nearly five times higher than the national average rate (8 percent) for low-income students (NCES, 2013).

By law, education management organizations may only contract with the non-profit governing board of a charter school. These are public schools that are held to the same state standards, open meeting laws, and transparency. Open-enrollment policies must apply, and students that attend charter schools, regardless of the tax status of the organization that manages it, do so by choice.

Education management organizations bring investment and capital to the communities they serve, creating jobs, innovation, and cost-saving strategies. Most assume great financial risk on behalf of their non-profit clients to build infrastructure and facilities in communities that in any other industry would most likely not be considered ideal or open to business. In fact, like most charter schools, even those in public-private partnerships, receive on average 30% less per pupil than their traditional school peers whose management has no accountability or incentive to improve student outcomes.

For example, National Heritage Academies (NHA) has invested over $475 million in the communities it serves, creating good jobs, and providing new opportunities for students. For each new school, NHA makes a multi-million-dollar upfront investment to cover construction and construction-related costs – the school itself does not pay anything, as the school’s facility is financed privately and with no taxpayer money. In building any new public charter school, NHA typically leverages millions of dollars in private capital to create a new or renovated facility, all at no cost to local taxpayers.

Lawmakers should seize the opportunity to open the doors to public-private partnerships for Tennessee’s charter school sector. Doing so is not only a best practice but an important step to ensure quality growth among charters. Education management organizations serving charter schools bring expertise, capital, quality service and tremendous job creation to the communities they serve.

Filed Under: Choice & Charter Schools

Jalen Rose: More school choice is the remedy for educational ‘madness’

March 27, 2014 By

Jalen Rose, RedefineED

It’s that time of year again when basketball and brackets take center stage. This March Madness, we’ll be pulling for our favorite teams and celebrating the players for their hard work and commitment – both on and off the court. And, while we may have differences in our final bracket picks, we know one thing is certain: many of the players we’ll be cheering for are student athletes who were given the opportunity to earn a quality education based on their athletic talents.

Many of these student athletes come from challenged backgrounds – not much different than my own. As many know, I grew up in Detroit, but thankfully, I was both afforded opportunities to attend a great college as a result of my basketball talents.

While a select few are able to capitalize on their individual athletic skills, for far too many students that simply is not an option. Sadly, in the United States, too many children do not have these same opportunities due to gaps in their educational experience that lead to a lack of fundamental knowledge and skills – those same skills that are necessary to be accepted into college and to succeed in life.

That’s why as we focus our attention on March Madness, I  hope to shed a light on the true “madness” in this country – the fact that every 26 seconds a student drops out of school.

Far too many of our minority students are not receiving the education they deserve because for many, the idea of attending a quality school is simply unattainable. I believe that this is unacceptable.

To put it into perspective, an estimated 366,369 kids will drop out of high school while we watch the 63 games throughout the tournament.

This is madness.

Students in our country deserve more educational options. They deserve access to best school for their needs, no matter their family’s income, and no matter their race. I am committed to empowering parents with the ability to choose the very best school for their child.

Education inequality is everywhere. Children are trapped in schools that do not meet their needs, in which student bodies are determined solely based on a ZIP code. It is no secret that many of those children who struggle in failing schools come from minority or low-income families. The real tragedy is that a great school can be just around the corner or is a short drive away, but children are denied the right to attend a superior school in our current system.

Educational choice gives every child the opportunity to attend the school that works for them and provide them with the tools they need to succeed. Whether it is private, public, charter, virtual or homeschooling – tailoring a child’s education to their needs is necessary.

As an advocate for educational choice, I have seen the positive impact of choice on numerous families and children across the country. I have visited and met with students who had come from failing and underperforming schools, now succeeding at high quality private schools – all due to educational choice.

My commitment to improving the educational options for inner city children is what inspired me to open the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy charter school – to provide a quality educational option to students in Detroit.

This month, as we participate in the annual March Madness activities, we must not forget the true madness – that too many children are trapped in a school that fails to meet their needs.

And, just as we commit to our school during the tournament, we must come together and commit to the cause: Educational Choice Now. So every child, no matter their ZIP code, no matter their race, and no matter their parent’s income, can access a quality education.

 

Filed Under: Opinions

Massachusetts charter school bill revived

March 27, 2014 By

Mary C. Tillotson, Watchdog.org

A Massachusetts charter school bill, thought dead, was revived Wednesday morning.

“We’re still hopeful we can work something out,” said Dominic Slowey, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association.

The bill would expand the charter school cap, which would allow more students to attend charter schools, which are public schools run without many of the regulations imposed on traditional district schools.

Currently, 40,000 students are on charter school waiting lists, Slowey said, and 81 charter schools are open. In Boston, 17,000 of the 55,000 students in district schools are hoping for access to charter schools.

The bill had languished in the education committee, where members didn’t reach an agreement by the deadline, so it recommended the full Legislature not consider the bill. Leadership in the Legislature reversed the decision and sent the bill to the House Ways and Means committee. The bill must pass both houses and land on the governor’s desk by July 31, the end of the legislative session, to become law.

“The (charter) schools are demonstrably high-performing schools, proven successful in bridging achievement gaps,” said Jamie Gass, director of the center for school reform at the Pioneer Institute.

A Stanford study found that typical charter school students in Boston made significant learning gains beyond their peers in district schools. A school year in a Boston charter school effectively resulted in 12 months of additional reading learning and 13 months of additional math learning, the study found.

Slowey attributed charter schools’ excellence to the state’s high standards and tough process for authorization. Those wanting to start charter schools must show competence in running schools and managing finances.

“The standards and accountability in Massachusetts, if it’s not the best it’s certainly among the best,” he said. “Only highly qualified applicants get a charter, so we have a very good system here of weeding out applicants.”

Charter schools receive about 30 percent less funding per student than district schools, said Kara Kerwin, president of Center for Education Reform.

Critics argue that public charter schools drain money from district public schools, but Massachusetts’s “impact aid” program requires that the state pay a student’s per-pupil cost to the district during the first year that student attends a charter school. The district receives money for a student it is not educating — 100 percent the first year and 25 percent for several years afterward.

The state hasn’t been fully reimbursing over the past couple years, Boston.com reports, and the bill would have allowed the cap to rise as long as the state is fulfilling its reimbursement commitments.

The cap, which limits the number of charter schools that can open in the state and limits the funding school districts can allocate for charter schools, is one of the more onerous burdens in the charter school law, Kerwin said.

While Massachusetts’ charter schools perform well, the state was ranked 25th in the country for the quality of its law in CER’s rankings.

Filed Under: CER in the News
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