Ted Allen, Author at The Center for Education Reform

Effort to Expand Educational Opportunity in Massachusetts is National Model

April 8, 2016 By Ted Allen

Diverse coalition, compelling data and stories driving momentum

April 8, 2016

Washington, DC – A diverse array of parents, community leaders, pro-parent power legislators and Governor Charlie Baker have banded together to secure critical changes to the state’s charter school law that would ensure thousands more students have the opportunity for a better education. Their effort in Massachusetts is being seen nationwide as a model for other states facing similar challenges.

“Meaningful change can occur when strong leadership, substantive public policy reforms and sustained public support combine to achieve increased innovation and opportunity for children,” said Jeanne Allen, Founder & CEO of The Center for Education Reform. “Advocates on the ground in Massachusetts are doing exactly that. They recognize that despite some of the nation’s best charter school networks hailing from the Bay State, their C-rated charter school law must be improved in order for schools to expand and new ones to open to serve more students.”

Leading the effort to support pro-charter legislators and citizens, and working diligently to provide them with information and resources, is the Great Schools Massachusetts coalition, which includes the state’s successful charter school association. The coalition continues to grow, with more than 80 Latino leaders convening in East Boston last month to stress the overwhelming demand for more education options from Latino communities, as charter schools have proven they can close achievement gaps for English Language Learners and Latinos.

State leaders are also aggressively working to put an end to misinformation about charter schools and have launched an effort (www.charterfactsma.org) to educate the public more broadly about charter school demographics, outcomes, funding and results.

“Efforts to fix Massachusetts’ charter school law are powerful and being watched by other states trying to tackle similar issues,” continued Allen. “No longer can state leaders ignore the demands from tens of thousands of parents on waiting lists in almost every community where charters have whet their appetite for a better education.”

Filed Under: Press Releases

More Than 80 Latino Leaders – Joined by Governor Charlie Baker -‐ Call on State Legislature to Lift the Cap on Public Charter Schools

April 6, 2016 By Ted Allen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 8, 2016

CONTACT:

Josiane Martinez
josiane@discoverasg.com
857-‐222-‐0800

Eileen O’Connor
eileen@keyserpublicstrategies.com
617-‐806-‐6999

More Than 80 Latino Leaders – Joined by Governor Charlie Baker – Call on State Legislature to Lift the Cap on Public Charter Schools

EAST BOSTON – More than 80 Latino leaders from across Massachusetts gathered today at Excel Academy in East Boston to urge immediate legislative action to lift the cap on public charter schools in the Commonwealth. Governor Baker also attended the launch event, and echoed the urgent call for a legislative solution to increasing access to public charter schools.

CLICK HERE TO READ LETTER FROM COALITION

The Latino leaders – which include state legislators, city councilors, school committee members, non-‐profit leaders, business leaders and community activists from Boston and Gateway Cities – joined the Great Schools Massachusetts Coalition and announced a public information campaign, “Justicia en la Educación: Latinos Unidos por Escuelas Públicas Charter,” which will focus on educating Latino parents and community members about the benefits that public charter schools have provided Latino children across the state.

“Massachusetts’ public charter schools have provided kids, parents and families in our communities with a student-‐centered approach critical to the success of children who face additional barriers to a great education,” said Governor Baker. “I am proud to join these leaders to call for raising the cap in low-‐income communities of color so that all children, regardless of zip code, can share in this success.”

“This legislation is something that our community wants and perceives it needs – and we await the leadership of our legislators at the State House to deliver it,” said Samuel Acevedo, Executive Director of the Boston Higher Education Resource Council and Pastor of Leon de Juda church.

“Public charter schools have played an important role in improving our education system, since we went into state receivership,” said Jeovanny Rodriguez, a Lawrence City Councilor and former school committee member. “But almost 34,000 children across the state and more than a thousand children in Lawrence remain stuck on public charter school waiting lists due to the cap. It’s time for all of us to come together to lift the cap and give all children access to quality public schools.”

Latino leaders are joining the pro-‐charter coalition because of the overwhelming demand for public charter schools in communities with large populations of Latinos, and because public charter schools have a proven track record of closing the achievement gap for Latino students and English Language Learners. In addition to gathering today to launch the public information campaign, the Latino coalition sent a letter to legislative leaders, urging them to pass a bill that provides relief for the 34,000 children stuck on waiting lists for public charter schools.

“We speak for thousands of constituents that care deeply about correcting this social injustice, and we urge you and your colleagues in the Legislature to support a bill to increase access to public charter schools across the Commonwealth,” read an excerpt of the letter. “This would enable Massachusetts to become the first state in the nation to truly level the playing field for low-‐income students of color, and ensure that all children are afforded the basic right to a quality education.”

Almost all of the 34,000 children stuck on charter school waiting lists live in Boston and Gateway Cities, including Lawrence, Holyoke, Springfield and Chelsea – all communities with large Latino populations where traditional public schools are among the lowest performing in the state. An independent study from Stanford University’s CREDO Institute found that Massachusetts charter schools have eliminated the achievement gap between Latino students and white students statewide, and 2015 study from MIT found that English Language Learners perform “significantly better” in Boston charter schools than they do in traditional public schools.

Great Schools Massachusetts is a statewide coalition of parents, community groups, public charter schools, education advocates and business leaders who are committed to providing families with equal access to public charter schools. Nearly 34,000 children in Massachusetts remain stuck on public charter school waiting lists due to arbitrary enrollment caps. New charters are frozen in many urban districts where traditional public schools are underperforming and parents have shown a clear demand for public charter schools. Great Schools Massachusetts is committed to providing families with equal access to public charter schools, whether that happens through a ballot measure or a legislative solution.

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Via Great Schools Massachusetts.

Filed Under: Breaking News Tagged With: Charter Schools, Massachusetts, charter school cap

Those concerned about race and equality should champion charters

April 6, 2016 By Ted Allen

Boston Globe
April 6, 2016

RE “Racial aspects tinge charter debate” (Page A1, March 28): Massachusetts charter schools are not only among the highest performing in the nation, but they serve a student population that’s 58 percent black and Latino, while statewide that figure is 27 percent.

That should make people who are concerned about race and equality want to support charter school expansion, as a gateway to improved opportunity. Yet you report that the New England Area Council of the NAACP opposes permitting more charter schools, even while the African-American community votes with its feet in overwhelmingly choosing them for their kids.

It’s precisely because the traditional civil rights groups oppose structural change to traditional public schooling that new organizations such as the Black Alliance for Educational Options were born. Meanwhile, African-American lawmakers and celebrities have advocated for charters and started their own, from former NBA star Jalen Rose, who started one in Detroit, to singer John Legend supporting Harlem Village Academies and writing a song in honor of the school’s first graduating class. It was black Democratic representatives who brought expansive charter school laws to states including Florida, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania.

If there is to be any focus on race and charter schools in Massachusetts, it should be because charter schools are helping to serve children historically underserved by our nation’s education system, and putting power in the hands of parents who otherwise do not have access to a better education option for their children.

Jeanne Allen, founder and CEO
Center for Education Reform, Washington, D.C.

Filed Under: Opinions, CER in the News

Newswire: April 5, 2016

April 5, 2016 By Ted Allen

Vol. 18, No. 14

HOW IS LACK OF FREEDOM A WIN? US Education Secretary John King called the 4-4 SCOTUS ruling on the Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association a win for educators, but that’s hardly the case. The whole point of this suit was teacher freedom. Rebecca Friedrichs and her colleagues boldly took a stand against union practices they ultimately felt were damaging to their students, something some Chicago teachers who are in the midst of a union-led strike wish they could do right now, but are afraid of the repercussions. This is exactly why the issue of teachers’ rights is not going away, and will persist until educators get what they truly consider a win – the freedom and ability to be treated as professionals and educate children unfettered by the politics of unions.

CHARTER KIDS SUCCEED AS ADULTS. Now here’s the kind of research that makes a data wonk get all excited! Researchers from Vanderbilt & Georgia State find that charter high school graduates are more likely to stay in college and earn more in their adult life. They use real data, over time, and account for numerous variations in school composition, size, longevity, and more. Read up on this study and more charters & choice research here.

THE REAL SEGREGATION IN EDUCATION. Education pioneer and CER Board Member Kevin P. Chavous takes aim at the claim that school choice is to blame for segregation in US education.Many who are quick to point the finger at school choice fail to condemn the status quo, and fail to consider the fact that school choice programs are designed to help low-income families, many of whom are minority and stuck in failing schools by virtue of their zip code.

IN THE NEWS. Voters in New York can’t decide if they want de Blasio to have control over schools, perhaps because he’s not the Mayor and the leader in education that his predecessor was… Meanwhile, despite Wisconsin being a ground zero for school choice, the issue has been ignored by candidates in the state’s Presidential primary. There are cheers in Pennsylvania over the court putting Philly back in its place, and Treasure State parents are celebrating a court ruling in favor of school choice in Montana.

TRUTH TO POWER. “We have schools in this state that are so low performing it’s almost criminally negligent,” said one of the founders of the successful Raleigh Charter High School at a meeting last week regarding legislation to turn around some of North Carolina’s worst performing schools. Achievement District legislation proposed by Rep. Rob Bryan (a former CER Intern!) would create new opportunities to take the place of schools that have been failing students for too long. As Marcus Brandon, executive director of CarolinaCAN and former lawmaker who supported the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, said, “This is an excellent opportunity for this General Assembly to say no longer will the state of North Carolina accept you failing kids for 20 straight years.”

ED TECH INNOVATION OF THE WEEK. The Indigo Project aspires to empower all students and aims to transform the national education system. How, you ask? By giving schools non-academic data on who their students are, Indigo creates a path for schools to transform their culture and empower students through personalized learning. Already, a handful of charter schools are taking advantage of the freedom and flexibility they’re afforded and using Indigo as a tool to have real impact on students’ academic trajectories. Visit indigoproject.org to learn more.

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

Charter High Schools’ Effects on Long-Term Attainment and Earnings

April 5, 2016 By Ted Allen

Charter High Schools’ Effects on Long-Term Attainment and Earnings

Confirming previous research (Booker et al., 2011) that charter school students are more likely to graduate high school and enroll in higher education, this study looks at charter school students’ college persistence and earnings.

Findings reveal charter high school graduates are more likely to stay in college and earn more money as adults.

In Florida, 23-35 year olds who attended charter schools could earn as much as $2,300 higher compared to their peers who attended traditional public schools in the Sunshine State.

Filed Under: Choice & Charter Schools

The Real Segregation in American Education

April 5, 2016 By Ted Allen

by Kevin P. Chavous
The 74
March 31, 2016

The Washington Post wrote about a new study from the Southern Education Foundation, which finds that private schools in America are overwhelmingly white. The study’s author makes the illogical and unsubstantiated argument that the private school choice movement of today is an extension of the racism that existed a half a century ago when white parents opted to use private schools to avoid desegregation.

There is no denying history and the motives of some parents and politicians 50 years ago, who feared desegregation and were racially motivated to send their children to private schools. However, the history of 50 years ago doesn’t align with the reality of today. Private school choice programs now exist in 25 states and Washington, D.C. Through vouchers, tax credit scholarships, and Education Savings Account programs, nearly 400,000 children are accessing a private school of their parents’ choice. Today’s system is color blind and largely benefits minority families. Despite the clear evidence of this, the author of the study still makes this inaccurate conclusion: “The fact is that, over the years, African American families and non-white families have come to understand that these private schools are not schools that are open to them, especially in light of their traditional role and history related to desegregation of public schools.”

That’s an actual quote from Steve Suitts, the senior fellow at the Southern Education Foundation who wrote the report. Not rooted in fact, but mere conjecture to support his bias against school choice and in support of an antiquated, one-size-fits all model of education.

Continue reading here.

Filed Under: Opinions

Supporters and opponents speak out on Achievement School Districts in North Carolina

April 5, 2016 By Ted Allen

by Alex Granados
April 1, 2016

Rep. Rob Bryan, R-Mecklenburg, unveiled the latest version of a draft Achievement School District (ASD) bill at the House Select Committee on Achievement School Districts on Wednesday.

One of the most significant changes was the addition of Innovation Zones to the legislation. Districts that put a school into an ASD would be able to take up to three other continually low performing schools and put them in an Innovation Zone — a zone where schools can operate with charter-like flexibility.

Read the full article here.

VIDEO: Rep. Bryan explains Achievement District bill and answers questions from North Carolina lawmakers to set straight what the intended goal of this legislation is — to improve outcomes for kids in the lowest-performing schools in the state.

Filed Under: Breaking News

Montana judge rules against state in School Choice lawsuit

April 5, 2016 By Ted Allen

By Bobby Caina Calvan, Associated Press
April 1, 2016
KSL.com

A Montana judge ruled that the state cannot exclude children attending religious schools from being awarded scholarships under Montana’s School Choice program.

In his ruling released late Thursday, District Judge David Ortley said the state Department of Revenue likely overstepped its authority in excluding religious schools as a “qualified education provider.”

Ortley said the state Legislature did not explicitly bar such schools from the program when it passed Senate Bill 410 last year. The law, which went into effect in January, established tax credits of up to $150 for donations to private scholarship funds.

Continue reading article here.

Filed Under: Breaking News

Nation’s Two Premier Education Reform Organizations Announce Powerhouse Merger

April 1, 2016 By Ted Allen

NEARlogo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2016

CONTACT:
Corrie Leech, NACSA 312-376-2327
Michelle Tigani, CER 202-750-0016

WASHINGTON, DC – The Center for Education Reform and the National Association of Charter School Authorizers have announced the merger of their two organizations, effective today.

“For years, our two organizations have worked to grow the quality and quantity of charter schools, though in different ways,” said Greg Richmond, the President of NACSA.

“It only makes sense for us to combine forces and work seamlessly toward our shared goals,” said Jeanne Allen, Founder and President Emeritus of CER.

The new organization will be called the National Association for Education Reform (NEAR).

NEAR will be based in Chicago and Ms. Allen will be its CEO and President. “I look forward to moving to Chicago. Politically, it feels like home to me,” said Ms. Allen.

“More importantly,” said Allen, “I look forward to building on the foundation established by NACSA. The only way we will achieve quality and growth in the charter school sector is through fewer authorizers – preferably one per state – and more regulation.”

Richmond will become the new organization’s board chair and President Emeritus. “CER has been right about authorizing all along. Plus, no organization in education reform has a stronger record of collaboration and compromise than CER. I look forward to working together to advance our joint agenda.”

Richmond will be relocating to rural New Mexico and starting an alpaca ranch. “After decades of employment in education reform, I figure I can handle domesticated animals that spit at each other.”

Allen hopes to monetize the alpaca wool for public good by incubating new charter schools that provide hands on opportunities for sheering and ensure students become the entrepreneurs that NEAR envisions will run reform long after she and Richmond have retired permanently.

Filed Under: Press Releases

Newswire: March 29, 2016

March 29, 2016 By Ted Allen

Vol. 18, No. 13

TEACHER RIGHTS. The Supreme Court’s split decision today in the Friedrichs v. California Teachers Assocation et al. case does not mean that the issue of teachers’ rights is going away. “Great and courageous teachers like Rebecca Friedrichs have already exposed the public to the issue of union collective bargaining power in education, and when they come back to fight to make workplace freedom a reality, we will be ready to help them fight for their ability to be treated as professionals. We simply must.” More from CER Founder & CEO Jeanne Allen.

LOUISIANA LAWSUIT. “Money will always be the biggest area of dissension in education as long as school boards maintain the flawed position that money belongs to one set of systems and not people,” CER told the Louisiana Record about a local school board partnering with the state teachers union to challenge a district court charter school ruling.

CHARTER STARTER. Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs Sean_Combs_2 is adding edreform to his resume, using his star power for good by starting a charter school in Harlem, NY. He’s not the first celeb to open a charter school either. Maybe if MA lifted the cap on charter schools, they would have celebrities rushing to open schools there too…

MUST WATCH. Dr. Wayne Lewis, the Executive Director of Education Programs at the Kentucky Secretary of Education’s Office, gives a fantastic briefing on what charter schools can offer The Bluegrass State. Watch here.

RACE & CHARTERS. There’s a much bigger story to how and why charter schools uniquely succeed that was not covered well in The Boston Globe’s “Racial aspects tinge Mass. charter debate” article. Here’s the real deal.

ED TECH INNOVATION OF THE WEEK. School choice could be getting easier for parents thanks to mobile tools and technology like SchoolMint. EdSurge has the scoop here. (Have an ed tech innovation that advances student, educator or parent power? Send it to Michelle@edreform.com)

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

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