May 29, 2015
Letter to the Editor
by CER President Kara Kerwin
Sun-Sentinel
On May 29, 2015, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper printed “Charters do more to improve education,” a Letter to the Editor (LTE) written by CER President Kara Kerwin in response to an article that ran on May 27 in the paper called “Improve public schools by limiting charter schools.”
Click here or the PDF below to read the full LTE clipping.
Vol. 17, No. 21
#POWEROFCHOICE. Last week, News10NBC WHEC in Rochester, NY, aired an in-depth, multi-part series on the Power of Choice that explored why parents in Rochester aren’t afforded the same opportunities as parents in Washington, D.C. when it comes to finding the best educational fit for their children. The Center for Education Reform (CER) was honored to weigh in and provide context about how public charter schools are transforming education in our nation’s capital. As News10NBC reported, “Only nine-percent of African-American males graduate and only 10-percent of Latino males get a diploma in four years. These abysmal numbers can’t be blamed on funding – not even close. Rochester spends well over $21,000 — that’s over $9,000 or 72-percent more per student than the national average but still, school leaders say it’s not enough.” This series comes at a time when Governor Cuomo and New Yorkers are working to expand charter schools and bring much-needed tax credits to Empire State families. Newswire readers can stand with them to make sure opponents and special interest groups #DontStealPossible.
CHOICE BOOM. In 2003, there were just over 1,000,000 children ages 5 through 17 being homeschooled in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Education data. Ten years later, that number has jumped nearly 62 percent with 1,773,000 students being educated in the comfort and flexibility of their own homes. To put that 677,000 student increase into perspective, that’s greater than the populations of major cities like Boston, MA, Washington, D.C., and Memphis, TN. But that increase and demand for #ParentPower doesn’t come as a surprise to CER, as we’re seeing school choice programs oversubscribed and charter school wait lists grow across the country. Thankfully, more states in 2015 are working to increase Parent Power, with Tennessee the latest state to sign a school choice program into law, following Montana, Mississippi, Nevada, and Arkansas.
URGENCY NEEDED. Sadly, Maryland didn’t get the memo from other states working to expand education options available to parents, as The Wall Street Journal highlighted last week how changes made to the state’s charter school law restrict choice. Like other prominent media outlets, the Editorial Board of The Wall Street Journal agrees that changes signed into Maryland’s charter school law roll back progress, and do nothing to help improve conditions in cities like Baltimore. It’s sad when the “tricky” politics in statehouses get in the way of doing what’s best for students and providing them every opportunity possible to access excellent education environments. As Kevin P. Chavous notes about the missing link in Baltimore education, “instead of talking incessantly about how and why cities are exploding, let’s develop a sense of urgency around getting as many kids as possible in better schools… because in providing these kids immediate access to a high-quality education, we give them the tools to navigate around the ignorance of others because of the confidence and knowledge gained through education.”
ENROLL, LEARN, LEAD. You’ve broken out the grill, planned vacations and summer camps for the kids, but have you thought about your own enrichment this summer? EdReformU™, powered by CER, has just the thing for you with its Summer ’15 Program, History of Charter Schools (HistoryCS-201), beginning June 15. This new eight-week online course will give you in-depth knowledge about the genesis of charter school laws, and what lessons we’ve learned from over twenty years of educating, advocating, analyzing, and sharing what works within and across state lines when it comes to maximally effective charter school laws. Head over to university.edreform.com to apply NOW and learn more about how you can be part of the next generation of leaders to make real change happen in America’s schools with EdReformU™! But don’t just take our word for it – see what students are saying about EdReformU™. Don’t delay; you must apply by Sunday, June 7!
SURVEY SAYS… That your charter school’s information and feedback is vital when it comes to painting an accurate picture of the charter school environment in the U.S. Since 1996, CER has worked to collect information from charter schools across the nation to provide a comprehensive picture of the day-to-day operational struggles and triumphs of running a charter school. These results are analyzed and published in the Survey of America’s Charter Schools, helping fight myths about charter schools sadly still prevalent today and shedding light on policy changes needed in state houses across the country to ensure charter schools can thrive. So if you’re a charter school leader, click here to take the survey, which should take no longer than 20 minutes to complete. If you’re a charter school association, help spread the word to your schools – click to share the survey on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you for your participation!
By Berkeley Brean
NBC 10 Rochester (WHEC.com)
May 20, 2015
If a family in the city had the money to move to the suburbs for the good suburban schools that would be a choice. But what about the families in the city that don’t have the money to make that move? What choice do they have?
If they don’t win the charter school lottery, their children have to enroll in the worst ranked school district in the state. That’s why News10NBC traveled to Washington D.C. which is the capital of school choice.
We looked into who is blocking choice in Rochester. It’s the people who control the school system the way we know it now, according to the public school reformers we spoke with.
Jade Yates wants to make music and she wants that music to help people. Yates says, “I know a lot of people are going through a lot of things and depression and I think music really helps people.”
Jade is in the eleventh grade at Richard Wright Charter School in Washington D.C. It’s a charter focused on journalism and media arts. Going there was a choice her mother made.
Mother April Goggans says, “I think choice is just that. I think a lot of times parents feel shackled to their school in the neighborhood.”
Doctor Marco Clark is the founder and principal at Richard Wright. He makes a promise to every parent that their child will be accepted to a college.
“The question I ask is, ‘will the public schools do that?'” says Wright. “Do they make that type of promise? Are they bold, do they have the audacity to say things that charters and schools of choice actually have the opportunity to do? We stand by our product.”
Since school choice became the law in D.C., its overall graduation rate increased ten percent. Rochester City School District Board President Van White says, since he took office, the overall grad rate in Rochester has gone up the same.
“When I got sworn in at Number 50 School, where I attended when I was a kid, the four year graduate rate was 39 percent,” says White. “Now we’re not happy, but in August of last year the graduate rate was 48 percent. That’s almost ten percentage points.”
But in terms of choice, 45 percent of all children in D.C. go to charter schools. Only 14 percent of Rochester city children attend charters — that’s 4,200 out of 28,000.
Kara Kerwin of the Center for Education Reform: “Folks in Western New York and the rest of the state really need these options and we need emphasis on how we can scale up school choice in those areas.”
Berkeley Brean: “And who is stopping that?”
Kerwin: “The teachers unions. The status quo. The people who are afraid of change.”
Brean: “So what should parents be demanding then? Should they be getting on the phone and calling their New York State United Teachers’ office and Rochester Teachers Association office?
Kerwin: “They won’t listen to them. What needs to happen is legislative change, so that it takes away the power from those special interest groups and puts the power back in the hands of parents.”
Thursday night, in our exclusive report, we’re going to take that comment to Rochester Teachers’ Union President Adam Urbanski and he’s going to tell you something they he thinks will surprise you.
If you feel strongly about this, what can you do? We think you go straight to the top. You tell the governor he needs to do something. Now, that can be intimidating, so we made it easy. The phone number is 518-474-8390 or you can email him here. We composed a sample email that you can use as a starting point. You can click here for a form letter.
This piece is part of an in-depth, multi-part series called The Power of Choice. Watch the full special here.
In May 2015, News 10 NBC in Rochester, NY, aired in an in-depth, multi-part special on the Power of Choice, exploring why parents in Rochester, New York, are not afforded the same opportunities as parents in Washington, D.C. when it comes to finding the best fit for their child’s education.
The series comes at a critical time when Governor Cuomo and New Yorkers are working to expand charter schools and bring much-needed tax credits to Empire State families vying for the freedom to choose the best education for their child.
The Center for Education Reform was honored to weigh in and provide context about how public charter schools have changed education in our nation’s capital.
Students at Richard Wright PCS 4 Journalism & Media Arts ask their own questions of News 10NBC Reporter @whec_bbrean pic.twitter.com/uWRKC0J6dS
— Kara Kerwin (@CERKaraKerwin) April 27, 2015
Watch the full special, the Power of Choice:
Watch segments from The Power of Choice: New York Education Exposed:
The Power of Choice: A message from News10NBC’s General Manager and Vice President
The Power of Choice: Why is News10NBC focusing on education?
The Power of Choice: Why News10NBC went to Washington, D.C.
The Power of Choice: Who Killed East High
The Power of Choice: Are charter schools taking advantage of the system?
The Power of Choice: The connection between Rochester and Washington, D.C.
The Power of Choice: Charter schools versus public schools in Rochester
The Power of Choice: Isn’t it time the mayor has control of the most important issue in the city?
The Power of Choice: Who’s blocking ‘choice’ in the Rochester City School District?
New York State Exposed Education: If Washington, D.C. can do it, why not here?
by Andrea Noble
The Washington Times
May 14, 2015
Shirley-Ann Tomdio, a junior at George Washington University studying to be an orthopedic surgeon, ticked off a list of accomplishments that would make any parent proud.
The daughter of Cameroonian immigrants, Ms. Tomdio earned honors before graduating from Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, was an editor of her school’s literary magazine, won awards on the track team and serves as a leader of a women’s empowerment group.
Speaking about her accomplishments before a panel of federal lawmakers Thursday in the auditorium of Archbishop Carroll High School, Ms. Tomdio credited her successes to her parents’ perseverance, as well as a school voucher program that made it possible for her to attend to the private high school.
“The scholarship has allowed me to build a strong foundation for myself,” she said. “As the oldest, I have to set an example for my siblings and most importantly, myself.”
Congress is gearing up to reauthorize funding for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program that aided Ms. Tomdio — a school voucher program that provides disadvantaged families with money to subsidize their children’s enrollment at private schools in the nation’s capital. Meanwhile, President Obama’s fiscal 2016 budget includes cuts to the program.
A GOP-controlled Congress established the federal voucher program in 2004, which has awarded stipends of up to $12,572 per student to send more than 6,000 D.C. children to private schools.
But since its establishment, the program has been a point of political contention, with critics questioning its impact on student achievement and calling on the government to focus resources on public schools.
Program supporters say it gives families a choice outside a troubled public school system.
“Despite spending more per student than any jurisdiction in the country, D.C. Public Schools continue to struggle when it comes to educating students,” said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Utah Republican, who oversaw Thursday’s hearing.
But local Democrats note that city schools have made drastic improvements in the decade since the voucher program was authorized, and say that if Congress wants to support school choice, it should dedicate the money to the city’s well-established public charter school program instead.
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District’s nonvoting congressional representative, raised concern Thursday about “fly-by-night” private operations that accept students as part of the program, noting that not all of them are as well-regarded as Archbishop Carroll, where more than half of 384 students receive vouchers.
“There is no quality control on these schools,” she said.
Schools involved in the D.C. program are vetted prior to participation and must meet testing standards, said Kara Kerwin, director of the Center for Education Reform.
“Results out of the D.C. [program] do give other places a hope this can work,” said Ms. Kerwin, noting that her organization ranks the city’s voucher laws as fourth best in the country.
But the biggest indicator of whether the schools are doing a good job is whether parents kept their children enrolled, she said.
Mr. Obama’s fiscal 2016 budget would cut funding for D.C. school programs from $45 million allocated this year to $43.2 million and would require $3.2 million of the allotment to be used for an evaluation of the voucher program. The funding is divided into three separate allotments that go toward the voucher program as well as D.C. Public Schools and D.C. Public Charter Schools. Each of the three received $15 million in the current budget.
Ms. Norton said she would like the voucher program to be phased out gradually, allowing the 1,442 students currently receiving vouchers to graduate without enrolling new students.
As lawmakers quibbled over funding, experts were divided on whether the voucher program delivers tangible results.
Megan Gallagher, a research associate with the Urban Institute, testified Thursday that there is no clear evidence that the voucher program is the best strategy to improve student achievement.
“The evidence is limited on the benefits of [the program] on student achievement,” said Ms. Gallagher, pointing to a 2010 Department of Education study of the program.
The study noted that “after at least four years students who were offered (or used) scholarships had reading and math test scores that were statistically similar to those who were not offered scholarships.”
However, the same study also concluded that students enrolled in private schools through the voucher program were far more likely to graduate from high school.
In 2014, 89 percent of the students enrolled in the voucher program graduated as opposed to the 58 percent graduation rate for students enrolled in D.C. Public Schools.
Patrick Wolf, one of the authors of the study, testified Thursday that in addition to higher graduation rates, the study also found higher satisfaction ratings from parents of enrolled students.
“Parents have been empowered by the [program] and report that their children are in better and safer schools,” Mr. Wolf said.
Despite the mixed statistical results, Mr. Chaffetz said he intends hold a markup of the bill reauthorizing funding for the voucher program in the coming months.
“I think the principle of choice in school for parents is a very important one. In D.C., it’s demonstrating results and it’s helping people,” he said.
by Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board
Albuquerque Journal
May 15, 2015
Once again, New Mexico charter schools are at the top of the class, demonstrating why there is pent-up demand from families for this successful alternative public education model.
A U.S. News and World Report ranking of the best U.S. high schools lists three Albuquerque charters at the top of the 12 New Mexico schools that made the list of the 2,500 top high schools in the United States. Coming in at 76th out of nearly 20,000 high schools reviewed by the publication in compiling its “best of” list – and first in New Mexico – is Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School. Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science and Albuquerque Public Schools’ South Valley Academy were nationally ranked 219 and 410 respectively. Two other charters also made the list – APS’s Early College Academy at 910 and New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe at 2,008.
The highest ranking for a traditional New Mexico public school was Los Alamos High School at 521. Albuquerque High was rated No. 5 for New Mexico and 842 nationally. La Cueva and Eldorado in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and V. Sue Cleveland in Rio Rancho and Texico High in Curry County were also ranked within the top 2,500 schools on the list.
All deserve congratulations.
But the list further reinforces the importance of charter schools in the nation’s education reform efforts. The publicly funded charters, which can’t recruit students, use a lottery system to fill their schools. In the case of Cottonwood Classical, Executive Director Sam Obenshain says 100 new students were admitted this year from an applicant pool of about 500. South Valley Academy has accepted 90 students for this fall’s sixth-grade class, with 180 on a waiting list, and 92 ninth-graders, with 78 on a waiting list.
It is not uncommon for demand for charter slots to exceed the supply. The Center for Education Reform’s Newswire reported this week that New York City has the longest wait list for charter schools in the nation with over 160,000 students on it.
And while charters generally don’t offer all of the activities and amenities most traditional schools do, it’s clear plenty of motivated parents and students are willing to forgo them to receive the closest to a private school education they can get without the tuition.
Plus, charters have proven to be effective “labs” that allow traditional public schools to adopt innovative solutions that are proven.
Congratulations to all 12 New Mexico schools – students, teachers, parents, administrators and support staff – for making the prestigious U.S. News list.
This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
Vol. 17, No. 19
DOWNGRADED. This morning, Maryland became the first state to roll back its charter school law. While Governor Hogan’s original changes to Maryland’s charter school law would’ve made modest improvements to the state’s ‘F’ graded law, the State Senate gutted his vision, sending a bill to his desk that prohibits online charter schools, removes the State Board’s check and balance authority, stalls enforcement of equitable funding for charter school students, and removes the flexibility school districts already had in negotiating operational changes by requiring every single operational feature subject to a legal agreement. “I am fully aware that the politics of Annapolis can be ‘tricky,’ but to completely ignore the warnings of local charter school leaders, news media, local businesses, parents and national experts is extremely troubling and does not put the interests of students first,” says CER President Kara Kerwin.
MAKING THE CHOICE. A new report from the D.C. Public Charter School Board provides the first comprehensive look at where charter school students in our nation’s capital attend school. Commuter patterns reveal 48 percent of public charter school students attend charters in their home ward, while 46 percent of public charter school students attend a charter outside of their local district. What this report indicates is that parents make choices for their children for a variety of reasons; some choose a school because of proximity, while others choose a school based on its culture or special academic focus. Whatever the reason, parents deserve the power to make choices when it comes to their children’s future, as one D.C. charter school parent notes, “Choice is everything.”
163,000 WAITING. D.C. parents aren’t the only ones who think “choice is everything,” as New York City has the longest wait list for charter schools in the nation with over 160,000 kids wanting to access public education options outside of their assigned neighborhood school. The problem with New York is that there are perverse policy incentives in place regarding backfill, or the practice of “making vacated seats available to new students”. Policies that prevent parents from having the most power over their children’s education must be exposed and changed, which is exactly why CER’s Parent Power Index evaluates and grades states based on how much opportunity and information parents are afforded. As a recently published piece on CER’s Parent Power Index notes, (and as data from New York to DC reveals!), “Whether you come down for or against charters and other school choice options, parents want the resources to make informed decisions about their children’s schooling.” Thankfully, today New York Governor Cuomo introduced the Parental Choice in Education Act, and together with Cardinal Timothy Dolan called on the Legislature to pass this legislation that would provide $150 million in education tax credits for students most in need of education alternatives.
MORATORIUM. “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” While Delaware is nowhere near first when it comes to offering Parents Power, perhaps the First State should take Ricky Bobby’s trademark slogan to heart and work harder to improve parent power, not limit it, as it just did by placing a moratorium on charter schools in Wilmington. Just days ago, Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed a bill into law that bans new charter schools from opening until June 2018. The rationale? Concerns that charters have “disrupted local feeding patterns and hamstrung traditional public schools.” Call us crazy, but stifling growth just because it’s hurting “business as usual” for adults in the system isn’t a valid reason to prevent what’s in the best interest of our students.
TAXED. It looks like North Carolina is taking notes from Delaware when it comes to stifling innovation and growth, as a provision that snuck into the 2014 budget is rearing its ugly head. The provision calls for new charter schools opening in 2016, and all charter schools upon their renewal, to come up with $50,000 cash or purchase guarantees. Perhaps North Carolina is forgetting that charter schools are in fact public schools that actually get 36 percent LESS money on average than their traditional public school counterparts and unlike other public schools, typically do not even receive facility funding. All the while research indicates public charter schools are actually using public funding more efficiently than traditional public schools. Time for adults in the Tarheel State to figure out an alternative to balancing the budget that doesn’t come at the expense of improving student outcomes.
#EDREVOLUTION. CER will be on the ground in New Orleans next week for AFC’s annual policy summit that convenes some of the best and brightest policymakers, advocates, and leaders when it comes to school choice. Register to attend here, and be sure to follow @edreform on social media for real-time updates!
CER Press Release
Washington, D.C.
May 12, 2015
Statement by Kara Kerwin, president of The Center for Education Reform:
“This morning Maryland became the first state in the country to roll back its charter school law at a time when it should be pursuing bold and dramatic change across its public education system.
“I am deeply concerned and disappointed by Governor Larry Hogan’s decision to sign The Public Charter School Improvement Act of 2015, which no longer reflects the much-needed change the Governor’s original proposal envisioned.
“The new law prohibits online charter schools, removes the State Board’s check and balance authority, stalls enforcement of equitable funding for charter school students, and removes the flexibility school districts already had in negotiating operational changes by requiring every single operational feature subject to a legal agreement.
“I am fully aware that the politics of Annapolis can be ‘tricky,’ but to completely ignore the warnings of local charter school leaders, news media, local businesses, parents and national experts is extremely troubling and does not put the interests of students first.
“I appreciate the Governor’s commitment to revisiting this issue in the near future, but if the politics of this past session are any indication, it is highly unlikely there is any legislative appetite to improve the already ‘F’ graded charter school law.”
Washington Post
Editorial
May 8, 2015
THE STATE of Baltimore’s public schools was spotlighted in the aftermath of riots that rocked a city mourning the death of a young black man, Freddie Gray, while in police custody. Bad schools are only one element of urban dysfunction. But they are both a consequence and a cause of inequality, and improving them is essential to keeping another generation from being trapped by poverty. There’s no excusing violence. But as the attorney for Mr. Gray’s family said of the young people who took part in the rioting, “The education system has failed them.”
The past decade has seen students in the 84,730-student system making gains, particularly in reading, but the educational outcomes are still depressingly low. Just 16 percent of eighth-graders and 14 percent of fourth-graders were proficient in reading on the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress; the performance of Baltimore students ranked in the bottom third of the nation’s largest cities, according to Trial Urban District Assessment data. More than a quarter of high school students don’t graduate in four years. Nor is money the problem: Baltimore ranks near the top in per-pupil spending for big cities.
Giving poor parents the kind of alternatives that wealthier families take for granted would help. Some competitive pressure on the school system might help, too. But Maryland is so hostile to charter schools that many children in Baltimore find themselves stuck with no options.
There are 31 public charter schools in Baltimore, enrolling 11,506 students — about 14 percent of public school students. The District, by contrast, has 112 charter schools, enrolling 37,684 students — 44 percent of public school students. Thousands of Baltimore students are on waiting lists for charters; KIPP Baltimore, for example, has 635 students queued up. But Maryland’s restrictive laws have kept good schools from meeting that need while preventing charters from innovating as they would like to do. A report this year by Baltimore’s Abell Foundation lamented that national charter management organizations with proven track records in educating low-income children are dissuaded from locating in Maryland because of the lack of autonomy they would have in choosing curriculum and hiring personnel as well as meager financial support.
Gov. Larry Hogan (R) tried to get the General Assembly to approve needed reforms, but the Democrat-controlled, union-friendly legislature not only gutted his plan but also passed a bill that would impose onerous new regulations on charters. The bill is awaiting action by the governor; he should veto it.
Baltimore’s tumult underscores the need to go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan that welcomes high-quality charter organizations that have helped bring school improvement to cities such as Washington and New Orleans. Much as Hurricane Katrina served as a beacon for rebuilding New Orleans’s education system, so could the death of Freddie Gray serve as a wake-up call in Maryland.
Are We Doing Enough to Affect Change in Education?
On Thursday, May 7th, Paul Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. hosted its 2nd Annual “My Brother’s Keeper…Responding to the Call” event focused on effective efforts to prepare young boys of color for college and community action surrounding those strategies. The forum strengthened the dialogue about key issues like inequality and the achievement gap, an especially significant discussion given the recent happenings in Baltimore, Maryland.
Jami Dunham, CEO of Paul Public Charter School, D.C. native, and Howard University alumna, explained how central education is to helping the country’s most disadvantaged communities, telling those in attendance last night, “What happened in Baltimore is a reflection of the adult culture that has failed those children. We as adults have failed to give them the tools to succeed.”
Dr. Robert Simmons, Chief Innovation Officer at D.C. Public Schools, challenged the audience, saying, “D.C. could easily become Baltimore. We need to ask ourselves if we are doing enough to affect change in education.”
And in fact, just today the Washington Post Editorial Board made this same connection, writing:
Indeed, strong charter school laws are essential in allowing schools like Paul Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. to thrive. In fact, out of the 43 charter school laws that exist today, Washington, D.C.’s is (and has remained for nearly 7 years!) the top-rated charter school law in the nation, allowing D.C. to transform and become a place with schools parents want to send their children.
National Charter Schools week shines a spotlight on the power of education to bring change to communities that need it most. It’s up to us to take action and continue to spread that message and awareness beyond just this week.