Preserving Charter School Autonomy and Accountability in ESEA Flexibility

On February 9th, President Obama announced that 10 states have been granted waivers under the U.S. Department of Education’s ESEA Flexibility program. These states are the first to receive waivers from elements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) if they adopt several reform practices. This includes focusing their accountability and intervention efforts on two groups of low performing schools that make up roughly the lowest-performing 15 percent of public schools in a state.

You may be wondering what impact the waiver program will have on charter schools. You’re not alone. The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) wondered the same thing, and has discussed the potential impact on charter school autonomy and accountability with Department officials and Secretary Arne Duncan.

After reviewing the first 11 applications submitted for the waiver, we observed that none addressed how their proposed policies would affect low-performing charters. We’re concerned state education agencies (SEAs) will inadvertently harm charter school autonomy and accountability unless they give specific attention to the unique aspects of charter schools.

One of our concerns is that SEAs will seek to apply the same intervention policies to charter schools that they apply to district schools. For young charter schools that are struggling, SEAs would require state-mandated improvement plans – greatly reducing charter schools’ autonomy over their educational program.

For consistently low-performing charter schools that come up for renewal, states would require multi-year corrective action plans that keep low-performing charter schools open for years. As states implement these waivers, we want to ensure that struggling charter schools that would be closed by their authorizer do not stay open longer because they are involved in these improvement processes.

The good news is that the department is aware of our concerns, and is working to address them with the current waiver recipients and future waiver applicants. Furthermore, authorizers across the country have reached out to their SEAs to discuss their ESEA waivers. State charter associations and charter schools can join us in this discussion. Please consider contacting your SEA to work with them to develop ESEA Flexibility plans that consider the charter sector.

Working together, I’m confident we can preserve charter school autonomy and accountability through this process.

Michigan Cyber Schools give Parents a Choice Outside the District Box

Michigan has two cyber public charter schools, and the demand by parents for these schools is incredible. Under current law, each of the schools will never be able to accept more than 1,000 students. Both schools have already reached that limit. Combined, the Michigan Virtual Charter Academy and Michigan Connections Academy currently have a waiting list of approximately 10,000 students. These students are now waiting on the lottery, hoping their number gets called.

Currently, a legislative effort is taking place in Michigan to lift the cap on cyber charters, and the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA) strongly supports this effort.  We support the expansion of parent choice, believing that every child matters and every parent should have a variety of high-quality options. Public charter schools, and public cyber charter schools are quality options. As it stands now, only a small percentage of parents in Michigan have that option. And that’s not right.

The traditional school community in Michigan has been fighting this legislation tooth and nail, simply because they don’t want to lose market share. They’ve tried to advance the false argument that a cyber education lacks quality safeguards and results. This is a curious argument for them to be making, considering that 90 percent of more than 500 traditional school districts offer these very same online learning programs, using the very same online education providers they’ve been criticizing.

As a cyber charter school, these schools are held to a higher standard of accountability.  Each school has a separate school board of public officials, an authorizer with a contract that audits and monitors academic performance, fiscal stewardship, and sound and appropriate governance.  Charter schools in Michigan must also comply with most rules and regulations that apply to all public schools, certified teachers, reporting, testing, etc. Most importantly though, charter schools are held accountable by parents, through their choice to attend or leave.

The cyber charter school legislation, SB 619, has passed the State Senate, come out of the State House Education Committee and is expected to be taken up in the full House next week.  If passed there, some modifications would need to be approved by the Senate before moving to Governor Rick Snyder who is expected to sign the bill when it reaches him.

Ultimately, MAPSA supports lifting the cap on cyber charter schools for Michigan’s future, the students. Students like Steve Slisko. He’s a boy I met who lives in a suburb of Detroit, and has cognitive impairments that prevent him from speaking or holding a pencil. He’s extremely bright, but has struggled in a traditional school setting. Thankfully, his family found the Michigan Virtual Charter Academy, and he was able to win a coveted spot in the school. Now he is thriving. He can type his assignments; communicate with his teachers via e-mail, which has resulted in his grades skyrocketing. His grandfather says the school is a “miracle.”

Steve is just one example from the many students in Michigan who have found success by attending a cyber charter school. There are thousands of other students, each with their own story, and their own reason why a cyber education is the best option for them. Our job is to provide sound policy and a quality opportunity for them, then let them decide. Our job is to ensure a quality education for each child in Michigan. 

5,000+ Charter School Parents Rally in Los Angeles

On Feb. 4, charter school parents, students and teachers from more than 100 schools across Los Angeles rallied for “Schools We Can Believe In,” making this the biggest parent rally in LA history and possibly the biggest charter school rally ever anywhere in the country.

We showed the strength of the charter school movement, but more importantly, we showed the depth of our commitment to ensuring that all students have high-quality public schools in their communities. I was moved by the stories parents told of their own struggles to find a high-quality school in their neighborhoods and their incredible pride in their charter schools. As one our parent speakers said, “I want every family in LA to have what my family has – a great public school.”

We also heard from leaders like Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Board President and Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Parents spoke out to demand fairness in funding and facilities for all public school students, including charter public schools and to have a voice in their child’s education.

But perhaps the greatest accomplishment of the “Schools we Can Believe In” Rally was to help our own movement recognize its potential. We were able to see what is within our potential to unleash and to recognize our own unique position to play a catalytic role that could greatly improve educational opportunity for all of California’s students.

We did a statewide poll earlier this year and it showed us that the biggest predictor of whether someone will support charter schools is that person’s direct or indirect experience with charter schools. We have to invite elected officials to visit our schools and to meet the amazing parents and students and teachers like those that rallied this past Saturday and hear their incredible stories.

On Feb. 29, we will rally again, this time in our state capitol in conjunction with our 19th annual Charter Schools Conference to push for funding equity for charter schools and the students they serve.

Defeat of Public Charter Schools Amendment in Georgia Legislature Leaves no Winners

The score yesterday was 110-62, but nobody won!  No, not a ball game, but the single most important piece of legislation (HR1162) in Georgia to continue the growth of high quality charter schools here. 

The measure would allow the voters of Georgia to decide about a Constitutional Amendment that would restore the ability of the State to authorize charter schools.  This is in response to our Supreme Court that struck down our law that established an effective alternative authorizer—the Georgia Charter Schools Commission.

Now the readers of this blog do not need to be persuaded about the value of an alternative authorizer for charter schools.   So, I am “preaching to the choir.”  I am going to share some observations and rants about the “sinners” that are doing their darn best to stop this charter movement here–and in your state as well.

Big nuisance to me: hearing all the opposing legislators yesterday start their speeches with: “Now I support charter schools.”  Charter grammar lesson number 1—this phrase will always be followed with the conjunction “but.” 

We heard that over and over yesterday.  One representative who used that line yesterday, then referred to every study ever known to mankind doubting the value of charter schools.  He even referred to some studies that have never been done!  Where is the logic in this? This rep “supports charter schools” even though he thinks they are the worst development in public education and certainly should be burned to the ground (good thing we don’t have facilities?).  Suggested response to him and others like him:  “Now I support you,” but “your voting record is atrocious, you have bad grammar, bad logic, are ignorant of our dire K-12 education problems, clueless what we really need, and that a five-year old could represent the children of your district better.”

Another big nuisance to those of us on the front lines: “friendly” fire.  You know—getting shot in the back from those who should be with you—and that some legislators actually think do support children in schools.

It’s the worst opposition of all.  Consider the Georgia PTA.  I thought their mission was to facilitate greater communication between parents and teachers for the children’s sake.  Are they no longer about chili suppers, school festival days, cookies for parties, and apples for teachers?  When did they become one of the loudest voices AGAINST charter schools?  Did they poll all parents and teachers to get this position?  Are they now Professional Teachers Association?

Other “friendly” fire here has come from Georgia School Boards Association, Georgia Superintendents Association, and PAGE (Professional Association of Georgia Educators). 

Most gratifying has been the development of a broad-based and growing coalition   to fight for the children.  With eleven current members, we are pushing for the growth of quality charter schools.  Check out www.brightergeorgia.org.  We are expecting an opposition website www.wesupportcharterschools.but.

The good news is the game is not over; there has been a delay in the game.  The issue will return to the House after 10-15 more representatives realize this issue is about children—not job security.