February 4: Top Story - Charter Schools Serving Higher Percentage of Minorities

The Washington Post reported that a new study by the Civil Rights Project at UCLA found that black students make up 32% of charter school enrollment, roughly twice their percentage of enrollment in regular public schools.

In other headlines...
The Role of Charter Management Companies
Charter School Turnaround Could Be Model for Tennessee

Charter Schools Serving Higher Percentage of Minorities

The Washington Post reported that a new study by the Civil Rights Project at UCLA found that black students make up 32% of charter school enrollment, roughly twice their percentage of enrollment in regular public schools. Seventy percent of black charter students are in schools in which 90% of the student population is nonwhite. The study recommended a push to diversify charter schools racially. "We actually are very proud of the fact that charter schools enroll more low-income kids and more kids of color than do other public schools," said Nelson Smith, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. "We're happy to talk about those demographic issues. We're also happy to talk about how to increase diversity overall in all facets of public education. The real civil rights issue for many of these kids is being trapped in dysfunctional schools."

Source:Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020303959.html

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The Role of Charter Management Companies

The Tampa Tribune explored the role of charter management companies in Florida’s charter schools. At a panel last week at a Pasco County education summit, State Rep. John Legg pointed out that management companies provide needed business expertise, but warned that the state’s charter school law intended for the schools to be community-driven. State Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith praised the “absolutely stunning” array of choices charter schools have provided to parents, and emphasized the state’s role in carefully monitoring multistate charter organizations. The most important thing to measure, Smith said, “what happens to the children at the end of the day." Karl Huber, development director of Imagine Schools, said: “It's a fallacy to assume that just because your organization is regional or national, you're not able to be community-based…If our parents aren't really happy, our schools won't do well."

Source: Tampa Tribune, http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/feb/03/pa-ownership-of-schools-questioned/news-metro/

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Charter School Turnaround Could Be Model for Tennessee

WREG reported that a low-performing Nashville school will become Tennessee’s first traditional public school to be turned into a charter school. State Education Commissioner Tim Webb said the effort to fix Cameron Middle School could become a model for reforming the state’s worst schools. Cameron is one of 13 schools across the state eligible to be placed into the “achievement school district,” which will be under the direct control of the commissioner. A so-far unnamed charter school group will take over Cameron, possibly one grade at a time.

Source: WREG, http://www.wreg.com/news/sns-ap-tn--public-to-charter,0,6635338.story

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