Maine, Florida Rank in Top 10 for Charter School Laws.

According to the St. John Valley Times, Maine’s charter schools law was ranked second in the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS) annual ratings of state charter laws. “While Maine is ranked second, its law still needs improvement in some areas, including by lifting the state’s cap on state-authorized charters and ensuring equitable access to capital funding and facilities,” said NAPCS vice president Todd Ziebarth. The Pinellas News reported that Florida’s charter schools law ranked fifth, in part because it does not cap the number of charter schools allowed statewide and has strict policies for closing poorly performing charters. "We think the top 10 states…have created the right policy situations for charter schools to thrive," said Ziebarth. "The next thing is ensuring that implementation goes well and that strong laws that are created actually lead to good schools for kids."

Sources: St. John Valley Times, Pinellas News

Editorial: Charter Authorizers Should Hold Schools More Accountable

A New York Times editorial calls for greater accountability in the public charter school movement. “If the movement is to maintain its credibility, the charter authorizers must shut down failed schools quickly and limit new charters to the most credible applicants, including operators who have a demonstrated record of success.” A recent study found that the early performance of charter schools is a good indicator of later success. When it comes to the expansion of schools into charter networks, the Times recommends: “Permission to expand should be granted only if the schools can demonstrate that they can actually improve student performance.” The study also found that KIPP and Uncommon Schools “have actually managed to eliminate the learning gap between poor and higher-income students,” by replicating a successful learning program and keeping the level of teaching uniformly high. “In any case, the researchers and policy makers need to pay closer attention to how these schools function.”

Source: New York Times

Idaho’s Charter School Law Could Be Revamped Soon

According to the Idaho Statesman and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, the Idaho Charter School Network is drafting legislation to provide facilities funding for the state’s public charter schools. Representatives of the school administrators’ association, the charter school commission and State Department of Education have been meeting periodically since last summer to try to reach consensus on improving Idaho’s charter schools law. “If something comes forward from stakeholders, it will probably be well received,” said Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde. “I believe the Legislature would support an equitable way to better facilities funding.” According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ annual assessment, Idaho’s charter schools law is ranked 32nd out of 43. Idaho’s charters spend, on average, about $549 per student from their operational funds on facilities. Other potential legislative changes include allowing universities, nonprofits or others to authorize new charter schools and requiring schools to renew their charters every five years or so.

Sources: Idaho Statesman, Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Charter School Growth Fund Paying Off, Study Says

According to Education Week’s Marketplace K-12 blog, a study by Stanford University’s CREDO found that schools supported by the Charter School Growth Fund through grants and low-interest loans are producing greater gains than both traditional public schools and other charter networks. Since 2006, the organization has given around $160 million in grants and loans to help successful charter schools expand. Today, the Fund supports 34 charter management organizations operating more than 300 schools in 17 states, serving 125,000 students, including YES Prep, Rocketship Education, and Noble Network of Charter Schools. The study, which examined the results for 73,000 students in 14 charter networks, found students in growth-fund schools produced much larger gains in math than those in both other charter networks and in regular public schools.

Source: Education Week

Texas Governor Calls for End to Charter Cap

According to Education Week , Texas Governor Rick Perry told the State Board of Education Friday that it's time for Texas to increase the number of public charter schools allowed to operate statewide. Texas currently caps the number of charters at 215, although operators can run multiple campuses under one charter. Perry said Texas has about 150,000 students in charter schools and more than 100,000 on waiting lists. "Not every student thrives in the same setting in schools. Texas' academic future must be built on the flexibility necessary to serve those different students," Perry said. "That future will, by necessity, involve more public charter schools, which offer parents a tuition-free alternative to their neighborhood schools."

Source: Education Week

North Carolina Charter Advocate Seeks Reform

According to the Durham Herald-Sun , Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina President Darrell Allison is calling for legislative changes that would focus on the quality of the state’s public charter schools. “We really have to make sure we have more equitable funding,” Allison said. “It’s unconscionable that there’s a barring of public charter schools to have access to lottery dollars.” Allison would also like to see more resources for the state’s Office of Public Charter Schools so that it can effectively monitor schools, especially now that the cap on the number of schools statewide has been eliminated. “We have the pieces in place to ensure the quality, with the understanding that we need to beef up the human capacity and financial capacity for the office.” Allison said that he is pleased to see Durham Public Schools working collaboratively on a vision statement with local charters. “I think you can’t go wrong when you see this kind of collaboration,” he said.

Source: Durham Herald-Sun

New Mexico Education Chief OKs Online Charter School

According to Education Week, New Mexico education chief Hanna Skandera overruled the state Public Education Commission last week to allow a new virtual public charter school to open in the fall. The New Mexico Connections Academy will serve students in grades K-12 from around the state. "The promise of virtual learning has the potential to offer fantastic options for thousands of New Mexican students,” said Public Education Department spokesman Larry Behrens in a written statement. “For those students who are best served by this option, virtual learning can offer instruction they might otherwise go without while serving to better prepare them for the 21st century." The Public Education Commission approved one new charter out of nine applications last year.

Source: Education Week