The Charter Blog
31 Aug 2006
Why are Charter Schools Flourishing in NYC?
Why are charter schools flourishing in New York City.?....Lemme guess...
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Going Going, Back Back, to Cali Cali ...
Mayor Villaraigosa Gains Greater Control of LA Schols
So, this isn't exactly charter news, but it's big big education news. A la Mayors Daley and Bloomberg, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (a ROCK STAR among Latino youth in Los Angeles, from what I hear) has received a gold star from the Cali legislature and will assume greater control over the Los Angeles schools. While the bill that passed was not as ambitious as Villaraigosa's earlier plan, this is still a win for the children of Los Angeles. The Mayor's team's original vision (which I managed to get an insider's peek at several months ago when visiting with the Mayor's office) was a networked system of schools in which most decisions are made at school sites, principals maintain control over a high percentage of their individual schools' budgets, and schools serve as hubs for community services (i.e. adult learning and healthcare). So, congrats Mayor Villaraigosa, and I hope more good news will emerge from your administration in the future.
JC
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Give Charters a Chance in NC
Keep Your Eyes on Your Own State ...
This opinion piece from the Winston-Salem Journal cautions against judging charters based solely on the recent NCES data. Nothing new with this argument, but here is an idea that needs more play:
" ... national statistics can be irrelevant here if they do not reflect North Carolina's experience. Our leaders should look at our experience with charters primarily."
Charter schools are products of individual states' laws, and their differences and particularities (and peculiarities) often emerge from the nuances of these laws. The message? Stop lumping a bunch of public charter schools together and comparing them to a similarly amorphous lump of traditional public schools. It's just bad science.
JC
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August 31 2006
Charter Schools Get Edge
Comment »30 Aug 2006
Steve Ross' Take on NCES Report
Steve Ross is one of the most respected researchers in the country. Here’s his take on the NCES report - -and an illustration of what thoughtful evaluation of charter school performance looks like.
NS
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28 Aug 2006
Well Said, Ms. Curry
Kansas City Charter Leader Speaks Up ...
I love to read a good editorial by a charter school leader. Dorothy Curry writes about the lack of facilities financing for charter schools, in Friday's Kansas City Star. Congratulations to Ms. Curry for joining the growing cadre of charter leaders who pick up the pen and write about the issues that affect their schools. Ms. Curry also flirts with one of our favorite issues at the Alliance, namely the fact that we believe tax money should follow the children, not the system:
"Having operated without any facility support for six years, the charters urged the state to restore facility funding. We receive far less per pupil tax support than other Kansas City public schools. That punishing funding level threatens operations for all charter schools."
Charter schools in Kansas City -- and in most places nationwide -- receive fewer operating dollars per student than traditional public schools, and most charters must finance a facility with these already discounted operating funds, a burden traditional public schools do not bear.
JC
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August 28 2006
WSJ Gets It Right
Comment »Only a Snapshot on Charters
Comment »25 Aug 2006
Ain't That Good News!
Charter policy-wonks have our own kind of myopia. Certain words, certain phrases or acronyms can send us into a frenzy. These include "NAEP," "The New York Times" and "So, like, they're kinda private schools, right?"
So it was good to talk yesterday with a gaggle of state-base charter leaders who, while recognizing the import of big national studies, reminded me that for parents, state policymakers, and even local media, it's news about the performance of charter schools in their own community that really matters.
Amen to that – and let's take a look at what happened while we were under the spell of the impending and basically irrelevant NCES study:
Chicago charters continue to romp. In the best, most direct performance comparisons done by any big city, charter schools continue to outpace their peers in the regular system. Ohio's beleaguered charter schools rebounded impressively in new state "report cards."
In Florida, 6 of the top 10 schools scoring the biggest gains on the state accountability system are charter schools. And 8 of the top 10 middle schools in the state are charter schools.
Sixth graders at Bayview Academy in San Francisco are learning a lot about their city through an innovative reading program.
And of course, a spate of stories used phrases like CBS's "New Beginning for New Orleans Schools" to report on the emergence of a charter-dominant system there.
NAEP, schmaep. Charters are rocking.
NS
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Wisconsin Gets It ...
I don't have much to add, save a round of applause, to this editorial from The Post-Crescent. While condemning the recent NCES report on charter performance to meaninglessness (*single tear*), this editorial makes a point that this blogger has voiced time and time again:
" ... charter schools are not only different from public schools, they're different from each other."
BOOM! This is an oft overlooked idea that makes a huge difference when one seeks to evaluate "charter schools." To me, saying "charter schools" is like saying "all restaurants in Manhattan" ... charter schooling is about performance, achieved through options, choice, and innovation, and to lump all charter schools in one category is anathema to the underpinnings of the movement itself. Kudos to The Post-Crescent for recognizing this fact.
JC
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