AU REVOIR NEW ORLEANS, WATCH OUT WASHINGTON! NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS CONFERENCE WRAP-UP

A record 3,200 charter school teachers, administrators, policymakers and other supporters of the movement gathered in New Orleans, LA from June 22-25 under the conference theme “Still We Rise: Achieving Academic Excellence at Scale.” Our theme reflected the growth of quality public charter schools across America and was of special resonance in New Orleans, which boasts the nation's largest percentage of public charter school enrollment.

Along with inspirational speeches from Nelson Smith, Geoffrey Canada, Gov. Bobby Jindal, Senator Mary Landrieu, Paul Pastorek and many others, the conference featured over 100 breakout sessions, 50 peer-to-peer roundtable discussions, and an exhibit floor with the latest in products and services for charter schools. Participants enjoyed great networking and social events, the world famous cuisine and entertainment of the Crescent City, and even their own parade!

Mark your calendar now for the Ninth Annual National Charter Schools Conference to be held in Washington DC June 20-23, 2009 and look for information early next year on registration plus deals on hotels and transportation.