A Note from Nina We are only a few days away from the 15th annual National Charter Schools Conference on June 21-24 in New Orleans! I am excited that I’ll see many of you there. This conference is a particularly special one for us as we commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina – and celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the National Alliance! We have a packed agenda including addresses by Geoffrey Canada, Ashley Judd, Bryan Stevenson, and John White, as well as 135 break-out sessions and the announcement of the Broad Prize for the highest performing charter school management organization. It all kicks off Sunday evening with a welcome parade! Click here for more information. To stay updated on all of our activities, follow us @charteralliance and use #NCSC15. I look forward to seeing you in New Orleans!
Warmly, Nina Rees
30 Days of Grad It’s graduation season – a time to celebrate the success of public charter school students across the country! This month, we’re featuring a new graduation story every day as part of our 30 Days of Grad series. Click here to read the fun and inspirational stories we’ve posted so far, and be sure to check back each day to learn about a new student who’s on the road to a bright future thanks to public charter schools!
ESEA Reauthorization: Movement in the Senate? This month, we expect the U.S. Senate to start debate on S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act, which would reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The National Alliance continues to closely engage in the process, specifically with regard to Title I and the Charter Schools Program. For our perspective, read our April letter to Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA).
Charter Schools Program in Action: Haas Hall Academy This month, our CSP in Action series features Haas Hall Academy. Haas Hall is a rigorous, STEM-focused college prep charter school that Newsweek ranked as the 25th best high school in the nation. Learn how the Charter Schools Program helped Haas Hall Academy get started in this month’s profile.
On, Wisconsin! Legislators in Wisconsin are moving forward legislation to create new pathways for approving independent charter schools in the state and to provide a small increase in per-pupil funding for independent charters. These measures, along with several others, would be a boost to the growth of public charter schools in Wisconsin. For more info, take a look at our statement.
Examining Facilities Funding Policies One of the biggest challenges to the continued expansion of public charter schools is the fact that many public charter school laws place the burden of obtaining and paying for facilities on the schools themselves. As a result, public charter school leaders struggle to find suitable and affordable facilities to house growing numbers of students. To help make sense of the facilities funding policy landscape, the National Alliance put together this policy snapshot of the 29 states that provide some level of support to help charter schools access facilities.
Hall of Fame Inductees The National Alliance is thrilled to honor three long-time champions of public charter schools as the newest members of the National Charter Schools Hall of Fame. Former Senator Mary Landrieu, Deborah McGriff, and Nelson Smith will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame during next week’s National Charter Schools Conference. Learn more about each inductee here. Congratulations to these outstanding leaders on their well-deserved honor!
Welcome New National Alliance Staff! Please join us in welcoming three new staff members to the National Alliance: Heather Reams, Vice President for Communications and Marketing; Kimberly Lane, Vice President for External Growth; and Mario da Costa, the latest addition to our federal advocacy team. We’re excited to have them on board, and you can click here to read more about them.
Support the National Alliance The National Alliance is a non-profit organization that relies on your generosity to help us raise awareness of the high-quality public charter schools serving students across the nation. We are extremely grateful for your contributions. Please consider a tax-deductible gift to support the growth and sustainability of public charter schools – and please share our message and our work with your friends. Thank you!
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