Earlier this month, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing, “Raising the Bar: The Role of Charter Schools in K-12 Education,” to highlight the growth of charter schools, their positive impact on K-12 education across the country, and the role of the federal Charter Schools Program. The hearing allowed members of the charter school community to showcase the ways federal policy can impact charter school growth, encourage best practices, and foster district-charter collaboration.
Five charter school leaders from across the country were invited to testify, including the National Alliance’s Chair of the Board, Dr. Deborah McGriff. In her testimony, Dr. McGriff stressed the importance of the federal Charter Schools Program. “I don’t believe the public charter school sector’s growth to meet parental demand for educational options would have occurred the way it has without the presence of dedicated federal funding. Let me say that again to be perfectly clear: while public charter schools are inherently local, the movement would not have achieved its current success had it not been for the federal Charter Schools Program.” Dr. McGriff was joined by other charter school leaders and advocates who added unique perspectives to the hearing discussion:
Board Chair of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) Lisa Graham Keegan focused on they ways the charter school authorizing process has improved, as authorizers build and identify best practices. Keegan emphasized the key role authorizers play to ensure quality, and close low-performing schools.
Alan Rosskamm, Chief Executive Officer of Breakthrough Schools, highlighted the organization’s collaboration with the City of Cleveland to strengthen public education for all students. As the highest rated charter network in Ohio, Rosskamm attributed much of Breakthrough’s success to their strong partnerships with families—a defining characteristic behind the mission of public charter schools.
Alyssa Whitehead-Bust, Chief of Innovation and Reform at Denver Public Schools, provided the perspective of a school district administrator who works to ensure that district schools and charter school collaborate and complement each other to provide families with quality public school options.
David Linzey, Executive Director at Clayton Valley Charter High School, spoke of his work in converting a district public school to a charter school and the high demand for this school – with a waiting list of nearly 400 students for the upcoming school year. Last year, the school experienced the most academic achievement growth for a large high school in the state of California, with a 62 point jump on the state’s API in a single year.
The hearing was a great opportunity for the charter school community to share its most promising practices with the committee. Board Chair McGriff summed up her opening remarks with a request to Congress: “The number one message that I bring you today is that the CSP is working and that both the Congress and the administration should prioritize funding for the program to help us meet the demands of parents and ensure funding equity for students who attend public charter schools.” Want to build on Dr. McGriff’s request? Make the ask yourself with a quick email to your members of Congress. To view an archived webcast and all witness testimony, click here. Kim Kober is the federal policy and government relations coordinator for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Menu
