The past year has proven to be a bustling and transformative period for the charter school community, and we were proud to capture it all on The Charter Blog. As our organization goes through its own changes in 2024, we look forward to the future and more powerful stories from our diverse charter school community.
Here are the top 10 most-read blog posts for 2023:
1. Our Next Chapter
In a special blog post, outgoing National Alliance President and CEO Nina Rees reflected on her 11-year tenure as she announced she was stepping down from her role as President and CEO of the National Alliance. She shared her pride in the growth and achievements of the charter school sector over the past decade and celebrated the movement.
2. Charter School Updates in the States: Spring 2023 Legislative Sessions
We saw major wins across the country for public charter schools and the communities they serve in the spring 2023 legislative sessions, including the passage of a charter school law in the great state of Montana. Todd Ziebarth, senior vice president of state support and advocacy, gave an update of significant legislation at the midyear as many state legislative sessions wrapped up.
P.S. See the full recap of the 2023 state legislative sessions for the full picture.
3. 5 Top Federal Priorities for Charter Schools in 2023
At the start of 2023, our director of policy, Fiona Sheridan-McIver, laid our top policy priorities for charter schools for the year. These priorities included an increase in funding to the Charter Schools Program (CSP) to $500 million, enhanced flexibility in the allocation of CSP funds, improving access to facility funding, empowering educators to open their own innovative schools, and increased funding to federal programs that increase resources and strengthen equity for all students.
4. Setting Students up for Success in College and Beyond
For National College Decision Day, we shared an interview with Co-CEO of Uncommon Schools Julie Jackson. Since 1997, a staggering 99% of Uncommon high school graduates have been accepted into a 4-year college and Julie shared some of the factors contributing to the success of their students.
5. 5 Things to Know About Rural Charter Schools
Around the country, a small but growing number of charter schools are serving rural communities. Rural charter schools face many of the same challenges as those in urban areas, but often with fewer resources and community services due to smaller populations and geographic isolation. In this blog, we share five things to know about these schools in tandem with our report diving into the current landscape of rural charter schools.
6. Inspiring Change: A Conversation with Norma C. Garcés
This Hispanic Heritage Month, we shared an interview Norma C. Garcés, executive director of Academia Cesar Chavez in Minnesota. This dual-language public charter school focuses on academic excellence in reading and literacy and social growth. Norma shared her journey to becoming a school leader and her passion for creating positive change in education.
7. A Rising Leader on How Charter Schools Provide Unique Opportunities for Student Success
In this blog post, 2022-23 Rising Leader Jah’mere Jackson talked about his personal experience attending Riverhead Charter School and the transformative impact it had on his education and personal development. He also expressed gratitude for the opportunities and experiences he was able to have at his charter school and through the Rising Leaders Initiative.
Interested in supporting a current or incoming Rising Leader? Donate today.
8. Charter School Educators Are More Diverse—and That Matters
Public charter schools are widely known to serve more students of color than district public schools, but people may not know that the teaching and principal workforces in charter schools are also more diverse. This blog discusses the supporting data and the academic and social benefits to diversity in teachers and leaders.
9. Can a Charter School Be Its Own School District? Maybe…
Many, but not all, charter schools are treated as their own school district by their state government. Katie Burke, senior director of policy, dove into how this designation impacts the way funding flows into a school and determines factors related to how the school operates day to day.
10. 10 Federal Programs Charter School Leaders Should Know About in This Year’s Budget
Following the release of the President’s yearly budget, Christy Wolfe, senior vice president of policy, research, and planning, gave an update to the field highlighting 10 elements of the President’s budget that would be relevant to charter school funding.
Kayley Pham is the coordinator of social and digital media at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
