I just wrapped up two days in New York City at a series of meetings with journalists and others to talk about the role of charter schools in American education. It’s an interesting time to be in New York, in light of the significant media attention and political backlash that Mayor Bill de Blasio has received after his decision a few weeks ago to revoke three charter school co-locations, including one for a school that is already open and teaching children. Success Academy’s Harlem 4 middle school is teaching children so well, in fact, that it is one of the top-performing middle schools in the entire state.
While I wish Mayor de Blasio were embracing charter schools, instead of closing them, it has been a true pleasure helping New York’s charter school community share its success stories. In case you’re not familiar with what’s been happening in New York, these short clips from CNBC’s Kudlow Report and MSNBC’s Morning Joe capture what’s at stake. Best regards, Nina Nina Rees President & CEO National Alliance for Public Charter Schools T. 202.289.2700 www.publiccharters.org Support Grows for Charter Schools on Capitol Hill Last week the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing on charter schools where five witnesses testified on the progress charter schools are making in closing the achievement gap, helping more children graduate from high school and go on to college, and sharing best practices with their school district counterparts. The chair of our board, Deborah McGriff, testified, along with Lisa Graham Keegan, the chair of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, Alan Rosskaam, the CEO of the Breakthrough network of schools, David Linzey, Executive Director of Clayton Valley Charter High School and Alyssa Whitehead-Bust, Chief of Innovation and Reform at Denver Public Schools. You can read their testimonies and watch footage from the hearing here. Both Republicans and Democrats on the committee praised charter schools—which is good news because bipartisan support will be critical to expanding the federal Charter Schools Program so that more charter schools can open and high-performing networks can grow. There is talk that the U.S. House will vote on a bill to revise the Charter Schools Program this spring. We will work with members of the House to ensure the guiding principles outlined in our publication “Free to Succeed” are included in any bill that is considered. The Charter Schools Program is the only source of federal funding dedicated to charter schools. Right now the program is funded at $248 million dollars—less than 1 percent of the federal money spent on K-12 education. We are asking Congress to fund the program at $330 million. Congress is making funding decisions this month, and if you’d like to see more high-quality charter schools open and serving children, please take just a moment to send a letter to your members of Congress. Our Work in States The National Alliance continues its work to help pass strong charter school laws in states that either do not have a charter school law or where the law is weak. We are working actively in Kentucky, Nebraska, and Oklahoma right now. Oklahoma has had a charter school bill on the books since the ‘90s, but the law has allowed charters only in major urban areas. As a result, only two-dozen charter schools have opened. This year we are working with lawmakers to expand the law to allow charter schools to open in any community where there is a need and demand from parents. We expect to have a hearing on the bill by the end of this month. In Oklahoma, charter schools are working, and we want see more of them! In Kentucky, the state Senate education committee is expected to vote soon on a bill to allow a charter school pilot program. While the bill doesn’t create the strong law that we would prefer, it is a step in the right direction. A charter school bill has been introduced in Nebraska the last several years, but hasn’t gained much traction until this year. This year’s bill would allow five charter schools to open in Omaha. At a recent legislative hearing, dozens of local charter school supporters came to testify in support of the bill. This is the first year that we have seen widespread grassroots support for bringing charter schools to Nebraska, so we are encouraged about the bill’s prospects. Charter Schools are Working in Los Angeles, Too! A new study from Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) found that the typical student in a Los Angeles charter school learns more in a school year than a typical student in a district school. Charter students gain the equivalent of 50 additional days of learning in reading and 72 additional days of learning in math. For low-income minority students, the learning gains were even more impressive. Low-income Hispanic students, for example, gained 58 additional days of learning in reading and 115 in math. Considering the average school year is 180 days, that means they are gaining another half-year’s learning in math. You can read more about the CREDO study here. Save the Date for National Charter Schools Week The first full week of each May is National Charter Schools Week, when we celebrate the accomplishments of our teachers, school leaders, and students, and thank the policymakers who have helped make charter schools a possibility. Mark your calendar for May 5-9 to join the celebration in your community. More details will be coming soon about events being planned and how you can get involved. Will We See You in Vegas? The National Charter Schools Conference is just three short months away and we’re putting the finishing touches on planning. This year will feature inspirational keynote talks from Sal Khan, Steven Michael Quezada, and others, along with more than 100 breakout sessions with practical content that you can take back to your school or organization. The conference is taking place at the fabulous Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas and we hope you’ll register today. Support the National Alliance The National Alliance is the voice of the charter school community in Washington, D.C., and in states that don’t yet have charter schools. To fulfill our mission we need your support. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to the National Alliance today. Thank you!
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