A Note From Nina This month’s elections shifted the political landscape in Washington, D.C. and in state capitals across the country, and supporters of public charter schools in both parties scored solid victories. Now that attention will turn from campaigning to governing, we look forward to working with members of both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate to advance sound education policy and increase support for the federal Charter Schools Program that has helped so many charter schools open their doors and begin serving students. We will also work with our state-level partners to build and strengthen relationships with new and returning governors and other state leaders. For more on our thoughts on the impact of the elections, check out this interview Todd Ziebarth did for Education Week or view my latest U.S. News column.
I encourage you to do your part, too! One great step is to take our pledge to fight for the day that parents in every community and from every walk of life will have the opportunity to send their child to a high-performing public school. With more allies on our side, we’ll have an even greater impact for students and families. As always, thank you for all you do to support and grow our movement. Happy Thanksgiving! Sincerely, Nina Rees President and CEO
A Revolution in Educational Innovation
The public charter school movement is all about quality innovation in education, so we are thrilled to partner with 1776 to connect public charter schools with innovative K-12 startups. 1776 is a global incubator and investment fund dedicated to creating opportunities for promising startups, and our partnership will help connect some of the most innovative and creative business and policy entrepreneurs with the teachers and school leaders who are working every day to improve educational opportunities for all students. As part of the collaboration with 1776, the National Alliance will provide mentors for 1776’s Challenge Cup 2015, a global competition spanning 16 cities in 11 countries to identify the most promising startups to solve the world’s biggest challenges. In addition, this year’s Challenge Cup winners will have the opportunity to attend the 2015 National Charter Schools Conference and present their ideas to school leaders and teachers from around the country. We’re excited to work with 1776 over the coming year to explore new and innovative ways to strengthen public education for all students.
New Report Shows Public Charter School Students are Globally Competitive Public charters schools are on a constant mission to improve quality and results so that students are prepared for the demands of a competitive global workforce. A report released last week by the National Alliance reveals the results of four public charter schools that participated in an international exam to measure their academic success against both students in the U.S. and those in developed countries. All four schools outperformed U.S. averages and demonstrated their students are prepared to compete with students across the world in reading, math, and science. On Top of the World: Public Charter Schools and International Benchmarking, 2013-2014 examines the success of Peak to Peak Charter School (Lafayette, Colorado), NYOS Charter School (Austin, Texas), Sturgis Charter Public School (Hyannis, Massachusetts), and University Laboratory School (Honolulu, Hawaii) – and takes a look at the practices and philosophies that place them among the best schools in the world. If you’d like to measure your school against your international peers, the OECD Test for Schools is being administered again in 2014-15. Thanks to a grant from the Kern Family Foundation, the National Alliance will pay for up to 28 schools to take the test. Click here for more details about how to participate.
Raising Our Voice for Equitable Funding Obtaining equitable funding for public charter schools is a challenge across America. In the nation’s capital, a group of public charter school parents are asking a federal court to insist that the D.C. government live up to its charter school law and provide equal resources for public charter schools. In an op-ed published in the Washington Times, I note that D.C. charter students have been shortchanged by as much as $770 million over eight years and urge D.C.’s leaders to erase the current inequality: “By underfunding [public charter schools], the D.C. government is not only breaking its own laws, but penalizing often excellent schools to subsidize schools that aren’t doing nearly as well.” We’re hoping for a positive result from the lawsuit, so that the 45 percent of D.C. public school students who attend charters get the resources they’re entitled to. Read the full op-ed here.
Welcome to Our New Team Members
Robert Reed, Jr. has joined the National Alliance as Senior Director of Legal Affairs. Robert comes to us from the Vera Institute of Justice, where he was a senior policy adviser. His 14 years of experience as a litigator and policy leader includes service in both the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, as the Associate Director of Legislative Affairs for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and as oversight counsel for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. Robert previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., a senior judicial law clerk for the D.C. Court of Appeals, and as a litigation attorney with Miller & Chevalier in Washington, D.C. Robert holds a B.A., with honors, from Stanford University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. He has served on KIPP DC’s inaugural associate board, as well as the board of the Luke Moore Academy in Washington, D.C.
A writer, photographer, and self-described information geek, Riya Anandwala joins the National Alliance as Manager of Communications and Marketing. Riya started her exciting journey in the field of journalism halfway around the world in Mumbai, India, and continued her passion for writing in the American Midwest. She wrote for the Indianapolis Business Journal, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Peoria Journal Star, and many other news websites before moving into higher education communications. Riya worked as a communications specialist for Waldorf College in Iowa and as a media relations specialist for Saint Louis University’s medical center, where she focused on promoting the institution’s cutting-edge research. Riya has a master’s degree in journalism from Indiana University, Bloomington and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Mumbai, India. Riya loves talking about geography, social issues, current affairs, and all things India. She also loves to travel and try out new restaurants with her fiancé.
Rebecca David, a former intern at the National Alliance, is our newest Research Assistant. Rebecca is a D.C.-area native who earned a bachelor of science in communications at Florida State University. As Research Assistant, Rebecca ensures that the National Alliance’s database – a vital source of information about the nationwide charter school movement – is accurate and current. Prior to joining the National Alliance, Rebecca was the Production Assistant at Devine Mulvey Longabaugh, where she edited footage to create TV and radio advertisements for Democrat candidates across the United States. In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys volunteering, traveling, and kayaking.
Register Now for the 2015 National Charter Schools Conference The National Charter Schools Conference will be held June 21-24, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana! As everyone who’s been to past conferences knows, you don’t want to miss this extraordinary opportunity to connect with friends and colleagues from across America who are sustaining and growing our schools. The early registration deadline is December 19th, so be sure to register now for the lowest rates.
Support the National Alliance You know about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but have you heard about Giving Tuesday? Giving Tuesday is the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving – December 2nd this year – and it’s a day designated for supporting charities that are especially meaningful to you. We encourage you to support the great charter schools and charter support organizations that are giving hope to more than 2.5 million students and families around America. And, of course, we would be immensely grateful for your donation to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools so that we can continue our work on behalf of the entire charter school community. The National Alliance is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donation is completely tax deductible. Thank you for your support – and Happy Thanksgiving!
