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This new feature of NCSC News brings you current
state news.
We welcome newsworthy contributions from our readers for this section.
Please send your state news to info@ncsc.info.
Arizona
In an official opinion, on July 20, 2004, Attorney General Terry Goddard
said that all charter schools are public schools and as such must comply
with state and federal laws regardless of profit status. This opinion
is in response to Department of Education Office of Inspector General's
conclusion that for-profit charter schools are not public schools and
therefore ineligible for Title I funds. Goddard hopes to persuade the
U.S. Department of Education to reverse its refusal to provide federal
funding to 20 of the state's charter schools and to end the risk that
the state will have to refund about $3 million already received. Arizona
Daily Star (July 21, 2004).
"The Rugged Frontier: A Decade of Charter Schooling in Arizona," by Bryan C. Hassel and Michelle Godard Terrell is the latest in a series of state and local evaluations of chartering from the 21st Century Schools Project made possible through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This study analyzes the charter movement in Arizona concluding that the strength of the charter school legislation that fostered innovation and the growth of charter schools in Arizona has not been achieved without its share of problems. The report contains observations and recommendations to improve accountability and grow the movement. PPI's 21st Century Schools Project Bulletin: Vol. 4, No. 11 (June 8, 2004).
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California
Due to the continuing investigation of the financial irregularities
of the California
Charter School Academy (CCA), all four branches have been closed.
Charter school directors throughout the state are scrambling to find
sponsors for their schools to enable students to continue their enrollment
in the schools they have been attending. However, Caprice Young, CEO
of the California
Charter Schools Association fears that the association with the
CCA may stop local school boards from adopting the abandoned schools.
Unfortunately, it can take up to a year for a school district to approve
a site, so some CCA schools may have to close for a year limiting the
choices for students and their families. Mercury
News (August 15, 2004).
At least 10 California charter schools have been shut and nearly 100 more are working to avoid closure under a new state law that bans campuses from being operated by out-of-town sponsors. Several districts have authorized multiple charters for schools outside their boundaries in order to receive state charter school revenue. Most schools have up to three years to obtain charter approval from the district in which they are located. This legislation has severe ramifications for the California Charter Academy, which operates more than 60 campuses in San Bernardino and Orange counties and enrolls between 7,000 to 10,000 students. In addition to students enrolled with California Charter Academy, about 3,000 additional students will be affected over the next three years. Marta Reyes, a charter school official at the state Department of Education, said that distant districts were unable to perform sufficient oversight. Caprice Young, president of the California Charter Schools Association said that although the law is necessary for the few schools with problems, it will force many successful schools through too many bureaucratic hurdles to survive. To provide responsible authorizers, her organization is supporting a bill that would allow colleges and universities to authorize charter schools. Los Angeles Times [free registration] (August 4, 2004).
The Santa Rosa school board is exploring a proposal that would assign students who attended charter middle schools to a single high school. The rationale behind this proposal according to board member Noreen Carvolth, is that charter schools are not required to use Santa Rosa diagnostic tests or to communicate with the high schools making it difficult for the high schools to determine entering students level of functioning. Officials also have said it could help equalize ethnic imbalances between eastside and westside high schools. However, former board member Patricia Collis and Gary Larson, a spokesman for the California Charter Schools Association, fear that such action would penalize students attending charter schools and their families. Santa Rosa Press Democrat (July 15, 2004).
The San Diego Business Roundtable for Education is working with 15 charter schools in the San Diego area to improve academic achievement and school accountability by teaching school leaders to use data-based inquiry; develop improved School Accountability Report Cards; and to promote communications, collaboration and continuous improvement. The participating schools wanted to become more “data-driven” to assist them to improve student performance and fiscal management. Funded through a grant from the Girard Foundation, the Roundtable developed the Data Analysis and Accountability Plan which improves assessment strategies by defining the criteria for an accountability system and then demonstrates to educators how to develop, maintain, and proactively use the system to improve student achievement at each school. According to Ginger Hovenic, ED. D., "This project is but one illustration of the pioneering role charter schools can play in initiating reforms that lead to better ways of educating our children…The system of public schools as we know it today will not survive without demonstrating a consistent ability to improve academic performance on the part of all California public school children. To be able to do so will continue to require better tools and methods, many of which are coming out of our charter schools as models for change.” San Diego Daily Transcript (July 14, 2004).
The Alameda County Board of Education is expected to vote on Livermore Valley Charter School's petition that was unanimously denied by the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District board. Although hundreds spoke out in favor of the proposed school, teachers and classified employees unions opposed the school because the petition did not include union representation. If the charter is denied, the school's board members will decide whether to appeal the charter to the state board of education, or modify the petition and resubmit it to the Livermore school board for a possible 2005 opening. A state charter could be advantageous to the school according to Lance Solomon, vice president of the school's board of governance, because the memorandum of understanding would not have to be approved by the Livermore district or the county. Tri-Valley Herald (July 11, 2004). See also ContraCostaTimes (July 13, 2004).
"Special Education Accountability: Structural Reform to Help Charter Schools Make the Grade," a report recently released by the Reason Public Policy Institute (RPPI) concluded that California charter schools are doing an excellent job of educating special needs students using individualized curriculum and small class sizes to meet their instructional needs. The report also found that through the use of early intervention programs, charter schools are reducing the number of students labeled "special education.” The report notes that charter schools have achieved this success despite the fact that school districts withhold funding earmarked for the education of these students. Business Wire (July 8, 2004).
California was awarded $75 million from a three-year federal grant that aims to help create 250 charters by 2007. Ten percent of the money is designated to help existing public schools replicate successful programs or innovations from charters. Secretary of Education, Dr. Rod Paige praised California for being at the lead of the charter-school movement. According to a state-commissioned report by the RAND Corp., 471 campuses have been created since charter schools were authorized in 1992 with one out of three serving low-income communities. California, one of 10 states awarded the grant, received the largest amount. The state Department of Education will distribute applications to groups seeking to start charter schools next year and will award funds in time for the 2005-06 school year. Sacramento Bee (June 30, 2004).
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Colorado
On August 2nd, Governor Bill Owens announced that after receiving
an unsatisfactory grade on the Colorado Student Assessment Program for
the fourth consecutive year, Cole would be the first school in the state
to be converted to a charter school. State educators will seek management
proposals from organizations wanting to run the charter school and will
create a seven-member oversight committee, comprised of a community
leader, educators and parents. Each proposal will be evaluated to determine
which would best meet the needs of the school. Educators have until
early next year to reach an agreement with the organization that will
run the school; curriculum plans must be established by early next summer.
Denver Public Schools Superintendent Jerry Wartgow told parents that
although test scores had increased, they did not increase sufficiently
or quickly enough to prevent the conversion. Principal Nicole Veltze
assured parents that their children’s education would continue
to be the school’s primary priority. Rocky
Mountain News (August 4, 2004).
Governor Bill Owens signed HB 1362 on June 3, 2003. This bill creates a State Charter School Institute within the Department of Education with the authority to approve state charter schools. While some school officials argued that the legislation was unnecessary, Owens defended the bill citing the reluctance of some school districts to approve charter schools. Another bill was signed by the governor requiring greater accountability on charter schools and their authorizing districts. Rocky Mountain News (June 4, 2004).
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Florida
While most people know that the state’s public schools are grossly
over-crowded, few are aware that the growth of charter schools has significantly
reduced school crowding. Jay Greene and Marcus Winters, researchers
at the Manhattan
Institute, indicate that measures under consideration by state legislators
to limit or halt the addition of new charter schools would reverse this
progress. Since 1998, the state has been adding new schools nearly twice
as fast as in the previous years. This increase is primarily due to
the recent expansion of charter schools. 231 of the 304 new schools
opening in the last five years were charter schools. According to Greene
& Winters, charter schools help reduce school crowding by facilitating
the expeditious opening of new schools by attracting additional capital
for school construction from the federal government, foundations and
corporations; enrolling students who previously attended crowded traditional
public schools; and designing schools to be small and uncrowded. The
researchers contend that without the additional construction capital
generated by charter schools and the market driven requirement that
charter schools remain small and manageable, crowding will almost certainly
worsen. Press
Journal [free registration] (August 6, 2004).
Recent legislative changes have reduced the amount of money school districts can retain for charter school oversight. Previously, districts could keep 5 percent of the state money spent on each student. Currently, they can only collect that amount for the first 500 students in a school. Accordingly, increased charter school enrollment is prompting Lee County School District Board Chairwoman, Jeanne Dozier, to investigate limiting the development of new charter schools whose enrollment will exceed 500 students. However, Dozier indicates that thorough research is required before implementing such action as charter schools provide needed seats for Lee students, perhaps providing the financial incentive to encourage rather than limit large charters. Further, it is unclear whether state law would permit Lee County to implement such a policy as districts must provide specific reasons for denying a charter. Such decisions can be appealed to the Board of Education. News-Press (July 29, 2004).
The Lake Wales Charter School System recently received $260,000 from anonymous donors. The gift will be used to fund a Kindergarten Support Program at each of Lake Wales' four charter elementary schools. The program will foster an environment that promotes success and life long learning by creating positive attitudes toward learning and to developing school readiness skills. Polkonline.com (July 21, 2004).
The Florida Department of Education has made “limited progress” in complying with a state law that requires an annual analysis and report of charter school performance. The 1997 statute says the department must provide an annual "analysis and comparison" of charter school and traditional public school student performance to the president of the Senate, speaker of the House and Board of Education. Spokesperson for the Department of Education, MacKay Jimeson stated that a new charter school director for the state is working to document charter school progress, and to develop a performance analysis. Nevertheless, charter schools adhere to many of the same state academic requirements as traditional public schools: teachers must be certified; the school's curriculum must follow Sunshine State Standards; students must take the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test used to issue school grades. Charter schools that receive two F grades in a four-year period will be shut down. Palm Beach Post (July 18, 2004).
Port St. Lucie is investigating creating its own charter school system to elevate the city's image, help meet the education demands of increasing enrollment, and to better position itself financially. The idea drew immediate criticism from city officials who envisioned problems with busing program and segregation issues as a result. To handle growth, two other Florida cities, Cape Coral in Lee County and Pembroke Pines in Broward County have created their own charter school systems. TCPalm.com News [free registration] (July 10, 2004).
To relieve overcrowding and to reduce expenses, Florida education officials have launched a campaign to publicize the state's school-choice initiatives, including charter schools, private-school tuition vouchers and virtual schools. Town Hall meetings and Public Service Announcements will be used to encourage higher participation in these programs, which enrolled nearly 100,000 students last year. Mark Pudlow, spokesperson for Florida Education Association, sees the marketing plan as a "calculated effort to get people to fear public schools." Many public-school educators want the state to increase efforts to provide quality education rather than encouraging them to leave the system. Tom Greer, president of the Florida School Boards Association and chairman of the Osceola County School Board said students could potentially enroll in a school that is worse than the one from which they are withdrawing. According to state officials, 33 charter schools have closed since 1996, including the five this year that scored their second F on the annual grades. Howard Burke, director of the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, places the responsibility with parents saying they must check schools out thoroughly. Orlando Sentinel [free registration] (July 8, 2004).
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Georgia
Federal accountability requirements mandated by NCLB and a recent $3.3
million federal grant may spur the growth of charter schools in the
state. According to a state Department of Education report in May, a
higher percentage of charter school students in the state met the Criterion-Referenced
Competency Test standards. Additionally, charter school students earned
higher SAT scores than their traditional-school counterparts, and their
dropout rates were lower. Despite enacting charter school legislation
in 1993, only 36 of the state’s 2000 schools are charter schools.
However, Jennifer Rippner, charter
schools program manager for the state Department of Education, said
she's noticed more interest in charter schools from school systems and
stated that the department will “publicize charter schools as
school improve.” Macon
Telegraph (July 19, 2004).
International Community School, in operation since August 2002, hires teachers and assistants who speak many foreign languages to help students coming from 30 countries and speaking 40 languages. Approximately half of the school's 180 students have come to this country to flee persecution. Staff members, some refugees themselves, understand that fleeing war and starting again in a new country impacts learning. ICS provides refugee, immigrant and local children with remedial to advanced international educational opportunities at the elementary school level through the exploration and celebration of cultural differences in a challenging, nurturing and intentionally multi-ethnic environment. Atlanta Journal-Constitution [free registration required] June 2, 2004.
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Idaho
The Idaho Charter School Commission held its first meeting on July 21,
2004 at Boise State University and already has six charter school petitions
to review. The seven commissioners come from diverse backgrounds, some
are from school boards and some are from charter schools. The commissioners
have a lot of work ahead of them. As Commissioner Marianne Donnelly
points out, the law creating the commission and defining its responsibilities
and authority contains ambiguous wording that must be clarified. In
addition to hearing and granting charter school petitions, the charter
school commission will oversee the schools chartered through their jurisdiction
to insure they meet accountability and state standards. Idaho
State Journal (July 23, 2004).
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Illinois
"Renaissance 2010," an educational proposal endorsed by Mayor Richard
Daley calls for the creation of more than 100 new schools by 2010. The
small, new schools will be roughly one-third charter schools, one-third
contract schools--in which the school district contracts with an outside
entity to operate a school--and one-third district schools. Each school
will have a new principal, new staff, and new focus. The district is
expected to ask for requests for proposals from educators interested
in opening schools and some charter school operators including Kim Day,
co-director of Perspectives
Charter School and Michael Milkie, principal of
Noble Street Charter School, have already been asked to submit
plans. The school district, under current legislation, can only approve
charters for 30 schools. Presently there are 17 charter schools in operation
with three more scheduled to open in the fall. Opening more than 10
additional charter schools will require legislative action. An additional
obstacle may be the Chicago Teachers Union as many charter schools and
contract schools employ non-union teachers. However, support in the
private and corporate sector is strong. "This is an unprecedented opportunity
for any urban system," said Janet Knupp, president of the
Chicago Public Education Fund, a group of civic and corporate leaders.
The campaign will seek private funds to help create the new schools
and has already received commitments for over $25 million. An unknown
amount of capital funding is also expected to come from the school system,
for basic repairs, equipment and other one-time costs.
Chicago Tribune [free registration] (June
23, 2004).
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Indiana
In an unprecedented move, the Decatur
School District voted to seek a charter for the Decatur Discovery
Academy through Mayor
Bart Peterson’s office. The academy is a nontraditional facility
with 30 students in Grades 9-12, focusing on students who have trouble
learning in traditional school settings. This is the first time an organization
able to approve charters has decided to persue a charter through an
alternative source. Decatur’s decision was due to the fact that
the township doesn't have any operating charter schools, and therefore
doesn't have an established accountability plan. If approved, Decatur's
proposal would be the first mayor-sponsored charter school in Marion
County outside the Indianapolis Public Schools district. Purdue University
education professor Marilyn Haring questioned the effectiveness of having
one authorizing entity approving a charter for another authorizing entity
believing that increased bureaucracy would result. Mark Cannon, executive
director of the National
Association of Charter School Authorizers, supports the endeavor
stating "it's probably a sound innovation." Indy
Star (August 11, 2004).
Ball State University’s Office of Charter Schools finds itself in unchartered waters as it seeks to revoke the charter of Fort Wayne’s Urban Brightest Academy. Urban Brightest, the second school to have its charter revoked, is appealing the decision. Although state law describes the terms under which a charter may be revoked, it does not define an appeals process. Therefore, Ball State officials have elected to use the same procedure used for faculty disciplinary hearings. A three-member panel will hear the appeal and Urban Brightest may select three individuals to representative them. This meeting will be held on July 15, 2004 and will be closed to the public. Such an arrangement has the potential to violate Indiana’s Open Meetings Law. Journal Gazette (July 14, 2004).
Indianapolis mayor, Bart Peterson, the only mayor in the nation authorized to sponsor charter schools, will authorize two art-focused schools slated to open in the fall of 2006. The Indianapolis Lighthouse Charter Schools will each initially enroll 260 students in kindergarten through fifth grade and provide free preschool to low-income. This fall, about 1,933 students are expected to enroll in the 10 charter schools sponsored by Peterson, all of which are located within Indianapolis Public School (IPS) boundaries and draw the majority of their enrollment from IPS. Kelly Bentley, president of the Indianapolis Public School Board, voices support for charter schools "…if they might save a child who might otherwise not do well in a traditional public school. At the same time, I wish they were spread out in Marion County a little bit more." Peterson says that although he doesn’t tell schools where to locate, he does encourage them to spread out. Indianapolis Star (July 8, 2004).
To promote the long-term improvement of charter schools, Ball State’s Office of Charter Schools has increased accountability guidelines for its 11 charter schools which employ about 130 teachers and administrators and serve 1,500 students. Sponsorship of these charter schools benefits Ball State, the state’s largest teachers college, and fosters educational innovation according to Martin Dezelan, director of Ball State Charter Schools. Under the new guidelines, the university will review the charter schools at the end of each year. Teams will observe classes and obtain data from teachers and charter school board members will write self-evaluations describing their roles. Dezelan said increasing accountability for charter schools is an excellent opportunity for Ball State to show what it can do for education. Ball State Daily News (June 3, 2004).
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Maryland
The state received $3.8 million in federal funding to finance charter
schools. State Superintendent Nancy Grasmick announced that charter
schools will be eligible to compete for up to $200,000 over three years
to increase educational alternatives to traditional public schools.
The state hopes the money will help fund 30 new charter schools by the
2006-2007. Grasmick said that charter schools model what educators want
in all schools. Currently, Monocacy
Valley Montessori is the only charter school operating in the
state. In 2003 the General Assembly passed legislation enabling county
school boards to approve applications for charter schools. Joni Gardner,
president of the Maryland Charter School Network, says some school
districts have been slow to implement policies for charter schools,
citing City Neighbors Charter School in northeast Baltimore as
an example. The school presented an application to the city's school
board in March, having already secured a building and $700,000 in funding
for about 100 students. However, the board said no new applications
would be approved until 2005 and after that a cap would be set on the
number of charter school applications that would be approved. According
to Gardner, there are about 50 groups statewide that are developing
plans for charter schools. Baltimore
Sun (June 22, 2004).
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Massachusetts
MassDevelopment,
an organization that provides financial tools and real estate expertise
to stimulate economic growth in the state, has given preliminary approval
to $5.5 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds for the Holyoke Community
Charter School, which plans to open in September 2005. MassDevelopment
seeks to match up charter and other non-profit schools with private
investors to accrue tax benefits for both parties, according to Janet
Hookailo, senior vice-president of communications. Ward Three City Councilor
Helen F. Norris objects to this bond predicting that it will be fiscally
detrimental to Holyoke and will undermine parts of the city's existing
Master Plan. Raipher D. Pellegrino, the lawyer for SABIS
International, an educational business that will run the school,
refutes Norris’ criticism and says "SABIS is willing to take
tremendous financial risks for public education here. And who else is
doing that?" The
Republican (August 8, 2004).
The House rejected a charter school moratorium enabling five previously approved schools to open as scheduled. This was facilitated largely by the development of a new funding formula, expected to be voted on in the next few weeks, which reduced charter school funding by about $15 million but would be offset by a state contribution to charter schools' capital costs. Governor Mitt Romney praised the House decision saying, “Parents, particularly in our urban neighborhoods, deserve to have choice in where they send their children to school." Marc Kenen, executive director of the Massachusetts Charter School Association, said that charter schools add to public education, ''providing parents with a choice creates a powerful, constructive force for change in district school systems." Boston Globe (July 21, 2004).
The House will attempt to override Governor Mitt Romney’s veto of the charter school moratorium before it adjourns at the end of July. The future of the moratorium remains uncertain as lawmakers debate a new funding formula that reduces the financial impact on the local school district. This proposal would save local districts about $10.5 million by allocating funds in a method that more accurately reflects the cost of educating students at each grade level. The proposal would also provide $10.7 million to build or renovate charter schools. To further complicate the matter, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded $7.1 million over three years to develop new charter schools which could be withdrawn or reduced if the moratorium is implemented. Berkshire Eagle (July 1, 2004).
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Michigan
More charter schools than traditional schools are failing to meet No
Child Left Behind requirements according to an August 10, 2004 state
Department of
Education report based primarily on the results from 2003’s
Michigan Educational Assessment Program tests. About 34 percent of charter
schools reported a sanction of some type for not making adequate progress
under the law’s guidelines compared to about 16 percent of the
traditional public schools. Approximately 75,000 students attend the
state’s 200 charter schools. Some officials felt that charter
schools should have been compared with traditional public schools with
similar demographics. Detroit
News (August 11, 2004).
The Detroit Federation of Teachers says it will take legal action if Central Michigan and other universities take advantage of a change in state law originally intended to help philanthropist Bob Thompson build 15 new charter high schools in Detroit. Thompson withdrew his $200 million offer due to the surrounding controversy. Janna Garrison, head of the union will not disclose the grounds for the legal challenge but says that the universities are motivated by greed while Jim Goenner, executive director of CMU’s charter school office, said the college is merely exploring the educational opportunities the new legislation provides. Detroit Public Schools officials view the creation of charter schools as a threat as the district has lost 17 percent of its enrollment since 1999. However, Lisa Diaz, director of outreach development for the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, points out that Detroit parents want educational options for their children; “These new urban high schools will offer more options and potentially save (some students) from dropping out.” Detroit News (July 18, 2004).
Faced with low state test scores, high staff turnover, and loss of authorization, the oldest charter school in Saginaw County terminated its contract with Mosaica Inc. of San Rafael, Ca., and hired the Phoenix-based The Leona Group. A change in names accompanies the change in management companies and Mosaica Academy is now the Saginaw Preparatory Academy. The Saginaw Valley State University was going to let the school's authorization expire but has granted it a one year extension due to this change. Saginaw News (July 10, 2004).
Michigan, which has about 200 charter schools serving
75,000 students, will be one of 10 states to receive $21 million in
federal grants to help start new charter schools. These funds can be
used to develop instructional programs, provide professional development
and purchase teaching equipment and materials. Study results vary on
whether charter schools are more effective than traditional public schools
and experts question their accountability. Nevertheless, according to
Dan Quisenberry, president of the Michigan
Association of Public School Academies, close to 70 percent of the
state's charters had waiting lists last fall. Detroit
Free Press (July 7, 2004).
Minnesota
According to a report released by state representative Matt Entenza, nearly
one third of the state’s charter schools do not submit their financial
audits on time, nor do they submit board meeting minutes when requested.
Entenza plans to introduce a bill that would withhold state funds from
schools that have not met the December 31 deadline for submitting audits
or have refused to provide meeting minutes. The bill will also establish
a clearer system of charter school financial reporting and oversight.
Steve Dess, executive director of the Minnesota
Association of Charter Schools (MACS) knows the submission of timely,
accurate financial audits to state officials and school sponsors is important
to the success and viability of charter schools. Accordingly, MACS has
hired a full-time person to assist charter schools with their financial
management. Star
Tribune (August 13, 2004).
Missouri
A study
commissioned by the Learning
Exchange, a Kansas City-based nonprofit, to evaluate Kansas City's
charter schools, reports that charter schools are closing the closing
the achievement gap between their students and district students. When
charter schools first opened in 1999, charter school students scored significantly
lower on the Missouri Assessment Program tests. Recommendations in this
report include providing funding for the sponsoring universities to strengthen
oversight; improving record keeping to better track student progress;
and improving training for charter school board members and teachers.
Kansas City has 18 charter schools serving more than 6,000 students. Kansas
City Star [free subscription] (July 22, 2004).
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Nevada
The U.S. Department of Education has denied Nevada's application for start-up
funding for charter schools. Of the 17 states that applied for funding,
Nevada was one of seven to be turned down. Tom McCormack, a charter school
consultant for the Nevada
Department of Education, believes that the federal funding may have
been awarded to states with more charter-friendly laws. State officials
say the lack of funding won't affect existing schools or those set to
open this fall, but might impact others scheduled to open next year. KRNV.com
(July 9, 2004).
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New Jersey
Applications to open charter schools for the 2005 and 2006 school years
are the highest in three years. Applicants include parents wanting to
open a French-immersion school, church leaders, and a coalition of public
school districts. Newton and Sussex County Vocational Schools' superintendents
want to use the charter statute to open the Thomas Edison Charter School,
modeled after the Project Adventure program that focuses on project- and
experienced-based learning, for grades 7-12 that would serve the entire
county. Charter school advocates say that the success of charter schools
in the past six years has encouraged potential founders. The proposals
are predominantly in cities where there are existing charter schools,
including Newark, Camden and Jersey City. According to Jennifer Langer,
director of the New Jersey
Charter Public Schools Association, the increased interest in cities
such as Newark and Jersey City "…helps bring a critical mass
and offers a real choice in these communities." Presently, there
are 52 charter schools in the state, serving about 14,000 students. Star
Ledger (July 22, 2004).
A coalition minority clergy are urging legislators to implement statewide school choice. According to Reverend Reginald Jackson, executive director of the Black Ministers Council, most urban schools in the state do not meet state standards and most of the students do not receive a quality education, despite years of reform efforts and the expenditure of billions of dollars. Citing housing segregation as the primary cause of educational inequality, lawmakers are being encouraged to pass legislation to enable parents to send their children to any public school in the state regardless of the district of residence. Their plan will allow funding for schools raised by taxes to follow a student; forcing schools to either improve or close. 1010 WINS (May 24, 2004).
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New Mexico
Citing confusion caused by differences between the process laid out for
revoking a charter in the state’s administrative code and in state
statutes, Charlotte Neill, Superintendent of Carlsbad
Municipal Schools (CMS) is surprised by state Public Education Secretary
Veronica Garcia’s decision to uphold the revocation of Jefferson
Montessori Academy’s (JMA) charter. Neill believed that “because
the process in law was not clear… they would wait for a legislative
session to clarify the law.” Conversely, Garcia upheld CMS’
revocation of the charter prompted by fiscal management problems. Despite
the temporary granting of a restraining order, Garcia instructed CMS to
take control of JMA’s assets and finances and determine the best
means of disposing the school’s former premises. JMA Administrator
Arleen Standiford said that the state was operating under the false assumption
that JMA’s Council of Trustees was aware of the fiscal problems
and did nothing to remedy the situation when in fact, the Trustees were
never provided with the results of a 2003 audit that discovered these
problems. Carlsbad
Current-Argus (August 6, 2004). In a
related story, Judge Gary Clingman, issued a preliminary injunction enabling
JMA to open until an alleged violation of the Open Meetings Act by CMS
can be resolved.(August
8, 2004).
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New York
Fearing that new charter school applicants would seek charters from the
state, Buffalo Board of Education member, Jack Coyle sought to bring the
proposed three year moratorium up for a vote at a meeting primarily scheduled
to discuss district budget updates. The fact that the charter school issue
was not on the agenda coupled with the fact that two board members critical
of charter schools were not in attendance, has the potential to further
erode board relationships. The pro-charter majority was accused by two
of the opposing board members of rushing the vote and excluding them from
discussions on the moratorium versus the creation of a network of district-sponsored
charter schools. The issue was tabled, to be revisited in the meeting
of September 20th. Buffalo
News (August 13, 2004).
Many Buffalo area charter schools, freed from calendar restrictions contained in conventional teacher contracts, are using the summer for instruction. Summer sessions are designed to give students extra time to learn, to keep them off the streets, and to reduce the amount of review time required as a result of lengthy summer vacations. Many charter schools providing this program are located in urban neighborhoods and believe that a longer school year or school day is necessary for their student population. Buffalo News (July 29).
Achievement First, a nonprofit organization founded by Yale Law School graduates has been invited to open five charter schools in the city by 2006. They will seek to to duplicate the formula that raised test scores at Amistad Academy in New Haven above local and Connecticut averages. Doug McCurry, director Achievement First, said his organization hopes to put all the new city schools in "high-need areas." The proposal is part of Mayor Bloomberg's plan to open 50 charter schools in the city. Klein already has requested that several other established groups - including the Knowledge is Power Program and Harlem Children's Zone - open charter schools in the city. "Creating high-quality charters is not an easy task," said city Schools Chancellor Joel Klein. "That's why we're bringing in groups that have demonstrated they know what they are doing." Eight charter schools will open this fall, bringing the total to 31. New York Daily News (July 21, 2004).
The New York Board of Regents unanimously approved a petition enabling Westminster Community School to become Buffalo's first conversion charter school. M & T Bank after leading an eleven year, $10 million partnership that made Westminster one of the highest performing schools in the district, initiated the conversion to protect the school from the potential budget cuts and layoffs. WGRZ.com (July 21, 2004).
Secretary of State Randy Daniels called for the creation of hundreds of charter schools as a means to improve what he described as the deteriorating quality of education in the state. Declaring that "Public education is failing too many kids in our state and in our nation,” Daniels went on to say that he’d like to see the number of charter schools allowed by law to be increased from 100 to 500. His remarks offered in a speech to local business and community leaders at the Brighter Choice Charter School upset City School Board President Scott Wexler, who pointed out that the SUNY trustees are closing New Covenant Charter School’s seventh and eighth grades next year for poor performance. New charter schools could reduce district enrollment decreasing funding for the district. Albany school board members are urging SUNY to slow down the opening of new charter schools. "The public school system in the city of Albany is systematically undermined and impoverished by the introduction of charter schools," reads part of a resolution to SUNY and the Regents. Times Union (July 20, 2004).
Newly elected Board of Education member, Ralph Hernandez circulated a proposal seeking a three-year moratorium on district-sponsored charter schools at the first full business meeting of the new board. Responding to the charge that he is taking direction from the Buffalo Teachers Federation, Hernandez says, "I'm very grateful for the support I got from the unions, but I'm in no way indebted to the unions." Hernandez says he has not made a decision about charter schools, but believes they need to be studied further and he will make his decision based upon these findings. Buffalo News (July 17, 2004).
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North Carolina
Jack Moyer, who served as principal of the Academy of Moore County
for two years, will begin a new job with the N.C.
Department of Public Instruction as the State Director of Charter
Schools on July 26, 2004. In this position Moyer will oversee all of the
state’s 99 charter schools which serve between 21,000 and 22,000
students. He will be working with the State Board of Education and the
Charter School Advisory Committee and will also work with the state and
federal legislatures to find funding for the charter schools. One issue
which Moyer will focus on is to remove the cap on the number of charter
schools, which is currently set at 100 schools. Moyer says “I really
believe in the charter schools. Parents and children need to have a choice
for their education that’s affordable.” Pilot
Newspaper (July 24, 2004).
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Ohio
Columbus
Public School District officials say that the district will create
an online high school in order to retain hundreds of students and millions
in state funding that the district expects to lose to charter schools
next year. The 16 online schools, which provide students with a modem,
computer, and an instructor, enrolled 22 percent of the state's 38,248
charter school students and received approximately $50.6 million in state
funding. While district spokesperson Michael Straughter said the plans
for the virtual school are still in the planning stages, he estimates
the school would serve about 125 students starting in September. eSchool
News [free registration] (June 14, 2004).
The Ohio Education Association (OEA) filed a federal lawsuit naming the state board of education, the Ohio Department of Education, and the state superintendent of public instruction as defendants claiming that the state’s charter school legislation is unconstitutional, violating the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. According to Fritz Fedek, OEA’s director of research, community schools receive $6,315 per student in state funds compared to $3,194 for students in traditional schools J.C. Benton, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education, said the per-pupil state allocation is the same - $5,058 - for all types of schools. Other funding, including start-up grants for the charter schools, is set by state law, he said. Benton is confident that the community school program is constitutional and praises the education options it provides for the state’s parents and children. Toledo Blade (June 10, 2004).
In March 2004, the Legislative Office of Education Oversight (LOEO) of Ohio published a comprehensive report describing charter school funding in a number of states using funding information from the 2001/02 school year. Its findings indicate that average state funding for community schools is approximately $5800 per-pupil. Although state funding is approximately $2000 higher for community schools than for traditional public schools, total per-pupil funding is lower--$7400 for community schools versus $8200 for traditional public schools (pp. 16-17). Funding for Charter Schools (March 2004).
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Oregon
The State Department
of Education has adopted a cautious approach in determining whether
online charter schools are allowed under law. This uncertainty affects
several schools in development, including the Web Academy in the
North Clackamas School District, which has received a $25,000 federal
planning grant. Concerns surround interpretations of what constitutes
a “comprehensive instructional program”, a legal requirement
of charter schools, as well as state school funding. According to Joni
Gilles of the Department of Education, verification of student attendance,
instructional staff, awarding of credits, and the potential loss of funds
that might result if formerly home schooled-students enrolled in online
charter schools needs to be evaluated. Charter high schools receive 95
percent of the money the state pays to a local school district to educate
a student while charter elementary schools receive 80 percent. Some states,
such as Colorado, ban online schools from enrolling previously home-schooled
students. According to the Center
for Educational Reform, more than 80 online charter schools are operating
in 19 states; their number is expected to double by fall.
The Oregonian (July 22, 2004).
Language immersion is popular with the parents and students of West Salem Language Academy, a Spanish-language immersion charter school at Harritt Elementary School. Here students speak, read and write primarily Spanish to become bilingual and biliterate. Jonathan Penhollow’s second graders participating in a pen pal project with Peruvian students are learning about Peruvian culture in addition to improving their Spanish writing skills. Research indicates that initially skills lag, but that by the third or fourth grades students are generally at or above grade level in both languages. Principal Bill Wittman said that dozens of families are on a lottery list for spots in next year’s kindergarten through third-grade classes. Statesman Journal (June 1, 2004).
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Pennsylvania
Attendance in cyber charter schools, which are run by home schooling organizations,
public school districts and for-profit companies, is increasing in the
state. Over 9,000 students are expected to attend these schools in the
2004/05 school year. Cyber charters generally provide their students with
a computer, printer, software, modem, keyboard, mouse and basic school
supplies. Most offer instruction in language, math, science, history,
art and music. While cyber schools are not appropriate for all students
they provide a viable option with increased educational opportunities
for many. Regular per-pupil tuition minus 30 percent is forwarded to the
cyber charter school from the home school district. Some school districts
have refused to pay cyber-school tuition, questioning whether the amount
reflects actual instructional costs. Additionally, formerly home-schooled
students, who elect to enroll in cyber charters, present another problem
for their local school districts. However, funding follows the student
and according to Betsy Becker, educational administrative associate with
the state Department
of Education, the amount of the unpaid tuition is deducted from the
home school district’s state subsidy. Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review (August 8, 2004).
The Department of Education created a $200 million accountability block grant to help close the achievement gap between wealthy and poor children and white and minority children. Districts throughout the state applied to receive funding under this grant and public schools throughout the state are now receiving their initial funding along with their annual state funding. Charter schools, although serving similar low income populations as their traditional counterparts, will receive none of the block grant revenue. According to Brian Christopher of the state Department of Education, charter schools were ineligible to apply for the funding because they are local education agencies chartered by districts. Only districts are eligible for the block grant funding. Linda Clautti, chief executive officer of Northside Urban Pathways Charter School calls this “pure discrimination” as charter schools are expected to perform as well as other public schools on state tests and have similar demographics. Pittsburgh Post Gazette (July 29, 2004).
A recent change to the state’s school code will enable charter schools to borrow money for construction for the first time. Harold Ohnmeis, president of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools states that the 1997 charter school law only allowed charter schools to locate in an existing public school or a "suitable" private or public building. Due to the fact that school facilities need to meet stricter building codes than other facilities as well as the increase in the number of charter schools and their students, it has grown increasingly difficult to find viable school locations. According to Alan Fellheimer, chairman of the board of Pennsylvania Business Bank in Philadelphia, banks may be reluctant to loan charter schools funds because the length of their charters is relatively short. The law allows schools to open under charters of three to five years; thereafter, charters can be renewed for five years. The new school code states that in the event a charter school is forced to close for failing to comply with the terms of its charter the charter school board would have to cover the debt through its liability insurance. Herald Standard (July 21, 2004).
Some districts are refusing to make tuition payments to cyber schools. District schools are required to pay full tuition for any resident student who enrolls in a cyber school. Schools that do not pay will have the amount of unpaid tuition deducted from their state aid by the Education Department. Many district leaders feel that the state should pay all or a portion of the tuition for students attending these virtual schools. USA Today (June 14, 2004).
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Rhode Island
Bowing to pressure from suburban communities, the General Assembly included
a charter school moratorium for 2005-2006 as part of the state budget
without fanfare, public hearings, or a bill. According to Education Commissioner
Peter McWalters, the moratorium may jeopardize nearly $3 million in federal
grants that were to be used for the planning of new charter schools. If
the moratorium isn’t lifted in a year future federal funding may
not be forthcoming. Providence
Journal (July 9, 2004), related articles:
(July
11, 2004) and (July
14, 2004).
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Texas
Due to budget cuts within the Texas
Education Agency (TEA), schools classified as alternative, nearly
half of the state’s charter schools, will not be graded by the state’s
first set of evaluations in two years. Charter schools receive the classification
of alternative if they teach using innovative methodology and serve a
predominantly at-risk population. These schools will be evaluated in 2005;
however, their Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test scores must
be reported and will be available to the public according to TEA spokeswoman
Suzanne Marchman. Houston
Chronicle (July 13, 2004).
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Utah
The Learning Community Charter School in Central Falls was approved
on July 9th but may be the last one to be approved for some time. The
General Assembly, bowing to pressure from suburban communities, imposed
a moratorium on charter schools for the 2005-06 school year. This moratorium
may jeopardize nearly $3 million in federal grants which were to be used
for planning according to Education Commissioner Peter McWalters. Although
the Central Falls school will open this fall, three charter schools currently
scheduled to open may be delayed as a result of the moratorium. Providence
Journal [free registration] (July 9, 2004).
The governor-appointed members of the new charter school board determined administrative procedures and agreed to hear proposals from three groups hoping to open charter schools this fall. The board, composed of three charter-school representatives, two business officials and two members recommended by the state Board of Education, will assume responsibilities that previously belonged to the State Board of Education including oversight of existing charter schools and the evaluation of most new charter school applications. The State Board of Education has ultimate authority to accept or reject the charter school board's decisions but is no longer responsible for the evaluation process. Applicants, however, may still submit proposals to the State Board of Education. This year, 3,232 students attended Utah charter schools. This fall, the number of students is expected to double when seven additional schools open, bringing the state total to 26. Salt Lake Tribune (June 15, 2004).
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Washington
Former State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Judith Billings, is
considering another run for the position against incumbent Terry Bergeson.
Bergeson no longer boasts the support of the Washington
Education Association (WEA) because she supports the Washington
Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) and public charter schools.
Billings, a former charter school advocate, now opposes charter schools.
Seattle
Times [free registration] (July 8, 2004),
related article: Eduwonk
(July 9, 2004).
State Senate contender Paul Waadevig’s, won the endorsement of the Washington Education Association (WEA) over Democrat John Davis, a veteran educator. Waadevig’s opposition to charter schools meshes with the WEA’s position. The union recently filed a referendum to overturn the newly adopted charter school legislation collecting enough signatures from registered voters to force a November vote. The Columbian (June 25, 2004).
Due to the likelihood of Referendum 55 qualifying for the November ballot, state education officials have advised local school districts not to accept charter school applications. Districts will be unable to act on applications until the law's status is resolved. The referendum asks voters to repeal the newly adopted charter school legislation that would have enabled up to 45 schools to open in the next six years. After the legislation was passed, the Seattle School Board passed a resolution opposing charter schools while Federal Way School Board approved a resolution welcoming charter school applications. Federal Way School Board President Ed Bailey says "We're open to any suggestions for kids who are already out of school, or considering dropping out, to keep them in." Seattle Post Intelligencer (June 11, 2004).
Charter school opponents plan to file more than 100,000 petition signatures with the Secretary of State's Office to qualify Referendum 55 for the November ballot. This referendum asks voters to repeal the law adopted by legislators enabling up to 45 schools to open in the next six years. Opponents of charter schools, predominantly members of the Washington Education Association (WEA) raised more than $103,000 and spent roughly $68,370 as of April 30, according to campaign-finance documents on file with the state Public Disclosure Commission. The 77,000-member WEA teachers union contributed all but $541 of the total. WEA spokesperson, Rich Wood said the revenue was raised to prevent the loss of funding to traditional public schools. Fawn Spady, co-director of the Washington Charter School Resource Center, says that the WEA does not consider the increased educational options charter schools provide for Washington’s students and families but only sees them as a threat to union membership. The Olympian (June 8, 2004).
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Washington, D.C.
The charter school movement promises continued expansion as 16 organizations
have submitted applications to the D.C.
Public Charter School Board for the 2005/06 school year. Applications
include six for high school programs, a bilingual middle school, and a
girls-only middle and high school program. The charter school board will
hold public hearings on the applications in July to determine which applicants
can move to the second phase of the review process. ABC
News (June 4, 2004).
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Wisconsin
Appleton School Superintendent Tom Scullen was elected president of the
Wisconsin
Charter Schools Association. Scullen, a key administrator since
1995, has been instrumental in the opening of several charter schools,
varying from Appleton
Central Alternative School for at-risk students to the Renaissance
School for the Arts. The Board has authorized nine charter schools and
others are being planned. Post-Crescent
(July 10, 2004).
Grades and attendance increased, the dropout rate fell and discipline problems significantly declined after Appleton Central Alternative High contracted to have nutritional meals provided for its 120 students. Soda and junk food machines were banished from the campus. Principal LuAnn Coenen believes other schools should adopt the Appleton Central model. "I mean, a school is where learning begins, and it's more than academics," she says. "We can't teach kids about the food pyramid and then offer them soda and pizza and tacos - any more than you'd want to teach an AA class in a bar. Talk about an oxymoron." The school receives recognition in the newly released film Super Size Me for establishing a program to combat the negative effects of high-fat foods as far back as 1997. Capital Times (May 28, 2004).
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Other News of Note
Paige Issues Statement Regarding New York Times Charter School Article
“The New York Times’ front-page 'analysis' of charter schools
used faulty methodology to come up with a flawed conclusion. In other
words, it was wrong.
“The Times made no distinction between students falling behind and
students climbing out of the hole in which they found themselves. The
Times grudgingly conceded that 'tracking students over time might present
findings more favorable' to charter schools--but that point was buried
at the end of the story.” ED
Press Release (August 17, 2004). Please
see also "Dog Eats AFT Homework." Wall
Street Journal (August 18, 2004).
Test Scores Indicate Lower Performance by Charter
School Students
The New
York Times reports that that according to data from the U.S. Department
of Education, charter school students score lower in both reading and
math than comparable students attending traditional public schools. The
National Assessment of Educational Progress was given to a nationally
representative sample of about 6,000 fourth graders at 167 charter schools
in February 2003. In this first national comparison, fourth graders attending
charter schools performed about half a year behind their traditional school
counterparts in both reading and math. Dr. Chester E. Finn, Jr., president
of the Thomas
B. Fordham Foundation was unnerved by the low scores and indicated
that such results called for better oversight. Dr. Finn and other charter
school supporters believe that the findings could reflect the fact that
the majority of students chose to attend charter schools because their
needs were not being met within the traditional system, many leaving due
to serious problems at their local schools. Robert Lerner, the federal
commissioner for education statistics, said further analysis was needed
to put the data in its proper context. Similarly, Jeanne Allen, president
of the Center
for Education Reform, pointed out that the test data measures only
achievement at a particular point in time but not the progress made over
time. This belief is supported by a two-year study of 569 charter schools
in 10 states conducted by Tom Loveless, director of the Brown Center on
Education Policy at the Brookings
Institution. The study determined that although charter school students
typically score lower on state tests, their achievement gains increase
more rapidly than students in traditional public schools. New
York Times [free registration] (August 17, 2004).
Choosing Champions: A Voter’s Guide To Public
Education Candidates
This new guide,
prepared by the Public
Education Network informs voters about important education issues,
and helps them determine a candidate’s position on public education.
The guide outlines which positions are up for election this year, presents
a list of questions highlighting the most pressing concerns and issues
in public education today, and outlines how to identify strong public
education candidates. PEN
Weekly NewsBlast (August 13, 2004).
New PBS Charter School Documentary to Air August
25th:
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist Looks At School Model That Closes The
Black-White Achievement Gap
Closing
the Achievement Gap, the newest PBS documentary premieres nationally
on Wednesday, August 25th, 2004 at 10:00 P.M. ET (please check your local
PBS station
listings for exact day and time). “America’s biggest public education
challenge today may be the persistent and dramatic achievement gap between
black students and white students. If we could close that gap … and truly
equalize educational achievement between the races, most of our other
socioeconomic debates would just go away.” So says Clarence Page, Pulitzer
Prize-winning columnist for the "Chicago Tribune," and essayist of the
sixty-minute documentary. Despite decades of acknowledging the problem,
public schools around the country, especially in urban areas, have been
largely unable to substantially reduce or eliminate the gap. For many
Americans, this is the next great phase of the Civil Rights Revolution.
Closing the Achievement Gap is the story of Amistad
Academy, a charter school founded in 1999 by a group of Yale Law
School students who enlisted the help of local New Haven, CT business
and community leaders. Amistad serves about 250 students in grades five
through eight; 97% of whom are African-American and Latino kids. 84% of
the children qualify for the federal free lunch program. The children
enter the school in the fifth grade, on average, more than two years below
grade level. But by the time they leave the school at the end of the eighth
grade, most of these urban students are doing as well or better than their
suburban counterparts.
National Governors Association Supports Charter
Schools
In its 2004 annual meeting, the National
Governors Association defined its policy position on charter schools
by stating that the No
Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, elevates the importance of charter schools
in providing students with more educational options. The competitive marketplace
within the public school system encourages educational excellence, as
demonstrated by the creation of public charter schools in under served
areas. The Association knows that strong charter school legislation encourages
innovation and competition, and provides increased educational opportunities.
Research indicates that when strong charter school legislation is enacted,
students in both traditional and charter schools attain higher achievement
levels. The governors support fiscally responsible increases in the federal
funding of charter schools as well as “the federal government's
efforts to encourage public charter schools as an option for excellent
academic opportunities in our nation's public schools.” National
Governors Association (2004 Annual Meeting).
Report Recommends Bringing Charter Schools to Ontario
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty released a report by a panel on
the role of government in society. Included in its recommendations was
that the province should enact charter school legislation. Currently,
Alberta is the only Canadian province with charter schools. Here, charter
schools, in conjunction with other government-funded school choices, have
improved educational services for all students. A recent study found Alberta's
charter schools were an average of 30% more effective than their traditional
counterparts at improving student achievement on language arts and math
tests over a five-year period The same study also found high levels of
parent and teacher satisfaction. National
Post (July 30, 2004).
CSLC Provides Unified Voice for Nation's Charter
Schools
Launched at the U.S. Department of Education’s Fifth Annual
National
Charter School Conference in Miami, Florida in June, the Charter
School Leadership Council (CSLC) intends to provide a unified voice
for the nation’s charter schools. The CSLC will advocate for charter
schools on a national level and will work to counter the political forces
opposing the charter school movement by directing resources to hot spots
such as Washington state and Ohio according to Dr. Howard L. Fuller, the
chairman of the council’s new board. The council’s priorities
include significantly growing the movement and extending its principles
throughout the educational system. Its principles include providing the
nation’s children with equal access to high-quality education and
enabling families to select from varied high-quality, publicly financed
educational options. Education
Week [free registration] (July 28, 2004).
ED Issues Update to Charter School Program Guidance
The Department has received inquiries since issuing the original Charter
Schools Program, Title I, Part B Non-Regulatory Guidance and The Impact
of the New Title I Requirements on Charter Schools Non-Regulatory Guidance.
In response to these inquiries, the Department has provided updated versions
of these guidance packages which can be reviewed along with other Department
policy guidance at http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/edpicks.jhtml?src=fp.
More
information.
2 Charter Schools Receive Intel/Scholastic Twenty-First
Century Schools of Distinction Award
Twenty schools, including Sherman
Oaks Community Charter School and New
York KIPP Academy Charter School have been named as Intel/Scholastic
Twenty-First Century Schools of Distinction Award winners. The honors,
awarded to schools that exhibited excellence in the use of technology
and professional development, are a part of the Intel Innovation in Education
initiative in partnership with Scholastic, Inc. and the Blue
Ribbon Schools of Excellence Foundation. TMCNet.com
(June 22, 2004).
NACSA Releases Second "Issue Brief"
The National Association
of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) recently released an "Issue
Brief" by Bryan C. Hassel and Robin Halsband that investigates ways authorizers
can help charter schools deal with facilities challenges. The brief states
that authorizers must recognize the challenge that charter schools face
in financing their facilities. This challenge can be dealt with in a number
of ways. While some authorizers may be willing and able to adopt proactive
roles such as establishing loan pools, providing credit enhancement tools,
or brokering relationships with a public bonding authority, others can
offer a simplified form of technical assistance by providing education
and information to financial institutions and schools. In carrying out
their four primary responsibilities the application process; performance
contracting; oversight and evaluation; and renewal decision making, authorizers
must establish open communication; adopt and follow clearly defined processes
and standards; and guarantee a politically stable history of decisions
impacting their schools. The brief is available online at: http://www.charterauthorizers.org/files/nacsa/BECSA/IssueBriefNo2.pdf.
Multimillionaire Buys Nations 2nd Largest Charter
School Manager
Imagine
Schools Inc., based in Arlington, recently purchased Chancellor
Beacon Academies, the nation’s second-largest for-profit manager
of charter schools. Imagine now manages more than 70 charter schools,
serving almost 20,000 students, in nine states and the District of Columbia.
Dennis Bakke, Imagine’s chief executive officer says "We aspire
to live by the shared values of integrity, justice, and the creation of
fun school environments." Bakke who is the former head of a global
electric company and number 312 on Forbes magazine’s "world’s
richest people" list, plans to invest $100 million in the new company.
Plans for additional investments include $40 million to build and open
several charter schools in the District of Columbia, two in Baltimore
in the fall of 2005, and $20 million to open charter schools in South
Carolina if legislation creating a statewide charter district is adopted.
Education
Week (June 9, 2004).
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