Category Archives: Educational Choice

CNN commentator Roland Martin hits the nail on the head today by proclaiming the need for more school vouchers, and highlighting the interest group politics that has blocked or slowed down the needed reform (H/T Mike Antonucci). His article is titled “McCain right, Obama wrong on school vouchers,” but the larger point is that it’s time to move school choice beyond partisan politics on a national scale. Here’s some of what Martin has to say: I fundamentally believe that vouchers are simply one part of the entire educational pie. There simply is no one sure-fire way to educate a child. We’ve seen public schools do a helluva job — I went to them from K through college — and so have private schools, home schooling, charter schools and even online initiatives. This is the kind of innovation we need, not more efforts to prevent a worthy idea from moving forward. Obama’s opposition is right along the lines of the National Education Association, and the teachers union is a reliable and powerful Democratic ally. But this is one time where he should have opposed them and made it clear that vouchers can force school districts, administrators and teachers to shape up […]

Not all kids are as blessed as I am, yet their families have opportunities to find a successful education, too. Business Week has such an inspirational story from Harlem. Former media executive Deborah Kenny has created the successful Village Academies charter schools to reach a population of mostly black and Latino kids in an area where other schools are failing: A former Time Warner executive herself, Kenny has applied a business management style to running her schools, focusing on attracting smart teachers, nurturing talent, using reams of data to improve performance, and putting a huge emphasis on rewarding results. In June, she announced that 100% of Village Academies’ eighth grade students had passed the state math test, a first for Harlem that was lauded by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “I was proud,” says Kenny. “But this should not be some historic, amazing achievement. It should be a given.” You really ought to read the whole story. It tells why Ms. Kenny left the business world for education, how she carefully studied the practices of successful schools, and how she views the parents of her students: Kenny also tells her staff, which now numbers more than 65, that they need […]

My parents say I’ve still got a lot to learn about civics and government, but it seems to me that the people running for President like to talk a lot more about education than they can actually do to help fix education. A major reason Presidential candidates talk about education as much as they do is all the money and political clout of the National Education Association (NEA) teachers union. As NEA has done every time, the union recently endorsed the Democratic candidate for President. Last week, Barack Obama gave an official acceptance speech to NEA’s big annual meeting via satellite. Obama said a lot of things the union delegates wanted to hear, but at one point he was loudly booed: Why? He suggested changing the way most teachers are paid, including more money given out based on performance. He also spoke highly of charter schools. Not too surprising, NEA officials edited out Barack Obama’s comments about merit pay and charter schools. Wow, this union really goes out of its way to block sensible reforms that benefit students, parents, and professional teachers! When you think about it, maybe it would be better if the Presidential candidates didn’t talk so much […]

Colorado needs more charter schools. We have about 140 now. But many of them are full, and parents keep asking for more. Thousands of families across the state are on wait lists to get into charter schools. On a lighter note today, Denise at Colorado Charters tells us how all those new charter schools we’d like to see could avoid confusion by steering clear of duplicating names. She gives plenty of Colorado examples. After reading through her list, your head will spin. With all the Academies, Pioneers, Frontiers, Excels, and Vanguards, you might think you’re on a car dealer’s lot (or maybe just shopping for car insurance). Denise concludes: In my dream world new charter schools select names that are unique and easy to differentiate. The founders check the Secretary of State’s website to make sure the legal name is available. And, of course, my dream world includes charter founders asking about the feasibility of using a school name before making it official. So here’s a challenge to all those aspiring charter school founders: Pick a name that really sets you apart. How about naming the school after an inspiring national or Colorado historical figure? Whatever it is, find that […]

The Friedman Foundation is one of the biggest supporters of school choice for parents in the U.S. Lately they have been going from state to state asking people their views about education. Their most recent stop is Oklahoma. Some of the findings were quite telling: Nearly two out of three Oklahomans are content with current levels of public school funding. A large majority of voters (64 percent) say Oklahoma’s level of public school funding is either “too high” or “about right.” At least 67 percent of the poll’s respondents underestimate the state’s actual per-pupil funding, which suggests that the funding satisfaction level is probably a conservative figure. More than four out of five Oklahomans would prefer to send their child to a school other than a regular public school—only 17 percent say a regular public school is their top choice….< Oklahoma voters value private schools—they are more than twice as likely to prefer sending their child to a private school over any other school type. When asked “what type of school would you select in order to obtain the best education for your child?” 41 percent of respondents selected private schools…. Interestingly, these results are largely consistent with the findings […]

I’ve told you about examples of charter school success in Colorado and about Denver parents demanding more public charter school options. If you’re new to the scene, however, you might be wondering why there aren’t enough charter schools to meet the demands of parents (and kids like me). In a great post, Colorado Charter Schools guru Denise highlights a teachers union attack on charter schools in Delaware, and then brings the topic closer to home: Don’t expect the teacher’s union to make a frontal assault on charter schools — not when they’re so popular with parents and teachers. Speaking negatively about charter schools would never work. Instead, “limit the number of charters,” which in Delaware means putting a moratorium on the number of approved charter applications and keeping the focus on districts’ losing money. Other strategies could include: Limiting the number of authorizers, or eviscerating alternative authorizers; Raising the application approval bar so high that almost no one can meet the requirements (all in the name of holding high standards, of course); and Ensuring that heavy-handed authorizers retain total control in both the big things and little things. Oh, but that might sound like Colorado and not Delaware… Denise makes […]

Sunday’s Steamboat Pilot and Today provides a great example of how parents can take the initiative to create a public charter school that has the opportunity to thrive in a more rural setting: Although its halls have been devoid of students for years, the former McCoy Public School will get a new life as a charter school next fall, serving young minds from Toponas to Wolcott. In less than a year, what began as a cooperative homeschooling movement for families in McCoy, Burns and Bond “took on a life of its own,” said Dawn Mutchelknaus, mother of 4-year-old Jayden. The effort’s goals and geographic reach expanded to a full-fledged charter school, home to students in kindergarten through third grade, first through an online program and eventually through Eagle County Schools. Kudos to parents in Colorado’s northern mountains for working together to create a new educational opportunity. If it were me, I’d be thankful for a great school to attend and not have to ride in the bus all those extra hours. What a great idea! The other good news is that there still is a lot of new wonderful schooling opportunities out there just waiting to happen.

Ben received this email from the Colorado League of Charter Schools: On May 22, a destructive tornado tore through the town of Windsor in northeastern Colorado. Thankfully, Windsor Charter Academy (WCA) avoided a direct hit and all of its staff and students are safe. Unfortunately, it is estimated that nine WCA families lost their homes in the tornado. The Colorado League of Charter Schools is accepting donations of money, food, clothing and gift cards to help these charter school families. Please send your donation to the Colorado League of Charter Schools, 725 S. Broadway, Suite 7, Denver, CO 80209 — or drop it off at our office. We will deliver the items to Windsor Charter Academy on your behalf. Please make any checks payable to the Colorado League of Charter Schools–100% of your donation will be directed to WCA for distribution to its families that were affected by the tornado. If you prefer to take your donation directly to Windsor Charter Academy, please call them at 970-674-5020 to make arrangements. If you have any questions, need additional information, or know of other charter school families in northeastern Colorado that need assistance, please contact Stacy Rivera at 303-989-5356, ext. 112. Thank […]

The 2008 edition of the Newsweek and Washington Post annual Challenge Index – which “measures a public high school’s effort to challenge its students” – was released this week. One Colorado high school made the top 100 nationwide: Lafayette’s Peak to Peak Charter School, which ranked #40. The Colorado Charters blog has posted some information from the press release: The highly accredited college-prep K-12 charter school opened as an elementary school in 2000, and has grown to over 1300 students in grades K-12 in 2007. Peak to Peak High School offers a rigorous liberal arts curriculum including AP classes, highly acclaimed fine arts and state championship athletics. The three graduating classes to date average a 99 percent graduation rate, and 100 percent of the 93 graduating seniors in the class of 2008 have been accepted to a college of their choice. The 81 2007 graduates were offered over $4 million in scholarship money. Ten 2008 seniors qualified as National Merit Finalists, over 10% of the senior class, and eight additional students received Commended recognition. Sixty-two students qualified for Advanced Placement Scholar distinctions based on the 2007 AP exams taken last spring. Even though high school is a long ways off […]

I’m excited to feature this story from today’s Denver Post in my first post, because it’s a big part of what this blog is all about! Parents in Denver have seen several amazing, successful charter schools at work and are demanding more: “We want this for our kids and our families,” said Luci Saenz, mother of a child at Valdez Elementary. “We are ready to fight. We believe in our children, and we believe they deserve it.” Like other urban districts, Denver Public Schools has had trouble educating the city’s poorest students. But two charter middle schools on the city’s west side have proved it can be done. The success of KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy and West Denver Preparatory Charter School is spurring a charter renaissance. At least a dozen charter schools are being planned for the city over the next decade based on high-performing models. The vast majority of parents know and care about their children’s educational needs and want the best for them. For these parents in Denver, the new charter schools can’t come soon enough. Yet, interestingly, the article also notes: “Critics of charters argue schools are successful because they cater to parents who are already engaged.” […]