Category Archives: Public Charter Schools

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.” […]