Charter Expansion and Enrollment Up in US
The number of children in the US attending charter schools has passed the two million mark according to an AP article in the Seattle Times. But read the article closely and you'll see all is not well.
From the article:
The growth represents the largest increase in enrollment over a single year since charter schools were founded nearly two decades ago. In all, more than 500 new charter schools were opened in the 2011-12 school year. And about 200,000 more students are enrolled now than a year before, an increase of 13 percent nationwide.
Of course, the fact that in the article charter supporters and others attribute most of that growth to the RTTT money is telling. We are Americans, after all. Give us more choices and we will take them.
They are helped by continued support from private foundations and the U.S. Department of Education, which announced $25 million in grants for high achieving charter schools in September.
Sixteen states have lifted caps on the number of them and student enrollment over the last three years, according to the National Council of State Legislatures.
There are several telling quotes:
James Willcox, CEO of Aspire Public Schools, California's largest charter school operator, said $20 million in state funding has been lost annually since 2007. After school and academic intervention programs have been cut, class sizes expanded and teachers haven't received a cost of living increase in four years.
"We have banded together and done everything we possibly can to keep them on track," Willcox said in an interview Tuesday. "Our results have gotten better even as the situation has gotten worse. But it's not sustainable."
Not sustainable? As in it costs a lot of money to educate all kids? And charter are finally getting around to having to have more special ed and ELL services and it costs them money?
Robin Lake, associate director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington, said the big expansion has come at the right time: Charter schools have matured and are paying more attention to effectively surveying and addressing the needs of special education, English language learners and other students.
Oh, okay, they've "matured." It only took them 20 years.
Part of the problem, as Ms. Lake points out, was the "let's go" attitude that was initially the hallmark of charters - not innovation, not oversight. But now:
In Florida, for example, a charter school law was passed this spring making it easier for charters deemed as "high performing" to expand. About 57 percent of Florida's charter schools were given an "A" by the state last school year. Six percent were given an "F," including a new KIPP charter school in Jacksonville. KIPP, or the Knowledge is Power Program, has schools nationwide and is frequently cited as an example of a successful charter schools network, highlighting the difficulty of replicating good results.
Paul Weitzel, who has written "The Charter School Experiment" has the last word:
"Charter schools are frequently innovative outside the classroom," he said. "But once you get into the classroom, we're not really seeing the extent of innovation that people had hoped to see."
Innovation, oversight, results - they matter in the vernacular of charter schools and it seems some people are just figuring that out.
From the article:
The growth represents the largest increase in enrollment over a single year since charter schools were founded nearly two decades ago. In all, more than 500 new charter schools were opened in the 2011-12 school year. And about 200,000 more students are enrolled now than a year before, an increase of 13 percent nationwide.
Of course, the fact that in the article charter supporters and others attribute most of that growth to the RTTT money is telling. We are Americans, after all. Give us more choices and we will take them.
They are helped by continued support from private foundations and the U.S. Department of Education, which announced $25 million in grants for high achieving charter schools in September.
Sixteen states have lifted caps on the number of them and student enrollment over the last three years, according to the National Council of State Legislatures.
There are several telling quotes:
James Willcox, CEO of Aspire Public Schools, California's largest charter school operator, said $20 million in state funding has been lost annually since 2007. After school and academic intervention programs have been cut, class sizes expanded and teachers haven't received a cost of living increase in four years.
"We have banded together and done everything we possibly can to keep them on track," Willcox said in an interview Tuesday. "Our results have gotten better even as the situation has gotten worse. But it's not sustainable."
Not sustainable? As in it costs a lot of money to educate all kids? And charter are finally getting around to having to have more special ed and ELL services and it costs them money?
Robin Lake, associate director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington, said the big expansion has come at the right time: Charter schools have matured and are paying more attention to effectively surveying and addressing the needs of special education, English language learners and other students.
Oh, okay, they've "matured." It only took them 20 years.
Part of the problem, as Ms. Lake points out, was the "let's go" attitude that was initially the hallmark of charters - not innovation, not oversight. But now:
In Florida, for example, a charter school law was passed this spring making it easier for charters deemed as "high performing" to expand. About 57 percent of Florida's charter schools were given an "A" by the state last school year. Six percent were given an "F," including a new KIPP charter school in Jacksonville. KIPP, or the Knowledge is Power Program, has schools nationwide and is frequently cited as an example of a successful charter schools network, highlighting the difficulty of replicating good results.
Paul Weitzel, who has written "The Charter School Experiment" has the last word:
"Charter schools are frequently innovative outside the classroom," he said. "But once you get into the classroom, we're not really seeing the extent of innovation that people had hoped to see."
Innovation, oversight, results - they matter in the vernacular of charter schools and it seems some people are just figuring that out.
Comments
HERE
Forget charter schools and grade-by-grade testing. It's time to look at the best-performing countries and pragmatically adapt their solutions.
Ironically, the charter schools in AZ are trying hard to be seen as public schools so they can get more money from the state, meanwhile the amount of private funding they are getting has increased greatly. The lack of transparency with that private funding is causing problems, and many charter schools seem to think that they don’t have to provide an accounting for how either the public or the private money is spent.
White Hat Charter School Employees Told Company Must Boost Enrollment Profits
How many public schools close mid-year and force students to enroll in another school? Happens to charters all the time. Sacramento
Oregon
Florida (old)
Sorry if this doesn’t work - Google’s preview isn’t showing my links...
The missing links (if this works):
White Hat Charter School Employees Told Company Must Boost Enrollment Profits http://www.ohio.com/news/local-news/white-hat-employees-told-company-must-boost-enrollment-profits-1.248313
How many public schools close mid-year and force students to enroll in another school? Happens to charters all the time. Sacramento http://www.news10.net/news/local/article/153000/2/School-shutdown-leaves-students-teachers-scrambling
Oregon http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2011/09/how_real_prep_charter_school_s.html
Florida (old) http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2004-07-27/news/0407270202_1_charter-school-board-school-district
CT,
That sounds like SPS, particularly under MGJ.
Why is WPTSA becoming a pawn of the Reformers? I suggest we take back our PTSAs with a boycott of the WPTSA and "mic checks" at PTSA meetings. It's ridiculous that an organization comprised of parents, teachers and community members would be taken over by national "reform" groups. I hope the community takes note and reclaims their PTSAs.
Here's Dora's commentary on this fiasco.
There is much going on behind closed doors. Is the fix in? Do citizens matter? Is the WPTSA OUR representative? Are public schools the public's?
Future name for PTSA (or PTA) = PSA (or PA).
You can remove the "T" is this is not rescinded.
Fly on the Wall
Are you telling me only 209 teachers cared enough to show up and vote on this thing?
This really sticks in my craw. I bust my hump fighting these battles...for what? So that the SEA leadership can give away the store?!
PTSA is getting less and less representative and I have grown wary of claims about its representation.
PTSA is getting less and less representative and I have grown wary of claims about its representation.
Most everything these days is less representative.
Last legislative session the WEA testified in support of CommonCoreSS. When I called WEA and asked how they had decided to back a program that would take the equivalent of 330+ teachers per year of funding from local districts and put it into common core processes, I was told that the WEA president and executive board can do whatever they wish without consulting members.
Clearly there is something "hinckey" goin' on.
Last night at the School Board meeting Jonathan Knapp got up and sang the praises of Susan Enfield.... Was this reflective of the dues paying members wishes? More likely he was delivering the message from WEA big wigs...... wonder who controls them?
Equally interesting in the era of open government (???) when we attempted to recall Randy Dorn for violating a law written expressly for him... to deliver a CCSS impact report to the legislature on or before Jan 1, 2011 which he delivered 30 days late.... we learned not a problem as he got the report delivered. Instead of a minimum requirement of 34 days before an important hearing 4 days was just fine with the court.
When we raised the objection that this impacted the public's due process rights to give informed testimony.... we learned that the report was for the legislature and not for the public.
LOOK for Charters Schools to come next via the Decisions of the Big Deciders...... just like TFA don't be looking for the SEA to object..... right Mr. Knapp?
A lot less representation of the public has been with us for a long while and looks to be getting even worse.
Ed Reform likely sees Patu, McLaren, and Peaslee as just a bump in the road..... If they can push thru the Ed Reform Queen to Superintendent ... those three directors will make little difference.
Acid Test coming for Smith-Blum and DeBell ... time to show your true colors.
Remember when Cheryl Chow left the Board (replaced by Patu) and Harium stepped right in to be the fourth rubber-stamper.
Now the two remaining Rubber Stampers Sherry and Harium .... may be joined by two others so the Ed reform train can keep running via 4-3 votes.
Michael DeBell displayed dissatisfaction with Math, MAP, and the NTN contract..... Clearly he should be in favor of a Superintendent search..... but ya never know in the Ed USA Circus running in Seattle.
---- After all Susan Enfield told us last night that she knew all about what had been going on at Mercer and has been fully supportive..... likely a good enough line to allow Michael DeBell to vote against a Superintendent search......
Return on Investment .... Three years of Salary and benefits for a Superintendent = $800,000+
Search = $50,000 ........ 6.25% ... looks like a required insurance step..... Unless of course DeBell wants the Ed Reform Train to keep on running through Seattle.
"WINNING!"
P.S. Remember, more JK means more Glenn Barfia
From Philanthropy news digest =>
Posted on December 8, 2011
Gates Foundation Commits $40 Million for College Readiness Efforts
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced $40 million in funding for cities that have signed Charter-District Collaboration Compacts.
The funding, which includes both grants and program-related investments, will be awarded to cities where district and charter school leaders have pledged to share best practices, innovations, and resources, with the goal of scaling up existing programs designed to prepare students for college and career success. Launched last December, the compacts program aims to encourage district and charter partners to work together in a range of areas, including teacher effectiveness, college-ready tools and programs, innovative instructional delivery systems and models, and improved use of student-level data. As a condition of the funding, cities also commit to replicating high-performing traditional and public charter school models and to improving or closing schools that are not serving students well.
To date, fourteen cities — Chicago, Illinois; Spring Branch, Texas; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; Central Falls, Rhode Island; Denver, Colorado; Hartford, Connecticut; Los Angeles, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Nashville, Tennessee; New Orleans, Louisiana; New York City; Rochester, New York; and Sacramento, California — have signed compact agreements. Additional cities will be announced in the coming weeks.
"These communities are setting examples for mayors, districts, and charter school leaders across the country to work collaboratively, learn from each another, and build upon successful practices," said Vicki L. Phillips, director of education for the College Ready program at the Gates Foundation. "Ultimately, they have the same goal — to ensure all students succeed — so it just makes sense for them to be on the same team. We applaud these communities for publicly committing to work together and do whatever it takes to radically increase the number students prepared for college and career."
“Gates Foundation Announces Significant Investments Available for Cities Supporting Collaboration, Bold Reform and High-Performing Schools.” Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Press Release 12/06/11.
===============
Show me the data..... that charters are a worthwhile effort.
This looks a lot like bringing TFA to areas with no teacher shortage. .... This is largely about restructuring schools to the way big money wants it ... and not about improving overall access to a quality education for students.
DWE