The Center For Education Reform
CER Newswire
Vol. 9, No. 16
April 24, 2007
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A weekly report on education news and commentary you won't find anywhere else, spiced with a dash of irreverence, from the nation's leading voice in school reform. See our Newswire Library for an archive of back issues.
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CHARTER SCHOOLS
SURVEY SAYS. It's been 15 years since the first charter school opened in Minnesota and the movement continues to grow in size and popularity. Since last year, charter schools enjoyed double-digit growth, with 3,940 schools now serving 1.16 million students in 40 states and the District of Columbia. They continue to offer innovative curricula to a predominantly at-risk and poor student population. Want to know more about our nation's charter schools? Stay tuned to CER's website for the release of the 2007 Annual Survey of America's Charter Schools.
VILLAGE VISIT. Harlem Village Academy is used to receiving honors by now. The school's outstanding achievement record - taking at-risk and poor students who are 2-4.5 years below grade level and making them over 90 percent proficient in math - has garnered it praise from New York officials, CER, the media and many others. But the ultimate recognition came today as President Bush visited Harlem Village Academy to talk about education policy and, more importantly, to honor the school's innovation and academic achievement. The president was joined by Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Congressman Charles Rangel, as well as several national, state, and local education and business leaders. Looking at the success of Harlem Village Academy, it's no wonder they have received so much praise. Since 2003, 7th grade students' math proficiency has risen from 35 percent to 94 percent and reading proficiency has shot up from 25 percent to 77 percent. Those scores have made Harlem Village Academy the highest scoring charter in New York City, despite the many challenges it faces. We, like the president, applaud Harlem Village Academy and the countless others out there that merit but can't all receive a visit from the Commander in Chief.
VISIT A CHARTER SCHOOL TODAY! - VIRTUALLY. Can't get to a school as quickly as the Commander in Chief? Thanks to the power of technology, you too can visit the nation's nearly 4,000 charter schools operating around the country. Take a virtual tour at any one of the nearly 85% of charters that have a website. Want to find the one that's around the corner or just across town for a bricks-and-mortar visit? Check out our new Find a Charter School Google map mashup that lets you geo-locate schools in your area or across the country. Or search our free National Charter School Online Directory for the school that fits your profile. All debuting this week - start touring soon at www.edreform.com.
CAN YOU SAY CHARTER? Most reformers are enormously gratified when charters attract star power. Celebrities from all fields are increasingly jumping on the charter bandwagon, realizing that their social commitment to make the world better with their philanthropy is often better spent on a program that one can start, direct and control without unnecessary government interference. So when Andre Agassi's team started fishing around several years ago to get to know charters, we were thrilled. Naturally, when the Agassi College Preparatory Academy opened in Las Vegas, local and national observers cheered. The beautiful campus offers some of the area's most needy children a first class education and social services that are unparalleled in the area. Thanks to the power of the state's charter law, which, while average, has been improving, Agassi's swing in the education field had power. So why then did his words and videos about this school last night at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles skip that piece of vital information? The crowd of 3,000 business and technology leaders from around the world gathered to hear Agassi, Michael J. Fox, and Ted Turner talk to Michael Milken about their foundational efforts to change the world. News of Agassi College Prep and its achievements garnered wild applause by the audience. But some were left wondering why he never mentioned the word charter. Tennis, anyone?
KATIE COURIC CAN SAY CHARTER. Tonight CBS Evening News with Katie Couric looks at charter schools' impact on schooling and on learning - and one school's success in particular. Promos the CBS website: "At a certain Harlem charter school, math scores have shot through the roof. We'll share their equation for success." If she can say charter maybe everyone else can too.
THIS SPACE ISN'T FOR YOU. Charter schools face incredible obstacles before they can open, and almost every day once they are open. They receive less funding, face political hostility from teachers unions and school districts, and are given little help with facilities. Those obstacles are particularly difficult to deal with for charters up against the Los Angeles United School District (LAUSD). With many successful charter schools, including Synergy Academy, in need of new classroom space, the district is claiming it would be "too costly" to provide it to the schools. "Charter school students have an equal call on classroom seats," Caprice Young of the California Charter Schools Association told the Los Angeles Times. "The school district finds every way it possibly can not to give space to charter schools. The school district's policy is explicitly illegal." In fact, state law does call for public school campuses to be "shared fairly" between conventional public schools and charter schools. Things don't seem to be too fair for many highly successful charter schools in that area.
POP QUIZ
AREN'T YOU POSH. Who spent between $4,120 and $63,783 per month in rent for their Detroit office space and in 2002 bought and improved four floors of a Detroit building for $39 million - more than the entire building cost one year earlier?
a) Detroit-based rapper Eminem.
b) Larry Page, founder of Google
c) Detroit Public Schools
d) Madonna
Answer: c. Detroit Public Schools, which are dealing with crumbling school buildings, a lack of money, and dismal achievement numbers, are finally getting rid of their swank administrative headquarters. For five years, the district has been renting office space for between $4,120 and $63,783 per month or $12 to $19 per square foot. They now have plans to sublet the space and move into one of the city's closing school buildings. Unfortunately, most real estate experts suggest that in the current market, finding companies willing to lease the space is highly unlikely considering the exorbitant price tag. As the Detroit Free Press discovered, current members of the school board are "appalled" by the district's offices. I'm sure parents are too.
SHOUT OUT
A PEACH OF A LEGISLATURE. As reported before, the Georgia Legislature as of last week had only a couple of days left to approve several important school choice bills that would provide valuable options for students and teachers in the Peach State. Thanks to the leadership of Majority Leader Jerry Keen, Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson and the House Education Chair Brooks Coleman, it appears they spent their last four days in session wisely. The legislature approved a critical school choice bill modeled after the McKay Scholarship in Florida that will provide money for special-needs students to attend the school of their choice, a modest charter school bill that will allow for new charter districts that would, if approved, be able to have more flexibility from rules, and another bill that will provide health insurance for charter school teachers and employees. A special shout out to the Georgia Legislature for time well spent last week. Next on the docket: an important multiple authorizer bill introduced by Rep. Jan Jones that would create an independent charter board like that used in Arizona, DC and Florida, to help grow healthy charters without conflicts from school boards.
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