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- There is a lot of negative talk that school choice (and charter schools in particular) leads to racial “re-segregation” after decades of effort across the country to desegregate our schools. But 2025 is not the same as the bad old days of the early 20th century with residential redlining and separate and unequal education. There’s still work to be done, but today, families of all kinds with access to district, charter, private, and other educational options can choose their schools, often from among a dozen excellent candidates. And if families today want a great school with lots of Black teachers and students, they can usually find one that will welcome them unconditionally. And when that happens, such schools often look like the premier charter school Dayton Early College Academy (DECA). Here’s a fantastic look at DECA’s annual Black History Month Show, which took place yesterday, told in the words of the students and staff members who not only explain this year’s theme—“Black Joy: People. Places. Stories.”—but also embody that theme with talent, drive, and commitment. Awesome stuff. (Dayton Daily News, 2/16/25)
- Or maybe such schools of choice look like Northwest School of the Arts in Cleveland, a charter school where the teaching staff includes more Black males (a whopping 40 percent) than dozens of other schools combined. It’s all a part of the plan to best support students, says principal Derrick Lockett. “We are the Black men that step up for them. We are the Black men that show up for them, and so we have to teach them” and provide a narrative that directs them toward success and excellence. And it seems to be working. “Every day I come to this school, and I see Black role models that I could just be like one day,” said seventh grader Deion Jackson. A great story, and don’t skip the video that accompanies the written piece. (Spectrum News, 2/16/25)
- Increasingly, private schools in Ohio are becoming magnets for families looking for unique educational models, welcoming multicultural campuses, high expectations, and a mission to boost all students to the highest possible levels of achievement. Here’s a look at Cristo Rey Columbus, a high school integrating academic rigor with a strong workforce preparation model that places students—all of them low-income, many of them students of color—in real jobs with community partners for multiple days a week throughout each school year. Sounds hard, but sounds incredible too and its results speak for themselves. Take a look. (School Choice Ohio blog, 2/17/25)
- Also available today: out-of-school-time supports geared to families whose students often get overlooked for such programs. Take a look at National Math Stars, a non-profit that aims to grab high-achieving students early and give them advanced work meant to engage them and keep them moving forward, especially when their school environments are less geared to recognize and boost their abilities. How awesome! And check out the amazing and adorable Xavier Cherkas, who got to attend an advanced summer math camp in Ohio thanks to NMS. (And where can I get those gorgeously-nerdy glasses for myself?!) NMS founder Ilana Walder-Biesanz, says that catching advanced students early “before factors like race and socioeconomics wear away” their opportunities is a vital effort. “If we look for top performers in second grade,” she says, “we’re going to have a more diverse and representative group … than if we first look for them in eighth grade or in high school, when there has been more time for the people with more resources to get ahead — and the people with fewer resources to fall behind.” I love every word of this and it is the absolute epitome of the benefits of school choice for families and students. Hopefully after reading all of this awesomeness, you will pardon me for dismissing the “choice means re-segregation” talk as being more in the interest of adults than of kids. (The 74, 2/12/25)
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