“Cleveland charters shine”
Aaron Churchill, the Ohio Research Director for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute published an op-ed today on Cleveland.com in which he localized the results of a new Fordham study showing huge gains in both math and English language arts for brick-and-mortar charter school students in relation to their peers in traditional district schools. Cleveland was one of the cities with strong achievement data and with numerous examples of high-performing charter schools as noted in his piece.
Parent Power
Late last week, the Center for Education Reform released its 2020 Parent Power Index, ranking the best (and worst) states in the nation for giving parents power over their child’s education via charter schools, other choice programs, and teacher quality and innovation. Ohio was in eighth place this year. The more quality school choices, the better for parents and students.
The power of one parent’s voice
John Zitzner, co-founder of Friends of Breakthrough Schools in Cleveland, continued his video series this week with a terrific interview with Breakthrough parent Ashley Love. We not only hear about how Ashley chose a charter school for her son, but also about how school was going for him both before and after Covid hit. Particularly interesting is her positive appraisal of remote learning as a “distraction-free” environment which has allowed her son to focus better and achieve more.
No more falling through the cracks
The principal of Marshall High School, a dropout recovery charter in Middletown, Ohio, published a blunt op-ed in the Cincinnati Enquirer this week. He came to education through his own upbringing, honoring the teachers who helped him through tough times, and he brings that passion to his students. He and his staff are working hard to make sure that their kids have all the support they need to complete high school…even if their previous schools have let them down.
Another effort to become the first
Across the river, another charter school operator has submitted an application to become the first charter school to open in West Virginia. This time in Monongalia County. While the law allows three charters in the state, those applications must be approved by the county school board in which they propose to locate. So far, no application has been successful. Thus, zero charters have opened in the Mountain State as yet.
Another first
Citing a recent Supreme Court ruling, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos this week announced that she will no longer enforce a prohibition on allowing religious organizations to apply for federal funding to open charter schools. “Prohibiting religiously affiliated public charter schools is unconstitutional,” she said at an event in Kentucky, adding that “the Charter School Program will not discriminate and will allow for and welcome religiously affiliated applicants.
