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Post-election news pt. 1 – Kentucky
The most-germane ballot issue for charter school advocates on Tuesday was Kentucky’s Amendment 2, which proposed language to allow state funding to go to students outside of traditional district schools. It was defeated at the ballot box by nearly 30 points. Governor Andy Beshear, who opposed the measure, said that voters have “once again definitively stated that public dollars belong only in public schools.” Kentucky Students First, a group that advocated in favor of the amendment, said in a statement, “Kentucky students deserve better, and our resolve to serve students over systems remains unchanged.”
Post-election news pt. 2 – Chicago
For the first time in history, voters in Chicago were allowed to vote directly for members of the city’s school board, ending nearly 200 years of mayoral approvals and appointments. The landmark moment came at a crucial time for the district, given recent efforts by board members under Mayor Brandon Johnson to prioritize district schools over charters and other choices that have grown in number and popularity over the years. While it will be another electoral cycle before the full 21-member elected board is fully phased in, 10 members were elected by voters on Tuesday. These include a mix of teacher union-endorsed candidates and several charter school supporters. The winners will serve alongside 10 mayoral appointees until the next election. Could be a bumpy couple of years.
Post-election news pt. 3 – the national picture
Michael McShane, the director of national research at EdChoice, took a look at these and other school-choice related election outcomes for Forbes. And while the ballot questions in Colorado, Nebraska, and elsewhere were not specifically connected to charters schools, arguments for and against school choice programs tend to be very similar regardless of school type, and McShane’s analysis is valuable for all choice advocates.
Leadership in Dayton
Dayton Leadership Academies presents The Longest Table, a city-wide event meant to bring disparate individuals together to share a meal and to connect as a community. Here’s some nice coverage of the event—coming up on November 21—which also points out that DLA is celebrating 25 years of serving the children of Dayton. Kudos!
The ed board speaks
The editorial board of the Star-Ledger newspaper in New Jersey used data from a new report by the Progressive Policy Institute to point out that charter school students from low-income Garden State families performed better, on average, than their traditional district peers. This trend was in evidence both before and after pandemic disruptions to education. What’s more, competition from charters actually helped students in those district schools perform better as well. “This idea that charters are inevitably damaging to the main school district is a myth,” they write. “Creating more options for families does not hurt. It helps.” Awesome!
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