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Leading with kindness
Here’s a nice profile of Kim Simons, co-superintendent of Lakeland Academy in eastern Ohio. She manages the student- and parent-centered responsibilities alongside Jenn Bardall, who handles administrative duties. Simons was a novice to the charter school world when she first came to Lakewood. And after four years in which she’s taught in almost every grade, and handled special education and reading as well, she knows that “this place means family and community.” Awesome.
Research and exemplar
The Dayton Daily News provided coverage of Fordham’s latest research report, which looks at the academic trajectories of low-income Ohio students who perform well academically at third grade. The theme of the report is “leaky pipeline”, which gives an accurate picture of how many of those young people generally fare in later grades as compared to their higher-income peers. However, reporter Eileen McClory also highlights some local schools who do a better job at supporting their high-achieving low-income students to greater academic outcomes—including the very awesome charter school Dayton Early College Academy. Take a look!
That’s how school choice works
In a story about Akron City Schools planning to undergo their first performance audit in nearly 30 years, we also learn that district leaders are looking for “ways to boost student enrollment, including bringing students back who may have left for a charter or private school.” Leaving aside the fact that many such students opted out of the district for their entire school careers (and thus can’t be “brought back”), here’s hoping that their efforts focus on providing better services and more of what Akron families want from their schools.
Losing the race
Two staffers from the American Federation for Children opined last week that the school choice ecosystem in several states—including Ohio—could provide good models for their home state of Pennsylvania to emulate, including both private and charter school sectors. “If Pennsylvania truly wants to attract population from neighboring states while strengthening the overall education ecosystem,” they write, “it should…offer a panoply of educational choices” as Ohio and others already do.
Blocking the pipeline
Charter school opponents in West Virginia have hit upon a new legal strategy to try and stop the expansion of charters in their state…and it has proven successful in its first challenge. Two teachers sued the state, arguing that under the state constitution charters can’t open without approval from local voters. Kanawha Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey concurred and ordered a temporary halt to the authorization of new charter schools statewide without voter consent. The injunction could become permanent—and indeed all currently operating charters could be shut down—if the order is not successfully appealed or if the state legislature and/or governor don’t intervene.
Boosting the pipeline
Meanwhile, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the City Fund announced a $20 million initiative to fund two charter schools in Alabama. One began its inaugural year this fall and the other is scheduled to open in fall 2026. Both are affiliated with HBCUs—Stillman College and Tuskegee University—and the new initiative is meant to strengthen the connection between the charter schools and their colleges. Among other supports, the Bloomberg/City Fund effort will facilitate dual-enrollment courses and community internship programs at D.C. Wolfe Charter School and I Dream Big Academy. An exciting future awaits all of their students!
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