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Brand new school on the way
“We want it to look like a shiny new penny.” So says the Head of School at Northeast Ohio Classical Academy, talking about the work underway to transform a former office building in Copley into a brand new charter school. This piece gives folks a good look at the work underway and the curriculum on offer when the K-5 school opens its doors this fall.
Big changes ahead
Leaders of Mahoning Valley Community School are looking to begin construction themselves soon—having recently received a $1 million state grant—and to move fast to complete the job. Phase 1, which will renovate an empty office building into a community learning center is meant to be complete and open by June! Phase 2 would add a gymnasium, cafeteria, additional workforce development classrooms, a wellness center, a media center and a childcare facility. Amazing growth for the school and a huge benefit for the community.
Funding for charter facilities
Missouri Governor Mike Parson has included a $2 million fund in his budget proposal that would help charter schools make needed repairs to their facilities. It’s not the first time such a plan has been pitched in The Show-Me State, but it is the first time it has had the governor’s support. Charter advocates are working for passage and implementation.
Singing the praises
The Economist this week published a laudatory piece on charter schools, citing several recent studies showing strong academic performance for students in the charter sector as compared to their traditional district peers and that benefits accrue to Black and Hispanic students at even higher rates than their White and Asian peers.
One more story from School Choice Week
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS) last week released their Best Practices to Accelerate Student Learning series, a robust set of resources that document pandemic-era charter school innovations to help students maintain and accelerate learning and describe how other charters can emulate them even today. The series includes six case studies, two toolkits, one policy brief, and various exemplars to help others implement these identified best practices. Great stuff!
National Charter Schools Conference registration still open
A quick apology to NAPCS is in order for failing to identify them as the host of the upcoming National Charter Schools Conference when we discussed it two weeks ago! Their premier conference will be held in Boston from June 30 to July 3, 2024, and is the largest national gathering of educators, advocates, and leaders in the charter community. Early bird registration is still open (ending February 19) and NAPCS is still looking for breakout session presenters during the conference who are willing to share insights, tactics, resources, methodologies, and success stories. Those interested in presenting can find more information and the link to submit a proposal here.
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