In praise of the federal Charter School Program
Keith Jacobs from Step Up For Students in Florida penned a great analysis of the many ways in which funds from the federal Charter School Program have helped expand opportunities for children in the Sunshine State…including his own.
The life and strange times of a charter warrior
Idaho Education News this week featured an in-depth profile of Terry Ryan, the CEO of Bluum, a charter school support nonprofit organization in the Gem State. Terry’s tireless work in support of quality education for all children included more than 10 years in the Gem City, leading the Fordham Foundation’s pioneering charter authorization and advocacy efforts from Dayton.
More from Dayton
Dayton City Schools approved a $17 million contract with First Student this week, effectively outsourcing the transportation of resident students attending private and charter schools. The article does not give any details as to how the contractor will work with schools of choice and their students, but it is to be hoped that a singular focus on those students’ needs will yield better service than they have experienced in many years.
Ruling
The Ohio Supreme Court this week ruled in favor of a group of charter schools across the state. The schools had argued that the Ohio Department of Education unlawfully excluded them from Quality Charter School funding when it was awarded. The state is required by the ruling to pay the schools more than $7 million dollars.
Cleveland senior lauded
Alysha Ginel is a hard-charging high school senior in the Cleveland area who started her own business to help fund her ambitious college plans. She told her story to WKYC-TV this week, explaining she taught herself math in middle school but didn’t know whether she had done it right until she took her high school placement test and knocked it out of the park. She is now valedictorian of that (charter) high school and heading to the University of Pennsylvania for undergrad in the fall. Kudos!
Lauding more seniors
The National Association of Charter School Authorizers is looking for outstanding members of the Class of 2021. Their #CharterGrads campaign is accepting submissions from charter schools across the country of seniors from your school or state who have excelled. Their stories will be highlighted on social media and the NACSA website throughout graduation season. Have some great senior stories? Submit them here before May 28!
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