Charter school helps talented music student shine
My'Jia Brown, a junior at Horizon Science Academy of Lorain, was recently featured in The Morning Journal for her recent success in singing and dancing. Brown, after successful school-level performances, was selected to compete at the Concept Schools Art and Language Festival in Chicago in April. Shining again, she received the opportunity to compete in the International Festival of Language and Culture, where she is currently performing across North America with students from around the globe. Brown says she wouldn’t be where she is today without the support and opportunities she received at her charter school.
Online charter students recognized for academic achievement
On Monday, Ohio Connections Academy (OCA) hosted an event at the McConnell Arts Center in Worthington in which they recognized seventy-three students for their outstanding academic achievements and community service. During the event, they also held a ceremony in which fifty-seven students were inducted into the National Honor Society.
Bernie Sanders on charter schools
Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders called this week for a ban on all for-profit charter schools and a moratorium on the funding of all charter school expansion until a national audit confirms that they’re operating with transparency and accountability. Sanders is the first of the Democratic presidential candidates to insist on such a move. You can find more information about the announcement here, an editorial from the New York Post here, and a response from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS) here.
Legislative update
While all eyes are focused on the biennial budget bill, House Bill 166, the House and Senate Education committees did meet this week. The House heard testimony on a bill related to food allergy training, while the Senate heard testimony on graduation requirements. You can access testimony from the House here and the Senate here.
Congress needs to hear from the charter community
In Congress, the House increased education funding by $4 billion dollars for Fiscal Year 2020. Unfortunately, at the same time, it cut funding for the Charter Schools Program (CSP) by $40 million. As the budget shifts to the upper chamber, it’s critical that the Senate know that you support an increase in funding for the CSP. Take a minute, by clicking here, to have your voice heard.
