Charter school success story
The latest profile in Fordham’s Pathway to Success series was published yesterday. The profile features Towpath Trail High School, a dropout-recovery charter school that’s giving students in Akron the tools to build a better future. Research shows that the most effective dropout prevention strategy is to directly connect schoolwork to students’ career aspirations, and Towpath Trail is doing just that. The profile puts a human face on the real-world impact of dropout prevention, done right.
E-School funding update
Patrick O’Donnell of The Plain Dealer published a story this week on Ohio’s efforts to change the way it funds online schools. Although most expected action from the legislature’s joint e-school funding panel before summer recess, it’s not likely. Any change to the way Ohio funds online charter schools probably won’t occur until the 2020-2021 school year.
Charter school accountability
Fordham’s Aaron Churchill recently broke down how the House-passed version of the state budget bill would address charter school accountability. According to Churchill, the changes could turn back the clock to an era of looser standards and less certain quality. The piece urges Ohio senators to reconsider the House’s approach on issues, including sponsor evaluations, sponsor assurances, and accountability for dropout-recovery charter schools, and tackle them in a more careful manner.
More on democratic candidates and charters
Former Vice President Joe Biden recently spoke about charter schools at a town hall, though his comments didn’t go quite as far as those of Senator Sanders from last week. Biden said that while he does believe some charter schools work, he doesn’t believe that for-profit charters should receive any federal funds. And in case you missed it, the Washington Post wrote an editorial in response to recent comments, clearly stating that “there’s nothing progressive about strangling charter schools.”
Legislative update
The House and Senate Education committees both met this week. The House heard testimony on bills regarding health education standards, end of course assessments, and religious expression, while the Senate heard testimony on Academic Distress Commissions. You can access testimony from the House here and the Senate here. In addition, on May 29, the Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on the education provisions included in the state budget. You can find that hearing’s testimony here.
