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Big changes needed in Ohio transportation
While this story focuses on dozens of private school students being declared “impractical to transport” by an Ohio school district, charter school leaders and families everywhere will find its details all-too-familiar. What’s interesting is that the district’s difficulty in accommodating that private school’s bell schedule is put forward as proof positive that big changes are needed in the state’s student transportation infrastructure. One solution would be to let districts have control over choice schools’ schedules, as implied here. But another, simpler, option would be to take control of busing away from districts and to create a system that truly focused on getting every student to school on time, regardless of school attended.
Ratification
Teachers at Cleveland’s Menlo Park Academy recently ratified their initial union contract with the school after four years of negotiations. “It has been a long road, but we are pleased with the results in our contract,” said union reps in a statement.
The view from Detroit
Detroit Public Schools are finally closing several school buildings due to years of ongoing enrollment losses throughout the district. Despite having other district buildings automatically assigned to receive their children next year, Chalkbeat reports that some families are taking this opportunity to look at charter school options for the first time as well as schools of choice within the district.
Charter school success in Oklahoma
A new report from the University of Oklahoma’s Adam Tyner touts the performance of charter high schools in the Sooner State as compared to their traditional district peers. Not only did 31 of 49 brick-and-mortar charter schools outperform their neighboring district schools last year on ACT scores, College and Career Readiness Assessments (CCRA), and four-year graduation rates, but they also did so with less funding. Virtual charter schools fared less well, however, across the board. Tyner’s full report can be found here.
The view from Louisiana
Louisiana House Bill 1003 is sitting on Gov. Jeff Landry’s desk for signature. When enacted, it will make several big changes to charter school law. This in a state where the largest city, New Orleans, is served almost entirely by charters. Among the changes: An end to the existing requirement that school districts must offer vacant buildings to charter operators before selling or repurposing them, and giving New Orleans’ district superintendent the ability to terminate the contract of an existing charter at any time if the school system has more seats than students. Sounds like the traditional school district model is working to reassert itself after decades of charter dominance.
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