Sadly, new data from NCES shows the loss of faith-based urban schools continues.
Catholic schools remain the hardest hit, losing nearly 300 city schools between 2004 and 2008.????Nearly 100 city-based Lutheran schools were also lost.????A number of other denominations saw similar declines.????Small upticks in the number of Islamic schools and Jewish day schools partially offset the overall loses.
More on these sad trends here, here, and here.
Given the paucity of great schools in America's cities, we shouldn't allow these schools to disappear indiscriminately.????Why not figure out which ones are excelling academically with disadvantaged kids (thereby truly serving the public good), and see what can be done to preserve them?
Here's my humble recommendation to the Department: in the applications and guidance for the "Race to the Top" fund and the "What Works" fund make clear that proposals for tackling this challenge are welcome.????There are lots of ways this funding could help these schools beyond student scholarships such as training the next generation of teachers and principals or strategic planning for struggling networks of schools.
Maybe the best proposal in this area would come from a set of faith-based schools working with a nonprofit (or a network of high-performing charters) to use a state's standards and end-of-year tests and build interim assessments.