This is a special Thursday edition, the first of two catching up on news from our long vacation break; another edition will follow on Friday.
Legacy
Senator Dianne Feinstein died on September 29 at the age of 90. She was the longest-serving U.S. senator from California and the longest-tenured female senator in history. Among her prodigious legacy is her support for charter schools. Feinstein was “among the most vocal and consistent supporters of charter public schools in the U.S. Senate for the past 30 years,” said Myrna Castrejón, president and CEO of the California Charter Schools Association, in statement on her passing. While such support is not unique among Democratic legislators, Senator Feinstein stood out.
“Get on board”
Coincidentally, Georgia state senator Elena Parent—a Democrat—co-authored an opinion piece published by The 74 Million just a few days after Senator Feinstein’s death. In it, she cited polling that showed an overwhelming favorability toward charter schools among both Democratic and Republican voters nationwide. Along with her co-author, Debbie Cox Bultan, the CEO of NewDEAL, Parent urged her fellow Democrats to “get on board” and push for open, equitable and public school choice options. Meanwhile, outgoing NAPCS president and CEO Nina Rees also cites the recent polling in an exit interview with The 74 Million, along with bipartisan political support in Congress, as reasons she is confident that the charter sector nationwide will continue to see growth in the future. “It’s in the center where policy is made,” Rees says. And charter schools are increasingly supported in the center of the political spectrum.
The data tell the tale
The most recent test score data from Washington State show a significant jump in math proficiency scores among charter school students. The news is especially good because the state’s charter schools serve a more diverse—and lower-income—population than the state’s traditional district schools. A statement from the Washington State Charter Schools Association attributed the boost to targeted intervention for those needing help, differentiation of instruction according to student ability, and a reliance on data-driven instruction. There’s still a long way to go to fully remediate Covid-era learning losses, but the signs are positive.
Not on board
Unfortunately, resistance to charter schools remains common across the country. A recent piece from RealClearInvestigations examines how city officials, elected school board members, and teachers unions in various jurisdictions are doing whatever they can to impede the growth of charters, just as more families are opting into them and the data are painting a picture of strong school culture and high academic quality. The piece includes a strong focus on Ohio, with voices such as Fordham’s Mike Petrilli and Chad Aldis, United Schools’ Network leader Andy Boy, and a happy USN parent whose commentary makes a strong case for public school choice.
CSP grant application window now open
The U.S. Department of Education recently opened the application window for new Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grants. These competitive CMO Grants are for Fiscal Year 2024 and are for the replication and expansion of high-quality charters. The application deadline is January 5, 2024. More information and access to the application portal can be found here.
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