We know that summer is a busy time for educators, and when you’re trying to manage staffing, budget for your school’s needs, develop organizational strategies, and have some summer vacation time, there isn’t a lot left over to keep-up with updates in charter school news. So, we’ve decided to compile our top picks for this week. Happy reading!
The Productivity of Public Charter Schools
The University of Arkansas just released a report on the productivity of public charter schools and district schools, looking specifically at cost effectiveness and ROI. Key finding indicates that charter schools nationwide are 40% more cost effective than district schools.
To read the whole report, click here.
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Sixty Year Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education – Are Charter Schools Achieving Brown’s Vision?
In a Huffington Post article this week, Deborah McGriff, Chair of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, writes: “Sixty years ago this week, my family and other Black families across the country were wondering how the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision would impact their children’s education. How long would it take for the promise of a great education to become a reality?”
McGriff goes on to point out how charter schools are offering hope to low income and working class students that they will finally receive a high-quality education. She points out that in some cases “public charter schools are actually flipping the achievement gap – helping Black and Latino students outperform affluent, white students across their states.”
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NPR: High Performing Charter Schools May Improve Students’ Health
Research from UCLA and the Rand Corp. indicates that students at academically better schools were less likely to indulge in high-risk behavior, like smoking cigarettes, using marijuana, drinking, participating in gang activity, or having unprotected sex. The survey was made up of 521 Los Angeles charter school students and 409 local neighborhood schools.
To read the full NPR blog post, click here. The actual report can be found here.