The National Alliance of Public Charter Schools is continuing their ongoing work to address common misunderstandings about charter schools, such as charter school funding. Their first campaign launched was “The Truth about Charter Schools,” which focused on myths repeated and the actual facts about charter schools. They created infographics and other materials shared across social media and advocacy outreach to various states that illustrated how these myths create confusion about charter school funding, what charter schools are and the important part they play in serving educational needs of students.
Their latest effort, #ChartersWork, addresses the current state of charter schools within today’s political climate. Even with the monumental growth over the past five years (three million students attending nearly 7,000 charter schools), the parent demand for more school choice goes unmet and there are still more than one million students on charter school waiting lists.
We are happy to support the National Alliance’s latest efforts toward busting common myths about charter schools. Stay tuned for our own series of Myths and Facts related to charter schools, their structure, their funding, and their facilities options.
Category: Charter school News and Trends
We are excited to announce that American Education Properties (AEP), the facilities arm of Charter School Capital, has acquired the building occupied by Detroit Public Safety Academy. The acquisition secures the charter school a facility location to operate for the long-term.
Opened in 2013, Detroit Public Safety Academy provides students in grades 7-12 with a curriculum tailored to careers in the public safety sectors, including law enforcement, fire and emergency services, corrections and security. Law and government career programs are also incorporated into the curriculum. For the 2015/16 school year, Detroit Public Safety Academy celebrated a 100 percent graduation rate, with all students going on to continue their education in college or safety academies, or straight into career employment.
“We are delighted to support the future of Detroit Public Safety Academy by acquiring the building in which it operates,” said Stuart Ellis, president and CEO of Charter School Capital. “This remarkable charter school thrives on partnerships with local businesses to provide alums with jobs and training, ultimately making Detroit a viable community for future generations. We look forward to supporting this institution for many years to come.”
Detroit Public Safety Academy is operated by The Leona Group, a charter management organization (CMO) driven by a philosophy that every child can and will learn, regardless of ethnicity, economic or educational disadvantage.
“Detroit Public Safety Academy brought its program to Detroit at just the right time, and Charter School Capital purchased the school’s facility at a crucial time in the academy’s growth,” said Richard Kerwin, executive vice president of acquisitions and dispositions for Lormax Stern. “It has been a pleasure working alongside Charter School Capital to assure a long-term home for Detroit Public Safety Academy, and ultimately a better tomorrow for the community.”
Today, more than 1 million students find themselves on waiting lists for their local charter schools. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools continues to highlight the lack of facilities options available to charter schools as a major issue charter leaders face. To meet this demand, charter schools require facilities that address the unique growth needs of each school and community and require access to capital to expand. Charter School Capital focuses solely on charter school needs, providing customizable facilities financing options to charter schools. Charter leaders retain control of their buildings and are afforded the flexibility to make the modifications necessary to expand their enrollment and academic programs.
Looking for more information about facilities expansion? Get in touch with our team at GrowCharters@charterschoolcapital.com.
Charter School Capital is proud to support National School Choice Week this week (and every week) by providing working and growth capital, charter school facilities financing and other resources to help charter leaders be successful. But don’t take our word for it! Hear from the charter leaders about how we’ve provided funding to help educate students.
To join the conversation with Charter School Capital, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Have a great #schoolchoice week!
National School Choice Week (NSCW) is here! Held every January, NSCW shines a spotlight on effective education options for every child across the United States.
Last year, the week boasted the largest series of education-related events in US history, including more than 16,000 events and 227 governors, mayors and county leaders with the goal of raising public awareness of all types of education options for children – including, of course, charter schools. NSCW is also hosting live broadcasts throughout the week, where you can keep up with activities across the country.
Join the conversation with Charter School Capital, as we share stories and quotes about school choice on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Follow all the school choice week festivities, events and conversation using the #schoolchoice and #SCW hashtags.
We would also love to hear what you’re doing to celebrate the week. Leave us a comment below. Have a great #schoolchoice week!
Still time to register!
Finding and securing state-of-the-art facilities and financing is one of the biggest challenges facing charter school leaders this year. Learn about the various options and how to evaluate what is best for your school.
Join our President and CEO, Stuart Ellis, and the Senior Vice President of Dougherty & Company, Dick Ward, on Wednesday, November 30th from 9-10 a.m. PDT / 12-1 p.m. EDT for an exclusive webinar:
How Should Charter Leaders Approach Facilities Financing Options?
Attendees will learn:
- Funding structures and options available
- Pros and cons to various financing options
- Balancing needs versus wants for your facility
- Facing budget realities
- Facilities planning best practices
Featured Speakers:
Dick Ward, Senior Vice President, Dougherty & Company
Dick Ward has 27 years experience in bond issuance and finance as an investment banker and financial advisor to schools, governments, non-profits, and developers. His experience includes tax supported and revenue based financings for education, housing, municipal utilities, and specialized project financing. In the last 15+ years, he has helped pioneer access to the bond market for the national public charter school sector. His underwriting of the Community of Peace Academy is considered one of the first tax-exempt bonds in the country. He is regarded as a national leader in this arena and has presented on the topic to the National Federation of Municipal Analysts, Bond Buyer Seminars as well as several state and local trade associations.
Stuart Ellis, President and CEO, Charter School Capital
Stuart is the Co-founder and CEO of Charter School Capital, the nation’s leading provider of growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide. The company has provided in excess of $1.2 billion in support of 500+ charter schools educating more than 550,000 students across the country. Stuart has presented around the country on growth strategies for charter schools and facilities options to aid charters in their growth.
Register Here!
On Monday, August 1st, the California Legislature will return from its summer recess. When they return they will have until August 31st to complete all legislative business for the year. Since this is the second year of a two-year session, all bills that are not passed to the Governor Jerry Brown’s desk will be officially dead. With the budget a done deal and most of the ‘easier’ bills acted upon, the legislature will be dealing with a number of contentious issues. For virtual charter schools there is one bill moving through the process that could severely limit their ability to operate in the future. AB 1084, by Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, would prohibit a virtual or online charter school from being owned, or operated by, or operated as, a for-profit entity. The bill would also prohibit a nonprofit online charter school, nonprofit charter virtual academy and a nonprofit entity that operates an online or virtual charter school from contracting with a for-profit entity for the provision of instructional services. Though the charter school is defined as one that provides 80% of online teaching and pupil interaction, instructional services is not defined. This means that instructional materials, supplemental materials, special education services, and a number of other products and services could fall under the definition. AB 1084 would become effective for the 2017-18 school year. A number of charter school entities lined up to oppose the bill when it was heard in the Senate Education Committee, but it passed out on a 6-2 vote with the Chair, Carol Liu, abstaining. The measure is now on the Senate Floor and, if it passes it, will be headed to the Assembly Floor for final passage.
To register your concerns about this bill, please call your State Senator and ask that they oppose it on the Senate Floor. To view the language in the bill and the analysis of it, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov and put in the bill number.
The White HouseOffice of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
April 29, 2016
Presidential Proclamation — National Charter Schools Week, 2016
NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS WEEK, 2016
– – – – – – –
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Our Nation has always been guided by the belief that all young people should be free to dream as big and boldly as they want, and that with hard work and determination, they can turn their dreams into realities. Schools help us uphold this ideal by offering a place for children to grow, learn, and thrive. During National Charter Schools Week, we celebrate the role of high-quality public charter schools in helping to ensure students are prepared and able to seize their piece of the American dream, and we honor the dedicated professionals across America who make this calling their life’s work by serving in charter schools.
Charter schools play an important role in our country’s education system. Supporting some of our Nation’s underserved communities, they can ignite imagination and nourish the minds of America’s young people while finding new ways of educating them and equipping them with the knowledge they need to succeed. With the flexibility to develop new methods for educating our youth, and to develop remedies that could help underperforming schools, these innovative and autonomous public schools often offer lessons that can be applied in other institutions of learning across our country, including in traditional public schools. We also must ensure our charter schools, like all our schools, are of high quality and are held accountable — when a charter school does not meet high standards, we need to act in the best interest of its students to help it improve, and if that does not prove possible, to close its doors.
Charter schools have been at the forefront of innovation and have found different ways of engaging students in their high school years — including by providing personalized instruction, leveraging technology, and giving students greater access to rigorous coursework and college-level courses. Over the past 7 years, my Administration’s commitment of resources to the growth of charter schools has enabled a significant expansion of educational opportunity, enabling tens of thousands of children to attend high-quality public charter schools. I am committed to ensuring all of our Nation’s students have the tools and skills they need to get ahead, and that begins with ensuring they are able to attend an effective school and obtain an excellent education.
Educating every American student and ensuring they graduate from high school prepared for college and beyond is a national priority. This week, we honor the educators working in public charter schools across our Nation who, each day, give of themselves to provide children a fair shot at the American dream, and we recommit to the basic promise that all our daughters and sons — regardless of background or circumstance — should be able to make of their lives what they will.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 1 through May 7, 2016, as National Charter Schools Week. I commend our Nation’s charter schools, teachers, and administrators, and I call on States and communities to support high-quality public schools, including charter schools, and the students they serve.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA
It’s National Charter Schools Week! Join Charter School Capital as we celebrate the nearly 3 million public charter school students along with all the teachers, administrators and staff across 42 states plus the District of Columbia. The growth of the charter movement during the past 25 years, since the first charter law implemented in Minnesota, has been incredible, from nearly 2,000 students attending public charter schools in 2000-2001 school year to almost 7,000 enrolled this school year.
There are many ways you too can celebrate charter schools this week. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools offers a host of tools you can access, including infographics, detailed one-sheets around the myths and facts about charters, to templates for press releases your school can use now. There’s also a big showing across social media – #CharterSchoolsWeek! You can access social avatars and other social icons from the National Alliance as well. Easy to download and then use across your own social pages in celebration of National Charter Schools Week. Show your support and engage.
“Though (public charter schools) only account for roughly 7% of public schools in the United States, they make up 1/3 of the top 100 schools in both the U.S. News and Washington Post lists.” ~ Nina Rees, CEO, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (Charter Schools Stack Up Well, U.S. News & World Report)
The team at Charter School Capital is celebrating and honoring public charter schools this week. Check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Slideshare, and other social pages for ongoing posts, quotes, infographics, and more. Tell us what you think about charter schools.
Check back to our blog and social pages this week for more around National Charter Schools Week. If you haven’t signed up yet for our blog RSS or to get regular information from our team, sign up today!
Are you celebrating National School Choice Week (NSCW)? Along with 16,000+ events and 232+ governors, mayors, and county leaders, our team here at Charter School Capital is celebrating this week, dedicated to education choice. NSCW encourages schools, organizations and individuals to hold positive events that celebrate school choice options, while drawing attention to the need for even greater opportunities for children. Our team at Charter School Capital encourage you, charter leaders to support the choice families have in charter school education across the country.
Join us as we share stories and quotes about school choice on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, You can follow the school choice week festivities, events and conversation using the #schoolchoiceweek hashtag.
We would also love to hear what you’re doing to celebrate the week. Tell us using the comments below. Have a great #schoolchoiceweek!
Did you know that this week is National School Choice Week 2016?
That’s right! Held every January, National School Choice Week (NSCW) shines a spotlight on education options for every child. Check out last year’s highlights:
The goal of National School Choice Week is to raise public awareness of all types of education options for children. To meet this goal, NSCW encourages schools, organizations, and individuals to hold positive events that celebrate school choice options, while drawing attention to the need for even greater opportunities for children.
The Charter School Capital team will be supporting and celebrating the week with its fellow charter school leaders and school choice advocates via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the official NSCW hashtag #schoolchoiceweek. Join us online and/or the thousands of others participating at https://schoolchoiceweek.com/.
What are you doing or National School Choice Week? Leave your thoughts in the comment below!