Commonwealth Education Organization
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- Charter Schools
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| *January 4, 2012 CHARTER CLOSURE REPORT CLARIFICATION "A longtime debate surrounding charter schools is whether or not those that are not working – for whatever reason – are closed. Our new report, which provides the first-ever national analysis of charter school closures, finds a movement very much accountable for its contract and commitment to quality educational options...These facts reveal not only that charters are successful, but also that accountability for results is alive and well in a way that is unique to these public schools." >>read more>> |
| *December 10, 2011 DC PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SUBURBS TAKING A PAGE FROM CHARTER SCHOOLS "The most successful public charter schools in the District are trying creative approaches, and D.C. Public Schools' principals and teachers are examining those practices to improve their own troubled campuses." >>read more>> |
| *December 9, 2011 EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT EDUCATION IS WRONG "(T)here is a clear pattern. Schools that focused on teacher development, data-driven instruction, creating a culture focused on student achievement, and setting high academic expectations consistently fared better. The results were consistent whether the charter's program was geared towards the creative arts or hard-core behavioral discipline." >>read more>> |
| December 4, 2011 EVA MOSKOWITZ EXPANDS HER GRADE-SCHOOL CHAIN "During house parties and mixers at their homes, Ms. Moskowitz tells these parents how her Harlem schools are among the city's highest-achieving public schools in reading and math. Among the third, fourth and fifth graders at Harlem Success Academies, 94% passed the statewide math exam and 78% passed the reading test. Citywide, those numbers were 60% and 49%, respectively." >>read more>> |
| October 5, 2011 SAFEGUARDS BADLY NEEDED FOR GULEN CHARTER SCHOOLS “Why the safeguards? When charter school legislation ‘blesses’ good, solid, legitimate charter schools such as KIPP, the same legislation also “blesses” the Gulen Charter Schools and their nefarious and deceptive agenda.” >>read more>> |
| October 10, 2011 THE BIG EASY’S SCHOOL REVOLUTION John White, superintendent of New Orleans' public schools: 'In other cities, charter schools exist in spite of the system. Here they are the system.' The story of reform and rebuilding of education after Katrina. >>read more>> |
| September 6, 2011 TROUBLED SCHOOLS TRY MIMICKING THE CHARTERS Shows how competitive pressure can drive improvements in public schools. >>read more>> |
| August 28, 2011 MORE PARENTS PICKING CHARTER SCHOOLS FOR THEIR KIDS "Some parents said they pulled their children from city schools because of communication problems with teachers and administrators, violence in the schools, lackluster programs and poor student achievement. Many of them chose to send their kids to charter schools, taxpayer-funded public schools separate from a school district." >>read more>> |
| Fall 2011 UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF HIGH-PERFORMING CHARTERS "Charter schools are approaching the ripe old age of 20. Although more work remains if we are to fully understand this complex education reform “movement,” a growing body of data and research is being compiled about its strengths, weaknesses, and impact." >>read more>> |
| August 12, 2011 CHARTER SCHOOLS POST HIGHER TEST SCORES, LARGELY IN MATH "New York City charters schools once again performed better than the citywide average on this year's state exams. But that's largely because of the gains in math. Forty-five percent of charter students passed the English test, about the same as the rest of the city. But 68 percent were proficient in math - far higher than the citywide average of 57 percent." >>read more>> |
| July 22, 2011 NEW CHARTER SCHOOL BATTLEFIELD, SAME OLD ARGUMENTS “What is revealed here is the attitude of too many traditional public school administrators who believe that education funds are theirs and do not belong to the people at large. Charter schools provide an opportunity to establish true equity funding, where money allocated for education does what it should — follows students to schools that best meet their needs rather than to districts simply by virtue of their existence.” >>read more>> |
| July 17, 2011 CHARTER SCHOOL BATTLE SHIFTS TO AFFULUENT SUBURBS “Charter schools, which are publicly financed but independently operated, have mostly been promoted as a way to give poor children an alternative to underperforming urban schools — to provide options akin to what those who can afford them have in the suburbs or in private schools. Now, educators and entrepreneurs are trying to bring the same principles of choice to places where schools generally succeed...” >>read more>> |
| June 21, 2011 PRESIDENT CLINTON AND CHARTER SCHOOLS: A HISTORY LESSON “When Clinton convened the governors on national goals, charters were not on the table. When the NEA convened and invited Clinton to meet with them, charters were on the table, albeit for different reasons. Reform-minded school chiefs fought to help their governors get these efforts enacted. The establishment fought and many compromises were made. The Clinton administration called for moderation, not strong charter laws.” >>read more>> |
| June 14, 2011 MEASURE WOULD SHIFT CHARTER SCHOOL COSTS TO STATE “Charter school tuition has long been a sore point for school districts, but a bill introduced Monday in Pennsylvania's House of Representatives would change that, shifting the cost to the state.” >>read more>> |
| June 6, 2011 THE OTHER LOTTERY: ARE PHILANTHROPISTS BACKING THE BEST CHARTER SCHOOLS? “There is effectively no correlation between grant funding and charter network performance, after controlling for individual student characteristics and peer effects, and addressing the problem of selection bias.” >>read more>> Click to read the study |
| June 6, 2011 CHARTER SCHOOLS TIED TO TURKEY GROW IN TEXAS “(A)n examination by The New York Times of the Harmony Schools in Texas casts light on a different area: the way they spend public money. And it raises questions about whether, ultimately, the schools are using taxpayer dollars to benefit the Gulen movement — by giving business to Gulen followers, or through financial arrangements with local foundations that promote Gulen teachings and Turkish culture.” >>read more>> |
| June 1, 2011 SUBCOMMITTEE FINDS CHARTER SCHOOLS EMPOWER PARENTS, INSPIRE STUDENTS, DEMAND RESULTS “Charter schools are not the only answer to school reform,” Ms. Purvis said, “but represent one way that school districts and state agencies can efficiently and affordably improve and increase educational options for families.” >>read more>> |
| April 27, 2011 TEACHERS UNIONS WORKING FEVERISHLY TO ORGANIZE CHARTER SCHOOLS “ Traditional public schools get boxed in with union contracts that literally stipulate when a teacher arrives in the morning and when he or she must depart. And that’s just the beginning of union-imposed regulations.” >>read more>> |
| March 28, 2011 BILL WOULD PROVIDE APPROVAL OPTIONS FOR STATE CHARTER SCHOOLS “One lawmaker likens the charter school approval process in Pennsylvania to the cutthroat fast-food industry. ‘It's almost like saying McDonald's gets to say whether Burger King gets to franchise in their area,’ said state Rep. Tom Killion, R-Delaware County.” >>read more>> |
| March 20, 2011 U.S. CHARTER-SCHOOL NETWORK WITH TURKISH LINK DRAWS FEDERAL ATTENTION “(F)ederal agencies - including the FBI and the Departments of Labor and Education - are investigating whether some charter school employees are kicking back part of their salaries to a Muslim movement founded by Gulen known as Hizmet, or Service, according to knowledgeable sources.” >>read more>> |
| December 16, 2010 CHARTER SCHOOLS: A REPORT ON RETHINKING THE FEDERAL ROLE IN EDUCATION “... the overall body of research on the academic effectiveness of charter schools suggests considerable variability in impact. Thus knowing that a school is organized as a charter school does not, in and of itself, say much about whether the school is good, bad, or mediocre. Some charter schools are unambiguously providing a more effective education for students than is provided by regular public schools serving similar students. Other charter schools are no better than the public schools with which they compete, and some are worse.” >>read more>> |
| March 16, 2010 CHARTER SCHOOLS AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE “One study of 29 countries found that the level of competition among schools was directly tied to higher test scores in reading and math.” >>read more>> |
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Commonwealth Education Organization . 3830 Saxonburg Blvd. Cheswick , Pa. 15024 . (412) 967-9691
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