Latest news with #charterschools
Forbes
21-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Charter Schools Are Key To America's Talent Pipeline
Schools like Yass Prize 2023 Quarterfinalists Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School, in ... More Bessemer, AL are providing critical training to bolster U.S. students' competitiveness in the national and world economies. Amid the surge of headlines about school choice expansion — from education savings accounts in Texas and Wyoming to voucher reforms in Idaho — a quieter, equally powerful story has unfolded: the resurgence of charter school growth and the laws enabling it. In just the past year, North Dakota became the 47th state to authorize charter schools, breaking a decades-long holdout. Iowa leapt from 31st to 11th in the Center for Education Reform's (CER) national charter law rankings after passing sweeping reforms. Indiana closed funding gaps by requiring districts to share property tax revenue with charters serving their students. And Georgia began offering financial incentives — alongside tighter accountability — to encourage the approval of high-quality charter proposals. Why does this matter beyond education? Because charter schools are proving to be engines of talent development, economic mobility, and innovation in cities and states hungry for a skilled, adaptable workforce. Consider Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School, where students train for careers in a booming sector critical to U.S. competitiveness. Or Oakmont Education in Ohio and Iowa, which provides thousands of students with hands-on pathways to careers in construction, healthcare, and IT. Arizona Autism Charter Schools offers a groundbreaking model for neurodiverse learners, while Urban Assembly Charter School for Computer Science in the Bronx pairs computer science instruction with real-world internships at top tech firms. These aren't isolated success stories — they are the product of policy environments that give families choice and allow innovators to build solutions from the ground up. Federal policymakers are starting to take notice. Senators Cassidy (R-La.) and Bennet (D-Colo.) have reintroduced the Equitable Access to School Facilities Act to help charter schools overcome longstanding barriers to growth. And the U.S. Senate HELP Committee held a dedicated hearing this spring on charter innovation — a rare acknowledgment in Washington that charter schools are central to America's education future. CER's Parent Power! Index tracks these trends nationally, underscoring that strong charter laws don't just impact families — they help states attract entrepreneurs, develop talent pipelines, and create education ecosystems that serve both students and the economy. For states seeking to win the race for talent and opportunity, charter school policy is no longer a sideline issue. It's a smart investment in the future — and one they can't afford to ignore.
Wall Street Journal
18-07-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Florida Welcomes NYC's Success Academy
Florida has been a leader on educational choice, and now it's luring an expansion by New York City's prominent charter-school network, Success Moskowitz, the CEO of Success, recently said she might launch three to five charters in the Sunshine State for the 2027-28 school year, with maybe dozens more to follow. Thank a new Florida law that broadens the state's Schools of Hope program, which was created in 2017 to entice quality charters to open near low-performing traditional schools. On top of regular state charter funds, Hope schools can get startup loans, as well as grants for expenses such as teacher pay and supplies. To qualify, charter operators must already run at least three schools with good track records. So far the program has 12 schools. Success Academy's application to be a Hope operator was approved last year, though that didn't commit the network to proceed. But the legislation passed last month, and signed by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, changes the calculus. Credit to former Gov. Jeb Bush and Citadel CEO Ken Griffin for championing the reforms. The new law loosens conditions for starting Hope charters, including by broadening the definition of 'low-performing schools' that they're supposed to draw from. It also will let the charters enter performance agreements with Florida's public colleges, expanding the potential sponsors beyond school districts, which are often leery of charters.
CBS News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Texas School Choice 2026: Parents prepare for charter, private, and homeschool options
The upcoming school year is only a month away, and major changes are coming to the Texas education system with school choice taking effect in 2026. If you're a parent with questions about charter schools and education savings accounts, informational meetings are already happening around North Texas. Tahj Sandlin is already focused on the next year when her daughter will enter kindergarten, and the public school she would be attending has a low rating. "Overall, just wasn't satisfied," said Sandlin. "I was somebody who grew up with small classes and a very structured school district." Sandlin said she's looking forward to school choice and plans to take advantage of it by enrolling her daughter in a charter school with the help of up to $10,000 in state assistance. But this young mother has a lot of questions about how to make it happen. So she attended a community meeting on the subject at New Mount Rose Church in Fort Worth. "I just didn't know what to do at all," Sandlin said. "I didn't know where to go next." Sandlin and other parents listened to charter school operators like Janice Blackmon, who founded Universal Academy, which has two campuses in North Texas. "first of all, they need to fully analyze the student," said Blackmon. "What's your child's learning focus? Determine what would be the best setting for the child." Trae Adkins already homeschools his four kids because of concerns about the state of public education. "In college, I began to see our students could come there, and they couldn't form sentences in college," said Adkins. Parents who need financial help for private or home schooling can start applying in only a few months and there's a limited amount of state money available With $1 billion allocated and each child receiving up to $10,000, that only covers about 100,000 students. Adkins, who said he pays for all of his teaching supplies, could qualify for up to $2,000 for each of his kids who are homeschooled. "I'm very grateful for that because of the materials that we've had to buy in the past, it would help us out a whole lot," Adkins said. School choice may be a year away, but those in education say waiting to make decisions and applying for public funds this time next year may be too late.
RNZ News
15-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Charter schools told to keep enrolment numbers secret
(File photo) Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi The seven charter schools set up at the start of the year have been told to keep their enrolments secret, by The Charter School Agency. The organisation, which manages charter school contracts and funding, told RNZ it was not appropriate to share information about the rolls of the publicly funded private schools. "The Charter School Agency does not intend to release the numbers of students currently enrolled at each individual school during the crucial establishment phase as this could undermine their commercial position and their efforts to build their roll and deliver quality education," it said. "All schools need time to establish. Most state schools take around three years. The first charter schools have had less than one year to grow and reach their establishment roll by the fifth term of their operation." However, Tipene, a Māori boarding school south of Auckland, told RNZ it had 44 boys, while the Auckland French International School said it would start the third term with 25 pupils. One of Tipene's founders, Nathan Durie, said enrolments were higher than originally planned and it was clear the school was offering a type of education Māori wanted for their children. "Kaupapa Māori, reo Māori are very sought after now in terms of the types of education that Māori people are looking for but they also want the opportunity for these kids to be... global citizens. And then working in particular special character aspects," he said. Durie said the charter system gave the school more flexibility in its daily schedule. "We don't deliver between nine and three. Our programme starts early, finishes late. They have breaks during the day, they're out on the farm here, they're out exercising, they're doing manual tasks," he said. He said making boys sit in classrooms for five periods had never worked. Durie said the school was hoping to retain its current students and enrol a similar number of new students next year, taking its roll to more than 80. The French International School said it had students in Years 0-3 and expected to finish the year with about 40 students. "The first two terms of the year have been very positive, with some students who did not speak a word of French in February now beginning to understand, write, and speak the language," the director of the school's board Yves-Louis Dorsemaine said. He said the school was building three more classrooms because it had more than 60 confirmed enrolments for next year. North West College founder Sherida Penman Walters would not disclose this year's enrolments, but said it was "well on track to achieving what we wanted to achieve". She said next year's were looking good. "We are taking enrolments for next year... we have a lot of interest in our school. In fact our Year 9s for next year is probably very close to our declared capacity of 40 students," she said. Penman Walters said the school's model of academic subjects in the morning and arts in the afternoon is attractive to many families. The Charter School Agency said the charter school authorisation board was considering 52 applications from organisations wanting to set up new charter schools next year, as well as two applications from state or state integrated schools wanting to convert. It said state and state integrated schools wanting to convert later next year should lodge an expression of interest by 16 July. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Associated Press
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Another DeSantis ally takes the helm of a public university in Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Another former Republican lawmaker and ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis is officially taking the helm of one of Florida's public universities. Manny Diaz, who DeSantis previously appointed to be his state commissioner of education, started his first day on the job Monday as the interim president of the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Diaz is a former social studies teacher and assistant principal who as a state lawmaker became one of the key architects behind Florida's recent push to expand charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run. He'll lead the school on an interim basis while university leaders conduct a job search, and is expected to pursue the permanent position. 'I am honored to step into this role and lead the University of West Florida into this next chapter. UWF has a proud legacy and a promising future, and I look forward to working alongside our students, faculty, staff and community partners to continue building on its momentum,' Diaz said in a statement. 'Together, we will advance and explore new opportunities to serve our region and state with excellence.' With Diaz's appointment, five of the state's 12 public universities will be led by former Republican lawmakers or lobbyists, a move that is expected to help extend DeSantis' legacy in higher education long after his time in office. Speaking at a press event Monday, DeSantis said the appointment of Diaz to lead UWF is similar to the pick of another former education commissioner to lead New College of Florida, a move meant to overhaul the liberal arts school known for its progressive independent streak and turn it into a more conservative classical institution. 'I think there's a lot of potential there,' DeSantis said of UWF. DeSantis' recent decision to appoint new, more conservative members to the school's board has sparked controversy. Supporters of the push to advance lawmakers above traditional academic leaders say it will grant the schools the political capital to secure critical state funding and navigate a rapidly shifting legal landscape. Critics see it as another sign that alignment with the governor's conservative education agenda has become a prerequisite for leading the state's public universities. Last month, the state university system board rejected a longtime academic as the next president of the University of Florida, amid sharp criticism from political conservatives about the candidate's past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs. UF, considered one of the top public research universities in the country, is still looking for a permanent president. Leading a Florida university generally comes with a multiyear contract for a salary of at least six-figures and a plush on-campus residence. The process for picking these leaders happens largely behind closed doors, creating what the state's Republican House speaker has called 'a spoil system for a select few.' ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
