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| AAE Federal Update June 7, 2011 |
| posted by: Alix | June 07, 2011, 07:18 PM |
|
Congressional Subcommittee Explores the Role of Charters The Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, chaired by Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), last week held a hearing to examine the expanding role of charter schools in the nation's education system. The hearing comes on the heels of recently released statistics highlighting increased charter enrollment and decreased private school enrollment. "Republicans on this committee have been strong proponents of charter schools for many years, as we recognize the opportunities they offer parents and students," Congressman Hunter stated in the hearing. "Charter schools empower parents to play a more active role in their child's education, and offer students a priceless opportunity to escape underperforming schools. These innovative institutions also open doors for teachers to experiment with fresh teaching methods and curricula that they believe will have the greatest positive impact on students in their individual community." Ms. DeAnna Rowe, executive director of the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools, called charter schools a large part of the complex education system. "Not only do the schools provide an alternative for families to find the environment that will allow each student to reach his or her full potential, but they have proven to be a tremendous source of innovation, providing all schools with new tools and methods of improving student achievements." In exchange for additional flexibility and autonomy over their operations, charter schools are held accountable for results. Ms. Debbie Beyer, executive director of Literacy First Charter Schools in California, explained, "If charter schools don't perform, they cease to exist. Performance is the bottom line. It is a brilliant marriage between business and education. It forces competition and requires serious and deliberate attention to every daily detail to justify our existence. There is no entitlement." Ms. Elizabeth Delaney Purvis, executive director of the Chicago International Charter School, discussed the ways charter schools invest in local communities, calling them "a strong vehicle for neighborhood change." Ms. Purvis explained, "Charter school operators often makes significant investments in buildings in which they reside, create new job opportunities, and seek partnerships with local businesses in a way that is difficult for traditional public schools." "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." As part of its education reform efforts in the 112th Congress, the Committee on Education and the Workforce is currently reviewing various proposals to expand access to high-quality charter schools. Click here to watch the hearing in its entirety. Race to the Top Continues
As a follow up to last fall's federal Race to the Top competitive grant program, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced last week that the program will resume this year with new funding. Comprised of $200 million earmarked for former runner-ups and $500 million for new early education state initiatives, the newly revived program has yielded both praise and criticism from policymakers and state education chiefs. NCLB Summer Deadline Seems Unlikely
Last year, President Obama and his administration set a goal for Congress to overhaul the long-debated No Child Left Behind law by this summer. The 9-year-old law has seen its share of debate since the Department of Education issued their blueprint for change last spring. While the House has begun the process with a series of targeted bills, a bipartisan, comprehensive reform of the nation's most important federal education legislation still seems far from wrapping up, according to congressional insiders. Congressional Committee Approves First Education Reform Bill On May 25th, The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved the first in a series of education reform bills designed to overhaul the current Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as No Child Left Behind. The Setting New Priorities in Education Spending Act (H.R. 1891), sponsored by Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), passed by a vote of 23 to 16 after a lively debate in the committee. "This is an important step toward streamlining and simplifying the federal footprint in education," Chairman John Kline (R-MN) said. "There are more than 80 programs under current elementary and secondary education law, and that's just too complicated and too great a burden for our schools and local districts. It's time to weed out the programs that aren't working and focus on initiatives that lead to real success in the nation's classrooms. I look forward to continuing this important debate on the House floor." H.R. 1891 would eliminate more than 40 "inefficient" and or duplicative federal education programs, streamline the federal bureaucracy, cut federal spending, and reduce the government's oversight in the state's education initiatives. The bill is not yet scheduled for a full House vote. Click here to read the bill summary. AAE Signs on to Charter Funding Letter to Congressional Leaders Recently the AAE signed on to a letter to congressional leaders requesting congress to increase the Department of Education's public charter school programs to $330 million. The letter cites the fast growing pace of charter schools, from 60 in 1994, to currently almost 5,000, with more than 400,000 students on charter school waiting lists, as a reason for increased funding. These schools offer over 1,600,000 students, many from low income families of color, an opportunity to choose their school. In addition to their fast growing pace, charter school require more funding to continue these impressive results. Choosing charter schools proves effective in accelerating student achievement. A study of charter schools in Chicago found students were seven percent more likely to graduate from high school and 11 percent more likely to attend college than those students in traditional public schools. Similarly, in the District of Columbia, students enrolled in the city's charter schools have higher attendance and graduation rates, and charter middle school students scored 19 points higher in reading and 20 points higher in math than students enrolled in traditional public school. Despite these obvious results charter schools remain underfunded, while traditional public schools continue to receive a greater portion of federal, state and local dollars. As the demand from parents and students to attend charters outstrips the available supply, charters receive only 78 percent of traditional public schools in average per-pupil funding. The apparent need for further funding is urgent. The letter specifically calls for specific language based on last year's bill, requesting, "that of the funds available for part B of Title V of the ESEA the Secretary shall use up to $125,000,000 to carry out activities under section 5205(b), under subpart 2, and to make multiple awards for grants and sub-grants to not-for-profit charter management organizations and other not-for-profit entities, with a track record of success and an organizational mission for supporting the growth of high-quality schools, for the replication and expansion of successful charter school models." AAE's letter of support can be found here.
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