National Charter Schools Week is always an exciting time for the charter school movement, but this year’s celebration is particularly sweet, coming on the heels of several notable accomplishments for charter schools
Just last week, a charter school in Scottsdale, Arizona, was ranked the number one public high school in America by U.S. News & World Report. Five other charter schools were also in the top 10. All told, charter schools and magnet schools – public schools of choice – took nine of the top 10 spots, and 60 percent of the top 100 spots.
When the “list of best charter high schools” and the “list of best public high schools” have so much in common, that’s saying a lot.
We also recently welcomed the new 2017 National Teacher of the Year: Sydney Chaffee of Codman Academy Charter School in Massachusetts. Sydney is the first charter school teacher to receive this national distinction, but – as she is quick to remind everyone – she is simply a public school teacher.
Sydney was in D.C. last week to be honored by the president. She was joined by Rhode Island’s Teacher of the Year from Beacon Charter High School, and Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year from Best Academy, a Harvest Network charter school.
These are just a few of the most vivid success stories emerging from the 6,900 charter schools across America – schools that are educating more than 3 million students, giving children from all backgrounds access to the high-quality education every student deserves.
For 26 years, Democrats (such as Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama) and Republicans (such as Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump) have worked together to expand charter school opportunities. This is a polarizing time in Washington and around the country. But helping students get a great public education shouldn’t be a polarizing issue. It should be a core commitment that unites us all.
In the U.S. Congress, in statehouses, in mayors’ offices, on school boards – anywhere education policy is made – we need leaders of every political stripe to champion charter schools. This year, several elected officials deserve special recognition for leading the charge to give parents and students better public schools and the freedom to choose the school that works best for them.
These are the policy heroes our students need. They include leaders from the state of Kentucky, which this year became the 44th state to adopt a public charter school law. It’s a strong law that will give parents better options, keep quality high, and protect important charter school freedoms. It incorporates many of the best practices learned over the past 26 years of charter school authorizing.
Kentucky State Sen. Mike Wilson and State Rep. John “Bam” Carney have been tireless advocates for bringing charter schools to their state. Carney, a former public school teacher who now serves as a public school administrator in the Taylor County School System, sees charters as an opportunity to improve public education across the board. Over multiple legislative sessions, he and Wilson laid the groundwork for a charter school law and built support among their colleagues to pass it. Their experience demonstrates that introducing public school choice often requires determination and patience.
Others, such as Pennsylvania State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams and Illinois State Rep. Dan Burke, have shown that even in states with established charter school laws, effective charter champions must continue to push for improvements to the law and defend against critics who try to divide public school supporters and limit parents’ choices.
Mayor James Diossa, the youngest-ever mayor of Central Falls, Rhode Island is another policy hero. Charter schools can sometimes be a tough sell in Rhode Island, but Mayor Diossa has consistently and clearly made the case that students and parents win when they have strong public school choices. In addition to his full-time duties at city hall, Mayor Diossa serves as the board chair of Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy, a network of 6 charter schools serving nearly 1,600 students. This experience gives him a deep understanding of what charter schools need to succeed.
Other leaders continue to battle tough odds to expand public school choice in their states. Montana State Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy has been working to bring charter schools to his state to create better educational opportunities for students living on and near reservations. In Virginia, State Sens. Mark Obenshain and J. Chapman Petersen, and Delegate R. Steven Landes, were instrumental in passing a bill this year that would have expanded access to charter schools to the students who most need them. Unfortunately, the bill was vetoed by the governor. But they will continue to work for reform and the charter school movement will be right there with them.
Of course, the federal government plays an essential role in helping charter schools grow to meet parental demand. The federal Charter Schools Program is a vitally important vehicle to fund the launch and replication of great charter schools. Through the leadership of Rep. Tom Cole and Senators like Corey Booker and Tim Scott, the CSP continues to earn support on both sides of the aisle. The bipartisan budget agreement keeping the federal government running through the end of the current fiscal year includes an additional $9 million for the Charter Schools Program, as well as small but important increases for Title 1 and IDEA funding, which benefits students most in need.
As charter schools hit major milestones and score big wins for students, we know that continued bipartisan support is essential to reaching our goal of giving every student in America access to a great public school.