Bill Phillips of NYCSA has written an excellent analysis of the Board of Regents' decision yesterday to decline renewal of Pinnacle Charter School in Buffalo, a low-performing school in which only one in five students was at standards—after eight years of operation. I urge reading it in full. My only…
Check out the new video from the March 16 Education Town Hall that aired on KISS FM's Open Line radio show with Bob Slade, Bob Pickett and James Mtume. The Town Hall was hosted by the New York City Charter School Center, KISS FM and Bronx Preparatory Charter School.
This weekend the Charter Center, KISS FM and Bronx Preparatory Charter School hosted an Education Town Hall that aired on KISS FM's Open Line radio show with Bob Slade, Bob Pickett and James Mtume. Panelists, including Valerie Babb, Recy Dunn, James Merriman, Charlene Reid, Drema Brown, Andrea Zayas and Samantha…
Whenever a charter school authorizer starts the process of revoking a school’s charter, the reactions are predictable. Though the revocation is not final, edu-journalists are fascinated. Teachers and families are justifiably concerned. Authorizers are tight-lipped. Charter advocates like us try to calmly remind everyone that, in the charter school sector,…
Today, teacher data reports for some 32 charter schools will be released to the public, following release of TDRs for district teachers as part of the Teacher Data Initiative. There are two distinct issues worth commenting on: the particularities of the charter school data and the errors therein, and the…
Since November 2011, I and 13 of my charter leader colleagues have been involved in a Data Transparency Project initiated by the New York City Charter School Center. This Advisory Committee, which I sit on, was open to charter leaders across New York City. The group of people that ultimately…
Recently, and unfortunately, much of the media surrounding charter schools has focused on school closures. So much so that one can forget how many amazing charter schools New York City is fortunate to have. This month, New York’s State Education Department reminded us of this fact by nominating the Bronx…
The State University of New York Charter School Institute (SUNY) and New York State Department (SED) have accepted 48 Letters of Intent to start charter schools in the fall 2013. The 48 new entrants have been given a green light to submit full proposals by February 29, 2012 in order…
Over Christmas break, the NAACP quietly released a resolution on charter schools. Among the expected anti-charter rhetoric are sprinkled some things of interest. First, in the midst of listing the advantages charters have, e.g., the supposed selection and removal of students, the resolution also states that charters operate more autonomously…
Today, Justice Feinman of NYS Supreme Court ruled against a group of charter opponents who had sought a preliminary injunction against the NYC Department of Education, requiring it to charge charter schools rent when they are co-located in public school buildings. Justice Feinman, in a well-reasoned and thoughtful opinion, declined…
