Author: mlerner10

D.C. charter school and DCPS enrollment up 2 percent, sector ratio of enrollment remains constant

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The Washington Post’s Michael Allison Chandler reported recently that unaudited enrollment data from D.C.’s charter schools and DCPS reveal that each sector increased by two percent in the 2015 to 2016 term.  Charters now educate slightly over 39,000 children, while the traditional schools have 48,693 kids in their classrooms. Ms. Chandler points out that this is the seventh annual increase for DCPS, which for years was losing its student body to charters.

The statistics means the ratio of charter to regular school students remains constant, with 44 percent to 56 percent in each group, that has been the case for the last several years. This comes as as the nation’s capital has just passed the point in time in which a decade-old study produced by Fight for Children predicted that by last year charters would teach the majority of pupils in Washington, D.C.  What happened?

Well, two things.  First, and probably most importantly, when the report by Gregg Vanourek was written the local charter school movement was focused mostly on growth.  Charters had 17,473 students in the 2005 to 2006 school year, representing 24 percent of all public school students.  There were 51 charter schools with 62 campuses.  DCPS enrolled 55,298 children, for a total of 72,771 individuals attending public schools.

Now there are 62 charters comprised of 115 campuses.  This is not a tremendous increase in the total number.  Therefore, what the study most likely did not anticipate was the strong focus on quality adopted by the DC Public Charter School Board.  Between 2006 and 2011 the Center for Education Reform states that 30 schools have been shuttered.  As chairman of the DC PCSB Dr. Darren Woodruff explained during my interview with him 13 charters have been closed in the last three years alone.

The second factor that has led to enrollment in charters remaining at 44 percent has been the dramatic improvements in DCPS.  When the Fight for Children report was issued Mayor Fenty had just been elected.  Michelle Rhee was about to be named Chancellor.  Her replacement, Kaya Henderson, has proved an exceptionally strong competitor for public school students.

The end result of all of this is that the educational landscape has greatly improved for our children.  It will be fascinating to see what the next 10 years brings.

Washington Post editors come out strongly in favor of re-authorizing Opportunity Scholarship Program

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This morning, in one of the most forceful columns I have ever read on the subject, the editors of the Washington Post decry efforts by a majority of the D.C. Council to stop re-authorization of the Opportunity Scholarship Program.

Remember that recently the Council sent a letter packed with untruths about the OSP to Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.  The Post picks out one of the most egregious claims; namely that the plan was unwillingly forced upon the District by meddling members of Congress.  Here’s what the editors had to say about that assertion:

“These eight council members seemed unaware that the program was established in 2004 at the initiation of Anthony Williams (D), then D.C.’s mayor, and with the strong support of Kevin Chavous (D), then chair of the council’s Education Committee. Likewise, they were unmoved by polling that has shown 74 percent of D.C. residents support the voucher program, which, despite the specious claims of critics, has improved outcomes for its students without taking a dime from regular public schools.”

But Anthony Williams and Kevin Chavous were far from being alone in partnering for private school scholarships for children living in poverty.  My friend Kaleem Caire recently posted the notes from a coalition meeting held almost exactly 12 years ago to strategize on implementing the program and the three-sector approach.  Among the 49 people attending the session, and I’m sorry I can only list a few, included Carol Adelman, board president Capital Partners for Education; Joe Bruno, charter school project Sallie Mae Fund; Peggy Cooper Cafriz, president D.C. Board of Education; Caroline Cunningham, Greater Washington Board of Trade; Raul Fernandez, Fernandez Group/Washington Capitals; Terry Golden, chairman Federal City Council; Boyden Gray, partner Wilmer, Cutler, and Pickering; Joseph E. Robert, Jr., founder/chairman Fight for Children; Victor Reinoso, vice president for education Federal City Council; Jim Sheldon, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Bruce Steward, head of school Sidwell Friends; Dr. Elfreda Massie, superintendent D.C. Public Schools; and Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archdiocese of Washington.

The Post editors also condemn the fact that the eight D.C. representatives appear so willing to give up the funding associated with the three-sector approach:

“Indeed, the three-sector federal approach has brought more than $600 million to D.C. schools, with traditional public schools receiving $239 million, charter public schools $195 million and the voucher program $183 million. At stake for fiscal 2016 is an additional $45 million.”

It is great to see the newspaper coming to the aid of some of our most vulnerable neighbors.  The House is expected to pass the re-authorization today.

Baltimore City charters have also filed a funding inequity lawsuit

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Erica Green of the Baltimore Sun reports that eight of the Baltimore City’s highest performing charter schools have sued Baltimore City over its recently revised funding formula.  These schools enroll 3,600 of the city’s 13,700 kids that attend charters.

The new formula provides charters with about $9,300 per student with the school system spending about $13,000 a pupil.  The problem with the change is that 26 of the Baltimore City’s 34 charters would receive drastically less money under the plan.

One interesting point Ms. Green makes in her story is that in Baltimore City charters by law must receive cash in lieu of services that the central office provides to traditional schools that they don’t receive.  Perhaps this is a solution to D.C.’s charter school funding inequity problem.

The charters are seeking $75,000 as a remedy.

Meanwhile, Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Black has asked University of Baltimore president and former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke to mediate the revenue dispute.  If he is successful there, perhaps he could just come down to D.C.

Friendship Public Charter School 2015 Teacher of the Year Gala

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Michele and I had the pleasure of attending last Saturday night’s Friendship Public Charter School 2015 Teacher of the Year Annual Awards Gala.  As is the custom, the event was held at the elegant JW Marriott Hotel where a formal dinner is proceeded by an hour of drinks and appetizers.  It was as a waiter was bringing around the first tray of hors d’oeuvres that I ran into my hero Donald Hense, the CEO and chairman of Friendship PCS.  I wanted to know what excited him about this year’s celebration.  “We have added two new schools,” the Friendship CEO answered without hesitation.  “We now include the Online Academy and Armstrong Elementary.  This growth has resulted in Friendship expanding by over 100 teachers.  Currently we enroll over 4,200 children in the District of Columbia, and the Friendship Educational Foundation includes two schools in Baltimore and one in Louisiana.”   Of course, the Online Academy and Armstrong are the schools Friendship graciously took over after the closure of the Dorothy I. Height Community Academy PCS.

There were many members of the charter movement in attendance.  Immediately after talking to Mr. Hense, I approached Kara Kerwin, the president of the Center for Education Reform whom I have interviewed.  I wanted to know from Ms. Kerwin about the charter school situation in Seattle now that the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that its funding mechanism was unconstitutional.  “We are anticipating,” she commented, “that there will be both legal and legislative challenges to the ruling.  There are over 1,200 students currently attending charters there that are in need of school choice so that they can obtain access to good schools.”

It was then time to move to the ballroom for the award ceremony.  The space was packed.  I think this must have been the largest number of people I have seen at a Teacher of the Year Gala, and the one with the most well dressed participants.  Almost all of the men were in black tie and the women’s outfits were perfectly aligned with the high quality of Friendship’s academic offerings.  Just like in the past, a well-produced brochure was positioned at each place setting, and Roland Martin, host of News One Now and commentator on the TV One cable network, was the Master of Ceremonies.  But the crispness and well thought out pacing brought this event to new heights.

Nominated for the award were Yvonne Tackie, Blow Pierce Campus; Ashlie Monet Frances Dubose, Academy at Calverton; Joscelyn Reed, Chamberlain Campus; Alesha White, Preparatory Academy at Cherry Hill; Celecial Robinson, Collegiate Academy; Claire Holdipp, Southeast Academy; Ashley Smith, Technology Preparatory Academy; and Teoshi Edwards, Woodridge International Campus.

Mr. Hense kicked off the program with the inspiration and directness that defines this man.  “This is Friendship’s biggest night of the year besides promotion and graduation.  Our job is to have kids graduate and then be successful in college.  Tonight we celebrate the finest that is Friendship which is the belief that anything is possible for our scholars.  To encourage our children to work hard, we have no choice but to give our children the best that we have to offer each and everyday.”

The Friendship CEO then addressed the new charters that have joined his team this term.  “We have named the new elementary school Armstrong because it is on the site of Armstrong High School, the first African American technical training school in the United States.  In addition, we now have an on-line institute.  A recent newspaper article talked about the increase in home-schooled children in our city, but what the piece failed to mention is that that a great many of those kids are enrolled in our institute.”

Mr. Hense then reviewed the prizes that go along with being nominated as a Teacher of the Year.  He informed the guests that each individual receives $5,000, with the finalist being awarded $10,000.  Moreover, as has been the custom and in an extremely classy move, Friendship covers state and federal taxes associated with the gifts so that the instructors receive all of the prize money.

Before and after dinner the attendees viewed videos highlighting the work of the finalists.  I don’t know if its because its been awhile since I’ve been in a classroom, or due to the superlative work by EFX Media that produced the films, but I didn’t have a dry eye throughout these presentations.  I found during the other galas I’ve attended I’ve been able to accurately predict the winner; on this night I had not a clue.  I thought each one was a superstar.

In the end, the 2015 Teacher of the Year is Joscelyn Reed, a third grade instructor at Friendship’s Chamberlain Campus.   Perhaps reading about the ceremony has not been as an emotional experience as it was for us as being in the room.  Maybe that will change when you review Ms. Reed’s statement about how she views her profession.

“Educators have the power to create kind, comfortable, conducive learning environments in our classrooms.  For some children, this may be the only time they experience this stability.  This sense of security must be established before a book is read, or a lesson is taught.  This single step is the foundation upon which I build an environment where students feel comfortable challenging themselves.  They know that while I maintain high expectations, I am also there for them as a committed stakeholder in their personal success.”

It was a fantastic evening.

Charter board asks D.C. council for right to examine financial records of management organizations

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In a long anticipated move, the DC Public Charter School Board has requested that the Council amend the School Reform Act to allow, in certain circumstances, inspection of the financial records of charter management organizations.  Scott Pearson, executive director of the PCSB, explained in a hearing yesterday when his organization would have access to fiscal records:

“This would extend to all contractors providing management or educational services with a public charter school if the value of the payments to the contractor equals or exceeds 20% (versus the currently proposed 10%) of the public charter school’s annual revenue; or the value of the payments from DC public charter schools exceeds 25% of the total revenues of the contractor.”

The change is intended to avoid the controversy that erupted around the for-profit management companies associated with Options PCS and Dorothy I. Height Community Academy PCS.  Both schools have since been closed due to the severe irregularities discovered regarding the use of public funds paid to firms contracted with these schools.  In his remarks yesterday, Mr. Pearson appears frustrated that the PCSB had requested the books from one of these charters but was only given the most superficial information in return.  He does not name the individual school but the Washington Post’s Michael Allison Chandler states that he is referring to Community Academy.

The PCSB executive director commented that millions of dollars in taxpayer money could have been saved if the charter board had been able to see how these CMOs had been allocating their revenue.  But the need for this revision to SRA goes far beyond increasing accountability for charter school spending.  The Options and Community Academy cases created a gigantic loss of confidence by D.C. residents in the legitimacy of a sector that now educates over 39,000 pupils or 44 percent of all public school students in the nation’s capital.

D.C.’s charter schools have been the fountainhead for desperately needed school reform that has literally turned the lives around of kids in this city, particularly those at the low end of the socioeconomic spectrum.  Therefore, to strengthen this movement, and to protect its sustainability long into the future, the the Council should quickly approve this legislation.

States must be brave regarding Common Core test results

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The use of the Common Core Standards has unfortunately been awash in political controversy for no reason whatsoever.  The standards, created out of an effort by the National Governors Association when Janet Napolitano was its chair, were developed to improve American students’ performance on the international PISA examination in which they traditionally scored poorly.  In addition, the standards are seen as a way to eliminate a major problem with the No Child Left Behind law in which proficiency in math and reading are defined at contrasting academic levels in different states.

The Common Core became a sore subject once Arne Duncan’s Education Department made their voluntary adoption a carrot toward winning money in the billion dollar Race to the Top Competition and in being awarded waivers to NCLB.

The result is that several states that accepted the Common Core have now rejected them, and Republican candidates for President have made it a badge of honor to see how derogatory they can be about the standards.  This is a horrible turn of events.

In addition, we hear today from the Washington Post’s Emma Brown that at least two states, Ohio and  Arkansas, have diluted the definition of proficiency on the PARCC, one of two examinations that measure student performance utilizing the Common Core.  For example, in Arkansas, Ms. Brown explains, the state made proficiency in Algebra 1 a score of a three, while the representatives of PARCC assert that success is college is likely if pupils rate a four.  The difference means that Arkansas classifies 60 percent of its kids as proficient in Algebra 1, when only 28 percent of its students would have been seen as proficient under the PARCC’s guidelines.

The same problem exists with ninth grade English proficiency.  The state reports that 64 percent of students have reached this level; PARCC believes the real number is 36 percent.

The matter is critically important as more scores are released across the nation.  It will become significant here in the nation’s capital as we learn the results of our own testing, findings that will drive charter school tiering on the DC Public Charter Board’s Performance Management Framework.

But the issue goes way beyond our own backyard.  The Common Core is the one opportunity, perhaps the last opportunity, for us to raise the bar regarding the expectations for the academic performance of all public school students.  We cannot let this chance disappear in the wind.

D.C. Council members threaten $30 million in funding to DCPS and charter schools from Congress

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In one of his final anticipated acts as a congressman and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, this week  John Boehner introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize for five years the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, the plan that provides private school scholarships to about 1,500 children a year living in poverty.  The funding for the OSP is part of the three sector education approach spearheaded by local philanthropist Joseph E. Robert, Jr. when he was alive that also includes $15 million for the traditional school system and another $15 million for the charter sector.

Yesterday, eight D.C. Councilpersons sent a letter to U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, calling for the winding down of the OSP by blocking new entrants to the program and only allowing those students currently enrolled to continue using the vouchers through high school.  The move proclaims loud and clear to members on the Hill that you can have your money back.

The signatories on the letter include education committee chairman David Grosso, Anita Bonds, Charles Allen, Yvette Alexander, LaRuby May, Brianne Nadeau, Elissa Silverman, and Jack Evans.  Those apparently not going along with the idea of taking away the scholarships include Vincent Orange, Mary Cheh, Kenyan McDuffie, Brandon Todd, and perhaps most interesting, Council chairman Phil Mendelson.  In additon, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Deputy Mayor for Education Jennie Niles did not add their names to those calling for the repeal of the legislation.  The Washington Post’s Lyndsey Layton quotes the Mayor’s spokesperson as commenting:

“We support federal funding that benefits District residents. . . The District has been a model for education reform, and the mayor is committed to building on our successes.”

Most unfortunately, the letter includes multiple false claims about the OSP.  To pick out just a few, it states that students do not benefit from participating in the plan, that it lacks accountability, and that it provides more funding than is offered through the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula.  All of these statements are not accurate.

Students receiving scholarships have a 91 percent high school graduation rate, 21 percent higher than that of kids whose parents sought a voucher but could not obtain one.  The rate is about 30 percent higher than that of DCPS.  A 2013 review of the OSP found a statistically significant increase in reading scores.

In addition, there are multiple accountability measures included in the Act.  Schools participating in the OSP, among other things, are required to maintain valid certificates of occupancy, provide information on school accreditation, demonstrate financial strength if operating less than five years, be open to visits by the plan administrator, and ensure that each teacher of core subjects has a baccalaureate degree or higher.

Finally, the scholarships are worth about $8,300 for elementary and middle school and $12,400 for high school.  These figures are substantially below the UPSFF amount of approximately $18,000 spent on each student per year.

Perhaps the most important fact about the OSP is that for 84 percent of the pupils enrolled, if there were no scholarships they would be attending a neighborhood school designated by the No Child Left Behind law as in need of improvement.  But I’m sure if asked the eight D.C. representatives who signed yesterday’s letter would say that its all about the kids.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Education Secretary Duncan may have hurt education reform by trying to help

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Following Mr. Duncan’s surprise announcement that he would be stepping down as the U.S. Education Secretary in December there has been an outpouring of compliments regarding his tenure by the education reform community.  Here are a few:

“We applaud Secretary Duncan for his leadership on behalf of all the nation’s students and schools. Duncan placed a priority on working to ensure equity for all students, advanced innovation in education, and has been committed to ensuring students from all backgrounds have access to high quality public schools.”  Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools

“Arne Duncan is the most consequential Education Secretary in our nation’s history.  He has consistently and courageously stood for students, especially those least advantaged.  Arne has been a true partner in our efforts to improve public education in Washington, DC, and we’ll be forever indebted to his efforts.”  Scott Pearson, executive director of the DC Public Charter School Board

“@ArneDuncan has been the most important Secretary of Ed in history.  Thank you for your work over the past 7 years.”  Tweet by Eva Moskowitz, founder and CEO Success Academy Charter Schools.

But here is the problem.  Mr. Duncan primarily utilized two tools at his disposal to drive change in public education.  The Education Secretary gave points toward his $4.3 billion Race to the Top Competition and waivers from the No Child Left Behind Act by having states implement certain policies.  Among these included the creation of charter schools; the tying of teacher evaluations partially to test scores; and the improvement of academically low performing schools, which often led to the ending of teacher tenure.  The favored reforms also included adoption of the Common Core Standards. 42 states and the District of Columbia have signed up for the Common Core.

The Common Core Standards are the hope of many that it will lead to gains by American students on the international PISA examination; a test in which pupils of this country have traditionally scored well below those of most other countries.  Common Core is also a solution to a major weakness of NCLB.  When it came to accessing proficiency in math and reading, states ended up using a variety of measures and in many instances students were judged proficient in these subjects when this was not the finding of the NAEP examination, a tool often referred to at the nation’s report card.

But because Mr. Duncan strongly encouraged states to convert to the Common Core, republicans and libertarians often view it as part of a government takeover of public education, a policy area most often left up to local communities.  The backlash against the Standards has been particularly strong.  For example, there is only one candidate for the Republican nomination for President that currently supports use of this tool.  There are also plenty of Democrats that dislike it for the same reason.

It could be that the opposition to the Common Core results in states turning away from these standards, just as Indiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Louisiana have already done.  This move may gain momentum as student test scores begin to come out which, if the most current experience holds true, will be lower than results in previous years.  Rejection of the Common Core Standards would be a tremendous loss.  This may also be the final legacy of the Duncan Administration.

D.C. charter school funding equity lawsuit lives on another day

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Yesterday, the Washington Post’s Michael Allison Chandler revealed that U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan refused to throw out the charter school funding inequity lawsuit brought against D.C. by the Association of Chartered Public Schools, Eagle Academy PCS, and Washington Latin PCS.  Washington Latin PCS agreed to be a party to the legal action when I served on the school’s board of directors.

Stephen Marcus, the attorney for the FOCUS coordinated lawsuit, according to Ms. Chandler, referred to the finding by the federal judge as a “favorable opinion.”

As you may recall, when we last discussed this issue former Attorney General Irvin Nathan had asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that the Mayor and D.C. Council had the authority to make spending decisions regarding DCPS, the school system it oversees.  There is only one problem with this argument.  The law states that all funding for both the traditional schools and charters must come through the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula.  It has been estimated that DCPS receives about $100 million a year more than charters get outside of this statute.

The new Attorney General Karl Racine and Mayor Muriel Bowser have not officially commented on the funding challenge by charters.

The Judge did, however, get part of the law wrong.  She ruled that the city had not violated the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause which designates acts by Congress the “law of the land.”  The UPSFF legislation originated with Congress and if this opinion was correct then the D.C. Council could have thrown out the federal law that first created charter schools in the nation’s capital as well as the Opportunity Scholarship Program written in part by U.S. House Speaker Boehner.  Perhaps Mr. Marcus should appeal this part of the decision.

“We need to make sense of how these two systems fit together”

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DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson made this assertion when asked by Jim Vance of Channel 4 news about the co-existence of charters and traditional schools in the nation’s capital.  The occasion was Ms. Henderson’s annual State of the Schools remarks, and, according to the Washington Post’s Michael Allison Chandler, it appears that the leader of DCPS thinks that competition for students may have outlived its usefulness.  Ms. Henderson commented:

“I think what has happened is the charter sector has grown unchecked. We don’t have any coordinated planning, and so families are like how do I make sense of these two systems and when do we stop duplicating some of the things we are doing similarly and do we really believe that competition is the thing that provides excellence in the system.”

This observation by the Chancellor is especially instructive as any minute the 23 to 25 person membership of the Deputy Mayor of Education’s Cross-Sector Collaboration Task Force is to be named.  The list was expected to be released by the end of September.

Charter advocates fear that one goal of this group is to limit or end the growth of these innovative schools in the city.  But we really can’t afford to take that step.  The academic proficiency of our children in the traditional schools stands at about 50 percent.  The four year graduation rate, although it demonstrated a strong gain this year, is only at 64 percent.  The gap between standardized test scores between black and white and rich and poor is widening after almost 20 years of public school reform.  Parents are frustrated that they cannot get their kids into some of the highest performing schools.  This town is miles away from the goal of providing a quality seat for every student that needs one.

In fact, instead of limiting options for children, it is time to put school choice in overdrive.  We must determine the quickest way to have our best charters replicate.  We need to bring proven charter operators to town.  We must refuse to accept mediocrity by closing those facilities that are not serving our young people.

Ms. Henderson seems to recognize these things as well.  In her conversation with Mr. Vance this is how she describes the history of D.C.’s charter movement:

“For a really long time, DCPS was not responsive to the needs of families, and families were stuck. They did not have choices the way other people did and so the beginning of the charter movement was how do we provide some choices and options for families and how do we create spaces that are free from some of the bureaucratic entanglements that I have to put up with so we can see innovation really quickly. Those are all good things.”

Well, parents are still stuck, and I will not rest until every family in Washington, D.C. can get for their children the same level of public education that my kids received.  It’s only fair.