Masters of Arts degree in Educational Leadership...
...with an emphasis in Charter School Leadership!
Central Michigan University will launch a unique master’s program aimed at a select group of educators this January. With the rapid increase in the number of charter schools in the U.S., comes an increased need for leaders with knowledge of the special challenges of charter school administration. To answer this demand, Central Michigan University is offering the 33-credit-hour Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Charter School Leadership.
The effects of Substitute House Bill No. 1 on community charter schools are both multifarious and nefarious.
It’s hard enough for those who try to stay on top of education policy to grasp the real and complex effects of instructional quality indexes, educational challenge factors, and evidence-based organizational units. In fact there’s considerable evidence that our budget and education planners still don’t fully comprehend the fiscal and program effects of the current substitute House Bill - 1.
But here’s the bottom line. In spite of all the reassuring rhetoric, charter schools in Ohio are in for huge funding cuts. It’s this simple. This current school year, charter schools are receiving about $617 million dollars in state funding. The governor proposed cutting that amount next year to $497 million, a $120 million or cut. Few organizations that operate on public funds can survive funding cuts of such magnitude.
The Ohio House of Representatives has now stepped in to remedy problems with the governor’s executive budget, changing names of certain program elements, reallocating Title I and IDEA funds, adjusting average teacher salaries, lengthening implementation times, shifting resource flows to poorer districts, and offering declarations of support for charter schools.
We now have a substitute House biennial budget bill. So what’s the new bottom line for charter schools? Underneath the new rhetoric and formulas the bottom line is that the funding appropriation for charter schools fell another $26 million to approximately $470 million, now a 24% cut. The average cut for charter schools would be approximately 19.7%. That’s the bottom line.
It’s no wonder that charter school parents are outraged. According to the Ohio Department of Education, average (2008) per pupil public spending on a charter school child was $6,867. The average per pupil public spending on a traditional district school child was $9,485, a 27.6% differential. And now the governor and the recently passed House bill would like to increase that disparity gap to a yawning average of 42%.
How should a charter school parent who has been given the legal option to choose a public charter school for their child, feel if the state mandates that a charter school child is worth an investment of only 58% of a district school child?
As Ohio takes on the task of creating a twenty-first century educational system that is equal to the challenges of a global economy, a public education system premised on equal protection and opportunity under the law would be a good place to start.
Tell your legislators you expect equitable funding for your child’s school. We have made it easy to do so, email your state legislators today.
The Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools is pleased to announce their 2nd Annual State Conference, which is scheduled for November 16 and 17. This year’s theme, “Transforming Education,” will allow participants the opportunity to learn about exciting innovations being made in the charter school movement.
This year’s Conference Planning Committee is being led by Anne Beane of Mound Street Academies who will serve as chair and Martin Porter of Toledo School for the Arts will assist as vice chair. Other committee members are: Dave Cash of St. Aloysius, Jim Melko of Mound Street Academies, Perry White of Citizens’ Academy (past chair), Tiffany Caco-Smith of SchoolOne, Dewey Chapman of Portage County ESC, Dr. Myrrha Satow of Edvantages, Sharice Martin of Par Excellence Academy, Jason Wall of Ohio Council of Community Schools, Derek Steward of Youthbuild Columbus Community School, Frank Stoy of Lucas County Educational Service Center, Tami Augustine of Life Skills Centers and Monica Jones of White Hat Management Company. This year’s committee will assist with breakout presentation selections, recruitment of award nominations, registration support as well as hands on responsibilities at the conference.
The conference will once again be held at the Crowne Plaza – Columbus North. Registration information will be sent to your inbox and mailbox, so continue to watch for this important information.
Please plan now to attend this wonderful event that brings together the best of the best in the charter school movement. In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding the conference, please feel free to contact OAPCS at (614) 744-2266 or watch the Web site for future updates.
The Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools encouraged feedback when launching its new Web site design last summer. And due to the comments and suggestions from you, our stakeholders, OAPCS has again launched a new look.
With simplistic navigation and content at the forefront, oapcs.org should continue to be your one-stop-shop when searching for all things related to Ohio’s charter schools. Our Web site goals remain: to deliver beneficial information, an interactive map to assist parents in finding a charter school in their area and to host a virtual community for OAPCS members to connect and share their challenges and best practices.
If you have not lately, visit www.oapcs.org today to explore the changes, and we encourage you to share your comments at info@oapcs.org.
Join charter school stakeholders from across the nation at the 9th Annual National Charter Schools Conference, which is June 21-29 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.
The National Charter Schools Conference is your chance to hear from education policy and movement leaders, learn new ways to reach students and improve academic achievement, and network with charter school professionals from across the nation. In addition, you will learn how charter schools nd other organizations will be able to benefit from new funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for Monday, June 22.
June 24 will be Charter School Advocacy Day, which serves to educate new leadership on key charter school issues on Capitol Hill. Make your voice heard - be a part of the largest national charter school advocacy effort ever held.
