Our Charter School Weekly Brief has updates on the National Alliance and the charter school movement!
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A NOTE FROM NINA
This is a big week at the National Alliance as we convene the very first virtual National Charter Schools Conference! We’ll get started this Thursday, July 16, and continue on July 23 and 30. We have a fantastic conference line-up, including sessions on digital learning, racial equity, the 2020 election, and a series of finance sessions to help recession-proof your school.
I wanted to also take a moment to explain a shift in our program. The decision to invite Randi Weingarten to speak at our virtual conference was not arrived at lightly. The relationship between charter schools and unions has long been complicated and contentious. While we understand and fully acknowledge the deep distrust and hurt that many in the charter sector feel with respect to teachers unions, we thought there could be a pathway to move forward in collaboration on a discreet set of issues with significant impact on charter schools. We are, after all, in a time of crisis.
However, given the complexities of the issues confronting our movement, we have decided to pull Ms. Weingarten from our agenda.
As an organization, we believe in collaboration. We will continue to look for ways to model a civil dialogue and create space to find areas of cooperation, even with people and organizations with whom we might have significant ideological differences. I'm looking forward to the great program we have for this year's conference and I hope you'll join us.
Nina Rees President & CEO National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
CONFERENCE
NCSCvirtual Kicks Off Thursday!
Our first-ever Virtual National Charter Schools Conference—July 16, 23, and 30—kicks off this Thursday at 11 a.m. ET! Our first day will feature Michael Crow from Arizona State University who will discuss ways to reimagine education.
If you aren't already registered—there's still time! Don’t miss out on the great content, provocative conversations, leading voices in education, and essential information on your most pressing issues, plus unlimited access to session recordings.
FEDERAL
House Appropriations Subcommittee Calls for $40 Million Cut to CSP
The House Appropriations Subcommittee Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies voted along party lines to approve its Fiscal Year 2021 spending bill, which includes a $40 million cut to the Charter Schools Program (CSP). The bill also includes increases for a number of critical education programs—including Title I and IDEA—which support all public school students. The full House appropriations committee will vote on the bill early this week. The Senate has not yet marked up a bill.
We are disappointed by the proposed cut but hopeful that the CSP will ultimately be restored in the final bill. Charter school students, families, and educators need our support.
FEDERAL
Funding for School Infrastructure Included in INVEST in America Act
The $1.5 trillion INVEST in America Act passed last week by the U.S. House of Representatives includes key provisions for school facilities and financing options for charter schools, in addition to support for safely reopening schools during the coronavirus pandemic. The bill provides direct grants and bonds for school construction and renovation targeted at high-poverty schools with facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff.
Read more about the six ways the INVEST in America Act could benefit charter schools from Christy Wolfe, vice president of policy and planning at the National Alliance.
FACILITY CENTER
State Policy Analysis on Per Pupil Facility Funding
The Charter School Facility Center analyzed the 18 states with per pupil facilities funding, looking at the statutes, operations, and funding for these programs in State Policy Analysis: Per Pupil Facility Funding. These state facility funding formulas provide some facility funding for about 3,200 charter schools in the 2018-19 school year, serving 1.5 million students and totaling $1.1 billion. However, there are still nearly 3,800 charter schools and more than 1.6 million students that do not receive any facility funding through these types of programs. Also see the State Policy Snapshot: Facilities Funding for Public Charter Schools.
WEBINAR
Recording: Borrowing in the Time of COVID-19
COVID-19's impact has caused unprecedented financial uncertainties and operational challenges for charter schools across the country. This webinar from the Charter Schools Facility Center provides participants with an understanding of any new flexibility introduced by both short- and long-term lenders and the factors to consider when deciding which financing option is best for them. Watch the recorded webinar.
PARTNERS
New Resources for Charter Schools
The Policy Framework for High-Quality Charter Authorizing Practices is a new tool from the National Charter School Resource Center. The Framework provides a context for states to review their policy environments, learn about peer states, and assess the State policy environment’s support for high-quality authorizing practices.
Schoolhouse Network is a new resource center to help rural charter schools. The Schoolhouse Network connects rural charter schools to the organizations that work to support them, including government agencies, authorizers/districts and nonprofits and fosters active collaboration among project participants. A few schools have already received free support to access low cost funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
GRANTS
Available Grants for Technical Assistance
These national centers provide technical assistance and disseminate relevant information and best practices. Charter schools that are their own LEAs are eligible to apply.
