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Join us in welcoming a new cohort to the Rising Leaders Initiative below! We're honored to support the advocacy journey of 10 exceptional charter high school students as Rising Leaders and can't wait to see what they accomplish this year and beyond.
Listen to a new episode of our podcast as we further break down the data from The Harris Poll's recent national teacher survey.
CONGRATULATE: 2023-24 Rising Leaders Cohort
We are thrilled to welcome the 2023-24 class of Rising Leaders, the program’s second cohort. The charter high school students selected as the second cohort of Rising Leaders are passionate about ensuring their peers have access to high-quality and free public education. They aspire to become architects of education's transformation and are committed to making a positive impact in their school community.
The 2023-2024 Rising Leaders:
Abdullah Celik – Senior at Gateway Science Academy, MO
Anthony Ayer – Senior at Baxter Academy, ME
Cameron Mirmelli – Junior at BASIS Scottsdale, AZ
Darren Paredes – Junior at The ASK Academy, NM
Kamilia Almazan – Senior at YES Prep Gulfton, TX
Maya Maliakal – Junior at Harmony Science Academy-Carrollton,TX
Nathan Duguid – Senior at Greak Oaks Legacy Charter School,NJ
Olivia Jones – Senior at University Prep Art & Design, MI
Rosamaria Villasenor – Sophomore at Elevate Academy, ID
Sahaana Rajagopalan – Senior at The Charter School of Wilmington, DE
Students will receive a year of training and mentorship from policy professionals and various experts. The program was designed to further develop students who have a demonstrated commitment to service, scholarship, and improving their schools and communities.
LISTEN: Something Has to Change–Insights From New Teacher Survey
Our latest episode of the Get Schooled on Public Education podcast discusses the findings in Listen to Your Teacher: An Analysis of Teacher Sentiment on the State of Public Education. Researchers at The Harris Poll surveyed district and charter school teachers nationwide—and most of them agree something has to change in public education. Listen to learn more about the challenges and opportunities for teachers in today’s educational climate.
We would love to hear from you. Send us questions, comments, or episode suggestions for our podcast to podcast@publiccharters.org.
READ: New Schools, New Opportunities for Success–Covenant Academy of Mobile
Covenant Academy of Mobile is a new public charter school serving students in grades K-12 in Alabama. The school focuses on building character development, organizational skills, a literacy rich environment, S.T.E.A.M. instruction, connections through elective courses, and growing entrepreneurial skills. Hear from Founders Nikkia and Spencer Ruggs, Head of School Brenda Hartzog, and Principal Kristi July to learn more about the new school and their vision for maintaining a positive learning environment.
LEARN: Digging into the Science of Reading & Charter Schools at NCSC23
The 2023 National Charter Schools Conference held in Austin, TX featured many high-quality breakout sessions for charter school leaders, advocates, and educators. Among the more than 80 sessions this year was a panel of early literacy experts discussing a hot topic: the science of reading. Panelists explained the benefits of a science-based approach to early literacy and discussed both the successes of and barriers to implementation in charter schools.