In The News

Mayor James Diossa named 2017 Charter Champion by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools! (May 3, 2017)

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Local, State, and Federal Elected Officials Recognized in Bipartisan Cohort of 2017 Charter Champions

19 Democratic and Republican Officials Honored in Washington, D.C. for Their Efforts to Provide Better Educational Options to the Families They Represent.

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (National Alliance) announced today that 19 local, state, and federal elected officials will be honored as 2017 Charter Champions at a reception taking place tonight in Washington, D.C. This year’s bipartisan cohort (comprised of seven Democrats and 12 Republicans) joins a prestigious body of Charter Champions dating back to the award’s inception in 2006. 2017 Honorees include:

“In the U.S. Congress, in statehouses, in mayors’ offices, on school boards – anywhere education policy is made, we need charter champions,” said National Alliance President and CEO Nina Rees in prepared remarks. “The men and women we honor tonight have been leading the charge to give parents and students better public schools and the freedom to choose the school that works best for them. At a time of great political polarization, it’s important to recognize leaders who put aside party differences and just keep working to help students. These are the policy heroes our students need – and examples of leadership for elected officials everywhere.”

With the support of the 2017 Charter Champions and elected officials from all states, 2017 has been a record-breaking year for charter schools. National charter school enrollment has surpassed three million students for the first time. In March, Kentucky became the 44th state – in addition to Washington, D.C. – to pass a charter school law. Charter schools in the Bluegrass State will soon join more than 6,900 charter schools across the country in delivering high-quality, public educational options to families.

“I wanted to convince folks that you could be a supporter of traditional public schools but also of school choice,” said Kentucky State Representative John “Bam” Carney in an interview with The 74 Million. “One-size instruction does not fit all students, and I felt it was important to bring competition to Kentucky … and give parents and students a choice for something that may fit their needs better.”

“Being a Charter Champion means to me that I am committed to ensuring the success and vibrancy of our entire public school system,” said Assemblyman for New Jersey’s 7thDistrict Troy Singleton. “I believe that students should be given the opportunity to academically succeed in whatever vehicle ensures that success. Simply relying on just one manner in which we deliver education in our country does a disservice to our future generations. An all-of-the-above strategy focused on student success, and less on the vehicle that delivers upon that success, will keep our children moving forward and achieving more.”

Tonight’s Charter Champions ceremony comes amidst a busy week in the capital for charter schools. The Senate issued S.Res.148, a bipartisan resolution honoring National Charter Schools Week and “the students, parents, teachers, and leaders of charter schools across the United States.” The White House also issued a proclamation declaring National Charter Schools Week. And Congress approved a bipartisan spending bill which includes a $9 million increase for the federal Charter Schools Program.

About Charter Public Schools
Charter public schools are independent, public, and tuition-free schools that are given the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. Since 2010, many research studies have found that students in charter schools do better in school than their traditional school peers. For example, one study by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found that charter schools do a better job teaching low income students, minority students, and students who are still learning English than traditional schools. Separate studies by the Center on Reinventing Public Education and Mathematica Policy Research have found that charter school students are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college, stay in college and have higher earnings in early adulthood.

About the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the public charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter sector. For more information, please visit www.publiccharters.org.

We are public schools

Our 20 schools serve the public, are free and open to the public, funded by the public and held accountable to the public. We enroll students through a fair and transparent lottery system, which is open to all students, including many from low income, diverse communities.

We collaborate

Whether we’re working with traditional public school leaders or a team of teachers is working collaboratively within their own department, we are always seeking new ways to improve student achievement. We work closely with families and community partners, providing invaluable educational experiences for students that don’t end once students leave their classrooms. We have flexibility around how we spend our resources and run our programs, helping us explore best practices and share them with both charter and traditional public schools.

We succeed

We teach differently because we know that students learn differently. We find innovative approaches to each lesson and we don’t stop until we know what works. We are striving every day to close the achievement gap in our public schools and have shown strong results on state testing and other measures of success.