In The News

Community Focus: RI League of Charter Schools’ Keith Oliveira

Rhode Island League of Charter Schools Executive Director Keith Oliveira joined 12 News at 4 Tuesday to highlight National School Choice Week. Watch the full interview here.

Rhode Island League of Charter Schools Announces Charter School Fair for Families on January 25

PROVIDENCE, RI — The Rhode Island League of Charter Schools is holding a Charter School Fair for prospective families and students on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Times2 STEM Academy (50 Fillmore Street, Providence), they announced today.
At the fair, families can meet with representatives from 20 charter schools around Rhode Island and receive assistance completing an application.
“We are thrilled to welcome families back to our Charter School Fair in-person for the first time in three years,” said Keith Oliveira, executive director of the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools. “Parents who want a choice for their child can explore the best option and school model. Applications for all charter schools in Rhode Island are due in March.”
Charter schools are free, open to all, and provide options to families seeking a different educational path for their child. The enrollment period for the 2023-24 school year opened in November and runs through March 16, 2023, at 5:00 pm. Students are selected based on a blind lottery. Those looking to begin their application to any charter school may visit enrollri.org and set up an account. Instructions are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Demand for charter schools continues to increase. According to data provided by the Rhode Island Department of Education, Rhode Island charter schools received a record 23,263 applications in 2022 for 2,353 available seats, a 17% increase from the 2021-22 school year. Total applications have increased by more than 27% in the last five years and more than doubled since 2014-15.

Charter school enrollment up 7% since pandemic started, group says

“Charter school enrollment spiked during the pandemic…Charter school enrollment is up 7% since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a new report from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.”

 

Read more via WJAR.

Rhode Island League of Charter Schools Announces Open Enrollment for 2023-24 School Year

Rhode Island League of Charter Schools Announces Open Enrollment for 2023-24 School Year

Applications are being accepted for public charter schools across Rhode Island beginning November 22nd

 

PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island League of Charter Schools (RILCS) announced today that the application period for charter public schools will open on Tuesday, November 22, 2022 for the 2023-24 school-year.

“Rhode Island charter schools are proud to offer free, public-school options for all Rhode Island families seeking public school alternatives for their children,” said Keith A. Oliveira, executive director of the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools. “We know one-size public education does not fit all students. More and more Rhode Island families are seeking the innovative, student-centered learning environments that our charter schools provide.”

Demand for charter school seats in Rhode Island continues to grow, with a record number of families applying for seats for the current 2022-23 school-year. According to data provided by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), Rhode Island charter schools received a record 23,263 applications for 2,353 available seats, which is a 17% increase from the 2021-22 school-year. Total applications have increased by more than 27% in the last five years and more than doubled since 2014-15.

Charter schools are public schools, free and open to all Rhode Island students. Charter schools are located throughout Rhode Island and provide elementary, middle, and high school options.

Rhode Island families can learn more about their public charter school options by exploring the family information tool at www.enrollri.org. Families can also set up an account and submit a common application to all eligible charter schools. Information is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Applications will be accepted through March 16, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. All charter school lotteries will be held in early April 2023.

Families can learn more about our individual charter schools by attending a scheduled open house. A calendar of upcoming open houses can be found on our website at www.richarterschools.com

###

Changing Course: Public School Enrollment Shifts During The Pandemic

A new report from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools shows increased enrollment for charter schools during the pandemic. Read the full report here.

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.