New York’s Charter School Revolution Hits a Milestone

Sorry, but I have some bad news for opponents of school choice. The Success Academy public charter-school network, which is based in New York City, marked its 10th anniversary this year and shows no signs of slowing down.

The first school opened in Harlem on Aug. 20, 2006. The 165 kindergartners and first-graders, chosen by lottery, shared a building with a traditional public school. Now there are 41 Success schools, serving 14,000 children. The waiting list has nearly doubled in the past three years to about 17,000, and over the next decade the plan is to expand to 100 schools serving 50,000 children, which would rival the size of the Atlanta and Boston public-school districts.

Read more of this Wall Street Journal article here.

Florida Girl Uses Virtual School So She Can Tour Nationally with "Annie"

MANATEE

Bradenton’s Jacqueline Galvano thinks it would be a hoot to sing the song “Tomorrow” with “The Late Late Show” host James Corden as part of his famous segment, “Carpool Karaoke.”

“I would just love it,” a beaming Jacqueline said Monday during a visit to the Manatee Performing Arts Center in Bradenton where she said the foundation of her skills were laid over the past few years.

Although Corden’s call to the Stewart Elementary School graduate to sing in his sport utility vehicle like Adele and Justin Bieber have done might not come right away, she does stand a chance since she is really going to sing “Tomorrow” in a national touring company of “Annie.”


Read the rest of the story here.

 

Virtual School Grad accomplishes another milestone with U.S. Marine Corps boot camp graduation

Raise up a child in the way he would go, that is what Marlin and Virginia Kinser have done. Their son Joseph Kinser has been brought up to respect his country and to serve others.

They have helped their son follow his heart and his calling. At age six he set his sights to become a United States Marine. In the Boy Scouts, he honed his skills learning how to live his life according to the 12 points of the Scout Law. He graduated High School from California Virtual Academy of San Diego in June 2015, an online school that helps student develope not just scholastically by their individual passions as well.  In June 2016 he took his oath of Eagle Scout and soon after entered U.S. Marine Corps boot camp.

The rest of the story can be found here.

25,000 march for school choice

Twenty-five thousand people marched on Wednesday in New York City, reports Kate Stringer with The 74, to call for expanded school choice.

The march, organized by Families for Excellent Schools, called for the city to expand charter schools until they serve 200,000 students. That would double the number of students currently in New York's charters, rising to about one-fifth of all New York students.

The city currently has 212 charter schools, with a combined 44,400 students on their wait lists.

Read the rest here. 

Letter: Drop-outs deserve school choice

I am a high school drop-out.

Despite graduating from college with honors, earning two graduate degrees and professional success, my status as a high school drop-out is difficult to admit, even to myself. It fills me with embarrassment and shame due to common misconceptions, namely that we drop-outs are dumb, lazy, apathetic, and untalented.

We’re not.

As our nation marks National Dropout Prevention Month in October, we should empower drop-outs with the second chance at diplomas they deserve. They don’t require pity. They do require school choice options. Online charter schools serve as a critical last resort for many students who are simply out of options. These schools welcome society’s most vulnerable youth and offer them another shot at education, gainful employment and financial success.

Online charter schools provide such alternatives but seem to be under siege in the court of public opinion when it comes to graduation rates. Such criticism is overly-simplistic.

Read the rest of the letter here. 

Five life lessons students should be developing in school

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education Secretary John B. King, Jr. said: “a well-rounded education helps kids make that incredibly important connection between their studies, their curiosities, and their passions, and the skills they need to become sophisticated thinkers.”

Education is so much more than learning basics like multiplication and vocabulary, although high-quality academics are, of course, important. By providing a well-rounded academic experience, teachers and administrators help students learn lessons for a lifetime. The following are five critical life skills that students should be developing as part of their schooling experience:

Keep reading here.