2024

CharterFolk Contributor Natasha Trivers – Communicating with Your Community Before and After the Election

Natasha Trivers, CEO of Democracy Prep Public Schools, highlights the crucial role of school leaders in fostering civic engagement and respectful dialogue during the polarized 2024 election season. She emphasizes inclusivity, acknowledging diverse community backgrounds, and provides an Election Communications Toolkit to aid charter leaders in effective communication with families and students.

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A Tragic, Cautionary Tale – Charter School Teachers Deluded Into Paying For Their Own Schools’ Destruction

The closure of seven charter schools in Chicago, particularly Acero, is linked to union activities that compromise financial stability. While the Chicago Teachers Union claims to support charter teachers, it actually undermines their schools’ viability. The situation highlights the struggles charter schools face against union tactics, ultimately affecting thousands of students and families.

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CharterFolk Contributor Jay Artis-Wright: Our Kids Can’t Wait for the System to Fix Itself—It’s Time We Take Control

Jay Artis-Wright emphasizes the urgent need for improved education for Black and Brown students. In light of political shortcomings, she advocates for community-driven solutions and underscores the importance of voting to influence educational policies. Parents’ collective power is crucial in demanding change and overcoming systemic challenges affecting their children’s futures.

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What Happens When We Won’t Say the Thing | How We Really End Up Being “Us Them” | The Latest Round of “Us Them” Coming Against Us | The Irony of Our Silence

Good day, CharterFolk, Last week, we saw San Francisco topple. Long time readers of CharterFolk will remember that I have long written about San Francisco Unified teetering much like the city’s tallest building is famously teetering. San Francisco now sadly joins the pantheon of American cities whose schools have toppled into chaos. But, as is

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CharterFolk X Vol. 4.7, Kaleem Caire — ‘Fighting for the Generations that You’re Educating’ 

Kaleem Caire, founder and CEO of One City Schools in Madison, Wisconsin, is inspired by Laurence Clifton Jones’ legacy of education for underprivileged Black students. Through One City Schools, he emphasizes early education and family involvement, creating a Two-Generation School Model aimed at improving outcomes for students and their families, fostering community engagement and success.

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Validating Research! Enough Growth? CSP Squandering? The Way Forward? Even Greater Conviction!

The Progressing Policy Institute’s recent study emphasizes that charter schools are effectively closing achievement gaps in cities with significant enrollment, like Indianapolis. However, charter school growth is slowing despite their success, with only 83,000 new students last year. Urgent action is needed to foster charter school expansion nationwide for greater impact.

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The Best and Worst of Times – “Two-Tale Cities” Remind Us Why It’s So Important That We Just Keep Going

The current educational landscape reflects a stark contrast, showcasing “two-tale cities” where progress and decline coexist. Notable successes, like Brenda Cora becoming CEO at Noble, contrast with districts succumbing to stagnation and financial mismanagement. Despite challenges, reform efforts show promising results, underscoring the importance of commitment to public education’s future.

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The Hoosier Story – Pacing the Nation With Vision, Folk and Advocacy Structure

The post discusses the growth of charter schools in Indiana, emphasizing the significance of vision, community (folk), and advocacy structure for success. Despite Indianapolis leading in charter school enrollment and quality, statewide progress remains limited. The piece highlights exemplary schools, reiterating the need for a unified advocacy effort to enhance Indiana’s charter sector.

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