Hanna Skandera, president and CEO of the Daniels Fund, advocates for school choice, emphasizing its role in improving educational outcomes. The Fund aims to increase non-traditional school enrollment by 100,000 seats by 2030. Amid political challenges, Skandera highlights the need for diverse educational options to meet students’ unique needs and promote success.
Lydia Hoffman, a partner at the Charter School Growth Fund, discusses the need for charter schools to enhance educational experiences for diverse learners, particularly students with disabilities. She emphasizes collaboration, inclusive practices, and family engagement while identifying barriers like funding disparities and the siloing of special education that hinder progress. Through successful examples, she advocates for listening to student and family voices to improve outcomes.
In the second episode of the WonkyFolk podcast, hosts Andy and Jed discuss Chicago and Denver mayoral election results, Title IX implications, mental health initiatives, and Supreme Court cases affecting religious liberty. Listeners can access the audio and video recordings, and feedback is encouraged to enhance future discussions.
Dr. Gary Stueven, honored as CharterFolk Extraordinaire, received the Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of dedication to charter schools in Colorado. As a former principal and mentor, he champions parental choice in education and supports aspiring leaders, ensuring quality education for students and communities.
Dan Schaller, President of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, emphasizes the importance of maintaining bipartisan support for charter schools, which serve over 135,000 students in Colorado. He highlights the success and diverse student demographics of charter schools while urging action on funding inequities and the expansion of quality educational options in underserved communities.
Christine Ferris, Executive Director of Highline Academy Charter Schools, shares insights about the challenges and beauty of running a small charter school in light of declining public school enrollments nationwide. She emphasizes the importance of personal relationships in education and urges districts to consider these aspects when deciding on the future of small schools amid budget constraints and staffing issues.
The announcement of CharterFolk of the Year received positive feedback, coinciding with the first anniversary of CharterFolk. The author reflects on the evolution of charter schools, describing a turbulent period followed by a resurgence of support. Emphasizing the need for strategic advocacy, the focus shifts towards a promising future in the upcoming Decade of Truth.
The CharterFolk community reminds members to vote for the CharterFolk of the Year Award and participate in a Murmuration survey. Celebrating 30 years of charter schools, the movement has faced backlash but also growth, particularly serving historically underserved students. A new narrative is necessary to highlight the positive impact of charter schools on public education reform.
The author discusses the challenge of agency in public education, highlighting how stakeholders like parents, teachers, and principals often lack control, leading to a sense of “agency-less-ness.” This is contrasted with the need for dignity in education, echoed by insights from Jacqueline Novogratz, emphasizing the importance of choice and empowerment for systemic change.
The post discusses the importance of agency in education and encourages participation in a survey by Murmuration to understand the strategic needs of education reformers. It also highlights increasing public support for charter schools despite attempts by the Establishment to impose moratoria, advocating for proactive discussions about charter growth as a defense against such actions.