Charter leaders,
On March 16 the Alliance will sponsor a charter legal summit in Greensboro to discuss options to ensure our schools are receiving their fair share of education dollars. We will have Richard Vinroot present information about his firm’s recent legal victories and how we might proceed as a class of plaintiffs. All Alliance members are invited and are welcome to have their attorneys join us. Please let us know if you will attend this critical meeting.
I need to introduce you to our Board of Directors. Our Communications Chair is Michelle Godard Terrell. She is an independent writer and has extensive national experience in education policy and research, particularly focused on public charter schools. In the past, Michelle served as Director of Policy and Research at the Public School Forum of North Carolina, as well as in positions at the NC Department of Public Instruction and Harvard University. Michelle has published several articles, policy papers, and book chapters on public charter schools. When the cap on public charters is raised, she hopes to launch an academically rigorous K-8 charter school in Raleigh.
The Alliance’s Paul Norcross, Jane Ellis, Shannon Moody, and I met with area charter schools at our Eastern Roundtable trip to Charter Day School in Leland. Thank you Baker Mitchell and Mark Cramer for the hospitality and sharing of ideas and challenges of your schools. Cool campus!
This week the Southern Regional Roundtable voyage takes us to Union Academy’s upper school campus at 675 North ML King Jr. Blvd in Monroe. We will be joined there by Socrates Academy, Queen’s Grant, Kennedy Charter, Community Charter, and hopefully several more schools. A special guest will be Sen. Bob Rucho and hopefully Monroe and Union County officials.
Last month a Civitas poll showed that 56% of likely NC voters support lifting the cap on public charter schools while 24% oppose and 24% are unsure.
An editorial in the Arizona Republic responded to the recent UCLA study which claimed that charter schools were more segregated than traditional schools. The Republic questioned the UCLA study’s use of statewide population statistics to analyze small schools in particular urban neighborhoods and condemned it for “shamelessly hijacking the language of the Civil Rights movement.” “Charter schools have diverse reasons for opening where they do, and they serve diverse populations,” the Republic writes. “Some of those are urban student populations, and many of the students in those charters are minority. Charters need not apologize for providing such needy students with an education option. They should be cheered for it.”
East Wake Academy says hi!
The “Charter School” debate heats up in N. C. with significant issues for Beaufort County.
Our membership is growing and we hope to be halfway there by the end of March. If you have not done so already calculate your membership dues ($3 per student with a maximum of $1,500.00) for a whole year of support by your Alliance. Make check payable to: NC Alliance for Public Charter Schools and mail today to: 512 St. Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27603. An application (attached) should accompany the check.
The NC Alliance is here for you!
Eddie Goodall, President
512 St. Mary’s St., Ste. 110
Raleigh, North Carolina 27603
704-236-1234
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