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The California Climate's Not So Good For Charters
 There's little doubt that the proliferation of charter schools is among the constellation of challenges with which private schools currently contend. With their curricular flexibility, smaller class sizes, greater latitude in the hiring and firing of teachers, and enhanced participation of parents in school governance, charters have adopted some of the longstanding hallmarks of private schools. They are, however, public schools, which means they charge no tuition. And, as has often been noted by many a dismayed private school denizen, it's tough to compete with free.
By sheer dint of numbers, one might expect competition from charters to be particularly acute in California, where 17 percent of all charter schools are situated. But a new report issued by the nonprofit consulting firm, Bellwether Education Partners, presents evidence suggesting that California is far less friendly to charter schools than other states. Among its principal findings, the study found that "California charter schools receive as much as 36 percent less funding per pupil, from the government, than the average California public school."
The Bellwether researchers first calculated that Aspire maintains a meagre operating margin of .6 percent, or $60 per student. They then estimated what that figure would be if Aspire's schools were situated elsewhere, and concluded that the charter network would be better off in 18 of the 23 other states they examined. On average, Aspire's projected operating margin in those 18 states was projected to have been 11.6 percentage points higher than its actual California figures.
If an academically successful charter network like Aspire faces such a daunting challenge, it follows that sustainability is a pressing issue for most California charter schools. Readers should bear in mind that unlike "traditional" public schools, charters must pay for their facilities. Given California's property values relative to other states, this factor alone presents a significant impediment, particularly in the state's most populous areas. Because many charters rent their facilities, they often lack the collateral necessary to secure loans. Moreover, charters are not permitted to access public debt markets to raise capital, and because their charters must be periodically renewed, it is difficult for their backers to secure long-term debt arrangements.
A Wall Street Journal editorial commenting on the Bellwether report attributes the funding disparity between "traditional" public schools and charters to "opposition from the bureaucracy and teachers unions." The article fails to speculate on the posture toward charter schools likely to be taken by California's new State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson, the recipient of strong backing from the state's teachers unions. In an interview conducted by the California Teacher's Association during his campaign for the state superintendency, Mr. Torlakson was asked: "What do you think the role of charter schools should be in California?" His response: "Charter schools can serve an important role in our educational system, and responsible ones can encourage innovative instruction. Unfortunately, the charter schools movement has fought efforts to hold them accountable in the same way public schools are held accountable. That's unacceptable. I have supported and authored legislation to improve charter school accountability and transparency. I will continue to do so." That's hardly a ringing endorsement.
With the state's public schools currently in the precarious position of needing public approval of a five-year extension of the temporary tax and fee increases that are set to expire this summer to stave off draconian funding cuts, and a new State Superintendent promising to ratchet up accountability, the charter boom in California may be poised for a pullback.
Stay tuned. |
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Use Federal Funds to Attend CAPSO 2011
Did you know that a number of private schools have used federal funds to susidize their faculty's CAPSO Convention registration fees? It's true. It's perfectly legal, and it's an opportunity that comes with no unwelcome strings attached. If that sounds like an appealing proposition - and it should - you will need to begin putting the pieces in place soon. Here's how:
You need to begin by making contact with the local public school district in which your school is located. You'll need to identify the staff person responsible for administering the private school component of Title 2, Part A of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). If you don't already have a relationship with this person, call the district's main phone number and ask to speak with the individual responsible for State and Federal Programs. Identify yourself, your position and your school to this person. Then, let them know that you would like to engage in consultation regarding the use of Title 2, Part A professional development funds.
Under the law, the local public school district has an obligation to provide ongoing opportunities for such consultation. Private schools aren't obligated to participate, but districts must extend the opportunity. It's always best to ask for a face-to-face meeting. When you meet, after taking a few minutes to familiarize the district staff member with your school, ask the person to let you know how much money per-pupil is available to underwrite Title 2, Part A professional activities. If you are told, "We don't have that figure yet," politely ask for a "best-guess estimate," explaining that it is important for you to receive some reasonable projection in order to proceed with your school's professional development planning in a responsible manner. (The lack of exact figures doesn't stop the district from proceeding with its planning; it shouldn't be an impediment to private schools doing the same!) The law requires districts to provide this information as part of the consultative process. Moreover, the information must be provided in a manner that is "timely and meaningful."
Let the district official know that you would like Title 2, Part A funds to subvent the $75 per-participant registration fee for CAPSO's 12th Triennial Convention, November 21-22, 2011, in Long Beach. Be sure to let the person know that the convention offers two days of professional development workshops, most of which address core curricular subject matter areas. A copy of the program book from the previous convention can be downloaded, here. A listing of sessions for this year's program will be available prior to the end of the current school year.
The following school districts allocated Title 2, Part A funds to underwrite the participation of private school educators in CAPSO's previous (2008) Triennial Convention:
Beverly Hills Unified School District
Burbank Unified School District
Huntington Beach Unified School District
Monrovia Unified School District
Newport-Mesa Unified School District
San Diego Unified School District
Vista Unified School District
Most districts have probably never been asked to provide funding for our convention. If you don't make the request, you will guarantee that no federal funds will be forthcoming.
Public school districts are entitled to ask you to provide, in writing, an indication of how you believe participation in the CAPSO Convention will be of benefit to the students you serve. However, the law prohibits the imposition of paperwork that is of such an extensive nature that the process becomes an administrative burden. If you run into a snag, please contact the CAPSO office. We'll be happy to help. While districts possess the final authority to say "yes," or "no," we've found that most are supportive, particularly when they are dealing with private school officials who know the law. To help you brush up on Title 2, Part A, here's a link to a guidance document furnished by the California Department of Education.
It is important to remember that your school will not receive any money from the government. If your local public school agrees to allocate Title 2, Part A funds to underwrite the participation of your faculty in CAPSO 2011, the district furnish payment to CAPSO directly. This means that your school will NOT be considered a recipient of federal financial assistance.
Your chances of securing federal funding will be greatly enhanced if you initiate the consultative process at the earliest possible opportunity. |
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A Big Win for the Teachers Unions
Now that the newly constituted State Board of Education (SBE) has held its first meeting, it is clear that the teachers unions scored a major victory in last November's California elections. With Jerry Brown now ensconced in the governor's office, and Tom Torlakson at the helm of the California Department of Education, it was presumed that policies more to the liking of the unions - who provided strong backing for both candidates - would soon become manifest. Now, the wait is over.
Last week, the SBE slowed the implementation of the so-called "Parent-Trigger Law" permitting a majority of parents whose children are enrolled in persistently underperforming schools to petition for the implementation of significant changes, including conversion to charter school status. As reported by the Los Angeles Times: "state education officials said ...that it would be difficult to write clear regulations based on the law because it was too vague. As a result, officials said they are working on 'cleanup' legislation with state Assemblywoman Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica), who heads the Assembly Education Committee and last year voted against the bill containing the parent-trigger provisions."
The law in question was passed during the prior legislative session as part of a package of measures designed to bolster California's chances of receiving a portion of the $4.35 billion in federal funding made available by the "Race to the Top" fund competitive grants program. Though the state ended up sumitting proposals in both the first and second rounds of the application process, it wound up empty handed.
In his recent State of the Union Address, President Obama referred to Race to the Top as "the most meaningful reform of our public schools in a generation," adding, "for less than 1 percent of what we spend on education each year, it has led over 40 states to raise their standards for teaching and learning." If, however, states such as California begin to unwind reforms that were put in place in the hopes of securing RTTF dollars, the program could quickly lose much of its political lustre.
Commenting on the SBE's action, California Department of Education Chief Deputy Superintendent Richard Zeiger said, "We believe all parties involved in public schools should have a say before critical decisions are made." (One wonders whether Superintendent Torlakson has established a precedent in assigning his top assistant to serve as the bearer of potentially unpopular news.)
Action by the SBE was necessary because the emergency regulations governing the implementation of the "Parent Trigger" law are about to expire. Though the previously constituted SBE had worked on a new set of regulations over a six-month period, the new board deemed the proposed regulations insufficient. The SBE's action led Gabe Rose, Deputy Director of Parent Revolution, a Los Angeles parent advocacy group that supports the "Parent Trigger" law, to comment: "We are certain to see a repeal effort under another name. I have never heard in all public hearings and conference calls for eight months before now CDE staff once say, 'This law is just too hard; we need cleanup legislation.'"
A legal battle is currently underway in Compton, as parents of students enrolled in the McKinley Elementary School recently obtained a temporary restraining order which prevents district officials from requiring the verification of petition signatures with photo identification. More stalling can be expected to take place pending the legislature's "cleanup" of the existing law. |
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Quick Takes
 Class Sizes Grow - School Year Shrinks
A new report from the Office of the Legislative Analyst indicates that 20 percent of California public school districts reduced the length of their school year in 2009-10, and that nearly 60 percent of all districts did so in 2010-11. Additionaly, the report found that average class sizes in grades K-3 increased 25 percent over the course of the previous three years (from 20 to 25 students). The report, titled "Update on School District Finance in California," also notes that "school districts have relied heavily on one-time federal aid to maintain teacher jobs," and that "about one in five districts are having difficulty accessing sufficient cash and, as a result, are having to make some programmatic reductions."
Read the CAPE Outlook!
The February, 2011 edition of the CAPE Outlook newsletter, published by the Council for American Private Education, can be downloaded, here. This month's edition features the following articles: - House Speaker John Boehner and Senator Joe Lieberman launch a high-profile effort behind the DC scholarship program
- A Washington forum seeks the truth about school choice research
- NAEP science report card results
- State CAPE roundup
- Bill Cosby supports school choice
- Michelle Rhee's policy agenda
- And much more
The electronic version of the CAPE Outlook newsletter is provided as a courtesy to CAPSO affiliates, at no charge. Low cost print copies can be ordered, here. The newsletter is published monthly throughout the course of the school year.
New from EdSource
EdSource, an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission consists of clarifying complex K-14 education issues in the state of California, has rolled out a new website section "devoted to all things STEM" (science, technology, engineering, and math). The new content can be accessed, here. A variety of STEM-related links can be found, here.
Each year, EdSource conducts a forum addressing key California education policy issues. This year's forum, The Future for Public Education in California, will take place March 18, 2011, in Irvine. Sessions include:
- California's Fiscal Crisis and its Impact on K-12 Education and Community Colleges
- California's New Common Core K-12 Academic Standards
- Next Generation Learning and Technology
- View From the Top: New State Education Policy Leadership (presented by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson)
Additional information and online registration can be found, here.
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Desperado
 Imagine yourself a single mother struggling to make ends meet. You and your two daughters live in government-subsidized housing in a densely populated section of Akron, Ohio. The immediate culture pervading your neighborhood is often at odds with the high aspirations you hold for your children. Believing that a good education is the key that unlocks the door to a brighter future, you commit to inspire by example. You find a job as a teaching assistant at a local public school, begin taking college-level courses, and tell your kids you are studying to become a teacher.
That's exactly what Kelley Williams-Bolar (whose photo appears above) did. Unfortunately, the 40 year-old Akron mother didn't stop there. Out of desperation to remove her children from the chronically underperforming public schools to which they were assigned by virtue of their place of residence, Ms. Williams-Bolar falsified documents, giving the appearance that her children lived at her father's address in West Akron's Copley-Fairlawn neighborhood.
At first, the scheme appeared to work without a hitch. But when Copley-Fairlawn school district officials learned that Ms. Williams-Bolar's daughters didn't reside with her father (or elsewhere within the district boundaries), they began issuing tuition statements. When the unpaid statements reached a sum of $30,000, the district sought criminal charges, resulting in Ms. Williams-Bolar's arrest on grounds of records-tampering. At trial, she was found guilty of two felony counts, and sentenced to five years in prison. Additionally, her father was convicted of grand theft for having defrauded the school system by illegally obtaining two years of educational services for each of his granddaughters. In handing down her sentence to Ms. Willaims-Bolar, Judge Patricia Cosgrove offered the following stinging corollary: "'Because of the felony conviction, you will not be allowed to get your teaching degree under Ohio law as it stands today."
Though the sentence was immediately reduced to ten days in jail, counting time already served, the conviction created a nationwide stir. With President Obama's State of the Union reference to a "Sputnik Moment" still resounding in the national consciousness, journalists and pundits were suddenly writing and speaking of a " Rosa Parks Moment."
Writing in the Washington Post, Kevin Huffman lost little time plumbing the story's racial undertones, noting, "African American activists are outraged, asking: Would a white mother face the same punishment for trying to get her kids a better education? (Answer: No.) We may have done away with Jim Crow laws," but we have a Jim Crow public education system." Dr. Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University, expands upon that observation, here.
A National Public Radio All Things Considered story asks the question: "what would prompt someone to risk so much to send her kids to a better school"? The answer, according to the American Association of School Administrators' Dan Domenech, is simple: "The correlation between student achievement and zip code is 100 percent."
I believe Mr. Domenech was refering to public schools, only. After all, a good many private schools are located in the same zip code area as some of the nation's most disappointing public schools. Four private schools are situated in Ms. Williams-Bolar's zip code. I don't know whether Ms. Williams-Bolar explored the possibility of enrolling her daughters in one of those schools, or whether any of the private schools have reached out to Ms. Williams-Bolar in her hour of need. It is, however, a propitious moment for supporters of school choice in Ohio to petition for an extension of the cap on the Buckeye State's school voucher program, which is currently set at 14,000 recipients. With nearly 90 percent of those slots filled by students who are already receiving vouchers, parents are often left disappointed, and, as in the case of Ms. Williams-Bolar, desperate.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, a coalition of political action groups has delivered 165,000 petition signatures to Ohio Governor John Kasich, asking for the issuance of a pardon to Ms. Williams-Bolar. The mounting pressure places the governor in the throes of a moral and political dilemma. As this Dispatch editorial notes, "The mother lied and cheated. She was wrong to game the system and 'steal' an education. But the case underlines the need to support school choice in Ohio; poor children should not be trapped in substandard schools."
Some have called school choice the civil rights issue of our time. Sadly, Kelley Williams-Bolar's plight lends credence to the claim.
Ron Reynolds |
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Publication Note
The next edition of the CAPSO Midweek E-Mailer will be published March 2, 2011. |
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