12 things about idaho charter schools.pdf

8/14/2019 12 things about Idaho Charter Schools.pdf

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12 things about Idaho charter schoolsWhat is a charter school and how are they different?

Charter schools are public schools that are freed from many of the rules and regulations governing

traditional district schools. This freedom allows charters to map their own path to innovation and it is

hoped, educational quality. In return for this operational freedom, charter schools enter into performance

agreements with an authorizer, and if a school fails to live up to its agreement, the authorizer can revoke

the charter or chose not to renew it.

What is the history of charter schools and how do they influence educationreform efforts?

The charter idea in America goes back to the late 1980s and at the start, charters were seen as escape

hatches for children who were stuck in schools that were failing or that were simply not meeting the needs

of particular students. Proponents also promised that they would serve as centers of innovation, research,

and development that would in time benefit children across public education. They would generate

competition that would spur districts toward sustained academic reform. They would cost less than

district schools. This quintuple promisesalubrious competition, stronger academic outcomes, inventive

approaches, parsimony, and immediate relief for the educationally oppressedmay not have worked out

exactly as promised 25 years ago. But the results have been good enough that there are now more than

6,000 public charter schools serving more than 2.3 million students in 41 states and the District of

Columbia. And parental demand far outpaces supply, with more than 600,000 children on waiting lists

nationwide. The first charter schools opened in Idaho in 1998.

How many charter schools are in Idaho and how many children do they serve?

There are currently 41 brick and mortar charter schools, seven statewide virtual schools and one distanteducation academy in Idaho that collective serve about 18,000 students.

Who governs Idaho charter schools?

Charter schools are started and governed by groups of parents, educators, and school innovators, but to

operate a charter school, a governing board needs to get approval from a charter school authorizer. In


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Idaho, school districts and the states public charter school commission are the only organizations

currently authorizing public charter schools. Changes to state law signed by Gov. Otter in April of this

year allow Idaho colleges and universities to also start authorizing charter schools.

What is the state law regarding charter school development?

Starting a public charter school in Idaho is a complicated and time intensive process spelled out in Title

33, Chapter 52of state law. A successful charter petition usually takes two years to get approved. In brief,

any group or persons may petition to start a charter school, but such a petition must be signed by not

fewer than 30 qualified electors of the school district attendance area designated in the petition. A petition

to establish a new charter school must be submitted to a local public school district or the state public

charter school commission (currently no colleges or universities are authorizing schools or accepting

charter petitions). Through a lengthy process that include public hearings, the charter petition is vetted by

the proposed authorizing entity and ultimately approved, denied or returned to the proposed governing

board with any deficiencies spelled out that need to be remedied by a certain date and resubmitted. The

charter petition must detail the proposed academic program that addresses among other items how the

school will identify what it means to be an educated person in the 21 stcentury. The petition must

provide details ensuring all students will take the same standardized tests as other public school students,

that employed teachers will be certified, that the school will meet all health and safety standards, and that

the schools will have a plan for dealing with students deemed incorrigible or continuously disruptive. The

charter petition must define the primary attendance area from which students will be drawn, and the

admission procedures the school will follow, including a lottery for new students if the school has a

waiting list. The charter petition must address and provide evidence the school can meet a number of

financial, legal, facility and compliance requirements. If after all this, the charter petition is approved,

then the initial charter would be issued by the authorizing entity for a term of three years.

What is the state law regarding enrollment to charter schools?

Charter schools are public schools and have to enroll all students that apply to the school. If a school is

over-enrolled then it must provide a lottery process for admitting new students. Those students not chosen

in the lottery process are placed on a waiting list, and when a slot becomes available, the school will

contact the first name on the waiting list.

How many students are on waiting lists to attend Idaho charters?

According to the Idaho Department of Education, there are about 8,700 students on waiting lists who

would like to attend one of the states charter commissionauthorized schools and another 2,700 students

on waiting lists for district authorized schools.
http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title33/T33CH52SECT33-5205.htmhttp://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title33/T33CH52SECT33-5205.htmhttp://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title33/T33CH52SECT33-5205.htmhttp://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title33/T33CH52SECT33-5205.htmhttp://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title33/T33CH52SECT33-5205.htmhttp://www.legislature.idaho.gov/idstat/Title33/T33CH52SECT33-5205.htm


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What kind of state funding do charters receive?

Charter school students receive the same state and federal dollars as traditional school district students

(these funds follow students to their school choice), but they do not receive local tax dollars. Further,

unlike traditional public schools, charter schools are not permitted to participate in local bond issues to

fund their facilities. As a result, charter schools spend between $550 and $600 per student from their

operating revenue each year on facilities costs.1However, recent changes to state law created a Public

Charter School Facilities Equalization Fund that will create an independent funding stream for fixed

facilities costs, and this should help reduce some of the disparity between district and charter school

facilities.

What happens to charter schools that fail either academically or financially?

Under charter school theory, schools that fail academically or financially are supposed to lose their right

to continue educating children and face closure by their authorizer. But in practice, it is hard to close a

charter school for many of the same reasons it is difficult to close a failing or under-enrolled district

school. Reasons include, but are not limited to: parents, students and other supporters who like the school

and are loyal to it even if it doesnt work academically or financially, legal challenges and costs in

proving the school actually deserves closure, and issues of where to place hundreds of students whose

school suddenly closes. Seven charters have closed in Idaho since 2001 and five of these closed for

financial reasons while the other two were non-renewed by their authorizer. 2

How do charter school students perform academically compared to students in

traditional Idaho public schools?

Charter school students in Idaho perform well in comparison to other Idaho public school students, and

Idahos charter schools as a group are well rated academically. On the 2012-13 report cards, 69 percent of

charter schools received a four- or five-star rating. In comparison, 59 percent of traditional Idaho public

schools received a four- or five-star rating. But not all charters are high-flyers academically. Four of the

states charters received just a one-star rating last year. Idaho charter school students as a group perform

better onNational Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)reading and math assessments than their

traditional district school peers. In 2011, fourth and eighth grade charter students outpaced their district

peers in both reading and math.
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/http://www.facilitiesinitiative.org/media/1140/Idaho-ReportFNLweb.pdfhttp://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/


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How do charters compare when it comes to things like teacher pay?

Charters offer competitive teacher salaries. On average, charter school teachers make $42,000 annually

compared with traditional school teachers who make $43,000 annually. 3Charter schools are far more

likely to offer performance-based pay incentives than traditional schools and in some schools merit pay

can add 5 or 10 percent to a teachers salary. Charter school teachers tend to be younger and make more

earlier in their careers at charters, but more senior teachers usually make more money in district schools

where traditional pay scales reward seniority, credentials and master degrees regardless of performance.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of attending a charter school?

Charter schools are schools of choice so students and parents have to want to attend their school and make

a proactive decision to do so. If the school does not meet their needs, they can leave and find another

school that does. Because children are so varied in their needs and abilities, no single educational model

works for all students in all circumstances. Charters allow parents to find schools that work best for their

particular situation by setting themselves up around a particular area of focus. These might include:

A particular teaching method, such as Montessori method or Core Knowledge;

A specific subject such as art, music or science;

Theme-based curriculum such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or

language immersion;

Serving a targeted population such as at-risk students or gifted students; or

Offer extended day programs or creative use of on-line learning opportunities that blend

classroom and home learning.

Conversely, charter schools that are poorly run or struggle financially most often also fail to deliver high

quality instruction. It is obviously disadvantageous for students to attend schools that cant provide the

services and supports necessary for a successful education. Parents should be picky choosers when

deciding what school to send their children to and this is as true for charter schools as it should be for

traditional district schools.

Idaho Charter School NetworkTerry Ryan, [email protected]: 208-424-2611501 E. Baybrook Ct.Boise, ID 83706
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

12 things about idaho charter schools.pdf

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