Trendsetting Charter Schools

Trendsetting Charter Schools

Author: Gary J. Schmitt

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2015-03-26

Total Pages: 191

ISBN-13: 1475815395

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This book presents six different charter schools that explicitly embrace a compelling civic mission and that foster an excellent academic environment. This volume makes the case that the rediscovery of the civic mission of schooling is not at odds with the broader education reform movement. These charter schools all have widely different approaches to teaching and fostering civic-mindedness, but each charter system links good behavior, character formation, and the practical aspects of citizenship with classroom performance.


Book Synopsis Trendsetting Charter Schools by : Gary J. Schmitt

Download or read book Trendsetting Charter Schools written by Gary J. Schmitt and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2015-03-26 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents six different charter schools that explicitly embrace a compelling civic mission and that foster an excellent academic environment. This volume makes the case that the rediscovery of the civic mission of schooling is not at odds with the broader education reform movement. These charter schools all have widely different approaches to teaching and fostering civic-mindedness, but each charter system links good behavior, character formation, and the practical aspects of citizenship with classroom performance.


A Smarter Charter

A Smarter Charter

Author: Richard D. Kahlenberg

Publisher: Teachers College Press

Published: 2014-12-04

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 0807773255

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“A remarkable new book.... Wise and energetic advocates such as Kahlenberg and Potter can take the charter movement in new and useful directions.” —The Washington Post Moving beyond the debate over whether or not charter schools should exist, A Smarter Charter wrestles with the question of what kind of charter schools we should encourage. The authors begin by tracing the evolution of charter schools from teacher union leader Albert Shanker’s original vision of giving teachers room to innovate while educating a diverse population of students, to today’s charter schools where the majority of teachers are not unionized and student segregation levels are even higher than in traditional public schools. In the second half of the book, the authors examine two key reforms currently seen in a small but growing number of charter schools—teacher voice and socioeconomic integration—that have the potential to improve performance and reshape the stereotypical image of what it means to be a charter school. Important reading for policymakers, educators, researchers, and all citizens interested in the future of America’s public schools, A Smarter Charter features: Profiles of charter schools that are bucking the prevailing trends, including their performance data and the challenges they face. Best practices from successful charter schools, such as methods for attracting a diverse student body and examples of innovative teacher contracts. Reform strategies that can improve student outcomes in a variety of public schools, not just charters. “Kahlenberg and Potter have delivered a thought-provoking, serious contribution. Agree or not with their views on the purpose and performance of charter schools, they have important things to say on where charters have been, where they need to go, and how they can get there. Friends and foes of charter schooling, alike, would do well to read this book.” —Frederick M. Hess, resident scholar and director of Education Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute “Read this book and draw inspiration and ideas from charter schools and educators bucking the trend and reclaiming that original, collaborative, and powerful promise and spirit. I hope parents, educators in all sectors, concerned citizens, policymakers, philanthropists—and charter sector leaders—will take its compelling message to heart and act on it.” —Dennis Van Roekel, former president, National Education Association “A tour-de-force, laying out in singular fashion what has gone wrong with the charter school movement, and what must be done to get it back on track.... A Smarter Charter is a must-read for those concerned with the future of charter schools and public education.” —Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers


Book Synopsis A Smarter Charter by : Richard D. Kahlenberg

Download or read book A Smarter Charter written by Richard D. Kahlenberg and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2014-12-04 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A remarkable new book.... Wise and energetic advocates such as Kahlenberg and Potter can take the charter movement in new and useful directions.” —The Washington Post Moving beyond the debate over whether or not charter schools should exist, A Smarter Charter wrestles with the question of what kind of charter schools we should encourage. The authors begin by tracing the evolution of charter schools from teacher union leader Albert Shanker’s original vision of giving teachers room to innovate while educating a diverse population of students, to today’s charter schools where the majority of teachers are not unionized and student segregation levels are even higher than in traditional public schools. In the second half of the book, the authors examine two key reforms currently seen in a small but growing number of charter schools—teacher voice and socioeconomic integration—that have the potential to improve performance and reshape the stereotypical image of what it means to be a charter school. Important reading for policymakers, educators, researchers, and all citizens interested in the future of America’s public schools, A Smarter Charter features: Profiles of charter schools that are bucking the prevailing trends, including their performance data and the challenges they face. Best practices from successful charter schools, such as methods for attracting a diverse student body and examples of innovative teacher contracts. Reform strategies that can improve student outcomes in a variety of public schools, not just charters. “Kahlenberg and Potter have delivered a thought-provoking, serious contribution. Agree or not with their views on the purpose and performance of charter schools, they have important things to say on where charters have been, where they need to go, and how they can get there. Friends and foes of charter schooling, alike, would do well to read this book.” —Frederick M. Hess, resident scholar and director of Education Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute “Read this book and draw inspiration and ideas from charter schools and educators bucking the trend and reclaiming that original, collaborative, and powerful promise and spirit. I hope parents, educators in all sectors, concerned citizens, policymakers, philanthropists—and charter sector leaders—will take its compelling message to heart and act on it.” —Dennis Van Roekel, former president, National Education Association “A tour-de-force, laying out in singular fashion what has gone wrong with the charter school movement, and what must be done to get it back on track.... A Smarter Charter is a must-read for those concerned with the future of charter schools and public education.” —Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers


Challenge and Opportunity

Challenge and Opportunity

Author: John Ericson

Publisher:

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 68

ISBN-13:

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This report examines the operational and educational changes that school administrators attribute to charter schools. It is part of the U.S. Department of Education's 4-year study to document and analyze the charter-school movement. The study asked two questions: What changes have districts made in district operations and district education that can be attributed to charter schools? and Under what conditions do charter schools affect change in district operations and district education? To answer these questions, researchers conducted in-depth site visits in 14 school districts and interviewed by telephone administrators in 35 other districts. The results indicate that every district in the study reported being affected by charter schools and, accordingly, had made operational changes. Nearly half of the district leaders believed that their diminished budgets were attributable to charter schools and had begun tracking the number of students who attended these schools. Likewise, almost half of these leaders reported becoming more customer-service oriented, increasing their marketing and public-relations efforts, or heightening their frequency of communication with parents. Most districts also implemented new educational programs, made changes in educational structures in district schools, and/or created new schools with programs that were similar to those in the local charter schools. (Contains 20 references.) (RJM)


Book Synopsis Challenge and Opportunity by : John Ericson

Download or read book Challenge and Opportunity written by John Ericson and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report examines the operational and educational changes that school administrators attribute to charter schools. It is part of the U.S. Department of Education's 4-year study to document and analyze the charter-school movement. The study asked two questions: What changes have districts made in district operations and district education that can be attributed to charter schools? and Under what conditions do charter schools affect change in district operations and district education? To answer these questions, researchers conducted in-depth site visits in 14 school districts and interviewed by telephone administrators in 35 other districts. The results indicate that every district in the study reported being affected by charter schools and, accordingly, had made operational changes. Nearly half of the district leaders believed that their diminished budgets were attributable to charter schools and had begun tracking the number of students who attended these schools. Likewise, almost half of these leaders reported becoming more customer-service oriented, increasing their marketing and public-relations efforts, or heightening their frequency of communication with parents. Most districts also implemented new educational programs, made changes in educational structures in district schools, and/or created new schools with programs that were similar to those in the local charter schools. (Contains 20 references.) (RJM)


Adventures of Charter School Creators

Adventures of Charter School Creators

Author: Terrence E. Deal

Publisher: R&L Education

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 9781578861668

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Adventures of Charter School Creators takes the reader inside the world of individual educational entrepreneurs who have created charter schools from scratch and lived to tell about it. Drawn from examples across the country, individuals (and a few teams) tell their stories of the victories they enjoyed and the defeats they overcame to create their schools. They include an Episcopal priest working in the Pico-Union community of Los Angeles, a corporate attorney in Miami, a manpower training specialist in East Saint Louis, the chief financial officer of a major African American church in New York City, a retired military officer in North Carolina, as well as experienced school teachers and administrators. From these stories Deal and Hentschke extract and examine the issues of school leadership that are peculiar to those school leaders who have chosen to create schools from scratch. This book: Examines entrepreneurial leadership as a concrete manifestation of school leadership. Sheds light on the concrete differences between leadership in relatively autonomous start-up charters and the relatively dependent traditional schools. Anchors charter school leadership within the context of general (non-education) leadership and distinguishes it from what is typically associated with school leadership today. It describes: The general forces in society which are pushing public K-12 education into market-based initiatives. The general leadership issues of any break-away or start-up enterprise. Will be of interest to all educators.


Book Synopsis Adventures of Charter School Creators by : Terrence E. Deal

Download or read book Adventures of Charter School Creators written by Terrence E. Deal and published by R&L Education. This book was released on 2004 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adventures of Charter School Creators takes the reader inside the world of individual educational entrepreneurs who have created charter schools from scratch and lived to tell about it. Drawn from examples across the country, individuals (and a few teams) tell their stories of the victories they enjoyed and the defeats they overcame to create their schools. They include an Episcopal priest working in the Pico-Union community of Los Angeles, a corporate attorney in Miami, a manpower training specialist in East Saint Louis, the chief financial officer of a major African American church in New York City, a retired military officer in North Carolina, as well as experienced school teachers and administrators. From these stories Deal and Hentschke extract and examine the issues of school leadership that are peculiar to those school leaders who have chosen to create schools from scratch. This book: Examines entrepreneurial leadership as a concrete manifestation of school leadership. Sheds light on the concrete differences between leadership in relatively autonomous start-up charters and the relatively dependent traditional schools. Anchors charter school leadership within the context of general (non-education) leadership and distinguishes it from what is typically associated with school leadership today. It describes: The general forces in society which are pushing public K-12 education into market-based initiatives. The general leadership issues of any break-away or start-up enterprise. Will be of interest to all educators.


Expect Miracles

Expect Miracles

Author: Peter Cookson

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-10-08

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 0429969198

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"Cookson and Berger provide a thoughtful summary and insightful critique of the charter school movement. Expect Miracles explodes the myth that the charter schools operating in an educational 'marketplace' will recast public education to better serve America's children and promote democratic civic values. Anyone interested in the future of U.S. school reform should read this book." —Alex Molnar, professor and director, Education Policy Studies Laboratory, Arizona State University, and author of Giving Kids the Business "By far the best book yet to appear on the charter school movement Written with scholarship, insight, clarity, compassion, and fire." —Bruce J. Biddle, professor emeritus of the University of Missouri, and co-author of The Manufactured Crisis "Beautifully written analysis of the charter school movement in terms of its past and present political and educational dynamics as well as where it might go." —Henry M. Levin, director of the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University Charter schools are the most significant educational experiment in the last two decades. In Expect Miracles, Peter W. Cookson, Jr. and Kristina Berger focus on the current trend toward deregulation in public education. The issue of deregulation is of critical importance because the spirit of entrepreneurship that is behind deregulation is seldom examined from a sociological perspective. Using the latest research as the basis for discussion, this book provides a fresh look at the growing and politically volatile charter school movement. The authors present the most balanced analysis to date of the movement that is changing the landscape of American education.


Book Synopsis Expect Miracles by : Peter Cookson

Download or read book Expect Miracles written by Peter Cookson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-10-08 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Cookson and Berger provide a thoughtful summary and insightful critique of the charter school movement. Expect Miracles explodes the myth that the charter schools operating in an educational 'marketplace' will recast public education to better serve America's children and promote democratic civic values. Anyone interested in the future of U.S. school reform should read this book." —Alex Molnar, professor and director, Education Policy Studies Laboratory, Arizona State University, and author of Giving Kids the Business "By far the best book yet to appear on the charter school movement Written with scholarship, insight, clarity, compassion, and fire." —Bruce J. Biddle, professor emeritus of the University of Missouri, and co-author of The Manufactured Crisis "Beautifully written analysis of the charter school movement in terms of its past and present political and educational dynamics as well as where it might go." —Henry M. Levin, director of the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University Charter schools are the most significant educational experiment in the last two decades. In Expect Miracles, Peter W. Cookson, Jr. and Kristina Berger focus on the current trend toward deregulation in public education. The issue of deregulation is of critical importance because the spirit of entrepreneurship that is behind deregulation is seldom examined from a sociological perspective. Using the latest research as the basis for discussion, this book provides a fresh look at the growing and politically volatile charter school movement. The authors present the most balanced analysis to date of the movement that is changing the landscape of American education.


Charter Schools in Action

Charter Schools in Action

Author: Chester E. Finn (Jr.)

Publisher:

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Charter Schools in Action by : Chester E. Finn (Jr.)

Download or read book Charter Schools in Action written by Chester E. Finn (Jr.) and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Taking Measure of Charter Schools

Taking Measure of Charter Schools

Author: Julian R. Betts

Publisher: R&L Education

Published: 2010-05-16

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 160709360X

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This book breaks new ground on how policymakers and journalists can fairly assess charter school performance. The editors and authors show how good approaches to charter school assessment would also work for regular public schools, which is important because of the requirements of No Child Left Behind.


Book Synopsis Taking Measure of Charter Schools by : Julian R. Betts

Download or read book Taking Measure of Charter Schools written by Julian R. Betts and published by R&L Education. This book was released on 2010-05-16 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book breaks new ground on how policymakers and journalists can fairly assess charter school performance. The editors and authors show how good approaches to charter school assessment would also work for regular public schools, which is important because of the requirements of No Child Left Behind.


Charter Schools

Charter Schools

Author: Liane Brouillette

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2002-03-01

Total Pages: 450

ISBN-13: 1135653186

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This book takes the reader inside the charter school movement, answering such questions as: *What is a charter school? *How are charter schools different from other public schools? *What does it take to create a charter school? *What motivates the people who initiate such schools? *What lessons can be learned from the experiences of those who have founded charter schools? *What does the growth of the charter school movement mean for society at large? Using detailed case studies of seven schools in three states, this book explores the challenges faced by the founders of these schools and develops guidelines for creating a successful school. Seymour Sarason's work on the creation of settings is used as a basis for examining the complex human interactions that contributed to formation of a unique culture at each school, as well as to establish guidelines for setting up a successful school. Introductory and concluding chapters place the charter school movement within a broader social and historical context. Tensions between the American tradition of local control of schools and the centralized tradition of schooling imported from Europe in the late 19th century are discussed. The gradual bureaucratization of U.S. public schools during the 20th century is described, along with problems that have been associated with the increasingly hierarchical and impersonal nature of educational institutions.


Book Synopsis Charter Schools by : Liane Brouillette

Download or read book Charter Schools written by Liane Brouillette and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2002-03-01 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book takes the reader inside the charter school movement, answering such questions as: *What is a charter school? *How are charter schools different from other public schools? *What does it take to create a charter school? *What motivates the people who initiate such schools? *What lessons can be learned from the experiences of those who have founded charter schools? *What does the growth of the charter school movement mean for society at large? Using detailed case studies of seven schools in three states, this book explores the challenges faced by the founders of these schools and develops guidelines for creating a successful school. Seymour Sarason's work on the creation of settings is used as a basis for examining the complex human interactions that contributed to formation of a unique culture at each school, as well as to establish guidelines for setting up a successful school. Introductory and concluding chapters place the charter school movement within a broader social and historical context. Tensions between the American tradition of local control of schools and the centralized tradition of schooling imported from Europe in the late 19th century are discussed. The gradual bureaucratization of U.S. public schools during the 20th century is described, along with problems that have been associated with the increasingly hierarchical and impersonal nature of educational institutions.


Charter Schools in Eight States

Charter Schools in Eight States

Author: Ron Zimmer

Publisher: Rand Corporation

Published: 2009-03-17

Total Pages: 162

ISBN-13: 0833047116

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Charter schools now exist in 40 states, but the best charter-school studies to date have focused on individual states. This book examines charter schools in eight states with varied policy contexts. It assesses the characteristics of charter schools' students, their effectiveness in raising student achievement and promoting graduation and college entry, and their competitive effects on student achievement in traditional public schools.


Book Synopsis Charter Schools in Eight States by : Ron Zimmer

Download or read book Charter Schools in Eight States written by Ron Zimmer and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2009-03-17 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charter schools now exist in 40 states, but the best charter-school studies to date have focused on individual states. This book examines charter schools in eight states with varied policy contexts. It assesses the characteristics of charter schools' students, their effectiveness in raising student achievement and promoting graduation and college entry, and their competitive effects on student achievement in traditional public schools.


A National Study of Charter Schools

A National Study of Charter Schools

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 20

ISBN-13:

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At the recommendation of Congress, the U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring a National Study of Charter Schools. This document is summary of the second-year report of this study. The second-year report presents information about charter schools for the 1996-97 school year and is based on a telephone survey designed to collect data from all operational charter schools. The executive summary offers an overview of the report's focus, and it details the growth trends of charter schools. It looks at the states' role in charter schools and discusses key legislative features that dictate the number and types of charter schools that are created within each state. Some characteristics of charter schools are given, such as their size, their nontraditional configurations, and their history. Profiles of students who attend these schools are offered, along with details on how these schools have similar racial/ethnic distribution, how they are similarity to other district schools, and how they serve students of color and low-income students. Some of the reasons why charter schools are started are given, along with some of the factors that attract parents to these schools. The summary closes with a description of some of the challenges facing those who wish to start a charter school. (RJM)


Book Synopsis A National Study of Charter Schools by :

Download or read book A National Study of Charter Schools written by and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the recommendation of Congress, the U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring a National Study of Charter Schools. This document is summary of the second-year report of this study. The second-year report presents information about charter schools for the 1996-97 school year and is based on a telephone survey designed to collect data from all operational charter schools. The executive summary offers an overview of the report's focus, and it details the growth trends of charter schools. It looks at the states' role in charter schools and discusses key legislative features that dictate the number and types of charter schools that are created within each state. Some characteristics of charter schools are given, such as their size, their nontraditional configurations, and their history. Profiles of students who attend these schools are offered, along with details on how these schools have similar racial/ethnic distribution, how they are similarity to other district schools, and how they serve students of color and low-income students. Some of the reasons why charter schools are started are given, along with some of the factors that attract parents to these schools. The summary closes with a description of some of the challenges facing those who wish to start a charter school. (RJM)