By Stine Svenningsen
It is our pleasure to officially announce the launch of the FOCUS Charter School Real Estate Council.
Charter schools currently serve 44% of D.C. public school students; the sector has grown annually since the first charter opened in 1996. With this continued growth the demand for more and better facilities is ever more urgent. Indeed, a 2012 survey of charter school leaders found that more than 50% of existing charter schools would like to acquire or build a facility to accommodate student growth.
By Lauren Outlaw
We hope everyone’s new year is off to an excellent start! Here are a few noteworthy articles from the first month of 2014. A lot of exciting things are happening in the charter school movement in the District. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!
Education Dept. allows public charter schools to hold weighted lottery [The Washington Post, 1/29/14]
Lyndsey Layton reports on the newly released Department of Education policy that will now allow public charter schools receiving federal funds to give an admissions preference to low-income students, minorities, and other disadvantaged students through a weighted lottery, if State law permits. The department states, “weighted lotteries can be an effective tool that can complement public charter schools’ efforts to serve more educationally disadvantaged students.” For charter schools in the District, the D.C. School Reform Act would first have to be amended to allow such a preference. For more on this exciting development, read this article. For the new federal policy, click here.
By Lindsay Templeton
Last, but not least, here are the final four FOCUS interns for the 2013-14 school year. FOCUS created the Student Data Intern Program, a paid internship designed to help charter schools develop and manage their data systems. FOCUS received 19 applications from schools and was able to provide 12 schools with interns for the school year.
Alex Caple- Two Rivers PCS
Alex is interning at Two Rivers PCS in northeast DC and pursuing his Master in Public Policy with a focus in Education at Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy. Before becoming a FOCUS data intern, Alex completed internships with the U.S. Department of Education, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Urban Education Leaders, and the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). He was also a fourth grade teacher in San Antonio, TX.
By Lindsay Templeton
As we reported on before the holiday break, this school year FOCUS created the Student Data Intern Program, a paid internship designed to help charter schools develop and manage their data systems. FOCUS received 19 applications from schools and was able to provide 12 schools with interns for the 2013-14 school year. Here’s a look at five more FOCUS interns (be sure to check in next week to learn about our final four interns!)
Xian Huang- The Next Step PCS
Xian Huang is interning at The Next Step PCS in Ward 1. Before joining the FOCUS data internship program, she attended Wuhan University in Wuhan, China where she earned a Bachelor of Economics in Financial Engineering and a Masters in Finance. She is currently pursuing her Master of Science degree in Statistics at George Washington University.
By Lindsay Templeton
Thanks to a grant from OSSE, FOCUS created the Student Data Intern Program, a paid internship designed to help charter schools develop and manage their data systems. FOCUS received 19 applications from schools and was able to provide 12 schools with interns for the 2013-14 school year. Here’s a look at three FOCUS interns (be sure to check in next week to learn about our other interns!):
Ryan Taylor-Excel Academy
Ryan is interning at Excel Academy PCS in southeast, DC. Before becoming a FOCUS data intern, Ryan earned his Bachelor of Arts in English at Monmouth University and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy with a concentration in Regulatory Policy at George Washington University.
By Lauren Outlaw
As the school year progresses, good news for the DC charter school movement keeps rolling in: schools are being awarded public facilities, charter school enrollment is increasing, and the number of expulsions are decreasing! Here are several noteworthy articles from last month. If you have not already, be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook! Happy Fall Everyone!
By Ram Uppuluri
If all goes according to plan, a majority of charter LEAs and DCPS will participate in a "common application" and "common lottery" system for enrolling students in 2014-15 school year.
Under this system, parents will be asked to rank the charter and traditional schools they would like their children to attend in order of preference on an online application. A computer algorithm would then run the lottery, admitting each child to only one school and maximizing the number of students who are matched with one of their top choices.
By Lindsay Templeton
As the school year progresses and charter school students continue settling into their daily routines, FOCUS data interns are also getting acclimated to public charter schools across the city. Thanks to a grant from OSSE, FOCUS created the Student Data Intern Program, a paid internship designed to help charter schools develop and manage their data systems. FOCUS received 19 applications from schools and was able to provide 12 schools with interns for the 2013-14 school year.
By Lauren Outlaw
The school year is well underway and exciting things are happening! The charter school sector is expanding; two schools were awarded leases in former DCPS buildings; and two schools received funding to expand CTE programs, to name just a few of the developments that occurred last month. Below are a few of the articles from September that highlight FOCUS and the charter schools. If you haven’t already, be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
By Sarah Lick
The First Fridays team has been anxiously awaiting a change in seasons. Not only because a cool breeze and a decrease in humidity would be downright pleasant, but also because school is back in session, which means the First Fridays tours are back underway!
