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Friends of Choice in Urban Schools (FOCUS) is now the DC Charter School Alliance!

Please visit www.dccharters.org to learn about our new organization and to see the latest news and information related to DC charter schools.

The FOCUS DC website is online to see historic information, but is not actively updated.

Let Charter Schools Have Stevens

Mayor Vincent Gray’s administration has exhibited a welcome change in attitude toward the city’s public charter schools, compared to his predecessor Mayor Fenty.  This new approach has included recognizing that D.C.’s public charter schools, which are publicly funded and run independently of D.C. Public Schools, should receive the same funding as city-run schools. Gray also has stated that he believes charters should be able to buy or lease school buildings no longer needed by D.C. Public Schools.
 

PEFRC’s January 5th Meeting Notice from PEFRC’s Website

Happy New Year! The next meeting of the DC Public Education Finance Reform Commission (Commission) will be held this Thursday, January 5th at 5:30 PM in the Anacostia Public Library. The address is 1800 Good Hope Road SE, Washington, DC 20020. To access the library from public transportation, consider the 92 bus or the Potomac Ave/Skyland Circulator route. Parking is also available.

January DC Public Charter School Open Houses

Once 2012 begins, take advantage of upcoming public charter open house events, held to update you on enrollment procedures and admissions deadlines for the coming school year.  We’ll keep you posted on open houses throughout 2012, but for now, here are the public charter open houses scheduled for January (alongside relevant links where applicable):

 

FOCUS and Public Charter Schools in the News: November and December

New Year’s is coming up, which means it’s time to reflect on 2011 and look to what’s ahead.  To help, here’s a sample of recent articles, many directly mentioning FOCUS, that highlight issues like equitable funding, the achievement gap, charter accountability, and school enrollment in relation to the public charter school movement.

 

Treat D.C.’s charter school students fairly (The Washington Times, 12/13)

 

PEFRC’s December 21st Meeting Notice from PEFRC’s Website

The next meeting of the DC Public Education Finance Reform Commission (Commission) will be held this Wednesday, December 21 at 6:00 PM in the Friendship Chamberlain Public School. The address is 1345 Potomac Ave SE Washington, DC 20003. Parking is available, as is convenient access to the Potomac Ave Metro (Blue/Orange Line).

Volunteer at the 3rd Annual DC Public Charter Recruitment Expo!

Help DC parents choose the right school for their child.  FOCUS wants YOU to help us share public charter school success stories with DC families and prospective teachers. 

 

We’re already preparing for the 3rd Annual DC Public Charter School Recruitment Expo, where public charter leaders and staff will gather to share the mission and successes of their schools with parents looking for the best education for their child.

 

PEFRC’s December 14th Meeting Notice from PEFRC’s Website

The next meeting of the DC Public Education Finance Reform Commission (Commission) will be held this Wednesday, December 14. The Commission will meet via conference call from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. We invite you to listen to the Commission meeting by joining via computer or phone.

 

To join from your computer (preferred), please click here.
To join from a phone, dial (408) 600-3600 and enter the code “661 559 456.”

 

December DC Public Charter School Open Houses

December doesn’t just usher in the holiday season – it means that public charter school open houses are in full swing, too!  Open houses are your best bet to learn about the admissions processes, campuses, and staff of DC public charter schools.  To ensure you don’t miss out, here are this month’s upcoming open houses, along with relevant school web pages where you can find out more (and, for some of the schools, RSVP for their open house):

 

AppleTree PCS (all campuses): December 7th

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