News Item – GAO: Grant-funded charter schools show greater enrollment growth

This item scrolled across my electronic desk last week.

GAO: Grant-funded charter schools show greater enrollment growth

An analysis found smaller percentages of students with disabilities at all charter schools compared to traditional public schools.

This finding jives with the NEPC work that Gary Miron has been doing related to cyber charter enrollment data – particularly his sections of the Virtual Schools in the US reports and the Profiles of For-Profit and Nonprofit Education Management Organizations reports.

Religious charter schools?

A colleague sent this around before the holidays.

Oklahoma attorney general greenlights religious charter schools

 The headline doesn’t tell you why I send this to you, but  the 2^nd Paragraph does.

The opinion was issued after the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City announced its intent to launch a virtual Archdiocesan charter school in a letter to the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board.

https://www.k12dive.com/news/religious-charter-schools-Supreme-Court/638477/

Then earlier this week, this item came through my inbox.

Oklahoma’s Endorsement of Religious Charter Schools May Alter Legal Landscape Oklahoma is set to become the first state to weigh the approval of a charter school that explicitly allows religious instruction, heightening concerns about separation of church and state. Acting on an opinion from the state’s former attorney general, Brett Farley of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma told reporter Linda Jacobson he sees “green lights” for the movement, but critics predict “massive constitutional violations.” Go Deeper: Maine: ​​Supreme Court Throws Out Ban on Religious Schools Receiving Public Funds North Carolina: Attorneys Consider Asking SCOTUS to Weigh in on Public Status of Charter Schools

I guess now that the Supreme Court, using their originalist doctrine (because the 200+ year old separation of church and state isn’t original enough), has removed the restriction of public education funding being used in voucher programs that benefit private religious schools, it only makes sense that religious groups could also profiteer from public education funding through charter schools.  I mean why should corporations get to have all the fun).

And let’s face it, the Supreme Court will also support this action based on their political positions (not ideological, but political) because that is what the Supreme Court (and much of the US judiciary) has become – an extension of the Republican party policy arm.  Do in the courtroom what you can’t do at the ballot box.

Article Notice – The Nature of Online Charter Schools: Evolution and Emerging Concerns

Note that this is an article I was involved with that was officially published on Monday.

The Nature of Online Charter Schools: Evolution and Emerging Concerns

Lisa Hasler Waters

Technology Integration Specialist Flint Hill School, 10409 Academic Drive Oakton, VA 22124

Michael K. Barbour

Farrington College of Education, Sacred Heart University, 5151 Park Avenue Fairfield, CT 06825

Michael P. Menchaca

Department of Learning Design and Technology, University of Hawaii, 1776 University Avenue Wist Hall Room 232, Honolulu, HI 96822

Abstract

Online charter schools are unique among K-12 online learning options for students. They are full-time, public schools that combine online learning with traditional and home schooling practices. They are often chartered by a state agency, supported in full or in part with state funds and most often managed by a private educational management company. Some extol the virtues of these schools as being able to reach unique student populations at a fraction of the cost borne by traditional public school education. Others are concerned over the lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of these schools and the problems encountered by young learners who are separated from their teachers due to the online nature of learning in this environment. The goal of this literature review is to: (a) provide a definition of online charter schools; (b) describe their evolution and current status; (c) describe their operations; and, (d) to reveal emerging concerns, including governance, funding and effectiveness. Finally, the authors conclude that there are three significant gaps found in the literature concerning online charter schools and provide recommendations for further research.

Keyword(s)

K-12 online, Online charter schooling

Download the Article

Hasler Waters, L., Barbour, M. K., Menchaca, M. P. (2014). The nature of online charter schools: Evolution and emerging concerns. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 17(4), 379-389.