article thumbnail

Charter school leaders should talk more about racism

The Hechinger Report

Charter schools can do more with less” is a common refrain of school choice advocates, who criticize traditional public schools for wasting money. The promise of greater efficiency has been an attractive argument for charters as states struggle to keep up with ever rising educational expenses.

article thumbnail

Lessons from NOLA: Ailing Mississippi district should be wary of charter schools

The Hechinger Report

No one understands this struggle better than Sharolyn Miller, chief financial officer for Jackson Public Schools. All summer, Miller struggled to fix a failing HVAC system the high school couldn’t afford — just as JPS found $600,000 for two new charter schools in the city. JPS has problems: 21 failing schools, a 67.7

educators

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

An urban charter school achieves a fivefold increase in the percentage of its black and Latino graduates who major in STEM

The Hechinger Report

This kind of experience may be common at New Jersey’s most selective and wealthiest suburban high schools, but McGee graduated from North Star Academy College Preparatory High School in Newark, where 84 percent of the students are economically disadvantaged and 98 percent are black or Latino. Sign up for our newsletter.

article thumbnail

Charter backers can stop the NAACP moratorium — by meeting these four demands

The Hechinger Report

Since the NAACP at its national convention voted on a resolution that placed a moratorium on charter schools, the backlash from charter advocates has been angry, well-financed and sometimes just plain mean leading up to a vote of ratification by the national board, which occurred this past weekend. Photo:Andre Perry.

article thumbnail

OPINION: What if everything we believe about education is a lie?

The Hechinger Report

The right’s blind faith insists that “if we have school choice in the form of charter schools and private school vouchers … competitive pressures will force the schools and teachers to teach better, and to churn out students who are excelling academically.”. The results have not rewarded our faith.

Education 128
article thumbnail

How to find minority teachers who want to stay in the job?

The Hechinger Report

A March 2016 study by Johns Hopkins University showed that black teachers are more likely to have higher expectations for their black students; for example, white teachers were almost 40 percent less likely than their black counterparts to expect black students to finish high school.

article thumbnail

10 ways for schools to gain traction with social-emotional learning programs

The Hechinger Report

Kids do well if adults in their environment are doing well,” said StaceyMcEnerney, director of social emotional learning for Codman Academy Charter School in Dorchester, Massachusetts, where she added programs and training are aimed at creating a culture of care among the staff. Emphasize adult well-being. Customize carefully.