An opportunity for charters
While the enormous achievements of successful charter schools
should be cause enough for policymakers to create strong charter
laws, it will be the Stimulus Package and allure of Race to the
Top dollars that will be the impetus for growth in charter
schools.
The $4.35 billion Race to the Top fund was created to
reward states who are truly committed to innovation and school
reform efforts, efforts that include charter schools.
States that receive aRace to
the Topgrant are required to use at least 50%
of the award to provide sub-grants to local educational agencies
(LEAs) including charter schools.
Support for the charter movement
The government wants charters to succeed, and winning states are
states who will collaborate with charter authorizers and operators
to create “School-level conditions for reform, innovation, and
learning.”
“States that do not have public charter laws or put
artificial caps on the growth of charter schools will jeopardize
their applications under the Race to the Top Fund."
- Education Secretary Arne
Duncan
The federal government has published specific criteria and
priorities upon which Race to the Top awards will be
based. The criteria and priorities include multiple
pro-charter elements, for example:
- Criteria E2: Includes the statement that the State should have
a plan to turn around the lowest-achieving schools by implementing
intervention models that include “restarting” failing schools as
charters.
- Criteria F2: Includes the statement that States should “ensure
successful conditions for high-performing charter schools…”
- (Pro-charter) Priority 6: The government is “particularly
interested in applications in which participating LEAs seek to
create conditions for learning by providing schools with
flexibility and autonomy…”
Get tips on how charters can compete for and win in the Race to
the Top
Review the Race to the Top Executive
Summary