Tag: Arizona

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Association Blog

Charter supporters set the record straight on school accountability

By Jamar Younger

After a self-published and flawed report on public charter schools, Arizona’s charter community and the Arizona Republic quickly responded that charter schools are held accountable and school leaders are motivated by student success, not financial gain.

The Arizona Charter Schools Association issued the first set of responses with a statement and letter to our schools emphasizing that charter schools are academically successful, which is what matters most.

Here is a roundup of the other responses:

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Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

Charter leaders sacrifice to see dreams become reality

By Jamar Younger

When Nick Schuerman reflects on the fact that he’s responsible for the education of the 225 children who attend his school, he is nearly moved to tears.

Schuerman opened Victory Collegiate Academy, a K-6 public charter school, this month in Phoenix’s Maryvale neighborhood, fulfilling his dream of providing a quality education to underserved students.

“I’m seeing the fruits of my labor. It’s here now. I have to sit back and pinch myself,” he said.

Lori Weiss and Melissa McKinsey experienced a similar feeling when they welcomed almost 300 students to Synergy Public School, their brand new central Phoenix campus, which also opened this month.

These schools started as a kernel of an idea just three years ago, but have grown into the manifestation of their founders’ dreams.

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Association Blog

Arizona’s new A-F accountability system will prove crucial to charter success

By Jamar Younger

Arizona’s A-F letter grade system has served as the outward-facing indicator of a school’s quality since it was introduced in 2010.

For charter schools, A-F letter grades influence high stakes decisions such as whether a school or network can renew its charter, increase its enrollment and open another campus.

Ultimately, if a charter school receives an ‘F,’ it may potentially lead to the school’s closure.

That’s why the next six weeks will provide a series of defining moments as the state looks to complete its revamp of the new, proposed A-F Framework crafted by the state’s A-F Ad Hoc Committee.

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Association Blog

“Charters at the Capitol” Expands from Arizona Legislature to Social Media

By Jamar Younger

Charter school leaders and advocates from across Arizona gathered at the State Capitol Thursday to meet with their local legislators for our third annual “Charters at the Capitol.”

Our leaders attended meetings, shook hands, took photos and described the integral role of charter schools within their communities. The group also engaged in meaningful conversations regarding the advantages and challenges of operating a charter school, and what needs to be done to improve education in Arizona.

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Association Blog In the News

Why 2017 is a Critical Year for School Choice

Association President and CEO Eileen Sigmund Highlights Successes, Upcoming Challenges Facing Charter Schools in Arizona Capitol Times Op-ed

This was originally published in the Arizona Capitol Times:

The coming year will be a critical time for the school choice movement in Arizona and nationally.

Rapid enrollment growth over the past 20 years has demonstrated the popularity of public charter schools when parents are given an option in their children’s education. In Arizona, 180,000 students now attend one of 547 charter schools across the state. Since 2007-08, charter enrollment nationally has more than doubled and now stands at nearly 3 million.

Even more impressive: Consider that another 1 million students are on waiting lists nationwide to attend a public charter school. Clearly, these schools are meeting a critical demand of American families.

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Association Blog Press Releases

And the Survey Says…Education a Top Priority for Legislative Candidates

Nearly 9 in 10 candidates running for the Arizona Legislature – 87 percent – say they rank K-12 education as their first or second priority. That’s according to legislative candidates who responded to a new survey distributed by the Arizona Charter Schools Association.

The Association, a non-profit advocacy organization for public charter schools, asked all Arizona legislative candidates to participate in a survey that sought their perspectives on public education.

The survey posed a dozen questions to candidates on a variety of topics related to public schools, both charter and district. You can find a complete list of questions and survey results here.

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Association Blog In the News

Charter Schools Featured in Arizona Republic’s School Choice Series

eileenThe Arizona Republic ran an extensive series on school choice this past weekend, highlighting Arizona’s expansive education options.

Many of our charter schools were featured prominently in the stories, which covered topics ranging from the state’s rich history of school choice to how families can pick the right school for their students, whether it’s an arts, academics, online or STEM school.

“We’ve created a robust school choice environment in Arizona,” said Eileen Sigmund, president of the Arizona Charter Schools Association.

Here are some of the highlights from the series:

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