Tag: Central Phoenix

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Association Blog

New Charter Schools Will Add More than 1,000 New Seats

By Jamar Younger

This has proved to be a landmark year for Arizona’s public charter schools.

Arizona celebrated the 25th anniversary of charter schools with enrollment surging past 200,000 students for the first time, accounting for 18 percent of the state’s total student population.

Charter schools continue to receive high marks in the state’s accountability system while outperforming the state average on assessment test, fueling the demand for more charter options in communities throughout the state.

On Monday, the State Board for Charter Schools added to those options approving six new charter schools, creating 1,082 new seats for Arizona students.

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Association Blog

Why Choosing Online School is the Best Fit for Our Family

By Tara Boedigheimer

In 2011, when our son Drew was just two years old, we experienced every parent’s worst nightmare.

We were given the shocking and completely unexpected news, by a pediatric cardiologist, that our precious boy was critically ill with a very rare form of cardiomyopathy–and in need of a heart transplant. It was the only thing that could save his life. Not only that, he needed it immediately and the transplant program at Phoenix Children’s Hospital was very new and not approved by our insurance to handle Drew’s situation.

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Association Blog

New Charter Schools Answer the Call for More Educational Choice

By Jamar Younger

As we approach the 25th anniversary of public charter schools in Arizona, charter school enrollment continues to surge with almost 200,000 students now attending the state’s charter schools.

This growth, along with the increasing prevalence of open enrollment, signals that parents are demanding more and varied choices for their students.

The State Board for Charter Schools on Monday added even more choices for families by approving charters for 10 new schools that plan to open for the 2019-20 school year.

These new public charter schools will add 3,187 new seats for Arizona students and families who are seeking more diverse educational options. As part of our strategic efforts to increase access to quality charter schools, the Arizona Charter Schools Association contributed to the creation of more than 2,600 of these seats by providing support to these new schools through consulting, charter application reviews, mock interviews and other workshops.

These new charters will be spread throughout the Phoenix Valley, situated in areas such as Maricopa, Apache Junction, Phoenix’s Maryvale neighborhood and Goodyear.

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Association Blog

Arizona Charter Students Boast Larger NAEP Gains than Any State

By Eric Berschback 

Recently released results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show that Arizona’s public charter school students have posted greater scale score gains than any individual state, from 2009 to 2017. The data show that when measured as their own “state”, Arizona charter students outpaced the gains realized by their state level peers in all four major tested subjects: fourth grade reading and math, as well as eighth grade reading and math.

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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 Charters Changing Lives

Central Phoenix charter school creates a blueprint for academic success

By Jamar Younger

For Judy White, the decision to open Midtown Primary School in a low-income community in Central Phoenix wasn’t just a choice, it was a calling.

White and co-founder Belinda Suggs sensed a need for quality education and community involvement in the neighborhood when they opened the K-4 public charter school in 2002.

Although the idea of opening a public school serving students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds would deter some educators, White and Suggs stared down the challenge and sought to figure out how to succeed with that population.

The task of creating a high-achieving school in a low-income neighborhood has puzzled many educators, but the two administrators have seemed to find the right pieces for success at their small public charter school.

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