Charter Schools

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Row of blue school lockers
Row of blue school lockers

Tackling Misconceptions About Charter Schools

What many don’t understand is that charter schools are public schools – funded by federal and state funds – but privately run. The advantage of charter schools is that they are exempt from state and local regulations to a substantial degree, giving them the flexibility and autonomy to innovate and meet the needs of students. Read More ›
Two student reading textbook for test together in library.
Two student reading textbook for test together in library.

The Need for Classical Education Beyond Charter Schools

A classical education, particularly within the context of charter schools, is the remedy for the failure of our current K-12 education system to produce well-rounded, well-educated individuals who exhibit true moral virtue and respect for others. Read More ›
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Female Teacher With Two Elementary School Pupils Wearing Uniform Using Digital Tablet At Desk
Female Teacher With Two Elementary School Pupils Wearing Uniform Using Digital Tablet At Desk

Charters Are Solid Alternatives to Traditional Public Schools

House Bills 1591 and 1962 would address the two major weaknesses in Washington’s charter school laws. If passed, more charter schools could be created, and charter public schools would receive funding equal to traditional public schools. Read More ›
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Elementary School Science Teacher Uses Interactive Digital Whiteboard to Show Classroom Full of Children how Software Programming works for Robotics. Science Class, Curious Kids Listening Attentively
Elementary School Science Teacher Uses Interactive Digital Whiteboard to Show Classroom Full of Children how Software Programming works for Robotics. Science Class, Curious Kids Listening Attentively Photo by Gorodenkoff on Adobe Stock

Competition Is Good for Customers, but Would It Benefit Schools?

Competition benefits consumers and is viewed as advantageous to them within the marketplace. However, when it comes to K-12 education in our country, competition is the outlier. Read More ›
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Chasm in Little Petra, Jordan
Photo by demerzel21 on Adobe Stock

The Chasm Spanning Public and Private School COVID-19 Responses

Public schools demand campuses stay closed while the majority of private schools do whatever it takes to open. What would happen if K-12 education became a free market with competition as the driver? Would this elicit a different response from public schools? Read More ›
Diamanten im Brillantschliff vor schwarzem Hintergrund mit Reflextionen
Diamanten im Brillantschliff vor schwarzem Hintergrund mit Reflextionen
Licensed from Adobe Stock

Gem Prep Charter Schools Shine in Idaho

Amidst the educational difficulties the coronavirus has spurred, one Idaho charter network has thrived. Gem Prep, a K-12 free public charter school with four on-campus locations and an online school in Idaho, is using the opportunity to adapt and fine-tune their educational model.  Gem Prep schools have only one high school at this point—the online school. The physical schools are K–8. However, Gem is planning to add a new grade each year moving forward to make all of them K–12. With the arrival of Coronavirus, Gem was prepared to shift to full-time online.  Gem’s approach is to provide educators the specific training they need to teach effectively online. Laurie Wolfe, the network’s Chief Academic Officer, comments that “we [have] trained Read More ›

Hand holding gold medal on sky background
Hand holding gold medal on sky background, The winner and successful concept

Impact Public Schools are the Gold Standard

Thanks to Jim and Fawn Spady, the creators of the Washington Charter School Resource Center (WCSRC), for highlighting the novel concept of Washington’s Impact Public Schools (IPS). The Spadys are perhaps best known for their leadership of the Seattle area’s beloved Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants. But they are also long-time, stalwart advocates of education reform. IPS operates a charter public school in Tukwilla and will open another one this fall in South King County. The school serves 280 students in grades kindergarten through second grade, comprised of 83% students of color, 67% low income, and 32% English learners. IPS effectively pivoted to distance learning in early March and are now sharing their technology and lessons learned with everyone interested — whether Read More ›