September 2021

What does STOP stand for?

• Sustainable
• Transformational
• Outstanding
• Permissionless

Learn more

What makes for a successful state charter movement? The Center for Education Reform has sought to answer this question since 1996, through a detailed scorecard. As a result, the group knows what works–and what doesn’t. The 2021 scorecard offers the latest look at how state laws are helping or harming the charter movement.

A national scorecard ranks the states

Here’s the scorecard for 2021. Click on the screenshot image to take a closer look, or click here to read the write-up.

Center for Education Reform: National Charter School Law Rankings & Scorecard–2021

What makes for a winner?

Here’s the fundamental idea from CER:

The simple and original principle of charter schooling is that charter schools should receive enhanced operational autonomy in exchange for being held strictly accountable for the outcomes they promise to achieve. When charter school laws honor this principle, innovative, academically excellent charter schools flourish. In turn, schools that fail to produce strong outcomes close.

How does NC’s charter movement stack up?

North Carolina ranks 13th in the 2021 scorecard, unchanged from 2020. NC does well on the issue of growth. But, the state has plenty of room for improvement. What would help? North Carolina loses significant points, for instance, for funding inequity, constraints on autonomy, and issues related to charter authorizers. (CER advocates for multiple, independent authorizers.)

Secrets for success

What promotes charter success in any state? CER sums up:

… [C]harter school success depends on the policy environments in which charter schools operate. Some state laws and regulations encourage diversity and innovation in the charter sector by providing multiple authorizers to support charter schools and allowing charters real operational autonomy …

… Too many states, however, hamper charter schools with weak laws and needless regulations. These make it difficult to distinguish charters from their district counterparts.

Share the basics about charter schools with CER’s Charter FAQs.

Welcoming 8 new member schools

• Alpha Academy in Fayetteville
• Community Public Charter School in Stanley
• Torchlight Academy in Raleigh
• Community School of Davidson in Davidson
• Francine Delany New School for Children in Asheville
• Union Day School in Weddington
• Phoenix Academy in High Point
• Revolution Academy in Summerfield

Congratulations to Sallie B. Howard School of Arts & Science in Wilson! A public charter school and a Coalition member, Sallie B. was named a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School today. Nationwide, Sallie B. was one of 325 schools commended for exemplary performance.

Graphic: U.S. Department of Education

Access the pdf graphic here or click on the map image.

Fifteen public charter schools win Blue Ribbon Awards nationwide

In addition, Sallie B. is one of 15 public charter schools across the country to win the award. Find the list of charter school honorees here. We are so proud of Sallie B.’s accomplishments on behalf of charter school students in North Carolina!

Eight NC schools earn top honors in 2021

Blue Ribbon schools earn honors for their overall performance or for their success in closing achievement gaps over the past five years. Sallie B. was one of three N.C. schools to earn the award in the achievement gap category.

Here are the three NC winners in the achievement gap category:

• Blue Ridge Elementary School
• Sallie B. Howard School of Arts & Science
• Sampson Early College High School

Here are the five N.C. winners in the overall performance category:

• Brush Creek Elementary School
• Elkin Middle School
• Pearsontown Elementary School
• Pender Early College High School
• Union Elementary School

About the Blue Ribbon Award

Here’s the description of the Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education:

“The coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content.  Now in its 39th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools.”

Learn more about all of the award winners here.

Read today’s press releases about the award from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the U.S. Department of Education.

Yesterday, State Superintendent Catherine Truitt released her strategic plan for the state’s public schools. It’s called “Operation Polaris,” and it captures her vision for improving student outcomes.

The Superintendent’s plan pivots around learning recovery, given the widespread learning loss from the pandemic. The Department of Public Instruction noted in a press release:

“The focal point for Operation Polaris is the Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration, launched earlier this year to serve districts and schools with support in making evidence-based decisions to help students overcome the impact of lost instructional time and also accelerate their learning. The new office will work in tandem with four key areas within DPI: literacy, student support services, accountability and testing and human capital.” 

In her statement, Superintendent Truitt said:

“The disruptions to education caused by the pandemic demand an urgent and effective response, but we must not miss this opportunity to rethink and retool our strategies for teaching and learning to ensure a sound, basic education for all students.” 

Find the Operation Polaris report here.

Read more from EdNC and WRAL.

What we’re doing

A Call to Action

General Assembly leaders to contact

House Appropriations Committee

House Appropriations/Education Committee

Senate Appropriations/Base Budget Committee

Senate Appropriations/Education/Higher Education Committee

Talking points

Causes of significant drops in ADM for 2021-22

• The COVID Delta variant has fueled major changes in K-12 enrollment that schools could not have foreseen. Such changes were not clear in June when public schools provided 2021-22 ADM projections.
• Authorization to offer virtual instruction for 2021-22 did not come until August 30. This occurred after most schools had begun the academic year. Enrollments have been impacted significantly by families leaving charter schools for a remote learning option.
• Because public schools must follow mask mandates from local public health departments, numerous parents have opted this fall for home schools or private schools.

Why ADM hold harmless provisions for 2021-22 are essential

• Preserving capacity for students and sustainability for schools hinges on sufficient funding for 2021-22. Drastic reductions in funding will lead to long-term consequences that will not be easily undone.
• We do not want schools to be in the position of having to downsize staff or lower enrollment caps. We expect that students and families will come back, and we must be ready for them when they return. Please ensure that charter and district schools are held harmless in the state budget for 2021-22 ADM.

Congratulations to Pinnacle Classical Academy! Students at the Shelby, NC public charter school performed well in 2020-21, despite the pandemic. Such findings were evident when the state released 2020-21 test results recently.

In numerous instances, Pinnacle’s passing rates were 20 to 30 points above the state average. A press release from the school features a comparison table with passing rates by grade and subject.

Pinnacle’s press release notes:

Students at Pinnacle Classical Academy had significantly higher passing rates on North Carolina’s 2020-21 end-of-grade and end-of-course tests than the statewide average, according to data released in September by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

In a year in which only 45.4% of students across North Carolina scored at or above Achievement Level 3 (grade-level proficient), 70.6% of students at Pinnacle Classical Academy did so.

Especially noteworthy:  58.5% of Pinnacle’s economically disadvantaged students passed EOG and EOC tests. This figure compares to just 28.8% of their peers across the state.

Learn more about Pinnacle Academy’s mission and values here. Find 2020-21 test data for all NC public schools here.

Take action

What you can do

A September “lunch and learn” event

Want to learn more about empowering parents in your school and community? If so, we have a new resource for you. On Monday, Lindalyn joined other education experts to discuss this topic at a virtual event hosted by the John Locke Foundation.

In addition to Lindalyn, panelists included:

• Shamike Bethea, Engagement Director, Frederick Douglass Foundation of NC
• Angie Cutlip, Homeschool Consultant, ATC Educational Services
• Dr. Terry Stoops, Director of the Center for Effective Education, John Locke Foundation

Check out the video below of “Empowering Parents and Nurturing Kids.”