Take action to support the charter school movement

The Delaware Charter Schools Network will provide updates on state and national legislation related to charter schools. Please note the date of the post, as the newest posts will be listed first.

January 2010  -- The Delaware Charter Schools Network joined other LEAs in the state in support of the state's application for the Federal Race to the Top grant.  The state is among 40 others seeking funds.  There is no guarantee that the state will receive the $100 million it is seeking, and if it does not receive funds during the first round (which will be announced in April) it will seek funding in the second round.  The winners will be determined by a point structure that includes how the state has historically supported the charter school movement.   The Network looks forward to continuing the dialogue with the Delaware Department of Education to continue improving the charter school movement in Delaware.  The

September 2009 - The federal Department of Education has completed its Race to the Top application review process and comments posted are being considered. Approximately $4 billion in Race to the Top funds will be awarded to a limited number of states (http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/proprule/2009-3/072909d.html) . In a recent Center for Education Reform evaluation of top contenders, Delaware placed 15th. Among the evaluation points in the application is a state's support of its charter school movement. The proposed language of the grant application specifically request information on the health of the state applicant's charter school movement and considers these four points:
1) The extent to which the state has a charter school law that does not prohibit or effectively inhibit increasing the number of charter schools or otherwise restrict student enrollment in charter schools;
2) The extent to which the state has statues and guidelines regarding how charter school authorizers approve, monitor, hold accountable, reauthorize, and close charter schools, including to what extent student academic achievement factors in those decisions;
3) The extent to which the State's charter schools receive equitable funding compared to traditional public schools and a commensurate share of local, state, and federal program and revenue sources; and,
4) The extent to which charter schools receive facilities assistance or aid, and the extent to which the State does not impose any facility-related requirements on charter schools that are stricter than those applied to traditional pubic schools. Additionally, charter schools are featured as a core evidence point for states turning around struggling schools via criterion 14 through converting them to charter status or partnering with a charter organization to run the school.


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