A foundational question for all of us in Alaska, when too many schools are failing, is whether any proposed increased funding is targeted or not to improve student achievement. If we’re not asking that question, shame on us.
SB140 is the “new education bill” in Juneau that you likely will be hearing a lot about in the coming weeks. The House Majority has designated it as the vehicle for changes to education statutes targeted to improve student outcomes outside the school funding formula and to increase funding for the base student allocation (BSA) for school districts inside the school funding formula.
The bill includes amendments to improve our public charter school laws, to increase the student allotment for correspondence school students, and to increase the per student amount for pupil transportation.
Because talk is swirling in the Capitol building that the Senate Majority might like to strip the charter and correspondence school provisions out once the House sends the bill back over for a concurrence vote, I’d like to focus on the first of those provisions this week.
The Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) at Harvard University recently released the state rankings of charter student performance based on results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is the “nation’s report card” measuring student achievement.
We’ve heard a lot of bad news about how poorly Alaska’s NAEP rankings are overall: at 49th and 50th among the 50 states in various subjects and at various grade levels. This time, however, we’ve got good news! Alaska is at the very front of the line when it comes to charter schools!
Alaska is at the very front of the line when it comes to charter schools!
With the highest charter school performance of the 50 states, Alaska (in both math and reading) scored 32.1% of a standard deviation higher than the national charter school average. This percentage equates to one year of learning.
Charter schools in Alaska are working and charter students are exceling. We need to embrace this public school model across Alaska. When community members and parents come together and want to start a charter school, we should be assisting them and helping make it happen.”
One thing I really like about the changes to SB140 is that the pupil transportation funding can be used to help a child attend a charter school that they otherwise couldn’t because mom or dad are unable to drive them to and from school.
Each child is unique and has a unique learning style. It’s important we remove barriers so that families have choices. While one child might excel in a charter environment, another might in the neighborhood school or in a homeschool program. I love that SB140 will open up more pathways to student success for everyone.
NEA and the “old school” establishment need to stop fearing change and choice. In states where policy changes have allowed more choice, the neighborhood schools (traditional public schools) have improved and are thriving. Naturally, they don’t want to lose students, so they have stepped up to the plate. A little competition can be quite the motivator!
In conclusion, if we truly care about student outcomes and really want to help ensure our children and youth are well-prepared for facing life post-graduation, we should embrace, not fear, school choice.
