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Charter Schools Get $20 Million Windfall From Feds - Despite Legislative
Attempts At Rollback
Only weeks after another wave of legislative attacks on Colorado's innovative
charter-school program, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded the state
more than $20 million to help foster more charters. The grant, to be dispensed
over the next three years, recognized Colorado's historical support for
charters.
The irony of the windfall -- right after another round of attempts in the
General Assembly to curb the popular, independently run public schools -- wasn't
lost on Assistant Senate GOP leader Nancy Spence of Centennial.
"The fact that Colorado has been a pioneer in charter schools has landed us a
cool $20 million," said Spence, the ranking Republican on the Senate Education
Committee. "Maybe that will get the attention of the school-choice foes in the
legislature since it doesn't seem to matter to them how much charters benefit
at-risk kids."
Colorado was one of 10 states to receive one of the competitive grants under the
federal department's Public Charter Schools Program. The program supports
states' efforts to plan, design, implement and disseminate information about
charter schools. The grant money will help the Colorado Department of Education
create and sustain viable new charter schools, which already number well over
100 statewide.
A U.S. Education Department news release announcing the award noted that states
seeking the funding must have a charter school statute in place and that
priority is given to states that offer an alternative chartering agency -- like
Colorado's Charter School Institute -- to give an option to charter backers
turned down by local school districts.
In the news release, U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings extolled the
benefits of charters. “As I’ve traveled around the country, I’ve had a chance to
visit many charter schools. These schools are breaking apart the myth that some
children can't learn,” Spellings said. “By acting as laboratories for best
practices, they are changing attitudes about education and they're getting great
results for kids.”
Spence said the $20 million is a real boost to Colorado's charter effort, which
is growing by leaps and bounds as parents seek wide-ranging alternatives to
neighborhood schools for children whose needs run the gamut -- from remedial to
gifted and talented. "We have had to fight just to get $5 million for charter
school construction every year in the legislature," Spence said.
Spence also noted that some of the very features of Colorado's charter program
that earned praise and cash from the feds, like the state's Charter School
Institute, came under assault from anti-reform lawmakers. Senate Bill 61, by
Democrats Sue Windels, of Arvada, in the Senate and Mike Merrifield, of Manitou
Springs, in the House, would have effectively gutted much of the Insititute's
authority to grant charters. However, the bill ran into stiff opposition from
Republicans and dissenting Democrats on the Senate floor, and it ultimately died
there after initially passing both legislative chambers.
Spence said despite charters' successes, their foes never seem to give up.
"Charter schools really dodged a bullet in the legislature, yet again," Spence
said.
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