Clik here to view.
What is Blended Learning?
Quite simply, it is a combination of technology and a personal connection with students, most often a physical environment. The use of technology allows students to work at their own pace and be pushed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What Should Parents Have to Go Through in Order to Get a Charter School?
Colorado isn't like most states in the nation where a charter school can get approved by showing there is a need in a particular community. Some districts in Colorado believe there needs to be a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Charter School Enrollment
It's that time of year when my favorite study is published. The one about how many charter school students are enrolled in school districts across the country. The ninth annual edition of the National...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is it Time?
I was just reading NACSA's latest report, On the Road to Better Accountability, and one of the policy recommendations it to allow the state's Charter School Institute (CSI) to independently authorize...
View ArticleClik here to view.
TriCity Academy Wins Both Appeals
The State Board of Education ruled in favor of TriCity twice yesterday in appeal hearings from the Sheridan and Englewood school districts. In the Sheridan case, the board voted 4-3 in favor of TriCity...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Blended Learning 101
Have you been hearing the label "blended learning" tossed around more often lately? Here's an article that explains it in detail.
View ArticleClik here to view.
Changes to the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act
There is much conjecture as to the outcome of what Congress will do to the No Child Left Behind Act, now called the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by the current administration.Typically...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Stop Pitting Technology Against Quality In-Person Time
This article, published in the Forbes magazine, written by Michael Horn is excellent! I love this quote:In our research, we’ve long pointed out that merely cramming computers in schools or simply...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What Have We Become?
I remember back in the summer of 2005 when the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI) law passed and it was just getting off the ground. As CDE staff, it was my responsibility to put together the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Civics Exam a Requirement for High School Graduation/
Robert Pondisco, in his recent article in U.S. News makes a case for students to take an exam, similar to what new citizens naturalizing in the US must take, before they can graduate high school.Four...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Alabama Becomes 43rd State to Pass Charter Schools Act
Last week Alabama became the latest state to pass a Charter Schools bill and it was signed into law on Thursday, by Gov. Robert Bentley. The new law provides for an appointed commission to address...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Layoffs in the Future as the Birthrate Falls in the U.S.
All but three U.S. states experienced a decline in their birthrate since the recession began in 2007. For 14 states, the decline was in the double digits; a significant impact to schools in the future!...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Key to Effectively Using the Blended Learning Model is to Use the Data
As Michael B. Horn reports in Education Next, a recent study of school districts using the blended learning model admit they don't use the student achievement data reported through the blended learning...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Digital Learning's Impact on School Architecture
Without reverting to the failed "open school" concept of the 1970's, architects are considering ways to positively impact digital learning through school design. Michael Horn explores this further in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Authorizer Reputations
Charter school authorizers have a reputation with the charter schools they authorize. Some are very friendly and respect the autonomy of charter schools. Some authorizers change over time and so does...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Vanguard School
In 1995, a group of parents in the Cheyenne Mountain school district applied to open a charter school. The school opened with an extremely dedicated core group of parents, educators and students....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are Charter School Students Worth an Equal Amount?
Should charter school students be funded the same as non-charter school students in the same school district? You'd think that'd be a no-brainer, but just recently the Jefferson County R-1 School...
View ArticleClik here to view.
CO School Districts with High Percentages of Charter School Students in Their...
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools just released its annual report on the school districts with the highest percentage of charter school students in their districts.For Colorado, that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Banning Lewis Preparatory Academy Gains Approval
Last night, in a unanimous vote, the Falcon 49 Board of Education approved the Banning Lewis Ranch Academy expansion request. The contract amendment with the district will allow the school to operate...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What is America's Cultural Foundation?
This morning Denver Broncos fans are waking up as Super Bowl 50 champions! The big win blankets this morning's media coverage. There was a report of one woman tweeting that "the NFL has been around...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is Charter Equity Fair?
Senate Bills 187 and 188 are designed to bring about equity for charter schools. SB 188 would require school districts to give an equal per pupil share of mill levy override funds to their charter...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Where Should the Power Lie Between Districts and Charter Schools?
Yesterday the CO Board of Educationvoted in favor of HOPE Online keeping five of its online learning sites operating in the Aurora School District. The only reason this charter school's case came to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
It's Application Season Again!
Colorado's Charter Schools Act requires school districts to accept charter school applications between August 1 and October 15th. Districts can narrow this window in district policy, but generally,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
SB 61, Charter School Equalization Bill Delayed Until Monday
After about two hours of debate on the floor of the Senate, SB 61, which would equalize mill levy funds to also include charter schools, has been laid over until Monday.Numerous anti-charter school...
View ArticleClik here to view.
"No, Back Up!"
The other day we were at the park and as we were leaving I was explaining to you what we were going to do next. I typically do this so you know what to expect. I said we were going to pick up Wendy's...
View Article
