Want to learn more about charter schools in Colorado or simply lend your support on behalf of charter schools and the charter school movement? Please read below to learn more information about next week’s rally.

Join Hundreds of Colorado Charter School Students, Teachers, Parents and Supporters for the:

Colorado Charter Schools Rally

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Colorado State Capitol, Denver

NEW! PRE-RALLY ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE:

9:00-9:45am

Mock Trial by Ridgeview Classical Schools Students

Old Supreme Court Chambers

Featuring: Special Guest Judge, Secretary of State Scott Gessler

10:00-11:00am

Debate between Jefferson Academy and Woodrow Wilson Academy

Topic: Colorado Budget Cuts to K-12 Public Education
Featuring: Special Guest Judge, Attorney General John W. Suthers

RALLY SCHEDULE:

11:30am

Music by Belle Creek Charter School Choir

11:35am-11:55am

Hear from students, teachers and leaders from charter schools across Colorado. Including Pioneer Charter School, CIVA Charter High School, and more…

11:55am-12:00pm

Chinese Dance by Global Village Academy Students

12:00-12:30pm

Charter School Essay Contest Awards Ceremony
Click here to view winning essays.

Invited: Speaker of the House Frank McNulty

12:30-1:00pm

Hear from Colorado elected officials.

(organized by the Colorado League of Charter Schools)

There seems to be some confusion surrounding charter schools. Are they public or private? Who can get in? And, how much do they cost? These are some frequently asked questions we have encountered. There has also been a lot of buzz about charter schools in the news lately, on a national level as well as here in Denver.  Just last year, there were 10 new approved charter schools in Denver County.  Well, readers, we have the answers for you!

We met with Stacy Rivera and Donnell Rosenberg from the Colorado League of Charter Schools and asked them to give us an overview. They wrote up a comprehensive explanation and included some additional resources for you to check out below:

Charter schools have become a popular buzz word recently, first in the presidential debates, then in the news, and most recently on Oprah and in an upcoming major motion picture, Waiting for “Superman”.

But what is not always clear is…what exactly is a charter school and how can a parent know if a charter school is the right fit for their child?

The simple answer is this: Charter schools are tuition-free, public schools that offer parents additional choices within in the public education system. Charter schools foster a partnership between parents, teachers and students to create an environment in which parents can be more involved, teachers are given the freedom to innovate and students are provided the structure they need to learn.  And in return for this freedom, charter schools are held highly accountable for student performance.

Curriculums at charter schools range widely and no two charters are the same. In Colorado, some charter schools offer a more traditional core knowledge curriculum, while others offer programs such as Montessori, project based, college preparatory, early college high school, and more. And particularly in the Denver/metro area, parents will also find an array of charter schools serving very specific niches from schools that tailor to girls only, to schools that offer an entrepreneurial focus, to schools focused on science and technology, and the list goes on.

While we are fortunate to have so many public school options in Colorado, the rapidly expanding choice can make the process of choosing a school rather daunting for parents.  So how does a parent go about investigating and selecting the school that is the best fit for their child’s learning style?

It is important for parents to be informed consumers, just as they are when selecting doctors, day care providers, and grocery stores. First, we recommend visiting the websites of a few schools that are of interest. Then check out their academic performance on the Colorado Department of Education’s website: SchoolView.org, and finally call each school and schedule an appointment to meet the principal and take a tour, as well as ask any questions you may have. Sometimes simply visiting the school and getting a sense of its culture can be the biggest indicator of whether or not it will be a good fit for your child. And most importantly, remember to always trust your mommy or daddy instinct.

Here are some questions you might want to think about as you begin to visit research schools.

• What type of curriculum does the school teach?  Is it a traditional, broad based curriculum, or does it focus on one area of interest in particular like science and math, the arts, or foreign language?
• What is the reputation of the school?  Are other parents pleased with the education their kids are receiving there?  What kind of test results does the school have as compared to the other schools in the district and the state?
• What is the school’s instructional philosophy?  What do they value as a school?
• Does the school require a uniform?
• Does the school ask for a commitment from the parents regarding volunteer hours or homework help?
• Does the school provide transportation?

A great book about charter schools is Charter Schools: The Ultimate Handbook for Parents, written by Karin Piper, a charter school parent in Parker, CO. In addition, the Colorado League of Charter Schools’ website is a great resource loaded with facts about charter schools, as well as a “school finder” where you can search for charter schools by name, city, county, district or even educational program or grade level.

Another way to be in the know about charter schools and public school choice is to join the Colorado Charter Advocacy Network (Colorado CAN). This is an email listserv hosted by the Colorado League of Charter Schools that alerts parents when issues arise at the State Capitol that could affect charter schools, such as budget cuts, caps on growth, etc. It’s also a great way to find out if your elected officials are supportive of quality school options in your neighborhood. Learn more and sign up at www.coloradoleague.org and click on the “Take Action” link.

The Colorado League of Charter Schools is a non-profit, membership organization that supports the 170 charter schools in the state by providing them an array of services such as professional development, consulting, research, communications assistance, advocacy, and much more. Currently charter schools in Colorado serve over 70,000 kids and represent 8.6% of the total K-12 public school enrollment in the state. For more information, visit www.coloradoleague.org or call 303-989-5356. We are always happy to answer questions from parents who are navigating their many public school options.

Click to read Time Magazine article about Charters from Andrew Rotherham : Charter Schools: The Good Ones Aren’t Flukes

We are excited to bring you a new series called “Two Cents.” Every month, we will post a new topic for you to read and “talk” about. The topic may come from an article surrounding the education world, parent banter in the parking lot, or someone sharing a unique and engaging program that happened at their child’s school. Whatever it may be, we want to conjure up some conversation! Remember, the goal of these discussions is to make one think and to have your opinion be heard. We hope that you are willing to speak up and add your “two cents” to get the conversation started.

(if you would like to suggest a topic for this series, please email us at jennandkerri (at) scooptoo (dot) com)

School Lunches

Kerri’s Two Cents:

I admit I am one of those people that cringe at the thought of my children buying a school lunch in the cafeteria. Even when I visit my own children at school for lunch occasionally, I can’t help but wonder what is in that unattractive food that I see lying on the tray.  Sometimes the smell from the cafeteria gets to me. With that being said, the lunch line is always down the hall and around the corner.

Last year, my twin boys would beg me to buy hot lunch. I found myself trying to convince them repeatedly that I, your devoted mother, make the best lunch around! Whether it was a sandwich, salad, or leftovers from the night before, they were always accompanied with veggies, fruit, and some type of dairy. Every once in a while the lunch would be completed with a note from yours truly. Their lunches were healthy, nutritious and made with loving care. What more did they want? The answer was hot lunch. Yes, I caved from time to time, although it was only a handful of times, okay maybe two. One day, I even overheard one of my sons telling his grandmother, “No Nana I never buy hot lunch because it’s gross and not good for my body.” Kids say familiar things, don’t they?

Healthy or not, school lunch has not drastically changed from when I was in elementary school. Therefore, it’s always been up to the parent to make the choice for their child, cafeteria food versus a homemade lunch. I haven’t put much more thought towards this topic until recently. A friend sent me the article A Tale of Two Lunches and I can’t help but wonder a few things now. Shouldn’t we as parents be demanding better for our children when it comes to nutrition? Shouldn’t the standard school lunches be a thing of the past? What if DPS could become a candidate for a pilot program where lunch is catered by Revolution Foods? Their food is not only appealing to the eye but organic, locally grown, and prepared fresh daily. Would I allow my children to buy lunch at school more often? Would parents pay more money for a better, healthier lunch option for their child? Today, child obesity dramatically increases from year to year. While a healthy lifestyle should be taught in the home, why not have it modeled in schools?

Jenn’s Two Cents:

I ate school lunches as a child all the way up through high school, although in my elementary years, I recall having more packed lunches as opposed to a $1.10 in my pocket for a hot lunch.  Friday (pizza day) was the only exception of course.  Mostly I came sporting a PB&J with an apple and some carrots in a brown bag. It’s probably not much different than kids today with the exception of a fancy initialed lunch box.

To have organic and healthful meal options in public schools (or any school) sounds idyllic if it were not for one fact; they’re expensive.  My son’s school offers an organic daily lunch service and frankly they’re not incredibly appealing to him.  I’d rather him eat healthy foods that I know he likes than spend the money on healthy food he doesn’t like.  Now if I could pay $5.00 and have those lunches delivered to me each day, I would!

I can’t imagine it will be easy to have Revolution Foods, or any other service, partner with an entire public school system.  The enormous amount of red tape that The Odyssey School went through to get the program going will only be compounded by the lack of funding and bureaucracy surrounding Denver Public Schools.  Additionally, it seems like there are more important things for DPS to focus on like…graduation rates and enrichment programs, rather than whether students are getting organic burrito wraps and caesar salads versus chicken nuggets and french fries at school.

We want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on school lunch and this article A Tale of Two Lunches?