FOCUS promotes high quality autonomous public schools in the nation’s capital.
We believe that what ails public schooling in the District should be treated by focusing school reform efforts on the creation of large numbers of schools that:
- Are independent of the school system or have autonomous status within the school system, including control over personnel, finances, and the academic program;
- Enroll only students whose parents choose to have them attend; and
- Maintain a constant focus on literacy and implement a comprehensive approach to closing the achievement gap
FOCUS is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit incorporated in the District of Columbia in 1996. FOCUS helped to get D.C.’s strong charter school law passed and over the years has repeatedly gotten it amended to remove barriers to charter school success. Since its founding FOCUS has worked with the D.C. government, the Congress, the press, and the public to increase their understanding of and support for public charter schools, which now enroll approximately 30% of all D.C. public school students. FOCUS also has been the charter schools’ advocate and problem solver, going to bat for them to equalize funding, free up school buildings for their use, and defeat attempts to inhibit their autonomy. FOCUS also is the District’s one-stop charter school startup center, reaching out to individuals and organizations to encourage them to start charter schools and providing information, training, and support to those who decide to move forward.
In addition to our ongoing work with the public charter schools, we are now engaged in an effort to educate District policy makers about the value of giving more autonomy to individual schools of the District of Columbia school system. We also are turning our attention to the need for more comprehensive attention to the health and literacy deficits of D.C. school children.
