FOCUS Newsletter Fall 2016

DC's Public Charter Schools Make Gains on PARCC, Especially Among Neediest Students

Recently released results from DC’s statewide assessment show that DC public charter schools continue to outperform city averages, most dramatically for DC’s most vulnerable students. Across the city, public charter school students designated “at risk” met or exceeded the college and career readiness benchmark (“4”) at double the rates of their peers in traditional public schools. In Wards 7 and 8, 73% of all the students who scored 4 or above in English Language Arts attend public charter schools, and 71% of all the students meeting that benchmark in math are public charter school students. PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) is a new, more rigorous assessment that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and used in multiple states. It was given in DC for the first time in 2015. 

Click here for in-depth information and analysis of the most recent PARCC scores.

Click here, to read FOCUS's press release on how DC public charter schools continue their improvement trend.

First Ever DC Charter School Conference

Save the Date for the first ever DC Charter School Conference! This one-day conference will bring together public charter school leaders, administrators, board members, and stakeholders to dive into topics including advocacy, communications, data, development, operations, and more!

First Fridays Tour to Lee Montessori PCS

Launched in 2011, First Fridays is a series of monthly learning tours that spotlight charter schools across the city. By highlighting the District's high-performing and high-potential charter schools, the tours aim to develop a broader understanding of the charter sector and build a community of advocates for charter schools in DC. FOCUS hosts this tour series along with the CityBridge Foundation, Charter Board Partners, and Education Forward DC.

For the final tour of the 2015-2016 school year, a group traveled to Ward 5 to visit Lee Montessori PCS. Founded in 2014, Lee Montessori currently serves students in three primary classrooms (ages 3-6) and one lower elementary classroom (ages 6-9). The school uses the student-centered Montessori Method to foster a lifetime love of learning and cultivate independence among D.C. schoolchildren.

This fall Lee Montessori PCS moved into the former St. Paul's College building, sharing the space with the newly opened Washington Leadership Academy PCHS.

FOCUS worked with the Lee Montessori founding group on their charter application and has continued to support the school during its early years.

The next First Fridays tour will be going to Eagle Academy PCS on Friday, October 7, 2016. To be added to the First Fridays invitation list, please visit the First Fridays website or email info@firstfridaysdc.org.

We look forward to seeing you this fall! 

Congratulations to Our Newest Public Charter Schools!

FOCUS, along with other key charter school allies, are working closely with Councilmember David Grosso to improve critical parts of Mr. Grosso's Planning Actively for Comprehensive Education Facilities Amendment Act. At the hearing about the bill in July, FOCUS recommended removing the provisions that would threaten public charter schools' facilities funding, and suggested improvements to the language. FOCUS will continue to work with the Education Committee to ensure that the final legislation is something that protects public charter schools but assists the government in its efforts to improve the city's facilities challenges.

Advocate of the Month - Azania Inman

A 2016 graduate of Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy, at the Capitol Hill Campus, Azania is attending Virginia Wesleyan University this fall.

What policy initiative have you been involved with while at Cesar Chavez?

Through my thesis, which is our senior project at Cesar Chavez, I worked on a childhood obesity initiative. After choosing this initiative, I had to pick it apart, research it in detail, and create a policy that I want to fix or improve based on current legislation.

What made you passionate about this issue?

I’ve seen a lot of friends and family members dying from obesity and overweight friends of mine being bullied, resulting in social emotional issues and low self-esteem. I thought to myself, obesity related illnesses are curable, and this is not something that kids have to go through if people learn at a young age what they need to feed themselves, regulate portion sizes, stay active, and read ingredients.

What is your plan to implement a policy regarding childhood obesity?

The main causes of childhood obesity are food deserts and poverty, especially in places where poverty is very high. Washington DC’s Ward’s 7 and 8 have more corner stores and carry-outs than grocery stores. A policy called Feed DC gives grocery store chains tax incentives to encourage them to place stores in low income areas. However, the places currently listed as food deserts are no longer there because of gentrification. So the tax-incentivized grocery stores end up being in areas that are no longer low income. Therefore, my plan calls for the policy to revisit the areas listed as food deserts more frequently in order to confirm that those places are still considered food deserts.

How do you think you have grown from doing your senior thesis project?

You don’t see how hard it is until you are into it. You have to have a lot of tenacity and drive. I gained a stronger will by having to figure out a problem to beat. I’ve improved my communication skills through presentation and learned how to stand up for different things that I believe. I’ve learned to stand strong in what you say or your argument will just be flimsy.
 

FOCUS sends condolences to the family and friends of National Collegiate Prep PCS graduate Zoruan Harris who was killed earlier this month. Click here to learn more about Zoruan and the fund that has been created for his son.

FOCUS attended the My Brother's Keeper Town Hall meeting (hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus) last week. At the event, Malik Yoba showed his support for quality public school choices for every DC student.

This academic school year, FOCUS will continue to administer the Bridge to Success program that provides winter coats, eye glasses, and food for homeless public charter school students. Join us in supporting the success of all students by donating today.

All contributions are appreciated.

AmazonSmile

 Support FOCUS and all 65 of DC's public charter schools while you shop.

If you select Friends of Choice in Urban Schools as your charitable organization of choice, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to us.

Thank you!

New FOCUS Website

Our new website is LIVE! Click here to check it out!

School Design Workshop Series
Starting Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Leave and Accommodation
Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Charter Startup Program
Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Eagle Academy
Friday, October 7, 2016

Creative Minds International
Friday, November 4, 2016

Washington Leadership Academy
Friday, December 2, 2016

As many of you know, the D.C. Association of Chartered Public Schools, Washington Latin Public Charter School, and Eagle Academy Public Charter School filed suit in federal court in July 2014, asking that the District government be directed to obey the law and provide public charter school students with the same amount of funding as their school system counterparts.  For more information on the Fair Funding Lawsuit, funded by FOCUS, visit befairdc.org

Data Corner

In Wards 7 and 8, public charter schools have nearly three times the number of students that are meeting or exceeding the college and career readiness benchmark as compared to DCPS.

Click here to read FOCUS's press release on how DC public charter schools continue their improvement trend.