charter schools

Bill Would Change Oversight And Application Process Of Charter Schools

Lisa Miller — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:54:41 +0000

North Carolina has 107 charter schools and dozens more are looking to open in the next couple of years. State lawmakers today are considering a bill that would change the application process and oversight of these schools.

Jump In Applications To Open Charter Schools Presents Challenges

Lisa Miller — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 01:12:52 +0000

The number of applications to open charter schools has jumped significantly since the charter school cap was lifted in 2011. There used to be a couple dozen applications per year. This year 156 groups plan to apply and that means a whole lot of work for the people who review them.

Joel Medley is in charge of the office that oversees all of the state’s charter schools. This year, he expected to hear from a lot of groups wanting to open schools, but not quite this many.

Charter School's Basketball Program Raises Questions Over State Funding

Duncan McFadyen — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:34:30 +0000

Charter schools are supposed to offer a free, independent alternative to traditional public schools. North Carolina has just over 100 of them, and the state board of education is expected to approve 25 more at its February meeting.

NC School Board Set To Approve Policies Guiding Online Charters

Lisa Miller — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 21:05:14 +0000

North Carolina is getting ready for a new breed of charter school. They’re virtual schools, where students do all or most of their work online. The state board of education Thursday is set to approve new policies to guide these schools. They include paying the schools less per student than a regular charter and capping the student to teacher ratio.

Morrison Wants CMS To Collaborate With Private And Charter Schools

Lisa Miller — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:54:51 +0000

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, private and charter schools don’t have much of a history of working together. But CMS Superintendent Heath Morrison wants that to change.

A few weeks ago, Charlotte Catholic High School principal Jerry Healy got an invitation from CMS. The district wanted to meet with private and charter schools to talk about ways to collaborate. He was surprised.

Kennedy Charter Has Another Chance

Lisa Miller — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 22:05:11 +0000

The state advisory council which monitors charter schools has decided to give Kennedy Charter in south Charlotte another chance, despite the school’s low test scores. That decision hinges on a plan to move the school to the campus of Johnson C. Smith University.

Every few years, charter schools in North Carolina have to go before a group of charter school administrators, board members, and educators. They have to make their case for why they should be allowed to continue to operate.

Charter Advocate Pushes School Closures, More Rigorous Selection

Duncan McFadyen — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 11:00:00 +0000

We’ve heard a lot of success stories from charter school advocates as they’ve tried to gain support for them. But not all charter schools provide a good education and a leading charter school advocate is the first to admit that. In fact, he’s now pushing for states to close more charter schools. Greg Richmond is the director of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. He says up to 1,300 charter schools in the country are failing their students, including a few in North Carolina.

A Look At Charter Schools In NC

Lisa Miller — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 21:41:40 +0000

This week on Morning Edition, WFAE’s Lisa Miller took a look at the charter school movement. We will be seeing a lot more of those because the legislature has lifted a cap that had limited the state to 100 charter schools. Now, 25 are getting ready to open next year. Seven of them are in the Charlotte area.

Why One Charter School Failed

Lisa Miller — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 15:11:07 +0000

This is the second in a two-part series that takes a closer look at the charter school movement.

North Carolina will soon see a rush of charter schools opening. Last year, state lawmakers lifted the cap that only allowed 100 schools. Twenty-five more charter schools are scheduled to open next year. But this year, for the first time, the state closed a charter school for academic reasons.

What It Takes To Open A Charter School

Lisa Miller — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 22:41:31 +0000

This is the first in a two-part series that takes a closer look at the charter school movement

Big changes are underway for charter schools in North Carolina. Last year state lawmakers lifted the 100 school cap. And now 25 groups are scrambling to open charters in time for next school year. Seven are in the Charlotte area. That same law made it easier to close a charter school by requiring they meet certain academic standards. The state closed one charter this summer and more could close next year.

We'll look at both si