Get Schooled on Public Education The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

Raise Your Voice! That’s the theme for the 2024 National Charter Schools Week celebration (NCSW). The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is thrilled to uplift the voices fighting for more students across the nation to have access to a high-quality public school education. During NCSW, the National Alliance honored seven changemakers who’ve gone the extra mile to meet the needs of students, families, and their communities. One of our changemakers, Daniyal Hussain, who is a senior at Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School in New Mexico joined the podcast to share how he used his voice to create positive change.


Episode Takeaways:
National Charter Schools Week is an annual event to celebrate charter schools and the contributions to public education.Student voice is vital to a school’s environment and encourages students to take ownership of their learning and impact their communities.The 2024 National Charter School Changemakers have played a critical role in driving positive change to meet the unique needs of students in public education.
Quotes

"Education reform advocacy is vital for daily life and can inspire students to pursue passions and careers in civic education." - Daniyal Hussain

"STEAM teaches teamwork, communication, resilience, and learning from failures." - Daniyal Hussain


Featured in the Episode

Daniyal Hussain
Senior at Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School in New Mexico
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniyal-hussain/


Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
02:25 - Faculty support and opportunities in education
05:08 - The Impact of Student Advocacy
07:20 - Advocating for community and education
10:23 - Importance of Securing IB Test Funding
11:36 - Advocacy club seeks STEAM network funding
14:05 - Funding needs for civic education program
15:36 - Nurturing Constitutional Understanding
17:37 - Future plans: University of New Mexico and advocacy
18:44 - Outro

More than 300,000 students were enrolled in charter schools beginning from the 2019-2020 school year up to the 2022-2023 school year—a nine percent increase. In December of 2023, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools released a new report: Believing in Public Education: A Demographic and State-level Analysis of Public Charter School and District Public School Enrollment Trends. The co-author of the report and senior director of policy, research, and evaluation at the National Alliance joined the podcast to discuss the findings.


Episode Takeaways:
Charter school enrollment continues to grow—a nine percent increase between 2019-2020 school year up to the 2022-2023 school year.Charter School student enrollment growth outpaced state population trends.Parents want public school options.Enrollment Trends: Analyzing Growth and DeclineFactors Driving Charter School EnrollmentDemographic Shifts in Charter School EnrollmentConnection between Enrollment and Population Changes
Quotes

"The pandemic has shown that every sector must prove itself and deliver the best for our children." - Drew Jacobs

"Let's envision and pursue the essential evolution of education together as a united community in the education realm."- Drew Jacobs


Featured in the Episode

Drew Jacobs
Senior Director Of Policy, Research, And Evaluation At The National Alliance For Public Charter Schools
Website: https://publiccharters.org/members/drew-jacobs/

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction
01:18 - Empowering Students and Families: Tracking Enrollment Choices
06:12 - Resetting the Landscape: Declining District Enrollment, Growing Charters
09:28 - Accountability and Autonomy: The Promise of Charter Schools
12:22 - Intensity Variations and Surpassing Expectations in Hispanic Student Growth
14:30 - Unraveling COVID's Impact: Population Shifts and Relocation from Major Cities
18:04 - Dominating Enrollment Trends: The Rise of Hispanic Students in Charter Schools
20:23 - Charter Schools Leading the Way in Filling Learning Gaps
21:14 - Seizing Opportunities: Excellence and Innovation in Charter Schools
22:02 - Core to Our Sector: Embracing Innovation in Every Aspect
24:31 - Delivering for Kids: Highlighting the Importance Revealed during the Pandemic
25:45 - Conclusion

Produced by Heartcast Media
https://www.heartcastmedia.com

A purpose in life and a reason for learning, those are the core values at Vanguard Academy. The public charter school serves grades PreK-3 through 12 across three cities in Texas. The superintendent of schools, Dr. Narciso Garcia, joined the Get Schooled on Public Education Podcast to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Dr. Garcia discussed his passion for education and the ways his background and experiences as a leader of color impacts the students and communities they serve in an interview conducted by the National Alliance for Public Charter School’s senior manager of government relations, Marlon Greatrex.

Key Takeaways:Public charter schools across the country serve 1.3 million Hispanic and Latino students and their families.40% of Hispanic parents in the U.S. strongly agree they want public school options for their children (see report).Charter Schools help families, including those from marginalized communities, gain access to a high quality public education

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools commissioned the Harris Poll to conduct a national survey of public school teachers to gain insight on their experiences, thoughts, and motivations for staying or leaving the classroom. Both charter and district teachers shared their reality in the classroom—and the majority of educators agree, something needs to change in order to recruit and retain teachers. The National Alliance’s senior vice president of communications and marketing, Debbie Veney, the senior advisor for school support, George Parker, and Rebecca Purser the research manager at Harris Poll joined the Get Schooled on Public Education podcast to discuss the findings.

Episode Takeaways:
Teachers feel that something needs to change in public education in order to retain and recruit educatorsTeachers want their voices to be heard and valued by those who can take action on their feedbackMany charter school teachers say they are as or more motivated than when they initially entered the professionhttps://www.publiccharters.org/our-work/publications/listen-to-your-teacher

Featured in the Episode

George Parker
Senior Advisor for School Support
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-parker-3b518033/

Rebecca Purser
Research Manager at Harris Poll
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-purser1/

Debbie Veney
The National Alliance’s Senior Vice President of communications and marketing
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-veney-8969a93/

Quotes

“Quality teaching and learning rely on this foundation. Without it, education's quality suffers."- George Parker

"In the face of challenges, teachers are embracing adaptation to provide an enriching educational journey that complies with the law."- Debbie Veney

"Driven by a passion to make a difference in children's lives, teachers find their strength tested by the school environment, which can either uplift or challenge their commitment to this noble profession."-Rebecca Purser

Chapters
00:06 - Introduction
02:53 - Exploring Insights from a US District and Charter Teacher Survey
04:01 - Navigating Data Complexity: Unveiling Key Insights in Education
06:20 - Fostering Teacher Respect, Support, and Effective Discipline Solutions
08:12 - Addressing the Core Issue: Prioritizing Student Behavior Solutions
11:24 - Unveiling the Numbers: Teachers' Perspective on Cultural Shifts
13:28 - Nurturing and Sustaining Teacher Motivation Over Time
16:10 - Unveiling the Passion and Values of Charter School Educators
18:07 - Autonomy and Innovation: Catalysts for Teacher Motivation
19:26 - Agility and Efficient Policy Implementation in Charter School Settings
22:11 - The Unique Teacher Experience Offered by Charter Schools
23:32 - Conclusion

Produced by Heartcast Media
https://www.heartcastmedia.com

Charter Schools are free, public, and open to all. These unique public schools are independently-operated under a contract with a charter school authorizer. Examples of authorizers include, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and/or universities. Charter school authorizers hold schools accountable based on the standards outlined in their “charter.” The public charter school model gives educators the autonomy to design classrooms focused on students’ needs. In this episode, David Griffith, Associate Director of Research at the Thomas B. Fordham discussed common misconceptions around charter schools.

Guest
David Griffith
Associate Director of Research at the Thomas B. Fordham
Think Again: Do charter schools drain resources from traditional public schools?

Episode Takeaways:
Charter schools are free, public, and open to all.Research indicates parents want high-quality public-school options.Charter schools are held accountable.Charter schools are fundamental to the composition of the public education system.Quotes

“We want a safe place with passionate educators and a supportive community." - David Griffith

"No single source has all the answers, but combining information with personal site visits is key."- David Griffith

"Parental choice is crucial. If the current environment isn't working, find a better fit for your child."- David Griffith

Chapters
00:06 – Introduction
01:05 - From Promising to Scalable Solutions for Achievement Gaps
02:40 - Bridging the Knowledge Gap for Average Americans
04:59 - Understanding the Impact of Charter Schools on Traditional Public Schools
08:51 - Driving Educational Progress through Charter Schools
10:14 - Fostering Excellence through Healthy Educational Competition
11:44 - Parental Choice and Regulatory Oversight
14:56 - Challenges Faced by Charter Schools in an Era of Polarization
16:11 - Empowering Change through Education and Advocacy
17:31 - The Importance of Like-Minded Families in Our School Search
19:14 - Balancing Data and Personal Experiences in School Selection
20:35 - Conclusion

Many refugee students and families face a unique set of challenges, including but not limited to, cultural differences, language barriers, a lack of resources, discrimination, feelings of displacement, and trauma. Luma Mufleh is a refugee activist and founder of the nonprofit, Fugees Family. She opened two schools, Fugees Academy in Ohio and Georgia, dedicated to supporting refugee students and families. Luma is the author of Learning America: One Woman's Fight for Educational Justice for Refugee Children and her most recent memoir, From Here. In this episode of Get Schooled on Public Education, Luma discusses her experience as an immigrant, her advocacy journey, and how her charter school helps to resettle families to ensure students feel safe and grounded.

Key Takeaways:
Refugee and immigrant students have different needs—one size will not fit all.Try placing yourself in the shoes of an immigrant or refugee student when making decisions/polices that impact themConsider realistic timelines for student learning and growth based on their individual needsFeatured in the Episode

Luma Mufleh
Refugee Activist and Founder of Fugees Family
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lumamufleh/

Quotes

“It's pretty powerful when you know you've got a community that's got your back when you're struggling, when you're failing, and when you're succeeding.” - Luma Mufleh

"My focus is advocating and fighting for their best interests, disregarding the comfort of others."- Luma Mufleh

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:01 A Journey of Schools, Soccer, and Education
03:10 Prioritizing Deserving Students Over Personal Interests
05:10 Immigrant Student's Success with Community Support
06:00 Empowering Students to Overcome Adversity
07:24 Embracing Activism and Overcoming Challenges
08:38 Breaking Barriers: Policies Affecting Refugee & Immigrant Students
09:56 Conclusion