National Charter School Week recognizes changemakers and advocates

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools kicked off its National Charter School Week recognizing changemakers and advocates, celebrating 31 years of existence.

“This week is a great opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the charter school sector with our growing community of parents, educators, activists, students, alumni, and elected officials who see the unwavering value of charter schools,” said Nina Rees, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. “It’s an inspiring, heart-warming time each year when we can celebrate how many incredible victories have already been won and remind ourselves why we do this work.”  

Charter Schools Rising is the theme for this year’s celebration, which reflects the schools' efforts to meet today's challenges and elevate new, diverse voices in public education. This year, the organization celebrates many individuals across the nation who are using their voices, platforms, experiences, and expertise in serving charter school families and communities. Also recognized this year are individual leaders that are pushing the sector forward, ensuring the future of the movement and that all students in America can get a high-quality education that meets their individual needs.

The celebration kicked off on May 9th with the announcement of the 2022 Charter School Changemakers. Ten individuals who positively impacted their charter school, brought innovation and creativity to solve problems, and consistently lifted voices around them were honored in this category.

On May 10th, 16 state and federal lawmakers were recognized for their tireless efforts to support these unique public schools and for displaying the political courage to prioritize high-quality public education options for students in their state as the 2022 Champions from Charter Schools.

In the 2020-2021 school year, data shows that charter school enrollment grew 7%, the largest increase in half a decade. Nearly 240,000 new students enrolled in these innovative, student-centered public schools, despite a sharp decrease in overall public school enrollment during the same period. Of the 42 states evaluated, 39 experienced charter school enrollment increases, while only three saw modest decreases. By comparison, district school enrollment dropped precipitously in every state. 

 The National Alliance highlighted that  almost 70% of charter school students are students of color compared to about 53% of district school students. Stanford’s CREDO found that in urban charter schools, low-income Latino students gained 48 additional days in math and 25 additional days in reading per year, while low-income Black students gained 44 additional days in reading and 59 additional days in math per year.

The mission of Green Dot Public Schools is to help transform public education so all students graduate prepared  for college, leadership and life.