Charter Sector News

Fordham Institute
Let me acknowledge up front that I may be grasping at straws or (to shift analogies for the second time) forgetting the ancient maxim that sighting one or two swallows doesn’t necessarily mean summer has arrived.

The 74
Some educators say they can’t control whether kids come to school, but districts say they’ll keep working to lower the rates.

Today, the Colorado Department of Education announced its semifinalists for 2027 Colorado Teacher of the Year. The department’s 21 semifinalists represent 21 schools from 18 Colorado school districts and one charter school. This group of semifinalists has at least one candidate from every region in Colorado. 

CPR
For years, Colorado cafeteria workers have served millions of free breakfasts and lunches under the state's Healthy School Meals for All program.

CDE
The Colorado Department of Education today announced that more than 600 summer meal sites are open statewide to provide meals free of charge to all youth ages 18 and younger. Parents, families, and community members can visit www.kidsfoodfinder.org to find a nearby meal site, including locations, dates and times.

KOAA News
On Friday, Governor Polis signed Senate Bill 125 into law. It strengthens protections for students with disabilities and creates a formal complaint process when they are denied accommodations.

This morning, Governor Polis signed Senate Bill 145 into law—an important step forward for charter school facility funding and transparency in local bond planning.

Littleton Independent
In recent years, STEM School Highlands Ranch has grown beyond the limits of its building — and the school is looking outside of Douglas County School District for an expansion.

Chalkbeat
A southern Colorado elementary school that backers have called “Colorado’s first public Christian school” has dropped its religious discrimination lawsuit against the state less than four months after filing it.

Boardhawk
Denver Public Schools has begun a months-long process of collecting feedback and studying options for redrawing its school boundaries.

K-12Dive
Charter school growth may be slowing but because of its flexibility and autonomy, it remains a popular school model.

EdWeek
The Trump administration is using an obscure and typically routine federal budget procedure to withhold more than $2 billion for education that Congress approved in February.

Fordham Institute
From Oklahoma to California, states across the political spectrum are moving to require minimum amounts of daily recess in elementary—and in some cases middle—grades, often coupled with bans on withholding it as punishment.

Fordham Institute
The National Assessment Government Board made some very good news last week, albeit a decade or two late, when it voted to commence more frequent testing of civics and, especially, to make 12th grade results available (in civics, reading, and math) at the state level.

The 74
Artificial intelligence can fill gaps for teachers who lack time & tools for getting kids back on track while keeping the class moving ahead.

Fort Lupton Press
Last fall, Adams 12 World History teacher Jim Madole said his class sizes at Horizon High had grown from around 28 to 35 students. A colleague with 21 years of teaching experience was mowing lawns on the side to make ends meet. Others had already left for Boulder Valley, where salaries are higher.

CPR
The Colorado General Assembly’s 120-day legislative session is often complicated and, at times, chaotic, with hundreds of bills introduced, long hours of debate and behind-the-scenes politics.

The 74
A useful guide that can help teachers save time, spark engagement and help students actually learn.

EdWeek
The White House is keeping congressionally approved money locked up through a little-known process.

The 74
New comprehensive research finds little effect on academics, attendance or behavior, but small improvements in student well-being.

Aspen Times
With rural school districts facing inflated costs and declining enrollment, projected increases in per-pupil funding are still leaving schools with tight budgets.

Boardhawk
Colorado lawmakers are moving a bill this session that could reshape how school districts plan and present local funding measures by requiring districts to engage charter schools earlier and more formally in the process.

The 74
It came as a jolt to many in the policy world when former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan co-authored an op-ed in The Washington Post urging his fellow Democrats to embrace a new school choice tax credit.