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North State Journal Archives - North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools

Nov 07
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‘Growing pains’ and ‘possibilities’ for charters amid a changing sector

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A.P. Dillon of North State Journal recently wrote an in-depth story about the challenges and opportunities ahead for the state’s charter schools. Growth in the charter sector has introduced a landscape of both “growing pains” and “possibilities,” she wrote.

Cited experts include Bruce Friend, the chair of the state’s Charter Schools Review Board as well as the head of Pine Springs Preparatory–and Jennifer Nichols, who leads Aspire Trade High School. Both charter schools are members of the Coalition. Pine Springs Prep is located in Wake County while Aspire is in Mecklenburg County.

We share an excerpt from the article below:

RALEIGH — Public charter schools in North Carolina have seen a boom in recent years, with the 2023 report to the General Assembly citing 145,075 students enrolled for the 2022-23 year.

That enrollment number represents more than 10% of the total state enrollment, according to the report. At the time of the report, 210 schools were in operation.

The report also found big waitlists, with 169 charter schools reporting having a waitlist at the start of the 2023-24 school year totaling 85,551 students, a number that could include duplicate names as students are often waitlisted at multiple charter schools.

Read the full article in North State Journal.

Above: Shutterstock photo.

Mar 21
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New coverage from our Charter Advocacy Summit

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We have new coverage to share from our 2024 Charter Advocacy Summit! We include our recap video below, along with an excerpt from an excellent article in North State Journal covering our March 7 reception and March 8 Summit.

Thank you to the speakers, charter leaders, and sponsors who participated in interviews–and to Brian Jodice who pulled the recap video together. Thanks again to our event sponsors, who made the Summit possible.

 

Here’s an excerpt from the NSJ article, which covers Superintendent Truitt’s reception speech:

In her remarks, Truitt noted how charter schools had kept their doors open during the pandemic, oftentimes “at a loss,” and showed parents how important charter schools are in North Carolina. She added that around 10% of students in the state attend a charter school.

“I am so incredibly proud of what this community did in order to help students recover from the pandemic more quickly than students who were shut out of their schools for longer,” said Truitt. “It was clear then, as it is now, that the opportunity to have choice in where a child goes to school, as well as choice in a method that your child best learns, are the greatest equalizers for parents and children.

“And there are absolutely forces in our state that want to take that choice away from you. And we are in a battle of philosophies between funding buildings and funding students … funding the system or funding students. And if we’re not careful, we are going to lose that battle.”

Watch Superintendent Truitt’s full remarks at the reception here. Read a more comprehensive recap of the Summit here.