Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Not all charter schools are good, but the best charters are providing high-quality education to disadvantaged children. The problem, according to a new study by the Progressive Policy Institute, is that America’s high-performing charter networks aren’t growing fast enough to meet public demand.

In Going Exponential: Growing the Charter School Sector’s Best, researchers Emily and Brian Hassel and Joe Ableidinger of Public Impact offer a practical guide for facilitating the rapid growth of the nation’s best charter school networks.

The report will be released tomorrow, Feb. 17, 2011 at 10 a.m. EST, with a public forum at the National Press Club that also features Eva Moskowitz of New York’s Success Charter Network, who was featured in the acclaimed documentary, Waiting for Superman. Also offering commentary will be Andy Rotherham of Bellwhether Education Partners and Brooks Garber of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Moderating the discussion will be PPI President Will Marshall.

“Charter leaders who want to pursue exponential growth and funders who want to support them must become much more familiar with the rapid-growth strategies used in other sectors and apply them to education,” write the authors. “In addition, policymakers must prioritize removing any barriers to growth by the best – while also creating new incentives and avenues for excellent programs to reach more children.”

While the top 10 percent of charter schools serve approximately 167,000 students a year, millions of low-income students continue to receive substandard education. The report outlines nine lessons from fast-growing organizations that can be applied to charter schools to ensure that every child who wants to attend a top-performing charter school will have that opportunity.

“Critics say charter schools don’t serve enough children to make a difference,” said PPI President Will Marshall. “This report takes that criticism to heart – and shows how faster growth about our best charters can make a huge difference in the lives of poor children.”

WHO

R. Brooks Garber, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
Bryan Hassel, Public Impact
Eva Moskowitz, Success Charter Network
Andrew Rotherham, Bellwether Education Partners
Will Marshall, Progressive Policy Institute

WHEN

Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011

10–11:30 a.m.

WHERE

National Press Club — Bloomberg Room
529 14th St. NW
Washington, DC

MEDIA COVERAGE

The event is open to the press. All participants will be available to answer questions from the media. Please register in advance to Steven Chlapecka at 202.525.3931 or schlapecka@ppionline.org.