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OAPCS is a nonprofit advocacy organization that proactively educates and informs the public, families, stakeholders, policymakers and thought leaders about the importance of educational choice and charter schools. In this capacity, OAPCS serves as a clearinghouse of charter school data, research and stories pertaining to the charter movement, quality in education, state and federal school legislation and other topics that affect student equity. 

For the Media: 

Inquiries, information and interview requests and questions should be directed to Julie Conry, OAPCS Director of Communications, at jconry@oapcs.org or 614-744-2266, ext. 203.

In the News:

Charter School Advocate Sees Challenges Ahead in State Education Leader Search

December 21, 2015

“Ohio Teachers’ Union President Melissa Cropper properly advises us to ignore politics in selecting a new Ohio schools superintendent (“Dump politics in schools chief search” Dec. 8). Reviewing state education problems of the past year, however, she conveniently omits the biggest Ohio school scandal in memory: 10 years’ misspending millions of taxpayer dollars and rigging student grades and graduation rates in the Columbus City Schools.”

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Euclid Student Says Online Charter Schools Work: Caleb Martin (Opinion)

December 18, 2015

“It seems that, almost on a daily basis, our newspapers, opinion leaders or lawmakers are reporting or commenting on our education system — always trying to determine what works and if our students are succeeding.”

Read the full article on Cleveland.com here.

Charter School Advisory Panel Presents Recommendations to State Board

December 16, 2015

Click here to read the Cleveland Plain Dealer article. Click here to read the Dayton Daily News article.

 

Chris Woolard, accountability chief for the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), led an update Tuesday to the State Board of Education on a comprehensive evaluation…

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OAPCS Responds to Traditional School District Invoicing ODE for Charter Students

December 16, 2015

OAPCS Responds to Clermont School District and Invoice to ODE. Read the OAPCS statement here.

Watch the story here.

Bill Would Prohibit Charter Schools from Spending Tax Money on Ads

December 13, 2015

“How much tax money should the state allow charter schools to spend on advertising to attract students?

None, says one Ohio lawmaker, who has introduced a bill in the state Senate banning charters from using tax dollars to advertise.”

Click here to read the article in the Columbus Dispatch.

Second Response Goes to Feds for Inquiry on Charter School Grant

December 11, 2015

The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) this week delivered its second set of responses on charter school oversight to the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), which is seeking assurances on the state’s ability to administer a recent $32 million grant to expand and improve the charter sector. 

The latest letter from Superintendent Richard Ross to USDOE Charter Schools Program Director Stefan Huh focuses on state auditing procedures for charter schools.

Ohio’s application for the grant relied substantially on a charter school sponsor rating system that was…

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NAPCS Issues Statement on U.S. Senate Passage of ESSA

December 9, 2015

Washington, D.C. – As the U.S. Senate passed the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015(ESSA) today with overwhelming bipartisan support, charter school advocates are one step closer to a big victory in achieving their slate of priorities, including critical updates…

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OAPCS Issues Statement on #3 Ohio Authorizer Ranking in NACSA Analysis of State Charter School Oversight

December 8, 2015

Ohio has one of the top rankings in the second annual analysis of state charter school oversight policies across the nation released today by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA).

According to the report, On the Road to Better Accessibility, Autonomy, & Accountability: State Policy Analysis, Ohio is ranked #3 of 43 states evaluated. The analysis scored Ohio at 32 of a possible 33 points in evaluating the state’s framework of policies,…

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OAPCS Issues Statement on State Senator Joe Schiavoni's Proposed Legislation on Charter School Advertising

December 8, 2015

The Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools (OAPCS) President and CEO Dr. Darlene Chambers released the following statement in response to State Senator Joe Schiavoni’s proposed legislation introduced today to prohibit charter schools from spending tax dollars on advertising.

“In traditional school districts, students are assigned by geographic location to the neighborhood school,” said OAPCS CEO and President Dr. Darlene Chambers. “For charter schools that parents choose, advertising is the main vehicle available so parents can locate educational options for…

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Latest Analysis Reiterates Poverty-Achievement Link in State Test Scores

December 2, 2015

Education management groups and school finance expert Howard Fleeter released a new analysis Tuesday buttressing earlier findings that Ohio’s achievement assessment results track closely to poverty. 

The Ohio School Boards Association, Ohio Association of School Business Officials and Buckeye Association of School Administrators commissioned the analysis by the Ohio Education Policy Institute, for which Fleeter is a consultant. The report found “testing performance in all four subject areas had a high negative correlation with the percentage of economically…

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