New Hampshire may have to lift Charter School moratorium to get federal aid

Kevin Landrigan reports on the Nashua Telegraph that New Hampshire officials are applying for $75 million in federal funds from the Department of Education, but might not qualify unless it lifts its Charter School moratorium.

It’s likely some state education laws will have to be changed for the state to become eligible, the state educators said.

The state has a moratorium on additional, state-created charter schools. New charter schools can still open up in the state as long as they are first approved by local voters.

The Race to the Top law encourages charter schools; Barry said existing federal advisories have warned states against having any caps on charter schools.

Maine is not eligible to apply for any of the money because there are no charter schools in that state, Barry said.

Local charter schools are helping their communities

Matt Southerton writes in the Union Leader that charter schools help the towns where they are located, rather than siphon support from district schools as critics contend:

Several charter schools in New Hampshire are already helping districts and towns save money while providing a high quality education. Surry Village was forced to close its town school about two years ago. Since then, the students have been sent to out-of-district schools that charge the town tuition. This tuition currently costs the town about $10,000 per student. At the same time their school was closing, a group of teachers, parents and townsfolk worked to open a new charter school. The Surry Village Charter School now serves 41 students. SVCS is funded on about $5,000 per student from the state and additional community fundraising efforts that have raised about $160,000 this year.

Matt is director and co-founder of the New Hampshire Center for Innovative Schools.

Meet the New Press Archive

The guys at Granite Grok have posted the podcasts from last week's edition of "Meet the New Press", co-hosting by NH Watchdog's Grant Bosse.

Here are some of the highlights:

Segment 3: New media and state government

Segment 4: The Charter School Cap threatens to kick NH students out of school

You can listen to the whole show here, which includes conversations about D-Day and the Battle of Midway, as well as guests Gov. John Sununu and author Leslie Carbone.

UL- "Crushing reform: No school innovation here"

The Union Leader reminds budget negotiators about the consequences to New Hampshire students if they keep the Senate's Charter School Cap in the state budget:

Capping charter school enrollment at 850 students, as the Senate budget does, would force roughly 150 students out of charter schools, which are public schools. The only possible motivation is to weaken the charter school reform movement. Charter schools educate kids in new and innovative ways. Those innovations could show regular schools how to achieve more with less, reducing the burden on taxpayers. It's an outrage that legislators would rather blindly raise funding for schools that might or might not work than allow experimentation that might find a better way.

Nashua Telegraph- "Charter schools cap could endanger federal aid"

Kevin Landrigan reports in the Nashua Telegraph that the Senate plan to cut aid to Charter Schools, and possibly kick kids out of school, could endanger New Hampshire's standing under the federal stimulus bill:

The state's stimulus czar warned state budget negotiators Tuesday that attempts to cap aid to charter schools endangers $160 million in federal education aid.

The $11.6 billion, two-year spending plan that cleared the state Senate last week would cap charter school aid enrollments at 850 students each year.

This proposal would cut House-approved spending by $6 million, over 2010 and 2011, to $9.9 million.

Office of the Stimulus Director Orville "Bud" Fitch said federal education regulations compel states to continue giving the same per-pupil support for charter school students, even if an expected rise in enrollment will increase spending levels.

Senate GOP: Senate Democrats Stunt Charter School Growth

James Pindell at NH Political Report has a post detailing Republican efforts to save charter schools on the floor of the State Senate:

"The cap will have the effect of turning our backs on kids that stand to benefit most from this type of education. This will devastate the kids and their families and tarnish New Hampshire's reputation as being innovative and creative in educating our children," said Senator Carson (R-Londonderry).

Free registration required to read the post. You can also sign up for updates on breaking news, which were very useful during yesterday's hectic session.

Senate kills amendment to save Charter Schools

By a vote of 14-10, the New Hampshire Senate rejected an amendment to HB 2, the state budget, that would have rescinded the enrollment cap on Charter Schools.

Click here for a full report on how this cap will impact New Hampshire's 11 Charter Schools.

NH Senate President kicks reporter off Senate Floor

New Media Off Limits in Granite State

(CONCORD) Senate President Sylvia Larsen this morning revoked the press credentials of Josiah Bartlett Center Lead Investigator Grant Bosse, and barred Bosse from filming today's Senate session from the floor, just as the Chamber was preparing to take up the state's two-year $11.5 billion budget.

Bosse had set up a camera and tripod in a corner of the Senate floor reserved for that purpose, next to tripods owned by New England Cable News and WMUR, when he was told by Senate Communications Director Anne Saunders that he would not be allowed to film from the floor. Reporters from the Associated Press, Union Leader, Concord Monitor, and WNTK radio were allowed on the Senate floor. Saunders said that she had originally given Bosse his press privileges because of his work as a radio reporter, but that she was recently informed that Bosse was no longer part of "the media" and now worked for a "policy institute." Bosse was a radio anchor and reporter at WGIR-AM from 1994 to 1996, and a reporter and program director of WTSL-AM from 1996 to 1999.

Asked if the State Senate had a written policy about which reporters are given press privileges and which are not, Saunders said that she didn't know, but that floor privileges are at the discretion of the Senate President. Saunders says that the Senate does not give out press passes. The House of Representatives asks reporters to sign in before each session and receive a "MEDIA" sticker.

Saunders offered Bosse a reserved seat in the Senate Gallery, which had already filled with members of the public awaiting Senate action on both gay marriage and the budget. Saunders said that while Bosse could film Senate proceedings from the Gallery, he would not be allowed to use a tripod for his camera.

Bosse has filmed from the House floor several times this year, and has been covering the state budget process throughout the year. This would have been his first time filming the State Senate from the floor. Bosse is currently attempting to access public travel records from both the House and Senate, and yesterday published an article detailing how an amendment adopted by the Senate Finance Committee could force hundreds of New Hampshire charter school students out of their schools.

Bosse is editor of the Josiah Bartlett Center's NH Watchdog website, which carries his video news reports. He has also been a substitute radio host on WGIR, WNTK, WTPL, and WEMJ.

N.H. legislators review cap on charter school enrollment

Jennifer Feals of the Portsmouth Herald looks at how charter school students would be effected by the state budget on the floor on the Senate today:

The heads of area charter schools said an enrollment cap would affect future expansion and programming. If a charter school enrollment cap is approved by the Legislature, schools would be forced to conduct a reverse lottery, basically kicking out students, they said.

To remain at its current enrollment of 106 under the proposed enrollment cap, Bill Wilmot, head of the Seacoast Charter School, said the school would have to eliminate its plans to add seventh grade and a second fifth- and sixth-grade class. The school would be forced to graduate its current sixth-graders and hold a reverse lottery to remove half of its current fourth-graders.

Wilmot said a reverse lottery would be devastating to students, their families and the schools.

Decimation: Targeting charter schools

The Union Leader tackles the state budget, and it's impact on charter schools, on the editorial page this morning. It's short enough and cognet enough that I won't exerpt it. Here's the whole thing:

Hidden in the Senate Finance Commitee's proposed state budget is language designed to decimate public charter schools. It would cap charter school enrollment at 850 students next year. That's down from 1,000 students this year.

It also would remove the state Department of Education's authority to approve charter schools. Two-thirds of the state's existing charter schools were approved by the department. Revoking that authority would doom charter schools in many communities where unions for teachers and public school administrators control local school boards.

Studies have shown that in many cases students who struggle in regular schools thrive in charter schools. Restricting the growth of charter schools harms children. This language must be stricken from the bill. It is anti-child, anti-education and anti-New Hampshire.

Senate budget could kick New Hampshire kids out of school

Charter School supporters fear consequences of Enrollment Cap
By Grant Bosse

An amendment capping charter school enrollment across New Hampshire could force hundreds of Granite State students out of their current schools. The Senate Finance Committee adopted a cap of 850 charter school students statewide next year, far fewer than are currently enrolled. The cap increases to 950 for the 2010-2011 academic year. If the cap is written into the state budget, New Hampshire’s eleven charter schools would not be able to accept new students next year, and might have to hold a “reverse lottery” to kick current students out of the classroom. And two charter school administrators worry that the cap might force them out of business entirely.

Read the full story on charter schools in the New Hampshire budget.

Senate Budget Could Kick New Hampshire Kids Out of School

Read the full story here:
Senate Budget Kicks Kids Out of School

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