| ||||||
U.S. Department of Education Awards Idaho $3.4 Million Grant to Help Create More Charter Schools |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
From Education Newsfeed: The U.S. Department of Education's Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement Doug Mesecar visited the Idaho Arts Charter School in Nampa, Idaho, today to present a $3,386,402 Charter School Program grant award to the Idaho State Department of Education. Tom Luna, Idaho State Superintendent of Public Instruction, joined Mesecar for the announcement. Idaho is one of five states receiving the competitive grants through the Department's Charter Schools Program (CSP) this year, which supports states' efforts to plan, design, implement and disseminate information about charter schools. The long-term objectives for Idaho's public charter schools are to promote the growth and development of quality Idaho charter schools focused on high achievement for all students and to develop a statewide charter school public awareness campaign to increase understanding of the charter school model. "Supporting the growth of new, high quality charter schools is critical to our efforts to improve the educational opportunities for all children," Mesecar said. These grants help states create more quality charter schools and increase school choices for parents and their children. State educational agencies with a specific statue authorizing charter schools may apply for funding. In awarding grants, the Department gives preference to states that have demonstrated progress in increasing the number of high-quality schools, hold schools accountable for reaching clear and measurable objectives, and give public charter schools a high degree of autonomy over budgets and expenditures. Charter schools are independent public schools designed and operated by parents, educators, community leaders, education entrepreneurs and others with a contract, or charter, from a public agency, such as a local or state education agency or an institution of higher education. Charter schools are operated free-of-charge to parents and are open to all students. These schools provide parents enhanced educational choices within the public school system. Exempt from many statutory and regulatory requirements, charter schools receive increased flexibility in exchange for increased accountability for improving academic achievement. The first U.S. charter school opened in 1992.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
