1. Accountability, Finance and Innovation:
Charter schools in Florida

2. Carolyn D. Herrington Professor, FSU
Director, fsu Center for Educational Policy

3. Quick Review Charter schools are public schools
They are authorized by local school boards
They can not charge tuition
Students take same assessments; schools assigned grades A-F
They must admit all students (if over-subscribed, lottery)

4. Charters are one of many choice programs in Florida
PUBLIC
PUBLIC
PRIVATE
TRADITIONAL (DISTRICT) AP
Dual enrollment
Magnet schools IB
District-wide open enrollment
Others
NON-TRADITIONAL
Charter schools
State-wide open enrollment
VOUCHERS
McKay Scholarships
Gardiner Scholarships
TAX CREDITS
Florida Tax Credit Scholarships
HOME SCHOOLING

6. Accountability: the Grand Bargain
Increased autonomy in exchange for greater accountability
Autonomy – relaxed regulations regarding professional staff and management of schools; opportunity to innovate
Accountability – the charter is extended for a limited period of time after which the charter school must be extended or the school closed
Finance equity key to grand bargain
Similar to traditional public schools
Small fee deducted to cover administrative costs of district management

7. Finance Level of funding and equity with traditional public schools
Loss of revenue to school district/traditional schools
Constraints by state on use of local tax revenue

8. Innovation
Core justification for charters (second one being competitive effects)
Traditional public schools offer greater array of choice today
Proven very difficult to regulate, define

9. Charter school growth nationally

10. Areas of Concern Inclusion of all kids Local school board control
Contracting out core services
Closures
Local school board control
Loss of revenue to traditional schools/school district
Innovation

11. Inclusion of all kids Special education Diverse populations
English Language learners

12. Closures
Churning?

13. Charter schools closed between 2013 and 2016 by county
Bay Palm Beach 5
Broward Pasco 2
Dade 5 Alachua, Columbia, Lake 1
Duval 4 Monroe, Pinellas, Sarasota 1
Hillsborough St. Johns, St. Lucie 1
Lee 3
Leon 2
Osceola 2

14. Challenges to local control
Recent proposed Constitutional amendment (thrown out by Fl. Supreme Court)
Schools of Hope program
Appeals process for charter schools denied by local school boards
Charter district (Jefferson Co.)

15. 2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
Total
Total # of applications submitted to Sponsors 78 75
138
199
236
726
Applications Approved 34 31 56 50 96
267
Applications Denied 3 7 25 37 44
116
Applications Withdrawn 41 57
112
343
Appeals Filed With CSAC 2 10 9
10*
Appeals Granted (recommendation) 1 4 11
Appeals Denied (recommendation)
Appeals Withdrawn
SBE
Appeals Granted
Appeals Denied 5
Appeals withdrawn 17

16. 20 Years later: what do we know?
Improved student achievement?
Increased parental choice?
Innovative pedagogy?

17. 20 Years later: Concerns Not serving all kids?
Diverting resources from traditional public schools?
Challenging local control?

18. Data drawn from : FSU Learning Systems Institute
Tough Choices: Civil Rights Project
Others
Marisa Benz
Marytza Gawlik
Carolyn Herrington
Brian Andrew-Larson
Whitney Lee
Linda Schrader
(Slides and 22-25)
Gary Orfield
Jongyeon Ee
Florida Department of Education
Center for Research on Education Outcomes, Stanford
Spencer Foundation
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools