U.S. Department of Education Awards $49 Million in Charter School Grants to Florida and New York to Increase Public School Options

Some great news from the US DOE last week that hasn't gotten any attention, but which is HUGE for high-quality charters in NY and FL:

 

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the award of two charter school grants, totaling $49 million, to increase public school options in Florida and New York. The Florida Department of Education and the New York State Education Department will each receive five-year grants under the Charter School Program state educational agency (SEA) competition, which provides funds to states to create new high-quality charter schools and disseminate information about existing charters.

 

Democrats for Education Reform was one of a number of organizations and people that worked hard over the past two years to make this happen for NY.  Note that the $49M is only for the first year and there's a chance of additional funding that could result in over $100 million for NY charter schools.

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U.S. Department of Education Awards $49 Million in Charter School Grants to Florida and New York to Increase Public School Options

July 21, 2011

 

Contact: 

Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov

 

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the award of two charter school grants, totaling $49 million, to increase public school options in Florida and New York. The Florida Department of Education and the New York State Education Department will each receive five-year grants under the Charter School Program state educational agency (SEA) competition, which provides funds to states to create new high-quality charter schools and disseminate information about existing charters.

 

"High-quality charter schools have an important role to play in the overall strategy of successful school reform," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "These states have an opportunity to spread effective practices and provide public charter school choices for more students and parents."

 

The purpose of the Charter Schools Program is to increase financial support and build a better national understanding of public charter schools, while expanding the number of high-quality public charter schools across the nation. In total, the administration will invest $255 million in fiscal year 2011 through several grant programs administered by the Charter Schools Program, which together will:

 

    * help plan and implement public charter schools;

    * support charter school efforts to find suitable facilities;

    * disseminate information about successful charter school practices; and

    * replicate and expand high-quality charter schools

      .

 

President Barack Obama's fiscal year 2012 budget request includes $372 million to expand educational options by helping grow effective charter schools and other autonomous public schools that achieve positive results and give parents more choices.

 

More information about the Charter Schools Program is available from the Education Department's Office of Innovation and Improvement at: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oii/csp/index.html