For this week’s Charters & Choice News Roundup, let’s start with this interesting story from The Washington Post about a successful Arizona-based charter school network, BASIS, expanding into new states and sectors:
The Northern Virginia private school will be part of an expanding effort by the Blocks [the founders] to open a string of "independents" that will mirror their successful public school network in style and substance but will come with a price tag. In 2014, BASIS opened its first two private schools on each coast, with one in Brooklyn and the other in Silicon Valley."
ICYMI: Chicago-based Noble Charter School network won this year’s prestigious Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools. The winner was announced Monday in New Orleans during the 15th annual National Charter Schools Conference.
I wanted to be Jaime Escalante. -- Mike Milkie @BeNoble wins the #BroadPrize #NCSC15 pic.twitter.com/KvWZPuTzpC
— The Broad Foundation (@BroadFoundation) June 22, 2015
Q&A... The National Charter Schools Conference is the largest annual gathering of charter school professionals in the country. While I was there covering the conference, I caught up with Nina Rees, the president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, to talk charter school issues and trends.
And now for the kicker... Turns out zip code and connections don’t always get your kids into the best schools:
Littlest Victims: Charlie Sheen’s Rants Prevent Daughters From Being Admitted Into Top Private Schools http://t.co/eKJWVMx9Kx
— Celebrity News Feed (@_CelebNewsFeed_) June 23, 2015
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