While it has been a challenging year for education, charter schools continued to put students first and be a beacon of hope for their communities. On The Charter Blog, we’ve highlighted stories all year showing how charter schools stand out in public education, providing resources for the sector, and clearing up misconceptions.
Here are our top 10 most-read blog posts for 2020:
1. The New Normal: Four Key Takeaways from Our Webinar with Google’s Jaime Casap
When the COVID-19 pandemic thrust us into strange new territory, the National Alliance launched a webinar series featuring keynote speakers from the National Charter Schools Conference to help school leaders, teachers, and families navigate the new normal. In this blog post, we break down the four key takeaways from our webinar with Google’s Chief Education Evangelist Jaime Casap on working and teaching from home.
2. What a New Harvard Study Shows About Student Performance in Charter Schools
This fall, Harvard University’s Program on Education Policy and Governance added to the growing body of research that shows charter schools produce accelerated achievement gains for students. Christy Wolfe, vice president of policy and planning at the National Alliance, pulls out four of the most significant findings from the study, which leveraged data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
3. 5 Innovative Ideas for Recruiting Teachers of Color
Zoie Jones, a 2020 Walton-UNCF K-12 Education Fellow, spent part of her summer with the National Alliance researching innovative programs across the country that aim to recruit, train, and mentor teachers from diverse backgrounds. She pulled together the top ideas schools can adapt or implement.
4. Charter Schools Overachieve in 2020 Best Public High Schools List
When U.S. News & World Report released the 2020 rankings of the best high schools in the public school sector earlier this year, we were pleased—but not surprised—to see charter schools had an outsized performance in the rankings again this year. In our blog post, we take a closer look at the rankings and how charter schools performed.
5. Rethink K-12 Education Models Grants Support Virtual and Student-Centered Learning
The new Rethink K-12 Education Models Grants offer funds to help states address the dual challenge of serving students during the pandemic and cultivating new models for equitable, student-centered learning. Fiona Sheridan-McIver, senior manager of policy and planning for the National Alliance, outlines the three categories the grant is funding and examples of how states plan to use their grants.
6. Are There For-Profit Charter Schools? Dispelling the Myth
All charter schools are public schools. Yet many people insist that nefarious “for-profit charter schools” exist and call for their defunding. To clear up these misconceptions, we offer some answers to common questions about charter schools that are worth knowing.
7. Uplifting Stories from the Charter Community VIII
At the onset of the pandemic, the National Alliance launched a blog post series that shared the positive stories from charter schools across the country rising to the challenge. In this edition of Uplifting Stories, we find teachers donating supplies for first responders, students continuing to learn online, and a special video created by school for their students.
8. Education in the Digital Age: Three Key Takeaways from Our Webinar with Code.org’s Hadi Partovi
As part of our COVID-19 webinar series, Code.org Founder and CEO Hadi Partovi joined us to discuss what schools need to consider as they plan to reopen their doors and reimagine education for the 21st century. Read the key takeaways from the conversations.
9. Uplifting Stories from the Charter Community XV
In another blog post for the Uplifting Stories series, we make note of charter schools going above and beyond for students, families, and communities. Some charter schools are highlighted for academic performance, successfully closing the digital divide for students, and feeding their communities while keeping spirits high.
10. Safe School Reopening: COVID-19 Outbreak Map for Charter Schools
In response to the needs of the charter school community, the National Alliance created a resource that maps the U.S. COVID-19 outbreak data for selected school districts with high charter enrollment share. The map offers a wealth of information as we take a breath after starting the 2020-21 school year.
Melinda Tolliver is the senior manager of digital strategy at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Read more of the National Alliance’s series of year-end blog posts for 2020:
Top 10 Highlights from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools in 2020
Top 5 Educational Videos from the National Charter Schools Conference in 2020
Stand Out Celebrity Support for Charter Schools in 2020
Reflecting on State Wins for Charter Schools in 2020
