Giving Compass' Take:
- Mark Medema, managing director of the Charter School Facility Center at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, gives recommendations for supporting charter school leaders of color.
- How can donors support charter school leaders of color? How can doing so spur social change and improve children's educational experience?
- Read about diverse educator pipelines and educator equity.
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Although 2021 ended in the shadows of the pandemic and the continued struggle for equity, there were two significant charter school funding announcements that will propel the sector forward in 2022. Focused on providing students with the educational opportunities they deserve and have long been denied, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced $750 million to grow the charter school sector. Then, the Equitable Facilities Fund (EFF) announced a $500 million goal of financing charter schools led by people of color. These two investments attack the financial divide — inequitable access to funding for schools led by educators of color and serving students of color.
These two investments target an underlying divide in public education: the achievement gap between white students and students of color. Charter schools, always public, free and open to all, are working to close that gap through innovative approaches to academic achievement. The Bloomberg and EFF investments are significant, as they will support charter schools and community leaders in expanding and starting these innovative public schools. Charter schools have shown impressive results in serving students from all backgrounds, and parental demand for more charter schools is apparent as they vote with their feet and at the ballot box.
In too many states, charter schools need significant start-up capital to design their curriculum, hire teachers and find space. Locating space is particularly tricky because charter schools often do not have access to empty public buildings or funds to finance capital improvements. The charter school’s only recourse is to navigate the commercial real estate market and deal with commercial banks. School founders, especially those of color who wish to operate single-site schools in underserved communities, often have trouble identifying building opportunities and qualifying for financing to lease or purchase. These obstacles are difficult for anyone to navigate, but even more so in communities of color with a history of real estate and financial discrimination.
Read the full article about supporting diverse school leaders by Mark Medema at The 74.