Petition Tag - charter schools

Building a strong future for Nashville requires a high quality education for all of Nashville's children, regardless of zip code, race, or socioeconomic status. Valor Collegiate Academy intends to provide a world-class, college preparatory experience to students of all backgrounds in Nashville.

Valor teaches a rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum that is truly personalized for each student. Through a personalized learning plan, each student is encouraged and coached on their path towards acceptance to a four-year college or University. Valor uses rich data to help students grow as scholars and as human beings in a supportive, high expectations community.

Lead Founder Todd Dickson brings over a decade of educational experience to Nashville. He is most recognized for his success with Summit Preparatory Charter in Redwood City, CA. Under his leadership, Summit Prep was named the #118 best public high school in America for the first time in 2008, and the #76 best public high school in 2009. In 2010, Summit was named one of the Top 10 Transformational Schools in the country by Newsweek, and has been featured as an education solution in the nationally acclaimed documentary Waiting for Superman.

Nashville’s Metropolitan Board of Public Education will be considering Valor Collegiate Academy's charter application in May of this year. A vital part of their decision will be based on the support of parents throughout the Nashville community. This petition is meant to demonstrate the excitement and support of Nashville parents in having MNPS provide this new opportunity for their children. Through this we hope to show the School Board the positive impact Valor Collegiate Academy will make upon its arrival.

Names and information collected for this petition will not be used for any commercial purposes.

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Great Hearts Academies, a non-profit network of charter schools based in Phoenix, Arizona, is seeking to bring its unique approach to public education to Davidson County. Great Hearts leaders have hosted informational sessions for parents in Sylvan Park, Hillsboro Village, East Nashville, Antioch, and North Nashville.

Great Hearts' teachers and administrators believe in the power of a classical liberal arts education, with an emphasis on the great books and writers of Western Civilization. By holding students to the highest standards and instilling them with a love for learning, Great Hearts graduates students with the ability to excel in some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation. Their current schools consistently rank in the top 1% of the public schools in their state, and the National Merit Foundation recognizes nearly 19% of Great Hearts graduates. More importantly, their students also graduate with "great hearts:" a commitment to working towards a more just, humane, and philosophical society.

Nashville's Metropolitan Board of Public Education will consider Great Hearts Academies' charter application in May of this year. A critical factor in their decision will be the opinions of parents from all across Davidson County. This petition is meant to demonstrate to the School Board that Nashville parents are excited about and supportive of this new opportunity for their children.

Names and information collected for this petition will not be used for any commercial purpose.

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By a 67% majority, teachers at Rogers Park-based Chicago Math and Science and Academy (CMSA) voted to form a union on June 23, 2010. In response, CMSA administrators immediately retained expensive union-avoidance lawyers and fired Rhonda Hartwell, a teacher who led the organizing effort. Hartwell was 8 months pregnant at the time.

CMSA is a charter school. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rejected the administrators’ claim that it was a private school and reaffirmed the “public” character of charter schools. Administrators were ordered to recognize the union. Instead they chose to appeal the decision.

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Our Children need to be able to have what the Charter schools are offering in their home schools. Best Practices in Education need to be brought back to the classrooms. Every FUSD school should be able to teach the curriculum that will be offered at the Daily Charter School.

Every student in FUSD needs to be able to be taught through the best practices at their home school.

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What do other cities like Albany and Troy have that Schenectady does not? Innovative charters schools that close the gap for students not succeeding in traditional public schools!

Charter schools all over the country including right here in the Capital District are having significant success with teaching students academics and character building skills using out of the box methods. Schenectady’s parents are missing out on the opportunity to choose schools that offer teaching styles that differ from the traditional classroom. As a result our children are missing out too!

Everyone is aware people learn differently. Why deny our children the chance to succeed academically in a charter school with a design more suitable for their learning style?

Charter schools are tuition-free public schools created by parents, educators, and community leader. They are open to all students. Charter school students are required to take all state tests, and must comply with laws regarding health, safety, civil rights and special education.

Charter schools are independent and do not answer to a local school district superintendent or board of education. Instead, each charter school is run by its own board of trustees, responsible for overseeing the school and ensuring its success. Because charter schools are not bound by many of the state laws and regulations governing public education, they are free to develop their own curriculum, choose staff, set educational goals, offer a longer school day and school year, and establish their own standards for student behavior.

Charter schools are required by law to increase student achievement or risk the chance of being closed down. The driving concept behind the creation of public charter schools is to give parents choice.

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State schools continue to fail the majority of children of African Heritage throughout the United Kingdom.

Charter schools have been proven to be a viable alternative to traditional state schools in the global community.

Charter schools operate from three principles: Accountability, Choice and Autonomy.

Charter schools are independent state schools of Choice designed by educators, parents, community organisations and other educational and business entrepreneurs.

Charter schools are free and empowered to design their own curriculum to meet students’ unique interests (e.g. cultural, vocational training, arts) and special talents or needs.

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