Charter Schools

Alabama Charter Schools Group Awarded $25 Million Federal Grant

The U.S. Department of Education announced a $25 million grant today to support charter schools in Alabama.

Proposed Charter School Plans to Serve LGBTQ Youth

Many students who identify as LGBTQ here in Alabama say they’ve been harassed or assaulted because of their sexuality. A new charter school proposed in Birmingham aims to make these young people feel safe in the classroom.

State Commission Approves Birmingham Charter School

The Alabama Public Charter School Commission approved plans for a new charter school in Birmingham. The development comes two months after Birmingham school officials rejected the i3 Academy application. Organizers of the charter school appealed to the state.

State Commission to Hear Birmingham Charter School Appeal

The Alabama Public Charter School Commission is scheduled to vote Monday on a proposed charter school in Woodlawn. The Birmingham school board recently rejected i3 Academy’s bid to open in the city, and organizers appealed to the state.

Third Rejected Birmingham Charter School Plans to Appeal

The Birmingham School Board informed the state today that it denied an application for a Woodlawn-area charter school and explained why it was rejected.

Birmingham Denies Application For Woodlawn Charter School

The Birmingham school board denied the application Thursday for a proposed charter school in Woodlawn.

Proposed Birmingham Charter School Draws Mixed Reviews

Birmingham’s first charter school would open in Woodlawn next fall for students in grades K-5 under a proposal before the Birmingham Board of Education. School leaders heard mixed feedback on the plan at a Thursday night hearing.

First Charter Schools Open In Mississippi; Alabama Charters Could Come Soon

States across the U-S have increasingly been turning to charter schools in an effort to bolster struggling public school systems. Two of the most recent states to adopt the controversial form of education are Mississippi and Alabama. As part of a Southern Education Desk series examining charter schools in the South, we turn to Mississippi Public Broadcasting's Paul Boger for a report on how those states are adopting to the alternative form of public education.

Paying For Charter Schools In The South

Florida has about 650 charter schools. They are part of school districts but are privately managed and largely free of many of the rules governing traditional public schools. But as enrollment in charters has increased, so has the financial cost. WFSU’s Lynn Hatter reports for the Southern Education Desk that Tennessee and Georgia are also struggling to find ways to support their charter schools.

Getting Parent Buy-In For A New Alternative

The big push for charter schools in Louisiana started after Hurricane Katrina. The state’s Recovery School District took over most of the public schools in New Orleans, and quickly issued charters. The organization has moved on to Baton Rouge, but, without a hurricane scattering teachers and students, charters really have to get parents to buy into the alternative they’re selling.

Lessons For New Orleans

Charter schools are changing American education. Some say for the better, some say the worse. This week the Southern Education Desk looks at the charter school movement throughout the south. We start in New Orleans, the testing ground for the movement.