Charter Schools Conference Remarks

Secretary Duncan spoke by video to the National Alliance of Public Cheap Rosetta Stone Software Charter Schools. Read his remarks.Im sorry I couldnt be with you there live today in person, but Ill keep my remarks very brief and open it up to any questions you might have.First of all, it has been a remarkable year for charter schools. Weve seen a number of states remove barriers to innovation. Ive visited a number of charter schools in a dozen or more states, been to dozens of charter schools around the country, and Ive just been amazed by the quality, the commitment, the difference that charter schools are making in students lives. Ive been to school after school where achievement gaps have basically been eliminated, where children in inner-city communities are performing as well, if not better, than their counterparts in much wealthier suburbs. And for all the challenges we face in this country educationally, the reason why Im actually so optimistic is because you guys are helping to demonstrate whats possible, where there are high expectations, where there is an absolute belief that every child can be successful. And I want to thank you for that remarkable commitment.I can go through a litany of the schools Ive visited. I will tell you, maybe the most meaningful, emotional one for me was the YES College Prep graduation in Houston. To see a couple different schools basketball stadiums filled with young people every single senior graduating, every single senior going on to college to see them stand up with such pride Rosetta Stone Chinese and hold up the shirts of their universities or their banners, to see the impact that was having on them and their families, but most importantly, the culture that it was building for the sixth and seventh graders who were sitting there and soaking that environment in, you cant not want to be a part of that going forward. And so I just want to thank all of you for the hard work and the movement, the progress weve seen around the country.Having said that, I want to challenge this group. There are a couple of things that I think we have to do much better, frankly, as a movement. We know where the opposition comes from; we know what the challenges are. I think this charter community maybe hasnt been as active at taking out some of those challenges and addressing them. I have a couple thoughts a four-point plan just to put on the table for you guys to think about, that I think in the upcoming year will be critical to the long-term health and vitality of the charter movement.We know where the complaints come from; we know what the issues are. One is a complaint around a lack of serving diverse populations the creaming issues were aware of. As a coalition, as a group, we need across the country for pick a number: 5, 10, 15, 20, some set of charters each year to be open and address these specifically. We hear concerns about not enough English Language Learners being served. Obviously I saw an extraordinary example there in Houston with YES College Prep. But if there are places New York or other cities that don’t have enough charters serving ELL students, you guys need to collectively think through who are the players who are doing a fantastic job, who are going to step into the void, and systemically, across the country each year, start to address that issue. Secondly, you hear the complaint about charters not serving enough special education students. Who Rosetta Stone Software are the set of charters again, 5, 10, 15, 20, whatever the number is across the country each year that are going to step up, that are disproportionately going to serve students with special needs? Third, you have the issue of creaming.