By Charles Barone and Marianne Lombardo
Today, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will announce annual federal Charter Schools Program grants to states and non-profit charter management organizations. This round of grants marks a new milestone in President Obama’s education reform legacy. What distinguishes Obama from his predecessors, and what makes him a true champion of our nation’s schoolchildren, is his coupling of new investments in public school choice with a laser-like focus on high-performance, especially for poor and minority students. This Administration has invested a small but significant amount of funding in the replication and expansion of charter school management organizations that have a proven track record of high performance – something no other President has done. Here is a brief rundown on the beneficial impact of this initiative.
