National charter schools week

National Charter Schools Week: How We’re Celebrating Amazing Charter Schools

It’s the beginning of National Charter Schools Week and what better way to celebrate than to share some amazing charter school stories and images from our 2019 Charter School Honor Roll! We were blown away by the inspiring, not-enough-positive-words-to-say-about-them, submissions for this year’s Charter School Honor Roll. Selecting just 30 winners out of the hundreds of submissions across the five categories was no easy task, to be sure. This blog post hopefully pays homage to just some of the amazing submissions that we’ve received from across the country.
Note: The photos below are in no particular order, just a compilation of some of the great photos that were sent in with submissions. And, for the sake of brevity, the submission excerpts below may not be the submission in its entirety.



Charter School Honor Roll


Charter School Growth

Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy, Louisiana

In its first year of operation the school welcomed 420 students in grades PreK-3rd, 5th, and 6th. Now, in its sixth year, the school has a bustling student body of 1,536 students in PreK-11th grade. Since its opening Discovery has had an active wait list of over 1,000 students.
~2019 Honor Roll Winner: School Growth

Towpath Trail High School, Ohio

Towpath Trail High School is dropout recovery high school located in Akron, OH. It is managed by Oakmont Education and served just over 100 students in 2012. Towpath recently opened a satellite campus and now serves just under 500 opportunity youth across its two locations. Towpath also recently opened a career tech wing where students can earn industry credentials in the fields of Healthcare, IT, Construction, and Manufacturing. Oakmont and the school have partnered with Habitat for Humanity and the construction students have just begun work on building a new house in the community that when complete, will go to an under-resourced local family. Academically, the school has met standards on Ohio LRC and has grown its number of graduates each of the past 6 years. And the school’s growth has allowed the board to purchase both buildings. Towpath is making a difference in the lives of hundreds of students who are the definition of “at risk” and they’re making a difference in the Akron, OH community. They’re doing this by providing a safe environment with a multitude of wraparound services, helping students earn a high school diploma that most think is out of reach, and by offering industry credential career tech pathways in high need fields that provide opportunities for jobs paying living wages immediately upon graduation.
~2019 Honor Roll Winner: School Growth



Charter School Leadership

Mission View Public Charter, California

Principal Berry has demonstrated leadership and vision geared toward increasing student learning through academic integrity. She does not want her students to simply “get through” their courses, she wants them to grow through their coursework. This is evident through policies and procedures she has put into place to ensure academic integrity.
~ 2019 Honor Roll Winner: School Leadership

Amana Academy, Georgia

Mr. Ehab Jaleel, has shown a dedication to not only his students and staff but also to the greater community. They are actively looking to replicate their model (Number 1 STEM Certified K-8 School in Georgia) to offer their model in underserved areas of Metro Atlanta.
~2019 Honor Roll Winner: School Leadership

Compass Charter School, California

Compass Charter School Leadership is built from a team. Of hard-working, inspirational and highly capable leaders. Amir three years ago the school was on the verge of closing. One of the board members, Jay Luis, took over as CEO and has turned the organization around closing underperforming campuses and increasing enrollment substantially. JJ Lewis and compass charter schools could be equally nominated for growth and strong leadership. In fact, it is difficult if not impossible to grow a school without strong leadership. I have had the pleasure in the honor of working with JJ for the last few months and find that he had he is compassionate and empathetic but also drives a hard bargain. Compass leadership is the type of leadership that is always a joy to work with.
~2019 Honor Roll Winner, School Leadership



Positive Charter School Climate

The Bronx Charter School for Better Learning, New York

BBL has developed an inclusive community and culture that contribute to an exemplary school climate of scholarship, connection and high achievement. Productive relationships lie at the center of all action where the school fosters trust and gratitude filled relationships between staff within their schools, across locations and also with neighbors within co-located space. Knowing that learning, progress and development do not occur in spaces of discomfort, BBL goes above and beyond to ensure their staff and students are happy.
~ 2019 Honor Roll Winner, Positive School Climate

Pine Springs Preparatory Academy, North Carolina

At Pine Springs Preparatory Academy, teachers have their students work both collaboratively and individually in the classroom, promoting teamwork, as well as independence. With an unwavering respect for discipline, the PSPA classroom is very demanding yet vastly rewarding.” When asked about Pine Springs, students respond that the school provides project-based learning experiences, a safe learning environment, discipline and rigor. The school gives them opportunities and is focused on relationships. Pine Springs teaches students to have ownership and be critical thinkers in a global world. The mayor of the town shared at a ceremony that Pine Springs is the only school in town he does not get complaints about which is a direct result of a positive school climate and the heart each staff member gives to such an amazing school.
~ 2019 Honor Roll Winner, Positive School Climate



Community Service

Early College High School, Delaware

HIA works hard throughout the year to “multiply good” through its participation with the Jefferson Awards’ Students in Action program. This past school year, HIA has completed multiple service projects. It’s Hoops for Hurricanes in October raised funds for an Early College HS in South Carolina where many of the students were negatively impacted by the hurricane. In addition to collecting donations, HIA organized a basketball tournament where many in the ECHS community participated or helped out. HIA has also raised funds for Delaware Coalition for Prostate Cancer through a “No Shave November” fundraiser, collected cans for the Delaware Food Bank, volunteered with the Special Olympics’ State Bowling Tournament, helped promote other organizations’ fundraisers like Wreaths Across America and Rock Your Socks, and also organized a Candygram sale for Valentine’s Day. The proceeds from the Candygram sale fund the HIA care package project to benefit Shepherd Place, a family homeless shelter in Dover, DE.
~ 2019 Honor Roll Winner, Community Service

Leadership Prep School, Texas

Leadership Prep School (LPS) empowers students to be servant leaders. Teachers and students have both taken the initiative to create community service projects. Each year, LPS computer science high school students raise money to purchase computer parts, build desktop computers from scratch, and donate the computers to “make an authentic impact.” For the past two years, students have chosen Computer for the Blind as their charity. The unemployment rate for blind people is 63%, so many cannot afford computers. Donating 17 computers provides online access to individuals who were otherwise disconnected because of blindness. This past fall, seventh-grade math/science students from LPS used their project-based learning assignment to raise $1500 to battle childhood cancer. The students worked in teams and used math ratios, business math and chemistry to create the best slime to sell at the school carnival. They donated $1500 raised from the sale of the slime to Team Connor whose mission it is to raise funds for childhood cancer research and inpatient programs. A team of fourth graders pitched the idea of a buddy-to-buddy peer mentoring program where fourth graders would partner with two to three kindergarten or first-grade students to help them with English / Language Arts learning. LPS elementary principal, Michelle Creamer, said that when the students approached her with their idea, she provided them with guidance and suggestions, but ultimately she left the coordination and implementation of the project to them. LPS Fourth-grader pitched a service project idea to his teachers, principal, and classmates after his family contributed to World Vision to purchase farm animals to provide food and income and help build sustainable communities across the globe. With his classmates, they launched a school-wide fundraiser and exceeded their goal of raising $2720 to purchase 28 farm animals in less than three weeks.
~2019 Honor Roll Winner, Community Service



Charter School Student Achievement

Signature School, Indiana

Signature School, Indiana’s first charter high school founded in 2002, focuses its International Baccalaureate (IB)-based curriculum on fine and performing arts, science, technology, mathematics and the liberal arts. Signature, an open-admission high school, believes all students, given proper support, are best served by high expectations. All, regardless of GPA or test scores, are expected to be IB diploma candidates. In May 2018, 361 Signature students sat for 999 Advanced Placement (AP) exams. 198 Signature students were designated AP Scholars by College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the AP exams. 89% of seniors participated as IB diploma candidates. Signature continues to expand student achievement opportunities, becoming an AP Capstone school in 2018. All students take AP Seminar and AP Research courses; all are eligible to earn the Capstone Diploma. The Class of 2018 included three National Merit Finalists and six Commended Scholars, roughly 14% of the total graduating class. 92% received the Indiana Academic Honors Diploma. This class also collectively performed 7,894 hours of community service and generated $22.6 million in scholarship offers. Beyond the classroom, Signature’s participation in national science fairs continues to grow. Two sophomores participated in the Intel International Science Fair in Pittsburgh. Another advanced to round two in the highly competitive American Mathematics Competition for the second year in a row. Signature’s success has been consistently recognized by respected national publications. The Washington Post ranked Signature the third Most Challenging High School in the nation, and US News and World Report ranked Signature the 17th Best High School nationally. Thank you for the opportunity to nominate Signature School, which consistently exemplifies student achievement through its emphasis on rigor and excellence in academics, the arts, integrated technologies and community service.
~2019 Honor Roll Winner, Student Achievement

RISE, Colorado

At RISE, we address social injustices while valuing scholar identity through innovative planning and “empathy” interviews. As a college prep school, we serve all scholars whether gifted, Emerging Bilingual, scholars with Individual Education Plans (IEP) and/or scholars in our Multi-Intensive center. Therefore, the category of “Student Achievement” looks different at each level, but one thing that remains true for all scholars is experiencing achievement that is meaningful. Examples of scholar achievement at RISE include (but are not limited to): an outstanding 11th grader winning the Marshall-Brennon Moot Court Competition and heading to the national competition in D.C. while his peer, a member of the Colorado Youth Congress, will be speaking with Denver’s new superintendent about important issues facing our community. One of our oldest scholars, who has an IEP, completed necessary coursework to begin his alternate path to graduation, which included securing part-time employment; he is also the lead in the school musical. One scholar testified at the Colorado State Capitol on HB-1032 and then weeks later won 2nd Place at the State Speech Championships. An unmotivated scholar has made tremendous progress in controlling his explosive anger by practicing coping skills and has even started encouraging his peers to find better paths when they fall off-track. A young woman scholar in our Multi-Intensive center informed staff about what she felt was a violation of her personal space and comfortability and, in a formal meeting, advocated to get her schedule changed to feel safe at school again. Two other speech & debate scholars took 2nd place in Duo and Drama at State in our very first year in CHSAA. Finally, a small group of 11th graders partnered with their teacher and principal to co-create a new course entitled Life 101 where scholars earn civics & economics credits via real-world simulations.
~2019 Honor Roll Winner: Student Achievement


To see the complete list of this year’s winners, click here!

And be sure to join in the National Charter Schools Week conversations! Our team will be following along and featuring some of the happenings and activities on our social channels including FacebookTwitterInstagram, and LinkedIn.

Don’t forget to use the hashtags #WeLoveCharterSchools #CharterSchoolsWeek


Charter School Capital logoSince the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We provide growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $1.8 billion in support of 600 charter schools that have educated over 1,027,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!

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Charter School Honor Roll WinnersAnnouncing the 2019 Charter School Honor Roll Winners!

Charter schools help create educational choice. That’s why Charter School Capital only works with charter schools – we believe in the power of charter schools and their leaders to deliver quality education. We created the Charter School Honor Roll in 2018 to celebrate the achievements of exceptional charter schools across the country.
We were humbled and inspired by the hundreds of worthy submissions we received for this, our second annual, Charter School Honor Roll. Our team was so moved by the passion and pride that ALL of our submissions shared about the hard work their students and school leaders have been doing. And, because the caliber of schools who shared their stories with us was so exceptional, selecting the winners was no easy task for our panel of judges.
The stories charter parents shared about their children blossoming; feeling included; feeling at home; being supported; being recognized for their achievements; being part of a larger family, were all so deeply moving.
School leaders shared their immense pride in student accomplishments; state and local recognition; the dramatic academic improvement due to the hard work and dedication of students and teachers; supporting the professional development of their staff; school service and outreach and how it has impacted their communities; beating the odds … just to name a few.
We carefully read each submission and selected schools that we felt best exemplified exceptional accomplishments in any of the following categories:

  • School growth
  • Student achievement
  • Community service
  • School leadership
  • Positive school climate

Thank you to everyone who sent in amazing stories and photos for consideration. Your hard work and dedication are truly awe-inspiring. Reading each and every one of these stories has reinvigorated our belief in what we do here at Charter School Capital—helping charter schools access, leverage, and sustain the resources they need to thrive, allowing them to focus on what matters most—educating students.
To see the list of 30 outstanding schools (from 17 different states) that made the grade for this year’s honor roll, click here!


Charter School Capital logoSince the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We provide growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $1.8 billion in support of 600 charter schools that have educated over 1,027,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!

LEARN MORE

 

Charter School Honor RollNow Accepting Nominations for the 2019 Charter School Honor Roll

We are very excited to announce the nominations are now open for our second annual Charter School Honor Roll! The Charter School Honor Roll honors high-achieving charter schools from across the country.

About the Honor Roll

Currently, in its second year, the Charter School Honor Roll celebrates the outstanding work that charter schools around the nation are doing. We hope you’ll take a few minutes to nominate a school that exemplifies excellence in any of the following categories:
  • School growth
  • Student achievement
  • Community service
  • School leadership
  • Positive school climate
Our 2019 Charter School Honor Roll winners will be awarded a special gift package, free admission to the National Charter Schools Conference (in Las Vegas, Nevada June 30-July 3, 2019), and will be honored at an exclusive honoree awards event during the conference.
If you have a school you’d like to be considered, or if you’d like to nominate your own school, please click on the button below. We’re looking forward to reading your inspiring submission!

NOMINATE A SCHOOL

Charter School Capital Dewey AwardsWe are so honored to have received such amazing, heartfelt, and inspirational submissions for our 2018 Richard Dewey Awards. Over 100 stories of teachers making a difference were shared with us. 

The caliber of submissions made selecting our three winners a very challenging task for our panel of judges. Because the stories were just so incredibly good this year, we decided to pick FOUR winners instead of just three to receive the $1000 grants that will be given to a charter school of their choosing! 

Here are the FOUR winning stories in their entirety (and in no particular order):


Cristian Alicea
6th grade
Caridad Broche
Pinecrest Cove Preparatory Academy

Touching Lives One Student at a Time
Have you ever felt the warmth of a smile, or the genuine love from a hug? Imagine having that for THREE years in a row- now imagine being in third grade and you just finished the school year, summer passes by quickly and next thing you know you are in fourth grade- you are growing and are worried about tests, quizzes and other students. Little did you know this was going to be the year that has the best teacher you will ever have. This was me in fourth grade, I had Mrs. Broche and she changed my life for the better. She has been the best teacher I have ever had and has also changed my way of thinking through life’s moments.
One of the many things Mrs. Broche has done to help me is to support me while I was going through the passing of a loved one. I spent the first 9 years of my life with my grandma- she taught me the importance of everything and was my best friend. I woke up one day to realize that in the room next door she had suddenly passed away. I did not know what to do- or how to react, but I knew that I had to tell one person, Mrs. Broche. When I told her she hugged me and talked to me and listened to me, she gave me a warm smile and told me that my grandma would always be with me and that now I was her grandson. I never thought that a teacher would be able to help me through one of the most difficult moments in my life, but I was so thankful for her help and how she knew the right words to say to help me go through them.
Mrs. Broche also showed me how to prioritize, my Mom is thankful for that, she taught me that is important to have fun, but you first need to work hard. During class we would have to work hard writing essays and completing group projects- but the games followed. Every year with her she showed me the importance of not complaining about bookwork, because then we would be able to do projects with our friends- and she sometimes even let us talk in class. In the end, she has shown me many things that help us every day and will continue to help us in the future.
Lastly, A teacher that truly cares is hard to find but Mrs. Broche has taught me to never give up on my dreams, she continues to teach me still today in 6th grade and goes above and beyond to make sure that I am learning. She makes sure that I am successful and cheers me on even during the toughest school days. The best part is that Mrs. Broche has always been there for me, since I first met her- and she continues to be there. She has cheered me up and made me happy in times of sadness. She has also changed the way I see the most important things in my life and has proven to me that I need to work hard to achieve my dreams. I have been very lucky to have felt the warmth of a smile, and the genuine love from a hug- and you know what, if you meet Mrs. Broche, you might be able to feel that way too!


Katelyn Dorry
9th Grade
Donna Hanson-Kaasa
Northern Lights Community School


Catherine Flaherty
Art Teacher
Mr. Pittenger
Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School

Voice and Heart Grand Canyon Deep
He was stocky with a receding crew cut, thick glasses and a voice deeper than the Grand Canyon. He could teach our class equations-PROFICIENTLY-from a reclined office chair and feet up on his desk. His name is Mr. Pittenger and he was my 6th grade math teacher. Mr. Pittenger had a way of controlling our class without standing up or raising his voice. You see, he was a former military man, and used that experience, his deep voice, and a little sarcasm to keep the class in order. Troublemakers stayed in line, the slackers got moving, and the well-behaved were commended in Mr. Pittenger’s class. He wasn’t the conventional teacher and probably didn’t take classes on differentiated learning or redirecting behavior, but students were in line and material was instructed. Most importantly, we learned algebra.
Back in the 6th grade, I was quiet, reserved, studious and excelled in school. I was thin, pale and anemic. I had a small circle of friends, but didn’t have much fun. I was also an easy target for Jennifer V., a big bully in our 6th grade class. As I was walking home one day at dismissal, Jennifer V. hit me with her bike in the middle of 142nd Avenue. I laid there in the road, stopping traffic, crying and bleeding, with a sprained ankle…until Mr. Pittenger and Mr. Redman arrived. Mr. Redman was another favorite teacher of mine. Imagine a red bearded lumberjack and you’ve envisioned Mr. Redman. Effortlessly, they scooped me up and carried me inside the school. I returned to school a few days later, fearful of the repercussions of Jennifer V. and my mother, who now had a vendetta to fulfill against the bully. To my surprise, Mr. Pittenger and Mr. Redman presented me with a veggie tray and a message: ‘You were so heavy being carried in after your “accident” that we thought you could use this to lose a little weight.’ Again, not a conventional, “teacher move” but it made me, and more importantly, my mother, LAUGH. The rest of the year went off without a hitch. I recovered, started to stand up to Jennifer V. and earned all 4 PRIDE awards at the end of my middle school years. I began babysitting for Mr. Pittenger’s two sons all through high school. Mr. Pittenger and his wife, Jan, treated me like family.
At the end of high school, I was pondering the next course in life to take, law enforcement or teaching. I turned to Mr. Pittenger, also a former military police officer. He could see my angst in wanted to get started right away and steered me towards law enforcement. Note that by the end of high school, I was no longer the quiet, reserved young girl but rather an outspoken and fun-loving teenager. Everything fell into place and I became a Clearwater police officer at the age of 19. For the next 14 years I worked in patrol, training, was an undercover detective for several years and eventually taught in 14 elementary schools as “Officer Friendly.” Mr. and Mrs. Pittenger came to my wedding. Occasionally, Mr. Pittenger and I would meet for breakfast and I would share interesting cases from work with him. We caught each other up on the paths of our children. His sons followed in his footsteps and joined the military. Mine were still babies. He continued to ask me to call him Jim as I was now an adult and had four kids of my own, but I couldn’t. He would always be Mr. Pittenger to me. As life does, mine had its peaks and valleys. I have been an Art teacher at Plato Academy for the past 5 years. I’ve fulfilled both my dreams I once had as a high school graduate…and many more unsuspected ones. That is a story I now share with students. You can be anything you want…and more. I haven’t spoken to Mr. Pittenger for several years, but our last breakfast included an invite to his cabin in Tennessee. The kids and I could vacation there and visit him at his new job at Dollywood. I could share that I am now, also, a proud parent of a soldier. My oldest son is 18 and is now a Marine. I think I’ll go call the man with the heart and voice deeper than the Grand Canyon and tell him, “Thank you, Mr. Pittenger, for being my teacher.”


Amara Lee Brenner
Teacher
Allan Benton & Ruth Dutton
Sycamore Valley Academy

There are times when your life stops and pivots. If you are lucky, life grants you the time to pause. If you are wise, you make a careful, informed decision. It is in the times that life doesn’t grant you the time, that the heroes reveal themselves. This was the beginning of Sycamore Valley Academy.
Let’s start at the beginning.
Once upon a public school, there was a little girl, prevented from going out to her recess because she didn’t finish the task at hand. Her kindergarten assignment was to color, cut and paste. She was busy with something else. She did not finish the task. Thus, she stayed in. Her mother comes to pick her up at school and asks about her day.
“What were you doing while the rest of the class was coloring?” asks her mother.
“I was reading.”
When it was revealed that this little girl was Gifted, and well beyond coloring and pasting, her teacher gave her a puzzle in the corner, while the rest of the class did worksheets. The mother tried to work with her teachers, but her daughter was always over there, in the corner, separate, special… bored and lonely.
The pivotal moment for this mom, this daughter, was a Halloween night eight years ago. On that late night, that mother crossed her fingers, filled out the right paperwork, answered the door to Trick-or-Treaters and started her own charter school.
The application was accepted. Ruth Dutton had begun Sycamore Valley Academy.
Of course, all good stories have a twist. This story is no different.
Let’s start again.
Once upon a wish, my little sweet boy was born in 2008. He was a chubby little wonder, like all little babies. Unlike the other child, gifted in so many ways, my child was not. His gifts were hiding behind a neurological disorder. I knew regular kindergarten was not for him, nor was Special Education. My little boy and her little girl were both square pegs in a round world.
I looked around my town, my county and I put him on all kinds of waiting lists. One of which was Sycamore Valley Academy.
In kindergarten, he slept under the table. In first grade, no one from his class came to his birthday party. In second grade, I had the dreaded meeting with his teacher. I knew what she was going to say. As I walked into the meeting, the administration was already set up and waiting, too. I swallowed, and smiled, waiting for them to tell me all the ways my boy did not measure up. And here is the miracle.
Mr. Benton discussed his writing growth, not his writing grade. Mr. Benton told me about the friend he had, and told me stories of them both chasing and laughing together. Mr. Benton was encouraging that relationship, and using it to foster more social skills and emotional growth. The teacher tried to interject and tell me how he compared to the other kids, to his peers, to the normal ones, the regular ones. Mr. Benton told me a different story, of a little boy who was blossoming, in his own way, in his own time and growing, growing, growing. All I heard was, “I see your son’s gifts are hiding. We are going to find them and showcase them.”
When my boy started fourth grade, I started my first year as a Sycamore Valley teacher. I walked my children up from the parking lot and Mr. Benton called both them both by name, as he does with every other child in the school.
Mr. Benton has the skills to run a school, to run a business, to keep the kids safe and learning, to write a lunch schedule, to pass the fire inspection. What sets Mr. Benton apart is that he has another set of skills: He sees the child, not the test score; he sees the sadness hiding behind the angry outburst; he loves the little one still growing inside the big kids. Mr. Benton sees potential, not problems.
The story of two children intersects at Sycamore Valley. Each one found a place to be free, to be loved, to be valued, to be strong, to be educated. Neither square peg had to change themselves to fit in. Mr. Benton makes sure of that.
Ms. Ruth Dutton made the school but Mr. Benton made its heartbeat.


Charter School Capital CEO and Co-Founder Stuart Ellis and Richard Dewey have remained close throughout the years, a testament to the powerful impact Mr. Dewey had on Stuart’s life.

Take a look at little eight-year-old Stuart Ellis with Mr. Dewey!
Richard Dewey Awards
The two had a ball at game five of the recent 2018 World Series. Here’s a “little-bit-older” Stuart Ellis with his most inspiring educator, Mr. Richard Dewey.
Richard Dewey Awards
We are so thrilled to honor outstanding educators with our Annual Richard Dewey Awards and are already looking forward to reading next year’s submissions. Thank you to everyone who participated in this celebration of teachers making a difference.


Thank you again, to our esteemed panel of judges:
Richard Dewey – THE Dewey that the awards are named after! Richard Dewey was the 3rd-grade teacher to Charter School Capital President and CEO, Stuart Ellis, inspiring the whole program. 
Darlene Chambers – A national leader in education reform, Dr. Darlene Chambers is the Senior Vice President for Programs & Services at the National Charter Schools Institute, and a review alum from 2017.
John Cairns – Often referred to as a grandfather of Charter law, John Cairns was the nation’s first Charter School attorney. Today, he remains passionately involved in charter school policy and is a review alum from last year. 
Janet Johnson – Chief Marketing Officer at Charter School Capital and internal teacher/ inspiration officer herself (though she’s too humble to admit it), Janet is a review alum from last year. 

 

charter school fundingCharter School Capital Funding Allows School Leaders to Stay Focused on Their Students

With so many choices for where go to access financial resources for your school, it’s important to select the right one for you. We believe in the power of charter schools and their leaders to deliver quality education to families across the country. And we’re proud to provide the reliability and stability charter leaders require as they walk their journey to better educate more students today—and in the future.

Please listen as Ricardo Mireles, Executive Director, Academia Avance shares his experience working with Charter School Capital.
This video was originally published Jul 17, 2014. We are proud of our continued partnership with Academia Avance. We are honored to support them in continuing their mission of setting a standard for public charter school excellence and inspiring a lifetime of learning and leading.



Charter School Capital Funding Helps Academia Avance Sustain Thier Growth

Academia Avance is a charter public school in the northeast community of Highland Park in Los Angeles. We serve grades six through 12. We are on track to having 500 students for this upcoming fall charter funding.

[The way that we can access] charter funding makes it very difficult for schools that increase their enrollment [because] you don’t see those funds until the spring. But the relationship that we had built with Charter School Capital allowed us to say, look, this month I need this much money.
Another challenge that charter schools have, is the need (in any kind of financial transaction) to provide some kind of collateral. And so, for new schools, small schools, they don’t own a building. They don’t have assets that they can pledge just for collateral. It’s just very difficult.

I’m really appreciative of how Charter School Capital was able to understand what our need was. We looked at this as a very different way of getting funding based on the one collateral that we do have – and that’s our students.

Charter School Capital has allowed us to work with a product that is flexible in terms of the amount, in terms of the timing. In all the conversations I’ve had with the leaders of Charter School Capital and their entire staff, they always understand what we’re trying to do with our students and how they’re joining us in making it work for our students.
We’ve been working with Charter School Capital now for four years and throughout, they’ve been flexible, and they’ve been very professional, and they’ve allowed us to stay focused on our students.

Starting the relationship with Charter School Capital is different from what we have experienced with other financial institutions in that they are very focused on the viability of the school going forward relative to the charter.

Without Charter School Capital, Academia Avance wouldn’t exist.


Learn more about Charter School Capital Funding

Our team works with you to determine funding and facilities options based on your school’s needs. If you are trying to meet operational expenses, expand, acquire or renovate your school building, add an athletic department, enhance school safety/security, or buy new technology, complete the online application below and we’ll contact you to set up a meeting.


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Charter School Capital Dewey Awards

EDITOR’S NOTE 10/11/18: THIS BLOG POST WAS CREATED ON 9/4/18 TO ANNOUNCE THE OPENING OF THE SUBMISSION WINDOW FOR THE  2018 DEWEY AWARDS. SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL YOU WHO SENT IN YOUR STORIES! TO READ THIS YEAR’S AMAZING SUBMISSIONS, CLICK HERE.

The 2018 Richard Dewey Awards: Submissions Now Open

Did you have a teacher who made a meaningful impact on your life? The Dewey Awards were created to celebrate those teachers who make a difference in the lives of their students.
If you have – or have had – a life-changing teacher, we want to hear about it!
Submissions are now open for the 2018 Richard Dewey Awards. Send us your story of the teacher that changed your life for the chance to receive one of three $1,000 charter school grants, given in your name to the school of your choice.
Submission Guidelines:

  • Written submissions should be 300 words or more
  • Video submissions should be 1-10 minutes in length
  • Submissions will be received September 3rd – October 5th
  • Grant winners will be announced November 8th

Our distinctive panel of judges includes:
Richard DeweyRichard Dewey – The original inspiration for the Dewey Awards! Richard Dewey was Stuart Ellis’ 3rd-grade teacher, inspiring this whole program. Thank you for joining us this year, Mr. Dewey! He is a retired 37-year educator with Los Angeles Unified School District. Classroom experience centered on teaching Highly Gifted students and Gifted/High Ability Students. As a K-12 administrator serving on the support team for a local district superintendent, the responsibilities included professional development for new teachers, teacher certification, Mentor Teacher Program (MTP), National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT), Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) and curriculum development. At the university level, Richard served as the Elementary Field Experience Coordinator, taught math/science methods courses and worked on Teachers for a New Era (TNE) Task Groups C-4/F/G. In the music world, Richard performed, taught, mentored, composed and arranged music and has conducted choral groups and choirs. On a personal note, Richard has been married for 53 years. His three sons and their spouses collectively have added 11 grandchildren to the Dewey clan.

Darlene ChambersDarlene Chambers – A national leader in education reform, Dr. Darlene Chambers is the Senior Vice President for Programs & Services at the National Charter Schools Institute, and a review alum from last year. Thank you for joining us again!

John CairnsJohn Cairns – Often referred to as a grandfather of Charter law, John Cairns was the nation’s first Charter School attorney. Today, he remains passionately involved in charter school policy and is a review alum from last year. Thank you for joining us again!

Janet Johnson – Chief Marketing Officer at Charter School Capital and internal teacher/ inspiration officer herself (though she’s too humble to admit it), Janet is a review alum from last year. Thank you for joining us again!

We are so thrilled that this esteemed team will help us choose the story that best fits the theme “Teachers Making a Difference”.
Need a little extra inspiration? Take a look at some of the submissions from the 2017 Stories of Inspiration (now named the Dewey Awards)!
We can’t wait to hear your stories! Ready, set, go!
[PLEASE NOTE: 2018 SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED]
GO TO SUBMISSION PAGE


Since the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We provide growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $1.6 billion in support of 600 charter schools that educate 800,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!

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Charter School Capital Dewey AwardsCharter School Capital’s Dewey Awards: Teachers Making a Difference

It’s time for the Charter School Capital Dewey Awards! We’re in our second year of honoring teachers who make a difference in the lives of their students.
Many of us have had teachers who helped changed the trajectory of our lives; who were able to get us to believe in our abilities and our promise; who said, “You can do this!” and never let us forget it. For our President and CEO, Stuart Ellis, that teacher was Mr. Dewey. For the second year, in honor of Richard Dewey, we want to give recognition and thanks to the teachers who’ve impacted our lives. Submit your story of the teacher that changed your life for the chance to receive one of three $1,000 charter school grants, given in your name to the school of your choice.
Watch the video below to hear, in Stuart Ellis’ own words, why we’re so proud to continue this tradition.

You can learn more about our Dewey Awards, read some selected stories from 2017, and submit your story to honor a teacher by visiting our official 2018 Richard Dewey Awards page. We can’t wait to read your inspiring stories!
GO TO PAGE

In celebration of Charter School Capital’s 10th year of supporting charter schools across the country, we wanted to give recognition and thanks to the teachers who inspire us to do, and be, our best. We asked our community of charter leaders, students, teachers and staff to tell us about the teacher that had the most impact on their lives. The teacher that inspired them and perhaps even changed the trajectory of their lives.
Our review board had the challenging job of reading through all of the wonderful, moving stories and selecting the 10 most inspirational stories. Their authors have been awarded the honor of selecting the 10 charter schools to receive our 10 $1,000 school grants.
For all who submitted Stories of Inspiration: we sincerely thank you. We hope the opportunity to reflect, express gratitude, and tell your stories of inspirational teachers had as much joyful impact on you as reading them did for us.
Without further adieu, we are proud to announce the top 10 stories of our 2017 Stories of Inspiration program and their donation recipients: …. find the selected stories here! 

The Stories of Inspiration program has garnered an overwhelming response of incredible examples of teachers from across the country.
One such story comes from Henry Buford, Principal of Brooksville Engineering, Science, & Technology Academy:
“…Miss Archer hugged my mother and said “I’ll take him into my class and make sure that he learned how to read.” I can still remember her giving me a hug and telling me she loves me no matter what color I am. Miss Archer followed my progress throughout the years until I graduated from high school and on to college. Not only did Miss Archer ensure that I learned how to read but she inspired me to become an honor student and an athlete. It’s because of Miss Archer I gained a love for learning and attend Middle Tennessee State University where I graduated with three degrees, four endorsements, and became a teacher and later in my career a middle school principal…”
There’s only one week left to submit your Story of Inspiration. Tell us who that teacher is who changed your life and inspired you to be who you are today.
Our review panel will select the 10 most inspiring stories and the authors will select the charter school of their choice to receive one of 10 $1,000 school grants. Submit via the form here by October 31, 2017.

Mrs. CooperHave you submitted your story of the teacher that inspired you or someone you love?
If not, tell us your story in up to 1,000 words by October 31. We will share these Stories of Inspiration and donate a total of $10,000 in school grants – $1,000 to 10 different charter schools.
Our review panel will select the 10 most inspiring stories and the authors will select the charter school of their choice to receive the donation.


“…Mrs. Cooper and Galileo have both encouraged my son in a way that has allowed him to enjoy school and be proud of the kid that he is. Their dedication to students has allowed for my sweet boy to start off his school career in a positive way. He is happy and confident and for that I am forever grateful.” Read the full story here.