Is the Charter Sector Filling Out?
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Anonymous
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I remember in past years we heard big proposals to get significant additions to the ecosystem going - new concepts, new spaces, broad growth. We went from LAMB, to DC Bilingual and Mundo Verde, the KIPP and Friendship guys kept getting more campuses and even DCPS got in on the game with the Bard and Ron Brown. But this year, last year - it feels like I hardly know a single new thing that's happening in charter land/new concepts. This like XD thing (I might have the title wrong).... What is that?
Is it communications? Is it a lack of new schools? Is the 'market' maturing and coming to its natural full-scope? Or are we going to see major new moves? Basically - is anything happening in the charter sector, or is it mature and this is the shape of it, long term? |
Anonymous
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The PCSB wants it to stay under 50% of the population so that they don't have to take-- oh noes-- responsibility for the overall functioning of a school district. Such an unimpressive attitude when you're close to 50%, but whatever.
I think the main challenge right now is finding buildings, that's holding back new openings. Maybe if they shut down some of the failing charter schools, that would facilitate opening new ones. But also, the PCSB has been crystal clear that a strong analysis showing demand for the school is essential. Some of the most recently authorized schools haven't filled their seats and I know that's been concerning. Some only matched less than 10 students in the lottery for their entering grade. Really if you don't have students, you don't have a school. I expect the SY 24-25 charter review season to be intense. There are a lot of schools up for review and some of them aren't doing so great. |
Anonymous
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I think DCPS has improved, overall, at least at the elementary level EOTP and WOTR. And the underwhelming performance of many charter schools has definitely given the authorizers pause.
The PCSB, for all its faults, is not as lax and permissive as authorizers in some other states, and I think that makes expansion-happy charter chains not want to locate here. |
Anonymous
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I don't know whether this is the shape of it long term. It does feel like the market is maturing. In the recent past, Latin expanded to a second location. Plus Elsie Whitlow Stokes, Lee Montessori, Mundo Verde and Appletree all added new locations. Digital Pioneers expanded to high school. There are several new schools in the last few years as well including Wildflower and Learn.
I think the lull that we are experiencing this year is related to a focus to get students back on track post pandemic, predictions of flat student growth and the DC PCSB revisiting both its performance framework and the eligibility criteria for expansion. |
Anonymous
The PCSB chose to pause authorizing any new schools last year, they announced that. So that's why you aren't seeing any. I do think it feels like it's maturing. Much of the demand for Spanish language instruction, for example, has been met (at least, demand for Spanish language instruction at semi-dysfunctional elementary schools  )
The enrollment and performance of some charter schools has been iffy lately (I mean MV and TR having major issues but also some less-discussed-on-DCUM schools like Imagine Hope Tolson and Capital Village running into enrollment trouble) and that's caused the PCSB to look inward, and stop patting themselves on the back and talking tough about how wonderful charter schools are. It's time for a natural re-evaluation, and it's not out of the question that some could voluntarily fold. Sometimes outside providers prefer to voluntarily close to avoid an embarrassing shutdown on their record. |
Anonymous
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https://dcpcsb.egnyte.com/dl/4hw2aK2AyT
This came out last year and I found it an interesting read. Basically, if you look at the population forecast and the growth that is *already authorized* at existing schools, there are more seats than kids in the system. There is growth in the charter sector, it's just growth at existing schools as they add on grade levels each year as planned. There were over 9,000 more charter school seats already authorized than were being utilized by students. So I think it's very reasonable that the PCSB (and everyone) take a harder look at applications and insist that quality be high, and demand be demonstrated. It's no longer enough to say "our school is wonderful, so innovative, children neeeeeed it!" You have to do a lot more quantitative analysis showing not just "need", but "demand" for enough students to produce an economically viable school. It used to be kind of loosey-goosey where they would authorize whatever seemed good and it could locate whereever they found space, but now there's much more actual analysis needed on specific geographic locations and the distribution of grade levels and programming across the city. It will be very interesting to see who applies this season. Rocketship needs to significantly improve performance before it will be allowed to expand. KIPP and Friendship are doing okay but I'm not sure growth is a high priority for those LEAs since they have a lot of schools already. It will also be interesting to see the OSSE enrollment figures, and what happens to the buildings of schools that fold. |
Anonymous
| And it's XQ, and I think XQ schools have been pretty disappointing thus far. |
Anonymous
XQ! That was it. Still haven't figure out what it is. Free money to reorganize class offerings or something? |
Anonymous
They are like focus groups and design meetings to re-envision high school. There are both charter and DCPS schools that are XQ schools. https://xqsuperschool.org/where-we-work/xq-dc/. |
Anonymous
All the ones at the link are DCPS … |
Anonymous
The first XQ school in DC was Washington Leadership Academy. That may be the only charter - not sure. https://xqsuperschool.org/where-we-work/washington-leadership-academy/ |
Anonymous
+1, this is what I was going to say. I live on Capital Hill. 10 years ago, everyone wanted a spot either at one of the DCPS all city schools like CHML or SWS, or at a charter like Two Rivers, Lee, ITDS, Stokes, etc. Even if most of those options meant a longer commute. Today, the first choice school for elementary for pretty much every family I know with PK kids is a DCPS. Either their in-bound or a nearby school they hope to be able to attend OOB. And it's getting harder to get OOB spots at those schools. Meanwhile Two Rivers is shedding kids at both campuses, the desire to commute to Edgewood, Brookland, or the East End campuses of Stokes or Lee is much lower, and even CHML has lost a bit of it's luster (it still always has long waitlists because it's an all-city school right next to Union Station, so even if CH families are less interested, it pulls lots of students from outside the area). I think especially 2R's Young expansion and those East End campuses for Stokes and Lee are looking like an overreach at this point. I've met families who have left all 3 the last few years. Sounds like Stoke EE has had a TON of teacher turnover to the point that it's very disruptive to students (lots of midyear turnover which is such a massive red flag) plus people are worried about math scores. Lee EE people seem to like more but it's tiny and really not a very easy commute unless you live in the surrounding neighborhood or right on the other side of the river. Meanwhile, great review for Brent, Maury, and L-T, and people really seem to be warming to Payne and Tyler and are enthusiastic about what JOW is going to look like in 2 years post-renovation (amazing geographic location, fantastic staff with a ton of longtime teachers, decent administration, committed PTO -- once they get that brand new facility, I think that school is going to be really desirable to both IB families and OOB families coming from Miner and Wheatley catchments. I think the allure of charters has really worn off in Ward 6, at least. |
Anonymous
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It seems like WLA is doing well, but some XQ schools have been embarrassing, expensive failures.
https://hechingerreport.org/anatomy-of-a-failure-how-an-xq-super-school-flopped/ https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2019/05/13/design-thinking-academy-closes-due-low-enrollment/1191483001/ https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Backers-abandon-10-million-Super-School-project-11176992.php |
Anonymous
| It certainly seems that K-8 has filled out. As a parent of kids at a K-8 school, I would love to see a few more HS options, though, especially as several of the top magnet schools are inaccessible to many in the city and/or specialized to STEM, etc. |
Anonymous
| Charters are still very much in demand for middle school and high school. I hope more kids stay in the city for these grades and the demand grows, both in DCPS and the charter sector. |