The charter school movement in Rhode Island is growing with as many as a dozen new schools on the horizon, with two of those ready to open next fall, according to the Rhode Island Department of Education. A recent education department meeting with prospective charter school sponsors was held in preparation of a Dec. 1 deadline for the filing of applications to operate charter schools. Two new schools have already been approved. Another 10 organizations attended the meeting, with expectations that they might submit applications to open schools as early as next fall.
Those attending received information on charter school law, the approval process, how to obtain funding, and how to receive technical assistance.
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“It was an opportunity for organizations to ask questions and learn about the process,” said Keith Oliveira, the education department’s charter school coordinator. “It was also an opportunity for all of us to begin developing a support network.”
Since its inception in Rhode Island in 1996, charter schools have undergone some changes. A law passed in 1998 expanded charter school opportunities to colleges and universities, and non-profit organizations. Subsequent to the law’s passage only individual districts were allowed to apply for the charter, and two-thirds of the teachers in the district needed to approve the charter application.
“I believe some of the changes in 1998 broadened the scope,” Oliveira said. “Now we are seeing a wider variety of applicants. The momentum is really growing, people are becoming much more interested in the idea.”
Charter schools, which are funded with public money, are open to all students and are seen as an alternative to a traditional public school because they are run autonomously from the district.
“The trade-off to running autonomously is that these schools are held to a high degree of accountability and high standards,” Oliveira said. “But for many people, charter schools provide an opportunity to be more creative and innovative.”
Currently, there are two charter schools in Rhode Island: Textron Chamber of Commerce Academy and the Times Square School, both in Providence. Two more charter schools that have received approval and are expected to open in the fall, will also be located in Providence. Oliveira said the charter school idea is beginning to branch away from the Providence area.
“The interest is really changing,” he said. “There is a group out of Newport who is interested, The University of Rhode Island has expressed an interest, and so has a group from the East Bay area that would like to work with Roger Williams University.”
Still, it could be at least two years before any of those interested could officially open their doors. While the Dec. 1 deadline for applications was set to allow schools to open the following fall, not many schools will likely be able to open that quickly, Oliveira said.
“The review process itself takes six to seven months,” he said. “By the time the application is granted most charters still need another year for planning and implementation.”
The review process consists of four different stages, the first of which is an external review. The external review committee is made up of people outside of the department, including school administrators, parents and community members.
Included during this process is a 60 day period for public comment, during which two public hearings are held.
Following that, the application along with the public comment are submitted for an internal review by the department of education’s legal counsel, and other administrators.
From the internal review the application is then sent to the Policy Review Committee of the Rhode Island Board of Regents for approval, and finally the application is sent for full Board of Regents approval.
“During every step the applicant is given feedback so they can continue to refine their proposal,” Oliveira said. “By the time it gets to the regents it would have already gone through several revisions.”
