Educate to Lead Workshop November 13, 2009 Dr. Thomas Stewart Qwaku & Associates

Agenda  Overview of Session  Key Topics  Q & A

Topics 1. Parental Choice vs. Education Options 2. Public Charter Schools 3. Tax Credit Programs 4. Mayoral Leadership 5. Special Needs Scholarships 6. Tax Credit Programs in the US 7. Means-Tested Public Funded School Vouchers

Mission Statements Qwaku’s Mission: To provide high quality professional services to individuals and organizations who serve under-resourced and hard to reach children, youth and families. BAEO’s Mission: BAEO’s Mission: To increase access to high- quality educational options for Black children by actively supporting parental choice policies and programs that empower low-income and working class Black families.

Education Options vs. Parental Choice Education Reform/ Student Achievement Education Reform/ Student Achievement Quality School and Other Education Options Quality School and Other Education Options Parental Choice and Increased Involvement Parental Choice and Increased Involvement Public Charter Schools Public Charter Schools Tax Credits Mayoral Leadership Mayoral Leadership Special Needs Scholarships Special Needs Scholarships Means Tested Vouchers Means Tested Vouchers

What is a public charter school? Charter schools are innovative public schools that often operate independent of the local school district. They are established by local parents, teachers and community organizations to expand public options for families and ensure greater accountability for results.

Public Charter Schools National Overview  39 states and D.C. have a charter law  4,900 charter schools enroll 1.5 million students  30% of charter students are Black / 17% nation  48% of charter students qualify for FRPL  56% of charter schools are in central cities  Cities where at least 20% of students are in charter schools: New Orleans, Washington, DC, Dayton, Cleveland, and Detroit  Most research proves that charter schools help low-performing students close the gap

What are tax credits? There are two types:  Personal tax credits, which indirectly reimburse the cost of educational expenses up to a specified amount, by making them tax deductible for individuals and families  Donation tax credits, which allow individuals and businesses to reduce their tax liability by donating to organizations that use the funds to provide scholarships to participating private schools

Tax Credit Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, and Minnesota offer personal tax credits Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island have donation tax credits A number of states are currently considering tax credits: Idaho, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and Virginia

Tax Credit Scholarships  AZ Individual: No income eligibility, public or private, $500 cap (s) / $1,000 cap (m)  AZ Corporate: 185% FRPL, public school, $4,400 K-8 and $5,  FL Corporate: FRPL, public school, $3,950  PA Corporate: $50,000, public or private, 75% value year 1, 90% value year 2

What is Mayoral Leadership? Commonly referred to as “mayoral control,” mayoral leadership over public schools has emerged as the most significant top-down approach to urban education reform in the last 10 years. Those who support this approach say it is the best way to address poor academic results, management turnover and financial challenges.

Mayoral Leadership National Overview  Nearly a dozen major school systems, including Boston, Chicago, D.C., and New York City have forms of mayoral control.  It usually gives the mayor the authority to select school-board members and appoint the superintendent.

What are Special Needs Scholarships? Special Needs Scholarships provide students with learning disabilities and their families access to school options and educational opportunities that are often not provided by their local school district.

Special Needs Scholarship National Overview Special Needs Scholarships are provided by 5 states: AZ, FL, GA, OH, UT  AZ#1: IEP, public school, tuition or IEP amount, whichever is less  AZ #2: NO IEP, public and private school, $5,000  FL: IEP, public school, amount of public school funding s/he would have received or tuition, whichever is less  GA: IEP, public and private school, scholarship average $6,331  OH: IEP, public and private, $20,000 cap  UT: IEP, public and private, $6, for 3 or more hours and $3, for less than 3 hours

What are means-tested publicly funded vouchers? Vouchers are given directly to eligible families by governments for use in enrolling their own children in a school of their choice. Vouchers can be broad-based or targeted at specific groups. “Means-tested vouchers” primarily target students from low-income families who often attend public schools in districts with high levels of schools in need of improvement.

What are means-tested publicly funded vouchers? National Overview  Publicly funded vouchers exist in eights states (AZ, FL, LA, ME, OH, UT, VT, and WI) and the District of Columbia  Cleveland, Milwaukee, New Orleans, and Washington, DC offer vouchers to low income families, and Arizona targets foster care children

Means-Tested Private Vouchers Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (K-12)  Income below 175% of federal poverty (220% rule)  $6,607 maximum scholarship (new amount for )  19,538 students enrolled in 127 private schools

Means-Tested Private Vouchers DC Opportunity Scholarship Program (K-12)  Income below 185% of federal poverty (300% rule)  $7,500 maximum  Roughly 1,715 students enrolled in 49 schools  Currently in the last year of its pilot phase

Means-Tested Private Vouchers New Orleans Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence (K-4)  Income below 250% of federal poverty  Scholarship cap or tuition costs, whichever is less, avg. scholarship is $3,919  640 students enrolled in 35 schools

Dr. Thomas Stewart Qwaku & Associates 2240 E. Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD