Statement of Jason Bryant on Biased Policy Report

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Cleveland, OH (May 13, 2010) Jason Bryant, Executive Vice President of Imagine Schools, today issued the following statement in response to the release of the Policy Matters Ohio Report on Imagine Schools:

The attack on Imagine Schools by Policy Matters Ohio is not surprising given its union associations and history of bias against charter schools. The report is political propaganda meant to undercut our efforts to bring school choice to Ohio parents.

“The report is misleading and flawed – from academics to finances. It neglects to provide any comparison data with other district or charter schools, especially administrative and construction costs. Imagine’s transactions are legal and transparent as evidenced by the lengthy FOIA request. Policy Matters Ohio doesn’t want citizens to know that charter schools are a better value for the taxpayer because our per-student allocation must pay for everything from teachers, textbooks, administration, and school buildings.

“Imagine embraces accountability for student progress, but we can be held accountable only for the time students are in our schools. Many students are entering below grade level, which signals failure on the part of the schools from which they came. Our 2008-2009 SAT-10 fall and spring testing demonstrated that Imagine students in Ohio attained a year of learning gains. In fact, 89% of students at Imagine Harvard Avenue and 85% at Imagine Romig Road demonstrated more than one year of learning gains. This is a significant accomplishment – the students are catching up.

“Imagine’s mission is to partner with parents to provide students the best possible publicly funded education. The Policy Matters researcher completely minimized the positive school culture and solid academic program he observed while visiting Imagine Bella Academy, which opened last fall. This school is in a high need area and has 96% of students eligible for free or reduced school lunch. How do parents evaluate the school?  92% of parents are satisfied with the education their children are receiving; 95% feel safe; and 93% believe the staff cares about their children.

“Imagine Schools does not operate for-profit. Continued insinuations otherwise are malicious attacks from charter school detractors. Policy Matters Ohio’s latest bidding for the unions is merely another attempt to take school choice away from families who most want and need it.”

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Imagine Schools is an organization, comprised mostly of teachers, that operates 71 public charter schools in 11 states and the District of Columbia. Jason Bryant is an Executive Vice President for Imagine Schools and oversees schools in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.