“Legislators hear about student progress and the charter’s issues with state testing requirements in House Bill 1.
Imagine Schools celebrated the educational growth of students at a recent Very Important Children event, held at the Great Western Academy campus on North Wilson Road.
More than 200 parents, students, and community leaders attend the VIC celebration that awarded children who have seen academic progress gains of one year or more during the past year.
Two parents also shared their stories of the difference Imagine Schools has made in the lives of their children and families and why parent choice in education is important.
One topic of concern was House Bill 1 and concerns that it is taking away options for parents.
The community leaders congratulated the children and parents, and spoke in support of parent choice in education, including Sen. Gary Cates, (R-West Chester) chairman of the Senate Education Committee for the 128th General Assembly. Also in attendance where State Rep. and Senate candidate Kevin Bacon (R-Blendon Township), 19th District State Representative candidate Anne Gonzales, President of Ohio Alliance of Public Charter Schools Bill Simms, and Sue Westindorf, representing the Rob Portman for Senate campaign.
Representatives of the charter school organization object to standardized testing requirements in House Bill 1, which apply to charter as well as public and private schools. They told the parents and legislators in attendance that the new laws threatening the children’s opportunity for academic achievement.
“The new Ohio law holds charter schools only responsible for the low test scores of students who just came to them, typically because they had fallen behind in their traditional public school,” said Amy Buttke, regional director, for Imagine Schools. “The new law does not give charters sufficient time to bring new students up to grade level, even though they are making significant learning gains.”
Imagine Schools evaluate academic achievement primarily by measuring same-student learning gains, which show how much students learn from the beginning of the school year to the end.
Imagine Schools operates 73 public charter schools in 12 states and the District of Columbia, including in Central Ohio the Great Western Academy and Academy at Sullivant on the West Side, Imagine Academy of Columbus on Morse Road in Northland, and Groveport Community School/Groveport Prep and Harrisburg Pike Community School In southeast Franklin County.”
Article published on Columbuslocalnews.com on Nov. 16, 2010