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“The outcomes are really low. It’s shocking.” The Black Male Institute at UCLA has issued a research brief showing that homeless students attending charter schools in Los Angeles County have significantly lower attendance and graduation rates than their peers at neighborhood public schools.

Homeless students in Los Angeles County charter schools had a graduation rate of 45 percent in 2018-19, more than 35 percentage points lower than the rate of homeless students at the county’s neighborhood public high schools, and 30 percentage points lower than the state average. EdSource

Now the rest of the news…

Another chapter in the A3 online charter school scandal. An Australian man and his Southern California business partner who ran a network of online charter schools have pleaded guilty to felony charges tied to a massive fraud scheme that siphoned $50 million in education funds from the state to invest in start-up companies and real estate. The Sacramento Bee

6 Alabama online charter school officials charged with fraud, conspiracy. Six Alabama educators have been indicted in a years-long, lucrative fraud and conspiracy scheme involving online charter schools throughout the state. AL.com

Missouri lawmakers are debating charter school expansion. “Both sides debating agreed that COVID-19 and the myriad of obstacles schools have faced has illuminated issues within Missouri’s public school system, but some—including some Republicans—raised concerns about the lack of accountability standards and draining resources from public schools. The Joplin Globe

Why education philanthropy must embrace a racial justice lens. Leah Austin, director of the National Opportunity to Learn Network, and Edgar Villanueva, senior vice president of programs and advocacy at the Schott Foundation: “While Black and Brown organizers have modeled extreme heroism and dedication, much of their work has occurred with limited or nonexistent financial support. They are fighting for justice, yet they do so without significant philanthropic investment.” Nonprofit Quarterly

Finally, a reminder of what we’re fighting for…

Community school success in Ohio. Two Ohio education leaders sing the praises of the community school strategy in support of recently introduced federal legislation, the Full-Service Community School Expansion Act. “This will allow more rural and small town school districts to replicate the success we’ve had … by harnessing the resources and relationships in their communities.” Dayton Daily News

Before we let Black History Month go. Here’s United Teachers Los Angeles President Cecily Myart-Cruz: “That’s why Black Lives Matter shouldn’t be just a week. We should be focusing on antiracist education all the time. Now is the time to have full liberation of a people. This is the time to radically shift the paradigm and the narrative. To think on Black Lives Matter in art, music, dance and drama. To think on joy. And to think about what it means to reopen schools in a healthy, racially just way. To think about how we need police-free schools, and how we need mental health support.” AFT Voices

Photo by PacificLegalFoundation.

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