Arizona

Charter school group gives state high marks
Alexis Huicochea, Arizona Daily Star, December 14, 2009
Arizona's charter-school law is being called one of the nation's strongest, receiving a ranking of fifth, according to a study released by the Center for Education Reform, a Washington, D.C., advocacy group for school choice and charter schools.

Arkansas

Charter School Law Receives Low Marks
Rose Ann Pearce, Northwest Arkansas Times, December 10, 2009
Arkansas' charter school law doesn't fare well in national reports - at least two such reports in recent months - which comes as no surprise to several who follow charter school development in the state and around the country.

California

California's charter school law among nation's strongest
Debbie Pfeiffer Trunnell, San Bernardino Sun, December 9, 2009
"Too many states have allowed their charter school laws to be watered down under pressure from special interests who feel their monopoly on the education of our children is threatened," said Jeanne Allen, president of the center. "California's law is excellent and serves as a model for the nation."

Colorado

Colorado 7th friendliest for charter schools
Emily Anderson, Daily Sentinel, December 9, 2009
Colorado charter school laws are the seventh best in the nation, according to The Center for Education Reform, a Washington, D.C.-based charter school proponent. The center ranked the District of Columbia and the 39 states that have charter school laws based on how easy it is to found, operate and receive funding for a charter in each state.

District of Columbia

D.C. Charter Schools to Gain New Source of Practical Advice
Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, December 8, 2009
This year, 38 percent of the city's public school students attend charter schools, and the Center for Education Reform, a charter advocate, ranks the District's charter law first in the nation.

Georgia

Georgia Gets a C for Charter School Law
D. Aileen Dodd, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 8, 2009
The average score, as graded by the Center for Education Reform, ranked Georgia 14th in the nation for its support of charter schools in a study that examines how states fund them, approve them and offer flexibility to charter educators.

Massachusetts

Report: State charter school laws mediocre
Matt Murphy, Lowell Sun, December 8, 2009
Massachusetts lawmakers have some studying to do before January if they want to make the grade and put the state in the best competitive position to qualify for millions of dollars in federal funding for education, according to a new report.

Get back to work
Editorial, Lowell Sun, December 9, 2009
Massachusetts lawmakers should be embarrassed by the middling grade the state received regarding its charter-school laws. It is yet another reason why the Legislature should immediately reconvene to take action on crucial bills before the new year arrives.

New Jersey

N.J. Gets C Rating on Laws Governing Charter Schools
Jeanette Rundquist, Newark Star-Ledger, December 8, 2009
The Center for Education Reform, which advocates for charter schools and school choice, found New Jersey's laws fell right in the middle - 17th strongest - among the 40 states and districts that allow charter schools.

Report gives New Jersey charter school law a 'C'
Diane D'Amico, Press of Atlantic City, December 8, 2009
The ranking comes as New Jersey prepares for a new, very pro-charter governor, Chris Christie, who during his campaign criticized the high number of charter school applications rejected by the state Department of Education. Also, the DOE is preparing to apply for "Race to the Top" federal funds that support innovative school reform methods.

North Carolina

'D' for charter schools
Lynn Bonner, News & Observer, December 14, 2009
A national organization that promotes charter schools has given North Carolina a "D" on its charter school law. The Center for Education Reform, based in Bethesda, Md., deducted points from North Carolina because the state limits the number of charters to 100 and does not help the schools with facilities costs.

Oregon

Oregon earns a 'C' for its charter schools
Laurent Bonczijk, Newberg Graphic, December 15, 2009
A national advocacy group for public charter schools gave Oregon a 'C'� grade. The Washington. D.C.-based Center for Education Reform ranked Oregon 20th in the country in terms of providing children with access to charter schools. A total of 11 states earned that grade.

Pennsylvania

Charter Law Overhaul Introduced in Pa. Senate
Martha Woodall, Philadelphia Inquirer, December 8, 2009
Jeanne Allen, president of the center, characterized Pennsylvania's current law as "good" but said with "some changes, [it] could be even stronger."

State's charter school law gets 'B', No. 11 ranking
Daveen Rae Kurutz, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, December 8, 2009
"School boards can't figure out a way to like (charter schools)," said Jeanne Allen, the group's president. "Public education is not supposed to be the excluding franchise of a school district. Public education is supposed to belong to everyone."

Center for Education Reform grades charter school laws
Staff Reports, Erie Times-News, December 14, 2009
The center rated laws in the 40 states that allow charter schools. Only 13, including Pennsylvania, have strong laws requiring no significant revisions, accord to the "Charter Laws Across the States" report.

Tennessee

Education Watchdog Gives D to State Charter Schools
Jane Roberts, Commercial Appeal, December 8, 2009
"Frankly, limiting charters to certain areas and segregating the kids who can attend by poverty is just wrong," said Jeanne Allen, founder of the Washington-based center.

Utah

Utah has fourth strongest charter laws in nation
Lisa Schencker, Salt Lake Tribune, December 8, 2009
The center cited Utah's "steadily improving charter climate," its method of funding, which is somewhat similar to traditional public schools, and the state's lack of a cap on the number of charter schools.

Group lauds Utah's charter school laws
Elizabeth Stuart, Deseret News, December 9, 2009
"We are extremely pleased that Utah provides a great example of how parents - thousands of them - can demand change and actually see it realized," said Jeanne Allen, president of The Center for Education Reform.

Virginia

Virginia charter deemed US's second weakest
Bob Stuart, News Virginian, December 8, 2009
"You have to have freedom in how to get there. You don't follow the district way of doing that, you follow your approved charter," [Jeanne Allen] said. [She] said the current Virginia charter law "lacks any guidance and leaves it up to school boards."

Virginia's charter school law gets failing grade by education reform group
Olympia Meola, Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 8, 2009
Virginia's charter-school law is the second-weakest in the nation, earning an F in a new report by The Center for Education Reform. But the state might not be at the bottom of the list for long, if Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell, a staunch supporter of charter schools, gets his way.

Gov.-elect says charter school applications to get boost in Va.
Julian Walker & Lauren Roth, Virginian-Pilot, December 8, 2009
That acknowledgement came from McDonnell transition officials Monday, the same day a charter advocacy group, The Center for Education Reform, released an analysis rating Virginia's charter school laws among the most restrictive in the nation.

Education: Choices
Editorial, Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 9, 2009
A recent report by the Center for Educational Reform finds that Virginia's charter-school law is among the worst in the nation - "abysmal," as the center's president, Jeanne Allen, puts it. She's right.

Advocay Group Gives Va. Charter School Law An 'F'
Jenny Jones, Daily News Record, December 10, 2009
At least two local lawmakers agree with a recent report from a national advocacy group that gives Virginia's charter school law a failing grade. The Center for Education Reform - a nonprofit group that promotes school choice, encourages charter schools and challenges the education establishment - released its annual report Tuesday...

Add charter laws to Gov.-elect's list
Editorial, News Virginian, December 10, 2009
Hear the silence on the latest report card regarding the 50 states, Old Dominion among them. Virginia scored an 'F' and rated second-worst in the country in a study of charter school laws released earlier this week by the Center for Education Reform.

Next ed
Editorial, Free Lance-Star, December 13, 2009
For Virginia, the timing is fortuitous. The Center for Education Reform gives the state an "F" for its charter school law, principally because local school boards must sign off on charters and there is no appeal process if one is denied. That could change once Mr. McDonnell takes office if he proposes legislation to loosen the constraints.

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