Charter Renewals Should Put Students First
Every child in Denver deserves access to an excellent public school. Families should be able to trust that their schools are delivering strong outcomes for students, and that decisions about those schools are grounded in what’s best for kids.
That’s why we believe so strongly in both school autonomy and accountability. Educators need the flexibility to respond to the students and communities they serve. In return, schools must demonstrate that they’re delivering results and operating responsibly. Both commitments are essential.
Charter renewals are an important test of those commitments. As the DPS Board of Education considers renewals this month, the standard should be clear: rigorous expectations for school quality, a fair and predictable review process, and decisions that put students’ interests first.
Schools that deliver on their promises should have the opportunity and stability to continue serving families. When schools fall short, the district has a responsibility to act thoughtfully and transparently, with students’ educational opportunities at the center of its decisions.
High Quality Authorizing Means a High Quality Review Process
Charter renewal is a performance-based process where the DPS Board determines whether to allow public charter schools to remain open for demonstrating accountability. DPS evaluates whether a school should receive a new contract based on evidence like academic performance and financial sustainability. If schools are not meeting expectations, they face closure.
A strong charter renewal process begins with a straightforward question: Has this school delivered on its commitments to students and families? Answering that question requires a rigorous, evidence-based review that holds schools to clear standards and ensures decisions are fair, consistent, and predictable.
This means that the process must be based on evidence that answers this question, and schools should experience processes that are predictable and evidence based to ensure decisions are consistent and equitable across schools. The DPS Authorizing and Accountability team lead a formal evidence collection process to assess each school up for renewal that includes:
- a renewal application where schools submit evidence about program, academic data, leadership, governance, enrollment, and operations
- a site visit including classroom observations and interviews with staff, students, and families
- a governance review including a charter board meeting observation, interviews, and governance document review
- a data and records review of academic, financial, enrollment, and other records relevant to the contract and renewal criteria
The superintendent is responsible for reviewing the body of evidence and developing a recommendation aligned to the DPS Renewal Matrix, which includes contract terms and additional conditions largely weighted on the school’s academic performance. Schools could get as short as a one year renewal with conditions up to a five year renewal. The school board is then supported to make quality authorizing decisions in alignment with a quality authorizing process that ensures the school board, district leaders, and charter leaders all hold themselves accountable to academic results.
Why Do Charter Renewals Matter?
If we want to empower schools with the autonomy they need to respond to the students, families, and educators in their own unique communities, we must also ensure that autonomy is balanced with accountability to getting results for students.
Because, if we empower schools with autonomies necessary for them to serve students, trust that those educators know their students best because they are closest to them, and verify that schools are getting results for students, we create the necessary system that enables public schools of all models to thrive and more students will have access to a quality public school of their choice.
The charter renewal process embodies the ongoing commitment that public charter schools make to quality and sustainability. As charter schools, have we met our contractual obligations? Have we been getting results for students? Are families and students still choosing our school? Are we financially sustainable? If yes, charter schools earn the ability to continue to serve students. If not, the DPS Board can close the charter school.
Charter renewals are about accountability, quality, sustainability, and ultimately students.