A Letter from Ember Reichgott Junge | May 2024 Along with former Michigan Governor, John Engler, Institute Board Chair, Jim Barrett, and Don Cooper, it was an honor to represent the National Charter Schools Institute and Founders Library at an event honoring former Governor George Pataki and 25 Years of New York Charter Schools! […]
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Significant State Level Success and Lessons from Minnesota’s Gene Piccolo
Written by Joe Nathan | Published by CharterFolk Good day, CharterFolk. Today we are delighted to share a Contributor Column from Joe Nathan, Founder and Co-Director of the Center for School Change. I provide below a picture and a bio for Joe that is customized to the purpose of today’s column. Eugene Piccolo (Center) with former Democratic State […]
Why We Tell Our Founders’ Stories…
Founders Library proud to partner with The 74 This month the National Charter Schools Founders Library is excited to highlight charter school leader/founder stories and share a free online copy of Richard Whitmire’s The Founders: Inside the Revolution to Invent and Reinvent America’s Best Charter Schools. Written more than seven years ago, this book grew from […]
The Founders Library Speaks for Charters
“Charter schools were created to provide public school choice with independence outside the traditional district structure, but were always public schools protected by the U.S. Constitution.”– Ember Reichgott-Junge! @CharterLibraryvia @AP https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-charter-school-skirts-071a6bff9a62a0e3f233cd9bcf29d24f The Founders Library played an impactful role in speaking out for the constitutional rights of charter schools in a Supreme Court ruling June 27th, 2023. The […]
The Founders Library: Capturing Charter School History for Future Generations
Minnesota U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger: Redefining Public Education
A giant chartering pioneer was recently laid to rest. There have been many tributes to 88-year-old U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger (R-Minnesota) that have called out his pragmatism, innovative spirit, commitment to policy over politics, and ability to build relationships across party lines. All of that was essential to his key education legacy: creation of the federal […]
APRIL: Celebrating 30 Years of Bipartisan Support for Charter Schools
Chartering – a 30-year-old strategy that welcomes and encourages new ideas to make public education work better for our kids and our communities – is also one of the most prolific grassroots revolutions to create true educational opportunities for all. While it may not always feel like it, chartering started and remains deeply rooted in bipartisan […]
MARCH: Celebrating 30 Years of Exceptional Board Members
The charter movement ushered in a new era of civic engagement in our nation’s public schools. As a strategy that welcomes and encourages new ideas to make public education work better for our kids, communities and country, chartering breaks down barriers that previously prevented passionate community members from helping to reimagine public education. Over the past […]
Exceptional Board Members: Moctezuma Esparza
Growing up in Los Angeles as the son of immigrants from Mexico, Moctezuma went to UCLA where he graduated from the School of Theater, Film and Television. He then became a successful producer and went on to open cinemas in communities across California and earned many distinctions, including an Emmy Award and an Academy Award […]
Exceptional Board Members: Cardell Orrin
Cardell Orrin, the board chair of Freedom Prep Charter Schools in Memphis, Tennessee, came to his role at the charter school having already made a significant impact in other realms. He grew up in a family of political activists who helped elect Memphis’s first black school board member. After attending the University of Pennsylvania and entering the […]
