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Washington does not yet have a state law authorizing the establishment of public charter schools.
Individuals and organizations interested in developing a law in Washington may contact the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools
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Montana does not yet have a state law authorizing the establishment of public charter schools.
Individuals and organizations interested in developing a law in Montana may contact the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools
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There are several charter schools in Oregon with place-based and project-based programs that focus on stewardship, community, and the natural environment. In these schools, students are active participants rather than passive recipients of information. They are engaged in active learning experiences through interactions with teachers, parents, the community, and each other. The green charter schools are places of experiential learning, research, innovation, and sustainable practices. An annual Oregon Green Schools Summit brings together students, educators and others for an enriching opportunity to celebrate successes, gain new skills, generate enthusiasm, and share ideas with peers from across Oregon.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN NEVADA?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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California was among the first 10 states to enact a charter school law in the early 1990s. With more than 800 public charter schools serving nearly 350,000 students, California is home, also, to nearly 20 green charter schools.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN IDAHO ?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN WYOMING?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS:
Soldier Hollow Charter School
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Arizona’s charter school law was first enacted in 1994. There are more than 500 charter schools in Arizona that enroll more than 100,000 students. There are three ways to obtain a contract to operate a charter school in Arizona, by applying to: 1) The State Board for Charter Schools, 2) The State Board of Education, and 3) the school district within whose boundaries the charter school will be physically located. Charter schools are organized and operated in a variety of ways. Each charter school has a governing board. Some charter schools are organized as non-profit corporations, for-profit corporations and still others have different structures. School decisions are made at the school level. The sponsoring boards have very little to do with daily charter school operations. Each charter school develops its own policies related to discipline, personnel, attendance, etc. Charter schools participate in the state’s nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement test. Each charter school also completes an annual report card for the Department of Education and an annual report for its sponsoring board. Charter schools also design a method to measure pupil progress toward student outcomes. Charter schools are funded by the state and receive money based on student attendance. A specific charter school’s funding is as stable as the school’s enrollment. Charter schools may also solicit and receive contributions. The term of charter school contracts is fifteen years. Charters are reviewed by the sponsoring board every five years and monitored regularly.
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There is a groundswell of interest in Colorado in the development of environmental education and a state environmental literacy plan. Colorado has been involved in the State Education and Environment Roundtable (SEER). Colorado was among the first 10 states to pass a charter-school law in the early 1990s, and it has expanded its law in recent years. More than 100 charter schools operate in urban and rural areas throughout the state. The Colorado League of Charter Schools, which provides a variety of important services and programs, is a good contact for information of environment-focused charter schools in the state.
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Charter schools in New Mexico are authorized by a local school board or the Public Education Commission to provide an alternative educational setting to parents and students in the public school system. Prospects are bright for the growth of green charter schools in New Mexico. There are several active environmental education organizations, including a unique group of young people that is interested and engaged in schooling for sustainability. Youth Allies for Sustainability was created in 2006 to provide opportunities for youth to discover their voices, act on their convictions for a more just and sustainable world, and realize their full potential as stewards of the earth. The program brings together a diverse group of youth to explore environmental and social issues; train in leadership, sustainability, and cultural competency; and become active and engaged members of the community. Youth Allies is a partnership with the Santa Fe Mountain Center’s Emergence Department.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN ALASKA?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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North Dakota does not yet have a state law authorizing the establishment of public charter schools.
Individuals and organizations interested in developing a law in North Dakota may contact the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools
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South Dakota does not yet have a state law authorizing the establishment of public charter schools.
Individuals and organizations interested in developing a law in South Dakota may contact the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools
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Nebraska does not yet have a state law authorizing the establishment of public charter schools.
Individuals and organizations interested in developing a law in Nebraska may contact the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN KANSAS?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN OKLAHOMA?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS:
Rapoport Academy Public School
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Act 62 of the Hawaii Legislature’s Session Laws of 1999 included a visionary concept of student-centered “New Century Schools.” The concept was intended to nurture the development of autonomous and flexible decision-making at the local school site. Charter schools are authorized by the state to operate independently, exercise freedom and autonomy in operations, curricular approaches and governance, and be accountable for results. Many green charter schools focus on native Hawaiian language, culture, and arts that relate to the natural environment. Schooling for sustainability by the Hawaiian people is deeply rooted in the antiquity of the land and water. Preservation of the natural environment continues to motivate their vision and the purpose of perpetuating the essence of the Hawaiian culture.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN LOUISIANA?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN ARKANSAS?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN MISSOURI?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN IOWA?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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Minnesota was the first state to enact a charter school law in the early 1990s. Its current law allows more entities than any other state to authorize public charter schools, i.e., school districts, public and private colleges and universities, and certain foundations. The Audubon Center of the Northwoods has authorized most green charter schools in Minnesota. Minnesota has been a leader, also, in adopting other school reform initiatives including public school open enrollment, postsecondary options and new enabling legislation giving school districts greater authority to innovate. Education / Evolving, UM Center for School Change, and EdVisions Schools are key organizations that have had a significant impact in causing school reforms to occur in Minnesota. With its leadership in environmental education over many years, it is not surprising that the state is home to several green charter schools. The Minnesota Charter Schools Association is partnering with GCSNet to help grow green charter schools in the state.
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Wisconsin is one of the leading states in the development of green charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices. The Green Charter Schools Network, a national nonprofit organization launched in February 2008, is headquartered in Madison, WI. GCSNet’s first national Green Charter Schools Conference, co-sponsored by the University of Wisconsin’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, was held at UW-Madison in November 2008. The state’s charter school law, first enacted in 1993, allows school districts throughout the state to authorize an unlimited number of public charter schools. The Milwaukee Public School (MPS) District, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and City of Milwaukee may and do authorize charter schools in Milwaukee. Wisconsin was home to many well-known environmentalists, including Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, John Muir, Aldo Leopold, and Sigurd Olson. Please send us links to Wisconsin green school resources that may be included on this site.
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Until recently, the number of charter schools in Illinois has been limited and most have operated in Chicago. With a new law that increases the number of charter schools allowed to operate in the state and a heightened interest in schooling for sustainability, green schools are expected to grow throughout Illinois. One of the first green schools in the country is located in Grayslake, Illinois. Prairie Crossing Charter School, which was created as part of a new residential development, uses an ecological, integrated, experiential approach to learning with environmental stewardship as a school theme. Most charter schools are authorized by local school districts in Illinois, but Prairie Crossing is authorized by the State Board of Education. Illinois provides fertile ground for the growth of innovative schools with environment-focused educational programs and green practices.
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Alabama does not yet have a state law authorizing the establishment of public charter schools.
Individuals and organizations interested in developing a law in Alabama may contact the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.
INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN MISSISSIPPI?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.
GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS:
Ivy Academy
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Kentucky does not yet have a state law authorizing the establishment of public charter schools.
Individuals and organizations interested in developing a law in Washington may contact the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.
INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN INDIANA?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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With the support of state organizations representing charter schools (i.e. public school academies) and the Michigan Green Schools association, there is growing interest in creating environment-focused schools throughout the state. Michigan was among the first 10 states to enact a charter school law. Q&A – Michigan Charter Schools. Unique features of the state’s charter schools community include alternative authorizers of charter schools, a statewide association of charter school boards, and several charter school management organizations that operate the schools. Many public and private schools in Michigan are actively working to achieve environmental goals that include protecting the air, land, water and wildlife along with global outreach through good ecological practices and the teaching of educational stewardship of students pre-kindergarten through senior high school.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN GEORGIA?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN OHIO?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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West Virginia does not yet have a state law authorizing the establishment of public charter schools.
Individuals and organizations interested in developing a law in West Virginia may contact the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.
INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN SOUTH CAROLINA?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN VIRGINIA?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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Pennsylvania is home to several green charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices. In Pennsylvania, individuals or groups seeking to establish a charter public school must apply to the local school board of the district in which the school will be located. If a school district rejects a charter school application, the applicant can then appeal to the state’s Charter Appeals Board (CAB). For information on how to start a charter school in Pennsylvania, please view How To Open a New School .
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New York. Our current social and environmental challenges have resulted from technologies, lifestyle choices, and ways of thinking that human beings have developed and passed down over centuries. Facing these challenges will require an education that directly addresses them, helping tomorrow’s citizens to develop new technologies, new lifestyle choices, and new ways of thinking. In response to current global suffering and the consensus of the scientific community, the United Nations has declared 2005-2014 to be the Decade for Education for Sustainable Development, and has called for a complete rethinking of education to create the social change needed to bring our communities into balance with natural systems. Sustainability education supports young people in developing the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind and heart they will need to create sustainable communities that are in balance with the ecological systems that support us. Not simply environmental education, sustainability education integrates the social, economic, and ecological dimensions of the human endeavor, emphasizing the relationship between all three of these critical realms. Sustainability education emphasizes building young people’s competence as systems thinkers, who are able to understand the complex dynamics of the contemporary human-earth situation, and respond wisely to our collective challenges.
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You’ll be interested in exploring the Web sites of green charter schools in Florida. Students at Odyssey, for example, have access to a science discovery lab where hands-on, multi-sensory experiments are conducted. The school is an optimal learning environment with natural daylight, nature trails, ponds, non-toxic paints and high-quality indoor air. The mission of the Academy of Environmental Science is to instill in students a sense of environmental stewardship and provide unique and challenging opportunities in the natural sciences. The Academy of Environmental Science in cooperation with community organizations and postsecondary institutions provide a curriculum to prepare students to be qualified for entry-level positions and/or postsecondary education in careers in the environmental sciences. The academy integrates various core courses to ensure relevant preparation for environmental science careers. Learning Gate’s vision is to become the nation’s leader in developing successful students and advocates for sustainable living. Coral Reef students are encouraged to respect the natural environment and search for knowledge beyond the limits of the classroom.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN MARYLAND?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN DELAWARE?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
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GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS:
Rapoport The Barack Obama Green Charter High School
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ConnecticutCommon Ground High School in New Haven, CT, was one of the first green charter schools in the United States and remains a unique green charter secondary school. It also is a small college preparatory school with a focus on the urban environment in preparing students to become the next generation of environmental leaders. Learning at Common Ground is rooted in the local community and environment.
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INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN RHODE ISLAND?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.
Charter-school legislation was included in the Commonwealth’s 1993 Education Reform Act. Charter schools have more autonomy than traditional schools when it comes to staff, budget, curriculum and assessments, and calendar, which allows them more flexibility to address student needs. Charter schools in Massachusetts are operated independently of local school districts. The MA Board of Education oversees charter schools with annual evaluations. Educating and empowering young people to play positive roles in caring for the environment is a high priority in the state. Young people have many opportunities in Massachusetts to experience and understand the natural world in order to become stewards of the environment and serve as environmental leaders.
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Vermont does not yet have a state law authorizing the establishment of public charter schools.
Individuals and organizations interested in developing a law in Vermont may contact the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.
INTERESTED IN GROWING GREEN CHARTER SCHOOLS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE?
Please contact the Green Charter Schools Network for information and resources relating to planning, implementing, and operating charter schools with environment-focused educational programs and practices.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.
Maine does not yet have a state law authorizing the establishment of public charter schools.
Individuals and organizations interested in developing a law in Maine may contact the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.
Antioch University in New England is now offering the first graduate-level program specifically linking education and sustainability to help educators foster in children personal responsibility, optimism about the prospects for the future and the decision-making skills to balance public and private priorities in an interconnected world. The Antioch masters in education (M.Ed) concentration in Educating for Sustainability (EFS) includes a two-week summer residency with fall and spring online courses. The program focuses on the ways individual citizens, communities and societies learn how to meet their needs and aspirations without compromising future generations’ abilities to meet their needs.
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