Langston Sponsors Tulsa Charter School

Officials with Langston University today joined forces with the Deborah Brown Community School, signing a first-of-its-kind contract allowing Langston to sponsor the North Tulsa school. OK State Rep. Jabar Shumate (D-Tulsa):

“This is a historic day – the first time a higher education institution has sponsored an Oklahoma charter school. Langston has a proud history as Oklahoma’s premier historically black college, and its work with the Deborah Brown Community School will continue that great heritage. Best of all, this agreement will open the door of opportunity for North Tulsa children.”

OK State Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre (D-Tulsa):

“Today’s contract signing is the culmination of years of work to ensure that the children of North Tulsa have access to an education that is second-to-none. I am proud to see Langston University take the lead in educating our youth.”

Dr. JoAnn W. Haysbert, president of Langston University:

“We’re very excited by the chance to support the education innovation and reform embodied by charter schools. The Deborah Brown Community School has consistently proven that every child, regardless of socioeconomic challenges, is capable of learning and excelling.”

Deborah Brown, founder and chief executive of the Deborah Brown Community School:

“We are excited about our future with Langston University and think that we will be a model for best practices in establishing future relationships between charter schools and higher education.”

This contract is the first of its kind in Oklahoma and Langston is one of the first colleges to sponsor a charter school anywhere in the nation.

The contract was made possible by legislation authored by Shumate and Eason McIntyre – House Bill 1589 – a state law that now allows charter schools to be sponsored by universities.

Since its launch in 2000, the Deborah Brown Community School has been sponsored by Tulsa Public Schools. However, that relationship was strained, particularly when the TPS sued the state and voiced opposition to charter schools.

That opposition came in spite of the amazing success of the Deborah Brown Community School, which serves many low-income and minority children residing in North Tulsa.

The Deborah Brown Community School achieved a perfect Academic Performance Index score of 1,500 in 2006 and remains one of the state’s top-performing elementary schools.

The Academic Performance Index scores measure performance and progress in schools. Schools and districts are given an API score from 0 to 1,500.

In recent years, state lawmakers saw the need for charter schools as a way to improve academic achievement in the state. Parents who are supportive of charters want more innovative schools and believe they have a positive impact on their children.

Charter schools are public schools that operate under the No Child Left Behind policies and share some of the same requirements as traditional public schools. They have fiscal oversight and they have to report Academic Performance Index scores, just as traditional public schools do.