Ups and downs for charters

An embattled Denver charter school that faced closure after accusations of financial mismanagement and plummeting academics now has a new leader and another chance. Denver's school board has approved the extension of a contract for Challenges, Choices and Images Charter School after a flurry of late changes. The school hired a new principal, convened a new governing board, severed ties with a privately run day care and hired a chief financial officer. To read The Denver Post article, click here.

ALSO: Maasai Institute, a 3-year-old school that operated under a charter from the City of Milwaukee, has closed because of financial problems. The school, with about 150 students in ninth through 12th grade this year, had been more than $400,000 in debt, although it recently reduced that to about $200,000.