Daily Headlines for July 7, 2011
No, Seriously: No Excuses
New York Times Magazine, NY, July 7, 2011
To point out the obvious: These are excuses. In fact, they are the very same excuses for failure that the education-reform movement was founded to oppose. (If early reformers believed in anything, it was that every student is an apple.) And not only are they excuses; they aren’t even particularly persuasive ones.
FROM THE STATES
CONNECTICUT
State to Appoint New Board of Education in Bridgeport
New York Times, NY, July 7, 2011
The intervention in Bridgeport, Connecticut ‘s second-largest school system, with 20,000 students, will be the second time in the state’s recent history that a locally elected school board has been replaced by an appointed board, education officials said.
Takeover Is About More Than Bridgeport
The Hartford Courant, CT, July 7, 2011
Bridgeport’s forlorn plea for a state takeover of its schools isn’t about another dysfunctional school board. It’s about our abject failure to deal with the problem that, year in, year out, never fails to go away.
COLORADO
Panel Urges Higher Charter Standards
Education News Colorado, CO, July 7, 2011
A committee that’s been studying standards for charter school governance and for how districts authorize charters has finished its work with recommendations that the state adopt existing national standards on authorization and that charter boards be required to follow existing laws and rules on financial and ethical conduct.
Groups Suing Douglas County Schools Over Vouchers Seek Preliminary Injunction
Denver Post, CO, July 7, 2011
Two groups that filed suit June 21 against the Douglas County School District have asked a Denver district judge to stop the implementation of the district’s voucher program while the lawsuits make their way through court.
FLORIDA
Charter School Push is on in Palm Bay
Florida Today, FL, July 6, 2011
Parents, students and faculty members plan to show up in large numbers at tonight’s city council meeting in support of the financially embattled Palm Bay Community Charter School .
Team Success Beats The Odds, Soars From F To B
Bradenton Herald, FL, July 7, 2011
It’s been a year since charter school Team Success’ employees began a journey to change the F grade they received from the state of Florida. Their goal for 2011 was to get a C, but they didn’t make that goal.
GEORGIA
APS Braces For Fallout From Investigation
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, July 7, 2011
National attention on a state report castigating Atlanta Public Schools for a deeply embedded culture of cheating, cover-ups and obstruction increased the pressure Wednesday on local school officials.
INDIANA
Good Schools Fearful of Bad Grades in Rating System
Indianapolis Star, IN, July 7, 2011
Critics say rating system may unfairly penalize high-achieving schools
LOUISIANA
Ed Dept.: Too Early To Gauge Voucher Effectiveness
Westport New, LA, July 6, 2011
A day after an education advocacy group called attention to the poor performance of some private New Orleans schools that accept state-funded tuition vouchers, the state Department of Education said relatively few students in the voucher program have been tested so far.
MARYLAND
Montgomery Considers First Charter School
Washington Post, DC, July 6, 2011
On Thursday, the Montgomery County Board of Education will decide whether to restore part of the old building to its original purpose by approving the county’s first public charter school. The application may offer lessons for how future charter proposals could succeed in a suburban system that has been skeptical of the independently operated public schools.
MASSACHUSETTS
Program’s Students Aim For College
Boston Globe, MA, July 7, 2011
Instead of enjoying the summer sun yesterday, a group of soon-to-be fifth-graders crowded into Suffolk University lecture halls and built houses out of straws.
Charter Funding More Than Fair To Districts
Gloucester Times, MA, July 6, 2011
For more than 15 years, since charter public schools first opened, district angst has been focused on money.
MICHIGAN
Ann Arbor School Officials Not Sure How Teacher Tenure Reform Bills Will Affect District
Ann Arbor, MI, July 7, 2011
Although AAPS officials haven’t figured out how the bills will change the teacher evaluation process in Ann Arbor and what it might mean for the district, the head of the Ann Arbor Education Association thinks the reform bills mean bad days are ahead for public education.
NEW YORK
Charter School Pushing Special Ed Students Out Of Gym Class, Parents Argue
New York Daily News, NY, July 7, 2011
Parents of Bedford-Stuyvesant special-needs children at a borough public school say the expansion of a well-known charter school franchise will mean less gym time for their kids.
NORTH CAROLINA
We All Benefit When Dropouts Come Back.
Fayetteville Observer, NC, July 7, 2011
They’re not looking for criminals, but this manhunt is just as important. The Cumberland County schools are hiring five social workers with federal Race to the Top funding that encourages educational innovation. They’ll be doing some serious detective work, trying to track down about 650 former students who appear to have become dropouts.
OHIO
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson Says Charter Schools
Likely If They Improve Education
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, July 7, 2011
Mayor Frank Jackson says he’s likely to push to convert some Cleveland district schools to charters, exempting them from union rules that govern teacher layoffs and other matters, if he decides that would provide a better education for students.
OREGON
Small Town Community Puts Charter School Together
KVAl News, OR, July 6, 2011
As kids plant a garden and water their crops outside the old Coburg Elementary School, you can almost see the roots of a new school taking hold.
PENNSYLVANIA
Teachers Vie For Jobs At New Charter School
Reading Eagle, PA, July 7, 2011
The I-LEAD Charter School, to be located at the former Central Catholic High School, will kick off its inaugural year with 10 teachers, said Dr. Yamil Sanchez, headmaster.
When Did Public Education Become Public Enemy No. 1?
Patriot News, PA, July 7, 2011
Now, Gov. Tom Corbett and other public officials pontificate the evils of public education. Their rhetoric describes a flawed system. One that is too expensive. They propose drastic reductions in the cost of educating the youth of this nation.
TENNESSEE
Haslam May Seek ‘No Child Left Behind’ Waiver
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, July 7, 2011
Acknowledging the “very real possibility” that most Tennessee schools would fail federal “No Child Left Behind” standards when they are raised, Gov. Bill Haslam said Wednesday that his administration may seek a waiver from federal officials.
UTAH
Ogden Skips Teacher Negotiations, Moves Toward Merit Pay
Salt Lake Tribune, UT, July 6, 2011
In a dramatic break with tradition, Ogden School District is refusing to negotiate with teachers over a contract and plans to eventually base their pay on performance instead of experience.
VIRTUAL LEARNING
New Software Helps Richmond County Students Learn At Their Own Pace
WJBF, GA, July 7, 2011
To the average adult whose high school experience included filmstrips and chalk dust, the typical day for summer school students taking classes at butler high may seem like something out of science fiction movie.