Daily Headlines for August 23, 2012
The Nomination Acceptance Speech We Need to Hear
Huffington Post Blog by Kevin P. Chavous, August 22, 2012
I am talking about education in America. Friends, the truth is we are falling behind the rest of the world when it comes to the education of our young. And sadly, for those who do fall through the education cracks, we offer them little hope for a productive future.
A Generation of School-Voucher Success
Wall Street Journal, August 23, 2012
African-American kids in New York were 24% more likely to attend college if they won a scholarship to attend private school.
Poll: Americans Want Fiscal Problems Solved Before School Funding Goes Up
Washington Times, DC, August 22, 2012
What’s more important than ensuring that children get a better education? For most Americans this election cycle, it’s the federal budget.
SIMMONS: Obama’s Tailor-Made School Plan
Washington Times, DC, August 22, 2012
But pay attention to when, how and where the president tailors his messages about education, since looks can be deceiving. The Obama campaign has had nothing new to say about education reform in a long time.
High School Students Not Prepared for College, Career
US News & World Report, August 22, 2012
Nearly 1.7 million high school graduates took the ACT college entrance exam in 2012, testing their knowledge of four core subjects—English, math, science, and reading. But most of those students are not prepped for success in college or the workforce, according to a report released today by ACT, Inc.
When We All Went To School Together
New York Daily News, NY, August 23, 2012
Now it seems we are all racing to opt out. Education reformers are doubling down on standardized tests and school choice. Whatever their good intentions, this all too often exacerbates the segregation that exists in the broader society.
Only the Best
Chicago Tribune, IL, August 23, 2012
Think of all those teachers denied tenure in New York. Better still, think of all those students who won’t suffer year after year because an ineffective teacher was allowed to stay in the classroom. That is the kind of progress we hope to soon see in Illinois.
Fixing No Child Left Behind By Undoing It
The Virginian-Pilot, VA, August 23, 2012
As flawed as the federal No Child Left Behind Act may be, the bipartisan federal legislation carried an undeniably noble mission: Eliminating the achievement gap separating demographic groups of students and ensuring every child demonstrates proficiency in core subjects.
FROM THE STATES
ARIZONA
Non-Profit Lends $34M To Charter Schools
Arizona Republic, AZ, August 23, 2012
Three charter school groups are about to receive a combined $34 million in bond money for their expansions from a Phoenix group that funds community development projects.
CALIFORNIA
Court Rejects Chico Green School’s Request For Charter Reinstatement
Chino Enterprise Record, CA, August 23, 2012
Chico Green School has suffered another defeat in its effort to resurrect itself as a charter school. Friday, Butte County Superior Court Judge Robert A. Glusman rejected a suit filed against the Chico Unified School District without letting it go to trial.
Court Date Delayed As LASD/BCS Push-Pull Intensifies
Los Altos Town Crier, CA, August 22, 2012
A Santa Clara County Superior Court judge postponed last week’s hearing to determine the validity of the Los Altos School District’s 2012-2013 facilities offer to Bullis Charter School , but not before the two parties threw more punches.
Charter School Sought For Fresno Community
Fresno Bee, CA, August 22, 2012
A group of community leaders and educators have proposed a new charter school to serve children in Fresno ‘s Lowell neighborhood. The Kepler Neighborhood School would focus on community building in the troubled neighborhood, which loosely runs between Belmont Avenue and Divisadero Street and has long been plagued by poverty.
Teachers, Unions And Students
Los Angeles Times, CA, August 23, 2012
One state legislator told me they all get paid the same no matter how good or horrible they are. Ditto for teachers.
Gee Credits Swelling Enrollment To Faculty, Staff At Bowman Charter
Auburn Journal, CA, August 23, 2012
At Bowman Charter School, Principal Gary Yee is happy to see that both his enrollment and the amount of programs offered there are on the rise.
COLORADO
Charter Official Explains School’s Growing Pains
Cherokee Tribune, CO, August 22, 2012
Almost a month into the school year, Cherokee Charter Academy reached its enrollment goal of over 995 students, but is now down 20 below its goal, charter school officials said Wednesday.
Douglas County School Board May Ask Voters To Break Teachers Union Tie
Denver Post, CO, August 23, 2012
The Douglas County School Board may ask voters to end its collective-bargaining agreement with the teachers union and permanently break other ties between district and union.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Charter Schools Get $1.1m to Help DCPS
Washington Examiner, DC, August 22, 2012
The District is giving two charter schools $1.1 million to train teachers and boost student test scores at two lower-achieving DC Public Schools elementary campuses.
FLORIDA
Judge Rejects Florida Teacher Evaluation Rule
Palm Beach Post, FL, August 22, 2012
Siding with two teachers and a union, an administrative law judge on Wednesday rejected a state-approved rule linking teacher performance and pay, declaring it “wholly invalid” because of the way it was pieced together.
GEORGIA
Yarbrough’s Column On Charter Schools Unfair
Athens Banner Herald, GA, August 22, 2012
I read with interest Dick Yarbrough’s Monday column, headlined “Charter school advocates running scared.”
ILLINIOS
Teacher Talks Scheduled But Both Sides Creep Closer To Strike
Chicago Tribune, IL, August 23, 2012
In an indication the compromise over the longer day did little to appease teachers, the Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates Wednesday gave their president the OK to issue a 10-day walkout notice at any time.
Don’t Be Fooled By Teachers Strike Drama
Chicago Sun Times, IL, August 22, 2012
If you paid attention only to the theatrics on the streets this week, the easy prediction is of a Chicago teachers strike on Sept. 4, what should be opening day.
Torres: Does Not Favor Charter Schools
Courier News, IL, August 22, 2012
It was the first day of school in Elgin School District U46, and Superintendent Jose Torres ended his workday with a presentation on the state of the district at Wednesday evening’s city council meeting. Answering questions from council members afterward, Torres seemingly put the kibosh on hopes some have had to form a charter school in Elgin .
LOUISIANA
Teachers Get To Appeal Their Firings
The Advocate, LA, August 23, 2012
The Lafayette Parish school system has opted to resolve lawsuits filed by employees who challenged the use of a new state law to validate their terminations by allowing them to follow the appeals process in place before the law was changed.
MARYLAND
Some Frederick Teachers To Get Graded In Pilot Program
Maryland Gazette, MD, August 23, 2012
They will not be getting A’s or F’s just yet, but some Frederick County teachers this year are about to see a change in the way their performance is evaluated.
MASSACHUSETTS
New Educator Evaluation System ‘Unrolling’ In Lynn
Lynn Daily Item, MA, August 23, 2012
A new teacher evaluation system tied to millions of federal tax dollars poured into Lynn schools and other school districts will only be partially in place in time for the Sept. 1 suggested state deadline for introducing evaluations.
BART Seeks To Include Pittsfield In Charter Renewal
Berkshire Eagle, MA, August 23, 2012
The Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School has formally applied to expand its coverage area to include students from Pittsfield .
Innovative Educational Programs in Fall River and Swansea
Herald News, MA, August 22, 2012
Two organic, innovative educational approaches took a couple of giant leaps forward this week in two local communities.
MICHIGAN
Voucher Program Finding Some Success
Kokomo Tribune, MI, August 23, 2012
Two Kokomo private schools now accept state vouchers, others applying
Montrose, Mt. Morris Among 14 Michigan Districts To Test New System For Evaluating Teachers
Flint Journal, MI, August 23, 2012
Montrose and Mt. Morris school districts are among 14 Michigan districts this year which will test out new systems designed for evaluating teachers.
MISSISSIPPI
‘Parent-Trigger Law’ Important
Jackson Free Press, MS, August 22, 2012
In their push for a more expansive charter-school law in Mississippi, charter proponents have attempted to repeal our existing charter-school law.
NEW JERSEY
Local School Officials Offer Thoughts On Christie Tenure Reform Bill
Passaic Valley Today, NJ, August 23, 2012
Gov. Christie recently signed a landmark tenure reform bill, touting the legislation as “a great day for good teachers” in the state and praising it for its bipartisanship.
NEW MEXICO
Proposed S. Valley Charter Debated
West Side Journal, NM, August 23, 2012
A proposed charter high school in the South Valley that would focus on instruction and immersion in the health care industry received overwhelming support from community members, but Albuquerque Public Schools officials said the school’s services were redundant with those already offered by the district.
Charters Serve Students’ Needs
ABQ Journal, NM, August 23, 2012
EDUCATIONAL programs should be molded to fit the needs of students rather than students molded to fit into educational programs. Charter schools are often created by parents and students who believe the current educational programs and settings in the districts in which they live do not meet their needs.
NEW YORK
Teacher Evaluations Not Passing
Newsday, NY, August 22, 2012
For the first time, public school districts have been given initial ratings, or “growth scores,” for their teachers, plucked from two years of standardized testing by the State Department of Education. The data are deeply flawed in many cases. That’s not good news, but it’s not the full story.
High Marks For Schenectady Plan
Albany Times Union, NY, August 22, 2012
The state is hailing Schenectady’s evaluation plans for teachers and principals as a model just seven months after the school district nearly forfeited $2 million in grants for failing to meet the deadline to submit them.
Tenure Reform Works
New York Observer, NY, August 22, 2012
That said, taxpayers, parents and students should be delighted to hear that the city is serious about getting rid of ineffective teachers. The Department of Education recently announced that nearly half the teachers who were eligible to receive tenure this year were denied the lifetime appointment. That’s a milestone achievement for a process that used to be treated as a fait accompli by teachers and administrators alike.
Time To Let Parents Help Run Our Schools
New York Post, NY, August 23, 2012
In New York, a good education is a civil right. That’s the law. Yet many schools are aren’t delivering — and haven’t for decades. Government in New York has failed in its civic, civil and constitutional duties. It is time for parents to take over.
More Area Schools Embrace Chinese-Immersion Method
Wall Street Journal, August 23, 2012
When kindergartners arrive at the Presidio Knolls School next week for their first day of class, they will be allowed to speak English only on the playground and at a few other times. Most classes will be taught in Chinese.
NORTH CAROLINA
Number Of Charter School Students Up In Burke
Morganton News Herald, NC, August 22, 2012
More than 1,000 students in Burke County already are cracking the books. While classes start Monday for Burke County Public Schools, the county’s charter and private schools have welcomed back students and some of the county’s homeschoolers have ended summer break, too.
Reforming Teacher Pay: Will North Carolina Be Left Behind?
Charlotte Observer, NC, August 23, 2012
In March 2011, two of my state House colleagues and I filed a bill – at the request of then-CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman – that would have given Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools the authority to adopt a performance pay system for teachers.
OHIO
Cleveland: Two Closed Public Schools Transformed
WKYC, OH, August 22, 2012
Two boarded-up Cleveland Public Schools have reopened as high expectation charter schools.
Private-School Parents Sue Northridge Schools Over Busing
Columbus Dispatch, OH, August 23, 2012
Now, Jones has a chance to prove that the law is on his side — and so do Northridge school district officials, who are trying to cut the costly bus route to a private school in Pataskala.
OREGON
Logos Charter School Gives Students Head Start Toward RCC
Mail Tribune, OR, August 23, 2012
Instead of heading into his senior year at a public high school like most students his age, 17-year-old Job Houy is finishing up summer classes at Rogue Community College in preparation for his first full year of college.
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia School District Severs Ties With Delaware Valley High School
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, August 23, 2012
The Philadelphia School District has severed ties with a for-profit alternative education company that had served city students for nearly a decade.
Concerns Over School Choice Advocate Taking Charge Of Chester S Struggling Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, August 23, 2012
IT MIGHT HAVE once seemed unthinkable: Handing the keys to a large, troubled public-school district over to a high-profile advocate for increasing privatization, including vouchers and for-profit private schools.
Career Connections Charter Renewal Rejected
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, August 23, 2012
School in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood to stay open while it appeals decision to state officials
Gov. Corbett Looking For Charter School Reform This Fall
Morning Call, PA, August 23, 2012
Gov. Tom Corbett’s education czar said this week that the Republican administration plans to make a renewed push on the unfinished parts of its school reform agenda during this fall’s legislative session.
TEXAS
Scheduling, New Facilities Draw Transfers to East Texas Charter High School
Longview News-Journal , TX, August 22, 2012
Students at East Texas Charter High School will have the benefit of new athletic facilities when they go back to classes Monday.
VIRGINIA
VA: Constitutional Amendment Aims To Loosen State’s Tight Charter School Law
Virginia Watchdog, August 21, 2012
A state senator wants to amend the Virginia Constitution to create more charter schools to boost academic competition.
ONLINE SCHOOLS
An Experimental Cyber Charter
Jewish Exponent, August 22, 2012
Will pairing Hebrew and Mandarin Chinese language classes at a new Philadelphia charter school make a perfect yin and yang — or prove to be something of an educational odd couple?
Rapides’ Aiken Virtual Program Gets New Learning Management System
Alexandria Town Talk, LA, August 23, 2012
Jenifer Scott, director of virtual programs, said a system called BrainHoney is streamlining how students take classes at Aiken, the parish’s online education option.
Online Learning: A Growing Trend
KIMT, MN, August 22, 2012
It’s that time of year again: Back to school. In Iowa , most students are already back in class. In Minnesota , the school year begins in a couple of weeks.