Daily Headlines for October 15, 2012
Want to Ruin Teaching? Give Ratings
New York Times, NY, October 15, 2012
AS the founder of a charter school network in Harlem , I’ve seen firsthand the nuances inherent in teacher evaluation. A few years ago, for instance, we decided not to renew the contract of one of our teachers despite the fact that his students performed exceptionally well on the state exam.
Transforming Our Schools
New York Times, NY, October 14, 2012
When President George W. Bush signed No Child Left Behind into law, few would have predicted that the next decade of education policy would unfold into a disaster of epic proportions. The law was based on a flawed concept of a “good education” — high scores on standardized tests.
Movie Doesn’t Do Turnaround Schools Justice
USA Today, October 14, 2012
‘Won’t Back Down’ fails to show collaboration, which has made school turnaround efforts in Massachusetts successful.
Schools Dilemma For Gentrifiers: Keep Their Kids Urban, Or Move To Suburbia?
Washington Post, DC, October 14, 2012
He set out to learn as much as he could about the risks and benefits of socioeconomically diverse schools, where at least 20 percent of students are eligible for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program. And then he wrote about it.
Mitt Romney’s Finally Loving Massachusetts
Boston Globe, MA, October 15, 2012
That’s not to say that Romney deserves no credit on education. Among other things, he did laudable work beating back a legislative attempt to ambush the state’s charter-school movement. Massachusetts ’ success in education reform proves the need for constant commitment and vigilance, something that governors from Weld to Patrick — including Romney — can cite with pride.
Nat’l School Choice Week Kickoff Coming to AZ
Southeast Valley Ledger, AZ, October 15, 2012
The kickoff for National School Choice Week 2013 will be held at the Phoenix Convention Center on Jan. 25, 2013, bringing together thousands in support of the idea that parents have a right to choose how their children are educated and its all thanks to EDUPRIZE Schools charter school.
FROM THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
Rich Siblings Spend Big Bucks To Affect California Education Funding
Washington Post Blog, DC, October 14, 2012
The Munger siblings vs. California Gov. Jerry Brown: Here is this week’s case study in our continuing look at how billionaires (and millionaires) are throwing around their money to drive education reform.
Futuristic Rocketship Schools Redefine Teaching
USA Today, October 14, 2012
While it shares a lot in common with many privately run, but publicly funded, charter schools, Rocketship defies nearly all the conventional wisdom about how an urban elementary school should operate. For one thing, students spend as much as two hours a day one-on-one with a computer, learning virtually all of their basic skills through games.
Charter School Upheld In 1st “Parent Trigger” Law Test
San Diego Union-Tribune, CA, October 14, 2012
A San Bernardino County school district must immediately comply with a previous court order allowing a parents group to convert a failing elementary school into a charter, a Superior Court judge ruled Friday in a case seen as an important test of California’s “parent trigger” law.
COLORADO
Douglas County Starts New Teacher Pay Plan
Denver Post, CO, October 15, 2012
The Douglas County School District ‘s new pay-for-performance pilot program — using market-based pay and a rigorous evaluation approach — has begun.
Denver’s 3B Unfairly Favors Charters
Denver Post, CO, October 13, 2012
On Nov. 6, Denver voters will make a decision on whether or not to support two initiatives put forth by the school board. On Aug. 23, I voted in favor of the mill levy, Initiative 3A, since the funds will go directly to the classroom and give our teachers a badly needed cost-of-living salary increase. But I cannot support Initiative 3B, a $466 million bond.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
D.C. Students Test ‘Teach To One’ Learning System
Washington Post, DC, October 14, 2012
It might seem to be a less-than-realistic plan: Put nearly 200 preteens in one large classroom space and expect each of them, with the help of laptops and a few teachers, to learn math at his or her own pace.
FLORIDA
Education Panel Gives Recommendations Similar to What Governor Vetoed
The Ledger, FL, October 14, 2012
When Gov. Rick Scott brushed aside intense lobbying from state universities and vetoed a tuition increase earlier this year, he created a blue ribbon panel to identify ways to make the state’s higher education system more efficient.
As Charter School Enrollment Rises, Debate Intensifies
Herald Tribune, FL, October 14, 2012
She enrolled him halfway during the school year at Imagine School at North Port , the largest charter school in Sarasota County . Since then his grades have rebounded, she said.
New Charter School May Open In Flagler County
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL, October 14, 2012
A new middle and high school geared toward helping nonnative speakers learn English may open in Flagler County.
Results Mixed On Teacher Incentives
News Press, FL, October 14, 2012
Will performance pay help reform schools? So far, experts say the verdict on teacher pay for performance plans is they don’t work and are usually changed or abandoned.
Criticism Follows Florida’s Race-Based Student Achievement Goals
Miami Herald, FL, October 13, 2012
The state Board of Education approved a new six-year strategic plan with student-achievement goals that vary based upon race, income, disability and English proficiency.
GEORGIA
Local or State Control?
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 13, 2012
Support for and opposition to the proposed Constitutional amendment regarding charter schools on the Nov. 6 ballot is nearly equal among Cobb’s government leaders. But in somewhat of a surprise, the Marietta-based Georgia Tea Party now supports passage of the amendment.
Barge: Charter Proponents’ Goal To ‘Silence’ Opposition
Daily Tribune News, GA, October 14, 2012
Earlier this month State School Superintendent John Barge was advised by Attorney General Sam Olens to remove statements in opposition of the state’s charter school amendment referendum after an Atlanta attorney argued it was unlawful for Barge to post the comments.
Charter Amendment Would Tilt Power To State
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, October 14, 2012
The debate over a proposed constitutional amendment that would expand state influence over charter schools has been fierce, complete with lawsuits. But the details can get lost in the back-and-forth.
Georgia Charter Schools: Dream Or Nightmare?
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA, October 13, 2012
The contrast in views of Georgia ‘s charter school amendment is not as much like night and day as like a nightmare and a dream. Here’s the amendment opponents’ nightmare:
State Meets Race To The Top Deadline
GPB, GA, October 15, 2012
October 15th is the deadline for Georgia to turn in its revised Race To The Top proposal for teacher evaluations. The federal government had threatened to pull 33 million dollars in funding after the state changed its proposal.
ILLINOIS
Mostly High Marks For New CPS Chief
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 14, 2012
One of the first calls Barbara Byrd-Bennett made after being tapped as the new chief of Chicago Public Schools was to teachers union President Karen Lewis.
Chicago Schools Names ex-DPS Official To Top Spot
Detroit News, MI, October 15, 2012
As former Detroit Public Schools leader Barbara Byrd-Bennett begins as CEO of Chicago Public Schools, local officials predicted Sunday that she will do well as head of the nation’s third-largest school system.
INDIANA
Fort Wayne Schools Battling Student Exodus
WDRB, IN, October 13, 2012
An Indiana school district is taking steps to ward off competition from private and charter schools.
Time To Halt Bennett’s Ambitions
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN, October 14, 2012
Indiana public schools are struggling under the leadership of Tony Bennett, superintendent of public instruction. His unproven experiment in school choice and privatization has strained local districts at the very time they’ve needed the support and resources of a strong Indiana Department of Education.
School Vouchers Enable Families To Have Choices
Indianapolis Star, IN, October 13, 2012
Dan Carpenter’s Oct. 7 column, “Making tithes of taxes,” questions whether the use of vouchers by parents in religious schools is constitutional. In the case of the U.S. Constitution, the answer has already been given; Zelman v. Harris upheld the constitutionality of educational choice/tuition assistance in an Ohio case that included religious schools.
IOWA
Education Task Force Is On Track
Quad City Times, IA, October 15, 2012
So who should be paid more? The software developer who comes up with a whiz-bang instructional program, or the classroom teacher who presents it every day to students in the classroom? How about the computer programmer who keeps the classroom PC network running? Should she be paid more than the teacher who works directly with kids on that same computer system?
LOUISIANA
Voters To Cast Ballots On School Term Limits
The Advocate, LA, October 15, 2012
After years of off and on debates, voters in most school districts will decide on Nov. 6 whether to limit local school board members to 12 consecutive years of service.
Court Battle Set For Louisiana School Reform, As Teachers Union Square Off Against Gov. Bobby Jindal
Daily Caller, DC, October 14, 2012
The survival of school choice in Louisiana is at stake in a court battle that pits education reformers against teachers’ unions.
MICHIGAN
Uncertainty Surrounds EM Ballot Proposal
Detroit News, MI, October 15, 2012
When voters are asked in November whether to repeal the state’s controversial emergency manager law, they’ll be deciding more than the future of the legislation.
MISSOURI
Teacher Union
Columbia Tribune, MO, October 13, 2012
Columbia Public Schools teachers voted narrowly to be represented by the Columbia Missouri National Education Association, a branch of the national union known for aggressive collective bargaining.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Charter School Supporters Say They’ll Turn Out in Force at State Board of Education Meeting in Concord
New Hampshire Union Leader, NH, October 15, 2012
Close to 100 charter school advocates are expected at the state Board of Education meeting this week, hoping to sway officials to reconsider a moratorium on new school applications. But the board’s chairman says no new schools will get the green light until 2013 at the earliest.
The Truth About Charter Schools
Concord Monitor, NH, October 15, 2012
Truth must be told. The New Hampshire Department of Justice reiterated to the House members that one Legislature cannot bind the actions of a future Legislature. Every representative and senator knows that by heart.
NEW JERSEY
Ringwood, Lakeland High School In Wanaque To Share New Teacher Evaluation Method
Suburban Trends, NJ, October 15, 2012
The school districts of Ringwood and Lakeland Regional High School (LRHS) have agreed to enter into a consortium to share the costs and services of a vendor that will train them to perform educator evaluations using a state-approved method.
NJ Parents Filing Petition For Better Education
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 15, 2012
Three parents with children in the Camden school district are planning to file legal papers demanding their children get a better education.
NEW YORK
A Textbook Failure of Leadership
New York Daily News, NY, October 14, 2012
As education advocates begin to sketch their ideas for the next mayor, one of the loudest voices belongs to the United Federation of Teachers.
Upper West Side Parents Prepare For Rigorous K-6 Application Process
Columbia Daily Spectator, NY, October 15, 2012
As high schoolers around the country fine-tune their applications to Columbia , Upper West Side parents are preparing for another grueling application process: getting their kids into kindergarten.
Extend School Day In City Classrooms
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY, October 13, 2012
Rochester schools chief Bolgen Vargas often insists, “Our children can learn.” Few disagree. It’s just that too often students aren’t learning in city schools.
NORTH CAROLINA
Reformer, Educator Vie To Lead North Carolina’s Schools
News & Observer, NC, October 15, 2012
North Carolina voters will decide whether the state superintendent of public instruction for the next four years should be an educator.
PENNSYLVANIA
Chester Community Charter School Investigation Closes
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 14, 2012
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has closed its investigation of the Chester Community Charter School, formally ending an inquiry that began in July 2011 and at one time focused on suspected testing irregularities at 48 school districts and charter schools across the state.
State Changes Charter School PSSA Score Rules Without Federal Go Ahead
Lehigh Valley Express-Times, PA, October 13, 2012
A switch in the way Pennsylvania measures charter school compliance with federal math and reading benchmarks means it’s now easier for charters than traditional public schools to meet standards.
For Now, Charter Approval Isn’t a Pennsylvania GOP Priority
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 15, 2012
Republican legislative leaders have agreed to set aside a controversial measure that would make it easier for charter schools to form, instead focusing on other regulatory changes this week in final votes before the election.
Charter School Funding Bill Could See Vote This Week
Pottstown Mercury, PA, October 14, 2012
With Pennsylvania state legislators entering their final scheduled week of voting, a bill looking to reform how charter schools are funded may see the light of day.
Charter School Proposals Should Be Shot Down
Delaware County Daily Times, PA, October 13, 2012
Talk to anyone in education circles in this state, and the conversation quickly turns to two topics.
Tongues are usually wagging about funding, which seems to decline every year, and charter schools, which increasingly are being blamed for part of that fiscal dilemma.
TENNESSEE
Nashville School Officials Consider Hiring Freeze
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, October 15, 2012
Nashville school officials are facing a loss of $3.4 million after school board members rejected a charter school proposal. They say a partial hiring freeze is one option for absorbing the loss.
TN Won’t Budge On $3.4M Sanctions Against Metro Schools
The Tennessean, TN, October 14, 2012
Metro school officials are hoping the Tennessee Department of Education abandons plans to withhold $3.4 million from the district after its rejection of Great Hearts Academies’ charter proposal last month, but the state seems undeterred for now.
WASHINGTON
Charters Divert School Funds
Spokesman Review, WA, October 14, 2012
The Washington Supreme Court, in the McCleary decision, ruled that the Legislature has been significantly underfunding our public schools. The court even retained jurisdiction to ensure progress toward full funding. Ask any legislator and they will tell you that full funding of our schools will take years to achieve.
Parents, Others Weighing Pros, Cons Of Charter Schools
Everett Daily Herald, WA, October 15, 2012
Jessie Atkins needed more information about the pros and cons of Initiative 1240, which would establish public charter schools in the state.
Voters Can Choose A Forward Path On Education Reform
Seattle Times, WA, October 13, 2012
Washington state’s education system must change partly by stick and potentially by choice, writes Times editorial page editor Kate Riley. Once such choice would be approval of the charter-school initiative on the Nov. 6 ballot.
The Times Recommends Initiative 1240 — Add Charter Schools To The State’s Education-Reform Agenda
Seattle Times, WA, October 13, 2012
Voters should approve Initiative 1240 and add charter schools to the mix of innovation and reform finally taking hold in Washington state.
WYOMING
Public Schools Not Students’ Only Option
Wyoming Tribune Eagle, WY, October 14, 2012
There are about 690 “hidden” students in Cheyenne . Primarily in the elementary grades, these kids aren’t homeschooled, but they also aren’t members of a traditional public school system. The district only keeps the numbers of homeschooled students, administrators said.
ONLINE SCHOOLS
Florida Virtual School Growing
Tampa Tribune, FL, October 15, 2012
More students apparently are learning the value of the way of life in the school without walls. The virtual school that offers more than 120 free online classes had about 25,000 more students at the end of the last school year than it did the year before.
Virtual Schools Work
Commercial Appeal, TN, October 14, 2012
I read with interest your Oct. 7 article “Lack of educational choice is ‘old school’ for Memphis-area students,” which highlights Tennessee ‘s new online school. As a parent of two happy Tennessee Virtual Academy (TNVA) students, I am grateful for this important public school option.
Milwaukee Area Schools Lose Students While Virtual Charters Gain
Journal Sentinel, WI, October 14, 2012
More than half the school districts in the four-county Milwaukee metro area saw enrollment decreases at the start of this school year, according to data released by the state last week that provides a preliminary count of kids in public schools this year.