Daily Headlines for January 18, 2013
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NATIONAL COVERAGE
In Pursuit of Safety, Schools’ Paths Diverge
Wall Street Journal, January 18, 2013
A month after a gunman massacred 20 students in Newtown, Conn., school districts nationwide are struggling with safety issues and taking widely divergent approaches.
FROM THE STATES
ARKANSAS
Judge Finds No Violations Of School Deal
Northwest Arkansas News, AR, January 18, 2013
U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. on Thursday ruled that the establishment of nearly a dozen state-approved charter schools in Pulaski County did not violate a 1989 desegregation settlement terms between the state and the three Pulaski County school districts.
Billionaires’ Bill Filed To Strip State Education Board Of Charter School Review
Arkansas Times Blog, AR, January 17, 2013
The long-expected bill originating from the Billionaire Boys Club to strip the state Board of Education of its oversight of charter school applications and performance was filed today.
CALIFORNIA
Charter Schools See Largest Boom Since Their Inception 20 Years Ago
Daily Breeze, CA, January 17, 2013
Charter schools across the United States are proliferating and expanding at a record pace, with the trend particularly pronounced in California and Los Angeles County.
Green Dot Charter Group To Reorganize Locke High
Los Angeles Times, CA, January 18, 2013
Green Dot hopes the changes will counter the slumping academic performance of incoming ninth-grade students.
Parents At Troubled School Take Reform Petitions To LAUSD
Los Angeles Times, CA, January 18, 2013
After about 100 parents from 24th Street Elementary drop off the parent trigger petitions, Supt. John Deasy pledges to work with them to improve the school.
CONNECTICUT
Editorial Wrong About Charter Schools
Stamford Advocate, CT, January 17, 2013
Your recent editorial “Charter School Push Fails the Math Test” (Jan. 14) ignores the evidence and distorts the facts about public charter schools. Charters are publicly funded schools that cannot pick and choose who gets in. Every child is free to enroll in a charter school. When there are more students applying to enroll than seats available, a lottery is held.
DELAWARE
4 New Charter Schools Seek OK
News Journal, DE, January 18, 2013
Four new charter schools were proposed to the state Department of Education.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Chancellor Kaya Henderson Names 15 D.C. Schools On Closure List
Washington Post, DC, January 17, 2013
More than one in 10 D.C. public schools will close as part of a plan Chancellor Kaya Henderson put forth Thursday, a retrenchment amid budget pressures, low enrollment and growing competition from public charter schools.
FLORIDA
Clay School Board Turns Down Charter School Application
Florida Times Union, FL, January 17, 2013
The Clay County School Board voted 4-1 to deny the charter school application of Orange Park Performing Arts Academy because it failed to meet state standards for opening.
Pasco Schools Not Equipped For New Teacher Evaluation System
Tampa Bay Times, FL, January 18, 2013
While the legal battle is under way over a controversial 2011 state law that bases teacher evaluations and pay on student test scores, the Pasco school district is looking at what it would take to implement the law.
GEORGIA
School Board Approves 5-Year Charter Renewal
Cherokee Tribune, GA, January 18, 2013
Along with 13 other charter schools in Georgia, Cherokee Charter Academy received approval Thursday from the state Board of Education for a five-year charter renewal.
State Charter Schools Commission Appointed
GPB, GA, January 17, 2013
The State Board of Education on Thursday appointed a new seven member Charter Schools Commission. Officials hope it will spur creation of charter schools across the state.
ILLINOIS
CPS Principals Will Be Formally Evaluated On Student Academic Growth
Chicago Sun Times, IL, January 17, 2013
Just as evaluations of Chicago Public School teachers are partly based on the test scores of their students, principals also will be formally evaluated as of February on student academic growth, with bonuses going to the ones who thrive, the schools chief announced Thursday.
INDIANA
Pence, GOP Legislators Push Expanding School Vouchers, Pre-Kindergarten To Top Of Agenda
Evansville Courier & Press, IN, January 17, 2013
Expanding Indiana’s voucher system and beginning to fund pre-kindergarten are the central planks of an education legislative agenda being driven by Gov. Mike Pence and House leaders.
IOWA
Senate Democrats Pledge 4% Bump In Aid To Schools
Des Moines Register, IA, January 17, 2013
Iowa Senate Democrats, ignoring a demand from Gov. Terry Branstad, said Thursday that they would approve a 4 percent increase in basic state aid to schools for the coming academic year at a cost of about $135 million.
LOUISIANA
Successful Charters Can Now Open New Schools Without State OK
Times-Picayune, LA, January 17, 2013
The state is making it easier for successful charters to open new schools while tightening financial and management oversight of the charters it approves.
Charter School Could Help Improve Local School System
The Daily News, LA, January 18, 2013
A new era in Bogalusa education will be ushered in with the opening of Northshore Charter School in August. Although no site has been selected, the school is scheduled to welcome kindergarten, first-, second- and ninth-grade students for the 2013-14 school year and is expected to house up to 620 students in a K-12 facility by the 2017-18 school year.
New Orleans’ Graduation Rate Is On The Rise
Times-Picayune, LA, January 18, 2013
In another indication that post-Katrina education reforms are paying off, New Orleans high schools had a better 2011 graduation rate than the state and national average. In city schools, 76.5 percent of students graduated within four years. That was higher than the state average of 70.9 percent and significantly higher than the rates in Jefferson Parish, Baton Rouge and Shreveport, according to an analysis by Educate Now.
MASSACHUSETTS
Patrick’s Education Proposal Should Reform More
Boston Globe, MA, January 18, 2013
In his Wednesday state of the state speech, Governor Patrick claimed his education proposals will help the state prepare for the challenges of the future.
More Charter Schools Sought
Boston Globe, MA, January 18, 2013
A group of charter school advocates, business leaders, and legislators is pushing to abolish a state-imposed cap on the number of charter schools that can operate in Boston and other low-performing school districts, under legislation expected to be filed Friday on Beacon Hill.
MISSISSIPPI
Adopt-A-School Is Making A Difference
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, January 18, 2013
Charter schools are proposed as a solution for failing public schools, yet there are ways to strengthen these schools without diverting resources.
NEW JERSEY
School Choice Program Growing With Each Year
New Jersey Herald, NJ, January 17, 2013
Since its inception two years ago, the state’s Interdistrict Public School Choice program has more than doubled.
NEW YORK
NYC, Union Trade Harsh Words Over Plan Impasse
Wall Street Journal, January 18, 2013
The issue of teacher evaluations, which has been contentious around the country, brought New York City and its teachers’ union to an impasse and harsh war of words that has put the city at risk of losing up to $450 million in state aid and grants.
Doomed to Fail
New York Daily News, NY, January 18, 2013
Why teacher evaluation talks fell apart: Because state law gave the union the power to block a deal
No Deal on Teacher Evaluations; City Risks Losing $450 Million
New York Times, NY, January 18, 2013
The Bloomberg administration and New York City’s teachers’ union said Thursday that they had failed to reach a deal on a new system for evaluating 75,000 public school teachers, putting the city into immediate danger of losing out on up to $450 million in state and federal money and raising the possibility of cuts to staff and programs.
Staten Island’s Students Are The Losers As Teachers, City Throw Away $450M
Staten Island Advance, NY, January 18, 2013
As the midnight deadline came and went, nothing had changed.
And that’s bad news for students on Staten Island and in the rest of the city.
The City’s School Bus Strike Hits Disabled Students The Hardest
New York Daily News, NY, January 17, 2013
With several subways missing elevator access and cabs lacking adequate storage space for wheelchairs, parents of special needs children already grow frustrated.
OHIO
Yost Seeks Periodic Head Count Of Students
Columbus Dispatch, OH, January 18, 2013
Conducting official head counts of schoolchildren several times a year would discourage the “scrubbing” of student data, the state auditor says.
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia School Reform Commission Votes Not To Renew City’s Oldest Charter School
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, January 18, 2013
The Philadelphia School Reform Commission said Thursday night that the district’s oldest charter school did not deserve to be renewed because of low test scores and financial problems.
School-Closing Arguments Highlight SRC Meeting
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, January 18, 2013
MORE THAN 70 people signed up to air their grievances at the School Reform Commission meeting Thursday night, an unusually high number reflective of the controversy surrounding the district’s decision to close 37 schools.
TENNESSEE
Answers Needed On School Voucher Plan
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, January 18, 2013
Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday that he will be pushing for vouchers for low-income students in “lower-performing schools.”
TEXAS
School Board Opposes Vouchers
Victoria Advocate, TX, January 17, 2013
The Victoria school board does not support private school vouchers.
On Thursday, the board voted unanimously to approve a resolution opposing the bill that is pending with the state Legislature.
Students In Low-Performing Schools Have Way Out — Maybe
Star-Telegram, TX, January 17, 2013
It has been argued for decades that no student should be “trapped” in a bad school, and in 1995 the Texas Legislature passed a law to provide students so ensnared a way out.
VIRGINIA
Va. Senate Panel Endorses 4 Schools Bills
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, January 17, 2013
Gov. Bob McDonnell’s attempt to leave a legacy of education reform as his four-year term winds down received a modest boost from a Senate committee Thursday.
WISCONSIN
GOP Senator To Push For Voucher Vote
Herald Times Reporter, WI, January 17, 2013
The president of the Wisconsin Senate said Thursday that he will oppose any expansion of school vouchers unless local residents vote on such a move, a proposal that could jeopardize growth of the program outside of Milwaukee and Racine.
Milwaukee School Choice Beats The Alternative
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, January 17, 2013
Education expert Diane Ravitch wrote in a Jan. 11 op-ed that Milwaukee should abandon its long-running school choice programs involving private and public charter schools and instead concentrate all education resources on a single, monopolistic public school system.
ONLINE LEARNING
NW Area Oks Cyber, Charter School Pact
Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, PA, January 18, 2013
In addition to approving a new teachers contract at Wednesday night’s meeting, the Northwest Area School Board entered into a contract with Virtual Learning Network to provide cyber and charter school curriculums that will coincide with those of the district.
Medina High Students Are Making History As Blended Learning Program Produces Website, App Bringing City’s Heritage Into Digital Age
Sun Star Courier, OH, January 17, 2013
Students enrolled in a blended educational course at Medina High School presented an app and website that is all student-built to City Council Monday night.
Oklahoma Supreme Court Refuses To Take Up Legal Challenge To Charter School, Textbook Law
The Oklahoman, OK, January 18, 2013
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has refused to hear a legal challenge to a law passed last year that authorized a statewide virtual charter school and $30 million for textbooks for public schools.
Montana Digital Academy Picking Up Steam
Billings Gazette, MT, January 18, 2013
The obvious appeal — taking a required math class in your pajamas — is trumped only by the fact that almost any class, from Chinese to oceanography, is available upon request.