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NEWSWIRE: February 25, 2014

Vol. 16, No. 8

HONORING TEACHERS. A significant portion of commentary on education policy has always focused on the hard work and devotion that is demanded of teachers in our society. But what has unfortunately happened is the same forces that trumpet the hard work of teachers end up hurting them, with a broken status quo and a fed up American public who overwhelmingly want increased accountability in schools.  There’s no doubt teaching is an honorable profession, and right now too many states lack teacher quality provisions that both treat teachers with respect and dignity while also serving the interests of students. The dedication of teachers was recently quantified in a Gates Foundation/Scholastic survey, with 89 percent of teachers reporting job satisfaction, and 88 percent of teachers agreeing the rewards of teaching outweigh the challenges. Hiring and pay practices that incorporate performance in the classroom to ensure all students have access to quality teachers will give some of the most important professionals in America the credit they deserve.

TENNESSEE’S CHANCE TO EXPAND OPTIONS. State legislators have been presented with a great opportunity to expand educational options for families by attracting quality charter school operators to the Volunteer State. Proposals in Nashville are under consideration to allow public-private partnerships to proliferate in the state’s charter school sector, allowing for operators with proven track records of success to oversee quality schools. Tennessee’s current charter school law has a lot of room for improvement, chiefly because it does not allow for multiple, independent authorizers, which maximizes the creation of high-functioning charter schools. Permitting entry to reputable operators with a vested interest in the success of schools will be a step in the right direction in creating more and better choices for families.

TOOLS FOR SUCCESS. Recently, the district of York, PA felt compelled to close a charter school, citing a number of financial conflicts as well as concerns over meeting academic benchmarks. In a separate case, a York charter application was recently denied, contrary to the applicant’s claim of being thorough and reporting all necessary information to receive approval. In both instances, the charter school proponents cite tension between themselves and the district in their quest to provide a viable alternative to local students. These stories are unfortunately too common in states where there is a lack of strong, independent authorizers, leaving local districts with authority despite them not being the best entity to oversee charter schools. As a result, local control often leads to contentious relationships between charter operators — both current and aspiring — and district officials at the expense of the students they’re meant to be serving.

OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP SETBACK. In a disappointing decision, a North Carolina judge issued an injunction against the newly implemented Opportunity Scholarship program, which was set to begin in the 2014-15 school year. It’s one thing if the program was stopped in its tracks before ever getting off the ground, but over 4,000 low-income parents have already applied, thinking they were finally going to be able to choose a better education for their child, making this injunction all the more appalling. Obstacles such as this injunction, which is the result of separately filed lawsuits against the Opportunity Scholarship program, are an affront to the civil rights of families and the 74 percent of Americans who support school choice. The halting of scholarships in a state where only 30 percent of low-income children demonstrate proficiency on state tests makes it paramount that North Carolina families continue to fight for power and options in education.

DIGITAL EXPERIENCE GETS LOCAL INK. Last week, a small Arizona newspaper featured a human interest story on the positive online learning experience of digital student Abigail Austin. The story went into detail about Austin’s typical daily routine in a not-so-typical online learning environment, and how it best fits her learning needs. According to The Media and the Digital Learning Revolution, stories like Abigail’s crop up all over the country in papers that may not have a national readership, but have the interests of their neighbors at heart. Recognition by ‘digiformers’ and choice activists of the importance of appealing locally is half the battle in bringing innovative learning models to their communities.