Daily Headlines for March 28, 2013
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NATIONAL COVERAGE
With Vouchers, States Shift Aid for Schools to Families
New York Times, NY, March 28, 2013
A growing number of lawmakers across the country are taking steps to redefine public education, shifting the debate from the classroom to the pocketbook. Instead of simply financing a traditional system of neighborhood schools, legislators and some governors are headed toward funneling public money directly to families, who would be free to choose the kind of schooling they believe is best for their children, be it public, charter, private, religious, online or at home.
What’s Really Wrong With America’s Education System
Washington Times, DC, March 26, 2013
It’s amazing how education reform was suddenly transformed into the Democrats’ key domestic policy issue. Consider the Democratic strategy for improving urban education in America so far: Dump millions and billions of our tax dollars down the ratholes of failing school districts in the name of saving our children, a tactic which has consistently failed for two generations.
FROM THE STATES
ALASKA
House Panel Amends, Advances Teacher Tenure Bill
Juneau Empire, AK, March 27, 2013
A bill that would require teachers to work in the same district continuously for five full school years to be eligible for tenure moved out of its only committee of referral on Wednesday.
ARKANSAS
School-Choice Bill Clears Senate Panel
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, AR, March 28, 2013
The Arkansas General Assembly should enact a new school-choice law with a 2015 expiration date, which would allow lawmakers in two years to incorporate, if necessary, a pending federal appeals court ruling on a challenge to the current law, the Republican chairman of the Senate Education Committee said Wednesday.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
D.C. School Facilities Plan Considers Charters For The First Time
Washington Post, DC, March 27, 2013
Neighborhoods in Southeast Washington, on Capitol Hill and along the eastern border of Rock Creek Park are among those most in need of school renovations, according to a school facilities plan the Gray administration released Wednesday.
FLORIDA
Montessori Charter School Could Succeed Where Others Have Failed
Orlando Sentinel, FL, March 28, 2013
Charter schools in Lake County so far have been either a bore or a dismal failure.
That’s too bad, because charters hold intriguing possibilities for education. They also can quickly descend into the realm of educational whimsy — funded by you, the very helpful taxpayer. (“Yahoo, Martha! Let’s build us a dang school! We can teach them young’uns their letters ‘n’ cipherin’!”)
Teacher Evaluations Changes Advance In Legislature
Ocala Star Banner, FL, March 27, 2013
Efforts to revise the way Florida public school teachers are evaluated took a big step forward last week when a key legislative committee unanimously approved proposed changes.
House Finds Money To Match Scott’s Teacher Raises
Tallahassee Democrat, FL, March 28, 2013
Thanks to some new arithmetic, the Florida House is in a position to meet, and possibly exceed, Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed across-the-board pay raise for teachers.
ILLINOIS
Loop Rally, March Targeting CPS Closings Lead To 127 Detained
Chicago Tribune, IL, March 27, 2013
On a day when Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the time for negotiations on school closings was over, the Chicago Teachers Union led hundreds of supporters in a highly orchestrated downtown rally and march as part of its continuing efforts to derail the district’s plan to shut 53 elementary schools.
INDIANA
A Good Decision For Families
Indianapolis Star, IN, March 27, 2013
The legal arguments raised against Indiana’s school voucher program have been an unnecessary, unpersuasive distraction from addressing the very real problems that face many schools in our state.
Let The Voucher Debate Proceed
News-Sentinel, IN, March 28, 2013
There never should have been any doubt about the constitutionality of Indiana’s school voucher program. Now there isn’t. The state Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that the vouchers do not violate the Indiana constitution’s prohibition of spending “for the benefit of” religious institutions.
Senate Panel Adds Public Review Of Indianapolis Mayor’s Charter School Approvals To Bill
Indianapolis Star, IN, March 27, 2013
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard’s effort to strengthen his power to sponsor charter schools inched ahead today in an Indiana Senate committee, following a compromise that partly addressed concerns about losing the public’s review of his decisions.
IOWA
Learning to Teach
Sioux City Journal, IA, March 28, 2013
Iowa’s push for school reform has education majors waiting to see what changes may be in store as they prepare to start their teaching careers.
LOUISIANA
Voucher Applicants, Participating Schools Rise
The Advertiser, LA, March 28, 2013
Despite a court ruling that it’s unconstitutional to use funds dedicated to public schools to fund vouchers to attend private schools, the number of parents applying for vouchers for their children and the number of schools offering voucher slots is higher than a year ago.
Jindal Administration Begins Renewed Push For Education Overhaul, Starting With Teacher Tenure
Times-Picayune, LA, March 27, 2013
As Gov. Bobby Jindal’s massive education overhaul awaits judgment by the state’s highest court, the governor and his allies in the Capitol are hoping to take out insurance against an unfavorable ruling by re-filing last year’s legislation in smaller, more easily digestible pieces.
MARYLAND
Say No To Prince George’s Schools Takeover
Baltimore Sun, MD, March 27, 2013
Handing over authority for Prince George’s County schools to county executive would set a regrettable precedent for Maryland
MICHIGAN
Detroit Schools’ EM Fires Academics Chief
Detroit News, MI, March 28, 2013
Detroit Public Schools emergency manager Roy Roberts in an executive order is expected to announce today that he has fired the interim superintendent of academics, just as a new emergency manager law takes effect.
Educational Achievement Authority Needs More Accountability
Battle Creek Inquirer, MI, March 27, 2013
Neither the Legislature nor Gov. Rick Snyder have articulated a clear vision of how they are going to build capacity for meaningful public education reform, so we see no compelling reason to expand the state’s ability to take over local schools.
MISSISSIPPI
Be Constructive On Teacher Education
Enterprise-Journal, MS, March 28, 2013
That was quite a tantrum Gov. Phil Bryant pitched at the College Board recently, criticizing its members for voicing concerns about his effort to increase standards for education majors.
Charter Schools Votes Shift in the House
WTOK, MS, March 27, 2013
Some Mississippi House members shifted their positions on a bill that would provide for charter school expansion in the state, allowing it to move forward Wednesday.
MISSOURI
Rethinking The Achievement Gap
St. Louis American, MO, March 27, 2013
Over the last few decades, the notion of the “achievement gap” has come center stage in the national debate on education. First coined in the 1960s, the term refers to disparities in academic achievement along racial and economic lines. And since then, it’s been an important driver of the work to address those disparities.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Hudson Elementary Students May Be On The Move
Nashua Telegraph, NH, March 28, 2013
Hudson Superintendent Bryan Lane was under no delusions when he put forward a dramatic redistricting plan to boost student achievement in the town’s elementary schools.
NEW YORK
Study Faults Progress Report Controls
Wall Street Journal, March 28, 2013
Public high schools are more likely to get poor grades on New York City’s annual progress reports if they have higher numbers of students who are impoverished, special-needs, black or Latino, according to a study set to be released Thursday.
NORTH CAROLINA
GOP Seeks New Way To Govern Charter Schools
Charlotte Observer, NC, March 27, 2013
Frustrated by current restrictions, Republican lawmakers are crafting an entirely new system to manage charter schools, establishing a separate governing board filled with advocates and eliminating requirements for licensed teachers.
Lawmakers Seem Intent On Demonstrating Muscle
Hickory Record, NC, March 27, 2013
Now, some lawmakers want to remove oversight of charter schools from the state Board of Education and put a charter school board in charge. That doesn’t make sense. These lawmakers want to alter the way tax-funded charter schools operate. So instead of drafting a new code and letting the bureaucracy in place implement the changes, they want a completely new hierarchy to run charter schools.
OHIO
In Choosing A Charter School, A Free Bus Ride Sometimes More Important Than Academic Quality
Akron Beacon Journal, OH, March 24, 2013
Last school year, 6,143 Akron-Canton area students all shared one thing in common: They withdrew from traditional public schools to attend publicly funded, privately run charter schools that had lower academic ratings than the public school they left, according to state data.
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City Rally Questions Common Core State Standards Planned For Public Schools
The Oklahoman, OK, March 28, 2013
Opponents question the cost and purpose behind developing the curriculum. Oklahoma education officials say the curriculum, which will be implemented in 2014-15, would provide a consistent understanding of what students are supposed to learn.
TENNESSEE
Charter Authorizer Bill Shifts Focus To Largest TN Cities
The Tennessean, TN, March 28, 2013
Controversial legislation that would create a new state panel that could authorize charter schools might take on a new form to target Tennessee’s largest cities, including Nashville.
UTAH
Charter Schools Should Be Accountable
The Spectrum, UT, March 27, 2013
In recent years, Utah charter schools have fulfilled the needs of students that otherwise might not have been met.
WASHINGTON
Charter Schools Opponent To Become Supporter?
News Tribune, WA, March 28, 2013
The board of the state’s third-largest school district will decide tonight whether Tacoma Public Schools will consider being a charter schools authorizer under last fall’s Initiative 1240.
ONLINE LEARNING
Shaler Students Blast Off Into Virtual World Of Learning
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA, March 27, 2013
Last week, the school celebrated the official launch of IKS Titan, a virtual classroom that provides students with educational, simulated adventures.
Florida Virtual School Supporters Oppose House Spending Plan
Tampa Bay Times, FL, March 27, 2013
Supporters of the Florida Virtual School, for example, took issue with a proposed tweak to the way Florida calculates per-student funding. They argued the new model would cost the state’s online school about $35 million in public money.
Blended Learning Is Part Of Improvement Plan
Reynoldsburg News, OH, March 27, 2013
A peer-tutoring program created by students is part of a continuous improvement plan for Hannah Ashton Middle School that features blended learning, linking lessons with technology.