Daily Headlines: December 9, 2011
Why Charter Schools Are Growing
Wall Street Journal Video, December 8, 2011
Ursuala Wright on the expansion of the charters and the impediments to school reform.
Newt’s Different Approach to School Vouchers
American Thinker, December 9, 2011
However, while Newt is offering a different solution to a common problem, he, and other conservatives, could go farther by striking at the heart of the issue: the fact that, unlike many middle- and upper-class students, the poor in our country are not empowered to choose their school.
Money Proves Best Tool For Improving Schools
San Francisco Chronicle, CA, December 9, 2011
As 2011 draws to a close, we can confidently declare that one of the biggest debates over education is – mercifully – resolved.
STATE COVERAGE
Charter School Association Files Formal Complaint Against Somerville School Department
Boston Globe, MA, December 8, 2011
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is reviewing a complaint against the Somerville Public Schools filed by the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association that alleges school employees coerced and intimidated parents and misused public funds to spread misinformation about a proposed charter school in the city.
Regents Chair Sees No Need For More Hearings On Charter-School Proposal
Providence Journal, RI, December 8, 2011
The two hearings on Achievement First are enough. That’s the word from George D. Caruolo, chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education.
Seacoast High School For The Arts Explored
Portsmouth Herald, NH, December 9, 2011
A small group of parents and community members are gauging the community’s interest in starting a charter high school focused on the arts within the School Administrative Unit 16 district.
25 Schools May Close
Wall Street Journal, December 9, 2011
New York City is planning to close 25 schools this year, including 11 started under the Bloomberg administration, officials said Thursday.
Bloomberg’s Kids Just Aren’t Learning: What The Grim NAEP Results Are Telling Us
New York Daily News, NY, December 9, 2011
The only reasonable conclusion to be drawn from this week’s release by the National Assessment of Educational Progress: Reading and math achievement by New York City ’s students is dismal.
20 Protest Online Charter Plan
The Record, NJ, December 8, 2011
Chanting “We want a say in what we pay,” about 20 people protested a proposed virtual charter school outside the National Guard Armory while Governor Christie held a news conference inside.
Charter School Application Filed In Trinity Area School District
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, December 8, 2011
Debra Lyle, a former special education teacher from Cecil, wasn’t happy with what public education had to offer when she was raising her four children so she decided to home-school them until they reached high school.
D.C. Charter School Board Gets A New Leader
Washington Post Blog, DC, December 8, 2011
After a search that sputtered for months, the D.C. Public Charter School Board has found a new executive director. He is Scott Pearson, a former U.S. Department of Education official and co-founder of a San Francisco charter management organization.
Grants Target Parental Involvement
News Journal, DE, December 9, 2011
Two Delaware school districts were awarded a total of more than $85,000 to pay for projects that are intended to promote family and community engagement.
Board Might Sue S.C. Schools Chief
The State, SC, December 9, 2011
The state Board of Education has hired an attorney and is threatening to sue the state’s schools superintendent to force him to follow its orders.
No ‘Need’ Yet: Parents Want Charter Schools, But Taxpayers And Voters Wanted Ag Land Preserved
Palm Beach Post, FL, December 8, 2011
December Parents trying to establish charter schools near the Canyon developments west of Boynton Beach insist that they “need” a new middle school and high school. In fact, theirs is not a case of “need”; it’s a case of “want.”
What Does School Choice Really Mean?
East Orlando Sun, FL, December 9, 2011
What does school choice really mean? The school choice movement has brought new words to Florida ‘s public school system. Words such as “choice,” “charter,” “educational savings account” and “virtual” are now frequently part of the education reform discussion.
New Charter School Proposed for Hammond
Northwestern Times, IN, December 9, 2011
A second charter school could open in the city if the newly formed Indiana Charter School Board gives the green light at a meeting Dec. 19 in Indianapolis.
Big Dreams For Charter School On South Side
The Journal Gazette, IN, December 9, 2011
Fort Wayne Urban League officials gave a presentation on their proposed charter school Thursday, but only five members of the community showed up to hear it.
Small Turnout Hears About Big Goals For Proposed Charter School
News-Sentinel, IN, December 9, 2011
Jonathan Ray didn’t dance around the topic, didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts. He is well aware that running a successful charter school in an area of town where academic performance has lagged considerably will not be a walk in the park.
Vouchers Give Parents Easy Way Out
Indianapolis Star, IN, December 8, 2011
I read with interest the Dec. 1 Our View, “Vouchers prove worthy for families, taxpayers.” My children have been in a Catholic school from the beginning. It is a struggle in every sense to send them there.
Tennessee Charter Law Fuels Boom
Commercial Appeal, TN, December 9, 2011
Tennessee is popping up on education reform maps for its innovation, including that it now has the fastest-growing charter school movement in the nation.
Fear Can’t Be Factor In Merger of Schools
Commercial Appeal, TN, December 9, 2011
By focusing on teacher development and support for enhanced preparation, we can ensure every student has the opportunity to meet and exceed academic standards
Charter Schools’ Screening
Chicago Tribune, IL, December 8, 2011
Andrew Broy, president of Illinois Network of Charter Schools, complains that charter school and Chicago Public School progress are being unfairly compared because selective enrollment schools that screen for performance prior to admission are included in the Chicago scores (“Report finds charters struggling like other CPS schools” News, Nov. 30).
Teacher Report Cards
Chicago Tribune, IL, December 9, 2011
For years, Chicago Public Schools principals followed a Lake Wobegon standard when evaluating teachers. Virtually every teacher was above average. Only .3 percent — yes, there’s a decimal point in front of the 3 — were rated as unsatisfactory.,
SD 227 Attorney: Charter School Will Financially ‘Ravage’ District
Southtown Star, IL, December 8, 2011
A gap in student performance and predictions of financial disaster were key issues Thursday as attorneys for Rich Township High School District 227 and Southland College Prep Charter School presented their final arguments in a lawsuit that could determine the future of public education in the district.
School ‘Perfect Fit’ For Some Students
Wausau Daily Herald, WI, December 9, 2011
The Idea Charter School is a tuition-free public school that’s brand new this year. It’s a place for students who wish to direct their own learning, for those who are tired of being held back or pushed too far by the traditional school curriculum.
Teacher Evaluation Plan On Right Track
Sheboygan Press, WI, December 9, 2011
The multi-faceted system unveiled last month for teacher evaluation is a significant step forward in improving education for Wisconsin students.
Recovery School District Officials Describe New Central Enrollment System
Times Picayune, LA, December 8, 2011
The state’s Recovery School District on Thursday offered the most detailed description yet of how its new central enrollment system will work, outlining a process that officials hope will make parents’ lives easier and address concerns that students with special needs are being shunned.
Better Teachers Should Earn More, Gov. Bobby Jindal Says
Times Picayune, LA, December 8, 2011
Gov. Bobby Jindal indicated Thursday that he may support giving financial incentives to teachers who meet certain performance standards in the state’s public schools.
Businesses, Students Gain From City School District’s Career Academies
The Oklahoman, OK, December 8, 2011
THE business community has an opportunity to embrace the Oklahoma City School District’s new career academy approach, which will expand with five more academies next fall.
Rejected Charter School Groups Not Giving Up On Opening in Jefferson
Times Picayune, LA, December 8, 2011
As Jefferson Parish public school officials proceed with opening two new charter schools next year, at least two of the applicants that were denied charters said they plan to reapply next year.
Texas Charter Schools Get a Pass On Some Requirements
KUT News, TX, December 8, 2011
A crucial vote is scheduled for Monday by the Austin ISD school board. Trustees will decide whether to contract with a charter school operator from the Rio Grande Valley to develop an in-district charter school for children in East Austin.
Vallejo School Board Delays Charter Renewal For Technology Academy
Vallejo Times Herald, CA, December 9, 2011
The Vallejo school board deferred reauthorizing a local charter school for one week, citing concerns about a special education section in the school’s charter.
School Voucher Bill To Be Rewritten To Limit District Losses
Columbus Dispatch, OH, December 9, 2011
Legislation in the Ohio House which would divert millions of tax dollars from public schools to private ones will be rewritten in an attempt to limit school-district losses.
Crash the Charter Ceiling
Detroit News, MI, December 9, 2011
The Michigan Senate and the House Committee on Education have passed a bill which would eliminate the cap on university-authorized charter schools. It is a major step forward in education that will, in particular, provides a golden opportunity for poor, urban children.
Cherry-Picking Charter School Research
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, MI, December 9, 2011
As the Legislature debates lifting the arbitrary cap on the number of charter public schools that state universities can authorize, those who oppose expanding parental choice are arguing that charters do not perform well on average.
Branstad’s Education Reform Plan Causes Conflict
Iowa State Daily, IA, December 9, 2011
Gov. Terry Branstad has created a plan to reform teacher preparation in Iowa by implementing tougher standards and higher selectivity, with the hope of creating teachers who are better able to compete globally.
VIRTUAL EDUCATION
States vs. the Digital-Learning Revolution
National Review Online, December 9, 2011
Earlier this fall, New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced that five international high-tech companies had entered into investment agreements, totaling $4.4 billion, with the state.
20 Protest Online Charter Plan
The Record, NJ, December 8, 2011
Chanting “We want a say in what we pay,” about 20 people protested a proposed virtual charter school outside the National Guard Armory while Governor Christie held a news conference inside.
Internet Could Play Bigger Role In Schools, Education Official Says
Des Moines Register, IA, December 8, 2011
The Internet could replace some of the time students in Iowa’s public schools spend in classrooms under a continuing-to-develop idea highlighted Thursday by the state’s top education official.
Is Integrity The Price Of Virtual Education?
Idaho Mountain Express, ID, December 9, 2011
A state’s chief education officer should be well-schooled in new developments in education. But when vendors of products and services like virtual classrooms contribute to the chief’s political campaign as K12 did, it muddies the waters.
Virtual Charter School Enrollment Soars After Caps Are Lifted
Oregon Capital News, OR, December 8, 2011
Enrollment in Oregon’s two largest virtual charter schools has jumped, following the removal of a legislatively imposed enrollment cap that limited the number of students each school could accept.