Daily Headlines for July 13, 2011
Schools Chiefs See a Path to Proposing Their Own Accountability Systems
New York Times, NY, July 12, 2011
Some state education chiefs say that if Congress does not overhaul No Child Left Behind, the main federal law governing public education, by the fall, they may be allowed to propose their own accountability systems as an alternative.
Atlanta’s Testing Scandal Adds Fuel To U.S. Debate
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, July 13, 2011
Atlanta’s school cheating scandal, one of the largest in U.S. history, has launched a national discussion about whether the increased use of high-stakes tests to rate educators will trigger similar episodes in the years ahead.
FROM THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
L.A. Officials Unexpectedly Move To Shut Down Charters Implicated In Cheating
Los Angeles Times, CA, July 12, 2011
In an unexpected action, Los Angeles school officials Tuesday voted against renewing the operating agreements of two charter schools involved in a cheating scandal last year. The decision could lead to a shutdown of all six schools run by the Crescendo organization.
Proposed ‘Parent Trigger’ Rules Still Need Work
Los Angeles Times, CA, July 13, 2011
After several months of intense lobbying, new rules have been proposed governing the so-called parent trigger process that allows parents to challenge the operation of low-performing public schools.
COLORADO
41 Colorado School Districts Line Up For Evaluation Pilot Program
Denver Post, CO, July 13, 2011
Colorado school districts have overwhelmed the state Department of Education with their interest in participating in a state pilot program this fall for evaluating new teachers and principals.
Advisory Group Questions ‘Voucher Charter’
Education News Colorado, CO, July 13, 2011
Five parents who serve on Douglas County’s district accountability committee asked lots of questions Tuesday about the voucher charter school slated to open this fall.
Douglas County School District To Create Faux Charter School
9NEWS, CO, July 13, 2011
There will be no classrooms full of students. There will be no staff of teachers. The sign outside indicates that the location is the school district headquarters. Yet, this will be the location of Douglas County’s newest charter school.
FLORIDA
Carvalho Vows To Keep Miami Edison, Miami Central Open
Miami Herald, FL, July 12, 2011
Two iconic Miami-Dade schools – one of which was held up by President Barack Obama as a national model for education reform – may have to close their doors or be converted into charter schools because they have not shown the required improvements by a controversial state rule.
St. Lucie School Board Approves Contract For Charter
TCPalm, FL, July 12, 2011
In about 13 months, the College Preparatory Academy of the Treasure Coast is expected to open as the county’s only charter high school.
At Least 4 New Charter Schools Coming This Fall To Pinellas County School District
St. Petersburg Times, FL, July 13, 2011
Two offer Pinellas students the chance to go to a different kind of high school. Another is opening its fourth campus. Still another is creating a school for younger students.
GEORGIA
Charter School Proposed For At-Risk 7th- And 8th-Graders
Herald & Review, GA, July 12, 2011
A new charter school, designed to serve at-risk students in grades seven and eight initially, is in the early planning stages.
Charter School Rushes To Get Ready For Year
Cherokee Tribune, GA, July 12, 2011
With the 2011-12 school year rapidly approaching, officials with the recently state-approved Cherokee Charter Academy are still racing to prepare the school for its inaugural class in August.
ILLINOIS
Charters Tell Mayor They Support Longer School Days
The Chicago Tribune, IL, July 12, 2011
Chicago charter schools have sent a letter to Mayor Rahm Emanuel voicing support for a longer school day. No surprise here: Chicago charter schools have sent a letter to Mayor Rahm Emanuel voicing support for a longer school day.
Education Activist Boasts Of Power Plays, Then Apologizes
The Chicago Tribune, IL, July 13, 2011
An education activist’s blunt tale of wooing House Speaker Michael Madigan and outfoxing teachers unions created a stir Tuesday by violating a cardinal rule of Statehouse power plays – what happens under the dome stays under the dome.
Braggart Angers Teachers’ Union After Tough Negotiations Over Reform Bill
The Chicago Sun-Times, IL, July 13, 2011
Unions and legislators who worked on Illinois’ landmark education reform legislation are upset with an advocate who bragged in Aspen last week that he snookered them into accepting drastic cuts in teacher union’s rights.
INDIANA
City Will Still Pull School’s Charter, Despite ISTEP Strides
WRTV Indianapolis, IN, July 12, 2011
An Indianapolis charter school blasted by the mayor for poor performance showed a drastic improvement in ISTEP scores, but that won’t keep the city from pulling its support.
MARYLAND
Prince Street Barely Missed Benchmark
The Daily News MD, July 13, 2011
Officials said the “school choice” program is being offered at Prince Street Elementary due to the performance of only a handful of students.
MASSACHUSETTS
Kirk Won’t Back ‘City’ Push On School Suit
Gloucester Times, MA, July 12, 2011
While the
City Council has filed a motion to join the 15-parent lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction that could shut down the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School, Mayor Carolyn Kirk says the “city’s” stand does not have her stamp of approval or support.
MICHIGAN
Charter School Company Holding 2 Public Forums
Detroit News, MI, July 13, 2011
A charter school company operating two former Detroit Public Schools this fall is holding a town hall meeting at 6 tonight to discuss its plans for Edmonson Elementary, now called GEE Edmonson Academy. Global Educational Excellence was selected by DPS to operate Edmonson and White elementary schools as charter schools.
MISSOURI
KC District Should Partner With Charter Schools
Kansas City Star, MO, July 12, 2011
Legal details are one thing, but the Kansas City School District has no logical or competitive grounds to deny the use of its buildings to charter schools.
NEVADA
Leaders Say Charter Schools Key To Education Reform
Las Vegas Sun, NV, July 13, 2011
Nevada’s state and local leaders say the key to education reform is in charter schools.
OHIO
Pickerington Lending Money To Open Charter School
10TV, OH, July 12, 2011
A plan to open a charter school in Pickerington is being met with some hesitancy, as the district just made moves to cut millions from its budget to save money, 10TV’s Tanisha Mallett reported on Monday.
Kasich Asks Teachers To Design Merit-Pay Plan
Columbus Dispatch, OH, July 13, 2011
It took a 30-minute meeting with a handful of teachers from across the state yesterday for Gov. John Kasich to decide who should construct a merit-pay system for Ohio schools. And it’s not him.
PENNSYLVANIA
Christie’s Increase In School Aid Is Detailed
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, July 13, 2011
The Christie administration released new school aid numbers Tuesday that detail Gov. Christie’s $850 million increase in state education funding.
RHODE ISLAND
School Board Leader Resigns
Providence Journal, RI, July 12, 2011
The president of the School Board resigned Monday night, saying that she could no longer stand working in a system that is driven by politics, power and patronage, not what’s best for children.
TENNESSEE
Too Soon To Judge
The Commercial Appeal, TN, July 13, 2011
Memphis City Schools might wind up with no choice in the matter, but it would be unfair to the faculty and students at three of the district’s charter schools that are threatened with closure to be out of business this fall.
VIRTUAL EDUCATION
Dept. Of Education: Technology Task Force Making Progress
Coeur d’Alene Press, ID, July 12, 2011
The Idaho Department of Education reported Tuesday that the Students Come First Technology Task Force wrapped up its July monthly meeting, after making progress on several areas including discussions on how mobile computing devices will work in the classroom.
Clark County’s Charter Schools Experiment With Technology
Las Vegas Sun, NV, July 13, 2011
Imagine a school where kindergartners use Apple iPads to learn numbers and letters and upperclassmen use them to study the constellations and create multimedia presentations.
Back To School With Virtual Learning: Separating Fact From Fiction
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV, July 13, 2011
Seventeen million pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students in the U.S. will get at least some of their education virtually by 2015, according to new research from Ambient Insight. More than four million of these students will get their entire educations virtually, from full-time virtual schools.
CPS Approves Increased School Choice
Cincinnati.com, OH, July 13, 2011
Even as Cincinnati’s school board approved new school choices for students and discussed shoring up extra-curriculars, board members Monday night questioned how to make these changes fair for students.
L.A. District Officials Propose Changes To Public School Choice Program
Daily Breeze, CA, July 12, 2011
Los Angeles Unified officials and school board members Tuesday proposed two key changes to the district’s landmark Public School Choice reform effort, which some parents and community members fear could water down the ambitious plan.