Daily Headlines for July 14, 2011
Charter School Forges Ahead With Expansion
Wall Street Journal, July 14, 2011
Four years after opening its first charter school in Santa Clara County, Rocketship Education wants to significantly expand the number of schools it operates.
School Woes Slow Malloy
Wall Street Journal, July 14, 2011
As a candidate, Dannel Malloy a year ago placed education at the center of his campaign. He pledged that if elected governor, he would build on a slew of long-awaited education changes Connecticut lawmakers had passed in order to snag federal Race to the Top funds, intending to push the state even further.
ARIZONA
NPA Posts High Pass Rates On AIMS
Arizona Daily Sun, AZ, July 14, 2011
Northland Preparatory Academy again posted high pass rates on this spring’s annual standardized AIMS test
CALIFORNIA
Regulations Approved For Schools’ ‘Parent Trigger’ Law
Los Angeles Times, CA, July 14, 2011
After months of controversy, the state Board of Education set out a clear road map Wednesday to allow parents unparalleled rights to force major changes at low-performing schools.
Offered Chance, Few Failing Schools Close Doors
Associated Press, July 14, 2011
At San Francisco’s Willie Brown Jr. College Preparatory Academy, enrollment has plummeted and student performance has lagged. School officials have decided it’s better to close.
COLORADO
Douglas County District’s Plan For “School” Puts It Further Into Uncharted Charter Territory
Denver Post, CO, July 14, 2011
To operate its groundbreaking and controversial voucher program, the Douglas County School District has hit upon yet another groundbreaking and controversial plan: the creation, staffing and approval of its own charter school.
DPS Food Workers Get Funds To Design Pay-For-Performance Evaluations
Denver Post, CO, July 14, 2011
Denver Public Schools food workers this week received a $150,000 grant to begin designing their own pay-for-performance evaluation system.
DELAWARE
Reach Likely To Stay Open
Delaware News Journal, DE, July 14, 2011
The state secretary of education believes Reach Academy Charter School should remain open
Families And Faculty Plead For Pencader
Delaware News Journal, DE, July 14, 2011
Faculty, students and parents from Pencader Business and Finance Charter School pleaded their cases to state officials Wednesday night in an attempt to keep their school open.
FLORIDA
Miami-Dade Schools Chief Carvalho Vows To Keep 2 Schools Open
Miami Herald, FL, July 13, 2011
Miami-Dade schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday affirmed his commitment to saving two Miami-Dade high schools threatened with closure – and got permission from the School Board to manage a new charter school opening three campuses this fall.
Pasco School District, Union Resolve Homeroom Dispute
Tampa Tribune, FL, July 13, 2011
The Pasco County school district and the teachers’ union have resolved an unfair labor practices claim the union filed after some high schools began using expanded homeroom periods for instructional time.
ILLINOIS
Celebrate ISTEP Gains, But Keep On Improving
Palladium-Item, IL, July 13, 2011
There should be a collective sigh of relief spreading across Indiana this week as the result of new scores posted on statewide standardized tests.
The Other Transformers
Chicago Tribune, IL, July 14, 2011
July is usually the time for blockbuster action at the movie house, not the schoolhouse. This summer is different.
LOUISIANA
Jefferson Parish Pushes Overhaul At 4 High Schools With Lagging Scores
Times-Picayune, LA, July 13, 2011
High schools missed out on a federal reform grant the Jefferson Parish school system recently won for schools serving lower grades, so parish officials now are setting out to craft their own turnaround plan at four campuses.
Jefferson Parish School Board Moving Toward Third Charter School
Times-Picayune, LA, July 13, 2011
The Jefferson Parish School Board has moved a step closer to opening a third charter school, accepting a $200,000 state grant to help find an organization to manage the campus.
MICHIGAN
DPS Taps Charter School Leader Ross To Head Its Program
Detroit News, MI, July 13, 2011
Doug Ross, CEO of New Urban Learning, a nonprofit charter school operator in Detroit, was named this afternoon as director of charter schools for the Detroit Public Schools.
NEW JERSEY
N.J. Board Of Ed Votes To Relax Hiring Requirements For Superintendents In The State’s Most Troubled Districts
Star-Ledger, NJ, July 13, 2011
The state Board of Education has voted to relax requirements for hiring superintendents in the state’s most troubled school districts, opening these jobs to non-educators for the first time.
N.J. Revises Education Department
Associated Press, July 14, 2011
New Jersey’s Education Department received a makeover Wednesday aimed at making it less of a regulatory agency while putting in place Gov. Christie’s goal of successfully teaching and graduating children from all walks of life.
OKLAHOMA
State Elementary School Reading Program Unfunded For First Time In 13 Years
The Oklahoman, OK, July 14, 2011
Literacy First began establishing roots in Oklahoma in 1998, but the program’s founders say this economic drought threatens the teacher training program.
PENNSYLVANIA
Corbett Blames Teacher Layoffs On Districts
York Daily Record, July 13, 2011
The blame for the thousands of teachers losing their jobs rests with Pennsylvania school districts, not the deep cuts in state aid in Pennsylvania’s newly enacted budget, Gov. Tom Corbett suggested Tuesday.
Most Philadelphia-Area School Districts Avoid Drastic Cutbacks
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, July 14, 2011
Despite a tough Pennsylvania budget season that saw state aid cut for the first time in more than a decade, most area school districts averted drastic classroom cuts for the coming school year.
After Seeing School District Data, City Wants More
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, July 14, 2011
City officials were recently granted an unprecedented look at internal Philadelphia School District documents, providing a level of access that has long evaded those trying to keep tabs on the district.
Pa. Tells Districts To Check Testing Irregularities
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, July 14, 2011
The Pennsylvania Department of Education on Wednesday told 40 school districts and nine charter schools across the state to investigate irregularities found with their 2009 test scores.
Pa. Examines Why Report On Tests Was Ignored
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, July 14, 2011
A report analyzing irregularities among the standardized tests of nearly 1 million students arrived at the state Department of Education in July 2009 and “basically sat on a shelf,” agency spokesman Tim Eller said Wednesday.
TENNESSEE
High Expectations Lead To Higher TCAP Scores
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, July 14, 2011
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam rightly congratulated the state’s public school teachers last week for the long strides made in student achievement as measured by state test scores.
VIRTUAL EDUCATION
More Kids Will Learn In Cyberia
New York Post, NY, July 14, 2011
High school will become a virtual learning experience for more New York teenagers under a sweeping new state policy that promotes online instruction.
Online School Expects To Double Enrollment
KTUL, OK, July 13, 2011
The Tulsa Public School system has a new virtual learning program, using the Internet. Some students may never have to step into a traditional classroom again.
Cactus Shadows To Expand Online-Learning Program
Arizona Republic, AZ, July 14, 2011
The Cactus Shadows High School blended online-learning program has proved so popular that the district is adding an evening version.
Changes In Florida Law Make It Easier To Take Classes Online
Florida Times-Union, FL, July 14, 2011
For some students, a few virtual classes in addition to a traditional school environment is just perfect. Some prefer to go virtual full-time.
Hall May Create Virtual Charter School
Gainesville Times, GA, July 13, 2011
Traditional classroom learning might become a thing of the past for Hall County Schools. As the district incorporates more technology, officials are investigating the possibility of a virtual charter school for grades sixth through 12th.