Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Click here for Newswire, the latest weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else – spiced with a dash of irreverence – from the nation’s leading voice in school reform. 

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Federal takeover of school curriculum
Column, Manteca Bulletin, CA, February 27, 2014
Ever since Congress began pouring federal tax dollars into public schools, parents have been solicitous to have Congress write into law a prohibition against the federal government writing curriculum or lesson plans, or imposing a uniform national curriculum. Parents want those decisions made at the local level by local school boards, which are, or should be, subject to the watchful eyes of local citizens and parents.

STATE COVERAGE

ALABAMA

AL teacher pay raise replaced by 1-time bonus
WSFA, AL, February 26, 2014
A $5.9 million spending plan passed out of a Senate Committee Wednesday slashing the governor’s proposed 2 percent pay raise for teachers.

ALASKA

Charter Schools hit road bump in Alaska House
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK, February 27, 2014
Gov. Sean Parnell’s omnibus education bill was questioned Wednesday by members of a House committee who focused on a provision to provide transportation for students in charter schools.

CALIFORNIA

Teacher tenure is still needed to attract the best: Letter
Opinion, Los Angeles Daily News, CA, February 26, 2014
Re “Teacher tenure comes at expense of children’s education” (Richard Riordan and Tim Rutten, Feb. 21): Republicans like Richard Riordan would love to get rid of unions, and have a long history of voting against workers’ bargaining rights, minimum wage, equal salaries for women, health care, unemployment benefits, etc.

COLORADO

DeGrow: School boards push teacher accountability
Opinion, Greeley Tribune, CO, February 27, 2014
Union leaders are actively challenging school principals’ newfound authority to keep the worst teachers out of their classrooms. The state legislative majority has shrunk from the chance to reward the best teachers. But some local school boards have begun to take the reins of reform.

CONNECTICUT

Education Reform Hurts Local Students
Letter, Hartford Courant, CT, February 26, 2014
The rhetoric of politicians involved in the corporate education reform movement includes statements such as, “Strong schools are the surest path to our nation’s long-term economic success,” which was voiced by Delaware Gov. Jack Markell as the National Governors Association unveiled the Common Core standards in June 2010.

DELAWARE

State may ax private school transportation stipend
News Journal, DE, February 26, 2014
Private school parents are protesting a proposal to eliminate a stipend they get to help pay for transporting their kids to school, saying they pay taxes and deserve at least something from the state’s education budget.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. International charter school may lose $6 million in expected city funds
Washington Post, DC, February 26, 2014
The D.C. Council set aside $6 million last spring to help D.C International — a new language immersion charter school for students in grades six through 12 — renovate its home-to-be, a building on the site of the old Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Northwest Washington.

FLORIDA

Accountability exists with private vouchers
Letter, Sun-Sentinel, FL, February 27, 2014
The Feb. 24 editorial, “Make testing a part of school vouchers,” starts out, “It’s an educational fix long overdue.” I have no words to express the depth of my gratitude as a parent of a child who is taking advantage of the school voucher program: Step Up For Students.

Florida School Evaluations: Get Grades Right
Editorial, The Ledger, FL, February 27, 2014
State Education Commissioner Pam Stewart presented her newly revamped school grading system Feb. 18 to the State Board of Education in Orlando.

GEORGIA

Fayette BoE: Charter school given until May 1 to make its case
The Citizen, GA, February 26, 2014
The Fayette County Board of Education on Monday amended its charter school acceptance policy, but exempted a current petitioner from retroactive deadlines. The vote on the amendment was followed by another unanimous vote to set a May 1 deadline for Liberty Tech Charter School to submit its petition for a charter school in Fayette County.

New charter school partnership lets students earn associates degrees
WALB-TV, GA, February 27, 2014
A charter school and technical college are working together to get more students to continue their education.

Several Atlanta principals to be removed from their schools
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, February 26, 2014
Principals at about seven Atlanta schools are being removed before next school year, said city school board Chairman Courtney English on Wednesday.

ILLINOIS

Do charters expel too many students?
Editorial, Chicago Tribune, IL, February 27, 2014
We’ve long heard complaints from Chicago Public Schools teachers that their counterparts in charter schools are too quick to expel students.

Why do charter schools expel more students?
Editorial, Chicago Sun-Times, IL, February 27, 2014
One pernicious, long-held suspicion about Chicago public charter schools turns out to be true.

LOUISIANA

Injunctions lifted that prevented Tangipahoa school voucher program
The Advocate, LA, February 26, 2014
A federal appeals court has vacated a virtually toothless injunction granted by a federal judge in 2012 that blocked Louisiana’s school voucher program in Tangipahoa Parish.

MISSOURI

The debate on Common Core rages even as teachers are moving ahead
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, February 27, 2014
Affton High School teacher Cathy Cartier wondered if any of the Missouri legislators who are debating bills that would abolish new learning goals had ever seen them in action.

NEW JERSEY

A winning NJ charter school awaits word on its fate
Editorial, Star Ledger, NJ, February 27, 2014
A charter school in Hoboken, “Hola,” is doing a terrific job educating kids with an innovate dual-language program, and parents are lining up to compete for scarce seats.

Gov. Christie’s new crisis: Protests grow over state control of Newark schools
Washington Post Blog, DC, February 27, 2014
Public protests in Newark are growing over an effort by Superintendent Cami Anderson, who was appointed to run the state-operated district by Gov. Chris Christie, to reshape the city’s school system.

Pequannock BOE president: State stabbed us in back with School Choice Program
The Record, NJ, February 27, 2014
After nearly 12 months of back-and-forth with the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE), the school district has learned that it will not receive a reimbursement for the hundreds of thousands of dollars it lost last year in aid as a result of its participation in the state’s School Choice Program.

NEW MEXICO

RR educators starting charter school in ABQ
Rio Racho Observer, NM, February 27, 2014
“We need to start our own school,” Rio Rancho High School teacher Justin Baiardo decided a couple of years ago, and that school, Explore Academy, is expected to open for the 2014-15 school year in Albuquerque.

NEW YORK

Charter School Supporters to Rally in Albany Tuesday
NY1, NY, February 27, 2014
Supporters of charter schools are taking their fight to the state capital. On Tuesday, a group of school leaders say they will shut down their schools so students and parents can join them in Albany.

Education tax credit would help all schools
Opinion, Olean Times Herald, NY, February 26, 2014
There’s a simple plan to increase investment in education in New York state without raising taxes. It’s called the Education Investment Tax Credit.

Eva Moskowitz: I’ll sue de Blasio for charter-school space
New York Post, NY, February 27, 2014
New York’s largest charter-schools operator is threatening to sue Mayor de Blasio if the city boots its students out of space promised in the fall.

NORTH CAROLINA

Durham children in running for state vouchers
Herald Sun, NC, February 26, 2014
Nearly 200 local children were among the 4,700 from across the state who applied for Opportunity Scholarships.

Good questions from both sides on private school vouchers
Opinion, Charlotte Observer, NC, February 26, 2014
For starters, why do we need vouchers? North Carolina’s Constitution mandates a sound basic education is to be made available to every child in our state at no cost. So why would a parent choose to pay for something already provided for free? The obvious answer is the parent doesn’t believe the free education being provided is best for their child. Why not?

PENNSYLVANIA

Attempt to sell Burgwin School in Hazelwood fails again
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, February 26, 2014
A second attempt to sell the closed Burgwin School in Hazelwood to the Hazelwood Initiative for use as a Propel charter school failed tonight.

District names four finalists in sale of six closed properties
Philadelphia Daily News, PA
February 27, 2014
FOUR FINALISTS have emerged in the potential sale of six recently closed school properties, district officials announced yesterday.

PIAA head: Charter sports may be illegal
Lewistown Sentinel, PA, February 27, 2014
The peace and calm that has marked the brief tenure of Dr. Robert Lombardi as executive director of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association might be coming to an end.

Pocono Mountain Charter School battle goes on
Pocono Record, PA, February 27, 2014
The Pocono Mountain Charter School has survived its latest legal test, but the marathon battle with the Pocono Mountain School District is far from over.

Why don’t teachers have role in Action Plan 2.0?
Opinion, Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 27, 2014
THE NEW Action Plan 2.0, presented by Superintendent William Hite at last week’s School Reform Commission meeting, contains some worthy goals. As the Daily News points out in its Feb. 18 editorial, no one can argue with the goal of having a great school for each and every child in Philadelphia to attend. The teachers and professional school staff in Philadelphia work to make this a reality every day.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Parents should first research charter schools
Editorial, Hilton Head Island Packet, SC, February 26, 2014
Charter schools are increasingly popular. But it takes parental homework to decide if one is a good fit for a student.

VIRGINIA

City groups oppose takeover of school system
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, February 27, 2014
Two groups representing parents and students in Petersburg made a clear, strong statement Wednesday in opposition to the idea of Chesterfield County taking over the city’s school system.

WASHINGTON

Democrats bet wrong in gamble on school funding
Column, The Olympian, WA, February 27, 2014
Of all the election-year gambles the state Senate might have taken this session, we didn’t expect a game of chicken with the U.S. Department of Education.

WEST VIRGINIA

Senate OKs teacher pay raise ‘on borrowed money’
Charleston Gazette, WV, February 26, 2014
Legislators are using more than $34 million in borrowed money to provide a pay raise for public school teachers and service personnel, Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, warned Wednesday.

ONLINE LEARNING

Find a fairer way to fix ‘cyber double dip’ in Pa.
Letter, Lehigh Valley Express-Times, PA, February 27, 2014
House Bill 618, summarized in the Feb. 15 column by Pennsylvania state Reps. Joe Emrick and Mike Reese, is a thoughtful and comprehensive piece of charter reform legislation. A majority of the elements in the bill are concepts we have supported for years and continue to do so. But the proposed treatment of cyber-school pension expenses runs counter to the logic, balance and fairness evident in the rest of the bill.

Give students more options, approve Maine Virtual Academy
Opinion, Bangor Daily News, ME, February 267, 2014
Creating a variety of learning options for all of Maine’s students is critically important to their success. I know this from firsthand experience, having recently retired as a Maine school superintendent with 17 years running school districts across Maine.

GEVS considering new virtual learning program
Hillsboro Times Gazette, OH, February 26, 2014
McClain staffers on Tuesday evening presented information to the Greenfield Exempted Village Schools Board of Education on a new virtual learning program that, while more expensive than the current program, would offer much more opportunity for all students.

John Carroll institutes ‘cyber days’ in place of snow days
Baltimore Sun, MD, February 27, 2014
The John Carroll School campus might be closed for snow days, but that doesn’t mean students aren’t in class, albeit safe at home in their pajamas and with their laptops.

Make snow days into virtual school days
Letter, The Record, NJ, February 27, 2014
We’ve read accounts about how during a recent snow day, students in the Pascack Valley Regional High School District still had their lessons by using school-issued laptops to log on to their teachers’ websites at precisely 8 a.m. to connect with the day’s activities and assignments. The teachers checked if their students participated in the online lessons and marked them “present” or “absent” accordingly.

Money questions remain with $200M school tech upgrade
Salt Lake Tribune, UT, February 26, 2014
A massive push to expand technology in Utah schools cleared its first serious hurdle Wednesday — despite persistent and unanswered questions about how sponsors plan to pay for the $200 million price tag.

Schooling in Cyberspace
Lodi News-Sentinel, CA, February 27, 2014
Loretta Hans was seeking a flexible education program that would allow her first-grader to learn at her own pace and from the comfort and safety of her own home.

Senate committee won’t vote on virtual charter sports bill
Statehouse File, IN, February 27, 2014
The Senate Education Committee won’t move legislation to let virtual charter school students participate in sports at traditional public schools, the chairman said Wednesday.

Click here for Newswire, the latest weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else – spiced with a dash of irreverence – from the nation’s leading voice in school reform. 

NATIONAL COVERAGE

School reform should pay heed to employers’ needs
Opinion, Washington Times, DC, February 25, 2014
As the discussion of inequality intensifies, it has further highlighted the importance of school reform and school choice in terms of charter schools and school vouchers.

States: Stop blaming Washington for Common Core
Opinion, Daily Caller, DC, February 25, 2014
Still, Common Core wasn’t somehow foisted on unwilling states. Now that the federalized standards and assessments regime has become unpopular in many parts of the country, state elected officials often speak of Common Core as if it had been imposed from above. But that’s not the case. States happily implemented Common Core — and they did it for money.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Antioch’s Dozier Libbey teachers file petition to form charter school
Contra Coasta Times, CA, February 25, 2014
Teachers at Dozier Libbey Medical High School filed a petition this week with the Antioch Unified School District to convert the health care-themed public school to a charter.

County challenges charter school admissions process
Los Altos Town Crier, CA, February 26, 2014
The Santa Clara County Office of Education sent a letter to Bullis Charter School last week ordering administrators to correct their enrollment practices to conform to state law.

LAUSD reports increase in charter school co-location approvals
LA School Report, CA, February 25, 2014
LA Unified has released a preliminary list of charter school co-location proposals, showing that the district is offering more traditional school sites for co-locations for 2014-15 than in either of the previous two school years.

COLORADO

Teacher’s Union to oppose new ‘reform’ and funding school bill
North Denver News, CO, February 25, 2014
Michael Johnston’s newest reform bill has already drawn the opposition of Colorado teachers, and could cause a major rift between Democrats and their strongest supporters in an election year.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

The most meaningless teacher evaluation exercise ever?
Washington Post Blog, DC, February 26, 2014
If ever there were a meaningless exercise in the annals of evaluation, it would be this one. The Florida Times-Union newspaper sued the state Education Department to get access to what are called “value-added” scores of teachers that are used to make high-stakes decisions about their jobs.

FLORIDA

Appeals group: State should back MacDill charter rejection
The Tampa Tribune, FL, February 25, 2014
The group that makes recommendations to top state education officials on charter school appeals is siding with the Hillsborough County School Board in its decision to turn down an application for a charter school on MacDill Air Force Base.

Superintendent Browning says beware of teacher eval data
The Tampa Tribune, FL, February 26, 2014
Pasco County school district officials and the teachers union say it’s a move that could sow confusion rather than shed light on how well teachers are doing their jobs.

Testing times
Editorial, Tallahassee Democrat, FL, February 26, 2014
Think back to a schoolteacher who had a positive impact on your life. Chances are, your choice wasn’t based on explanations of quadratic equations or whether she helped advance your reading skills a full grade level.

GEORGIA

Georgia politicians rip national education standards
Cherokee Tribune, GA, February 26, 2014
Republican lawmakers indulged their conservative wing Tuesday by opposing national education standards, though the watered-down legislation does nothing to change the standards at the heart of the controversy.

IDAHO

Charter school nears enrollment goal
Idaho Mountain Express and Guide, ID, February 26, 2014
With the start of the 2014-2015 school year still six months away, Syringa Mountain School, Blaine County’s new state-funded charter school, is approaching its goal of 165 students.

ILLINOIS

Charter schools’ expulsion rate vastly higher than rest of CPS
Chicago Tribune, IL, February 26, 2014
As it continues to modify strict disciplinary policies in an effort to keep students in the classroom, Chicago Public Schools on Tuesday released data showing privately run charter schools expel students at a vastly higher rate than the rest of the district.

LOUISIANA

Changes to Louisiana teacher tenure law discussed by Jindal administration, education officials
Times-Picayune, LA, February 25, 2014
A controversial teacher tenure law passed in 2012 could be tweaked again this year, after administration officials and educational leaders discussed possible statutorial changes on Tuesday (Feb. 25).

MICHIGAN

School District, Union Working Together To Try To Ban Charter Schools
Michigan Capital Confidential, MI, February 26, 2014
Charter public schools in Michigan have been blamed by many in the media and by advocates for more school spending as part of the reason conventional public schools have problems.

MINNESOTA

How one high school is tackling the achievement gap
Star Tribune, MN, February 25, 2014
It’s big bragging rights for the state’s biggest school district. While the Twin Cities’ other large districts struggled to lessen the disparity between white and minority students’ proficiency in reading, math and other core subjects, Anoka-Hennepin surpassed goals set by the state.

MISSISSIPPI

Parents, advocates push for special-needs vouchers
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, February 26, 2014
Supporters of a school voucher for special-needs children rallied Tuesday at the state Capitol, where two bills await legislative action.

NEBRASKA

Parents testifying in the Legislature say time for charter schools is now
Omaha World Herald, NE, February 25, 2014
A legislative hearing on a bill to create charter schools in Nebraska came down to time. Anxious parents said Tuesday that they couldn’t wait any longer for Nebraska public schools — namely the Omaha Public Schools — to get their act together.

NEVADA

Study Shows Racial Achievement Gaps In Reno Students
Capital Radio, NV, February 26, 2014
For the first time the Washoe County School District is releasing data that show significant achievement gaps by race. The district is beginning what it expects to be a difficult conversation.

Teacher evaluation specifics lacking as implementation nears
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV, February 25, 2014
State lawmakers were updated Tuesday on the first statewide teacher evaluation system being implemented in the fall, but a lot of questions remain.

NEW JERSEY

Charter schools strip residents of their rights
Commentary, Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ, February 26, 2014
After attending “community meetings” concerning the possibility of two more Renaissance school operators coming to Camden, it is obvious that preserving what constitutionally belongs to the people of Camden, democratic public schools, is quickly becoming a thing of the past. While some of the city’s elite seem fine with people’s rights being taken away, as public school educators, we deem what is going on here unacceptable.

Newark teachers, students protest district’s layoff plan
Star-Ledger, NJ, February 25, 2014
About 400 Newark teachers and their supporters voiced pronounced opposition last night to the school district’s proposal to base planned layoffs of more than 1,000 teachers on classroom effectiveness rather than seniority.

NEW YORK

The cynical Cuomo-Tisch Common Core tug-of-war
Opinion, New York Daily News, NY, February 26, 2014
This month, the New York State Board of Regents released a “Path Forward” for implementation of Common Core standards. Though the report posed as a course correction, it is little more than a Trojan Horse.

NORTH CAROLINA

NAACP equates vouchers to school segregation effort
WRAL, NC, February 25, 2014
North Carolina’s school voucher program is the state’s latest assault on minorities, civil rights advocates said Tuesday.

Public, charter school collaboration in the future?
Durham Herald Sun, NC, February 25, 2014
Duke University economics professor Helen Ladd believes that charter schools have a place on the outskirts – not at the center – of public education.

PENNSYLVANIA

Duquesne charter school denied
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA, February 26, 2014
Duquesne City School District’s court-appointed receiver Paul B. Long has denied the application for a proposed charter school.

Letting colleges and universities authorize charter schools doesn’t necessarily mean better results: Op-Ed
Patriot News, PA, February 25, 2014
In what has become an almost annual occurrence, Pennsylvania lawmakers are discussing changes to the state’s Charter School Law.

Speakers question charter school funding
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, February 26, 2014
State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale doesn’t think the Legislature is moving fast enough to revise Pennsylvania’s charter school law to address funding and other issues.

Vulnerable students need high-quality teachers
Opinion, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, February 26, 2014
Black leaders and educational researchers have long advocated for better learning conditions for black children, and decades of research have shown that black parents care deeply about their children’s education but are often marginalized by educational inequities.

TENNESSEE

Ailing Nashville schools spark takeover interest from 2 charter groups
The Tennessean, TN, February 26, 2014
Might the same Metro school board that has clashed at times with charter schools hand the keys of a struggling district school to one?

For-profit charter schools would be bad business for Tennessee
Column, The Tennessean, TN, February 26, 2014
The over simplified argument that those two tasks are similar is one of the arguments charter school lobbyists are using to try to convince the state legislature that charter schools should be allowed to be profit-making businesses, not nonprofits run by boards as they are now.

VIRGINIA

Norfolk drops plan for charter schools
WAVY, VA, February 25, 2014
Norfolk Public Schools has dropped plans to turn some low-performing schools into charter schools. 10 On Your Side first told you about this plan in an in-depth report in October. It would have allowed the Superintendent to turn ten low-performing schools into public conversion charters.

WASHINGTON

Inslee plans bill requiring state test scores in teacher evaluations
Seattle Times, WA, February 25, 2014
Gov. Jay Inslee met Tuesday afternoon with lawmakers from both parties to hammer out a compromise that would allow the state to keep its waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law — and keep control over some $40 million that comes with the waiver.

WEST VIRGINIA

Vote on teacher pay raise bill postponed
Martinsburg Journal, WV, February 26, 2014
The West Virginia Senate postponed voting Tuesday on a bill to provide salary increases for teachers and school service personnel.

WISCONSIN

Bills would help state’s rural schools
Opinion, La Crosse Tribune, WI, February 26, 21014
As people in our area know, schools are at the center of rural communities. First and foremost, schools provide an education for the next generation, but they also serve as a gathering place for community members and provide extracurricular activities opportunities for students.

ONLINE LEARNING

Aiken Co. School Changes Put More Students Online
WJBF, GA, February 25, 2014
Major changes are on the way for Aiken County schools. The district has been working on a five year strategic plan, which is expected to affect North Augusta High School, Levealle-McCampbell Middle School in Graniteville and Ridge Spring-Monetta Elementary, Middle and High Schools. But there was one program aimed at helping students take that walk across the stage at the end of each year.

Audit finds poor oversight Utah schools …. online education
Salt Lake Tribune, UT, February 26, 2014
Two private companies are being paid millions in Utah tax dollars to recruit online students who boost enrollment for mostly charter schools — on paper.

Elanco’s virtual learning program is gaining momentum
Lancaster New Era, PA, February 25, 2014
Boosting cyber-school enrollment to compete with charters and offer students a wider range of learning possibilities is part of the plan at the Eastern Lancaster County School District.

High school taken online a new option for some
KAIT8, AR, February 25, 2014
With the flexibility and convenience, online classes have become more popular among college students. But one local student chose the keyboard over the classroom early by enrolling in online classes her junior year of high school.

iPads are a big hit in Putnam City classrooms
The Oklahoman, OK, February 26, 2014
Putnam City School District voters in Oklahoma passed a $6 million technology bond in 2013 that already is benefiting students.

Liberty promotes digital learning with flipped classrooms, online independent study courses
Carroll County Times, MD, February 26, 2014
Taylor Jones is enjoying the new way she’s learning math.
Jones, a freshman, is part of a conceptual algebra class at Liberty High School that’s functioning under a flipped classroom model.

More Mass. Students To Learn Virtually
WBUR, MA, February 25, 2014
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education unanimously approved the state’s second online K-12 academy today, despite concerns that virtual schools lack oversight and accountability.

Pascack Valley Regional School District hopeful that virtual school day will count
The Record, NJ, February 25, 2014
For their first try at a virtual snow day, Pascack Valley Regional High School District officials agree it was a successful one.

Probing Question: Do cyber charter schools help or hurt the educational system?
Penn State News, PA, February 25, 2014
When charter schools were first created in the early 1990s, they were viewed as alternative learning environments for a small number of students. The ideal model was to unhitch these schools from many of the state laws and district regulations governing traditional public schools, and allow them to tailor the education to families looking for an option outside the conventional system.

Proposal for state-run virtual school wins preliminary approval
Portland Press Herald, ME, February 25, 2014
The House of Representatives on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a bill to study the creation of a state-run virtual school and place a moratorium on private virtual charter schools.

Click here for Newswire, the latest weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else – spiced with a dash of irreverence – from the nation’s leading voice in school reform. 

NATIONAL COVERAGE

A ‘Common Core’ firestorm
Pilot-Tribune, IA, February 25, 2014
The “Common Core” is the red-hot controversy in education today, with some states fighting to dump the standards and the National Education Association, which represents teachers, claiming the implementation of the standards has been “completely botched.”

Low Standards Upstream Cause Problems Downstream
Letter, Wall Street Journal, February 25, 2014
“Remedial Courses’ New Test” (U.S. News, Feb. 18) discusses a disheartening trend of weakening academic standards to raise graduation rates.

NC school vouchers on hold
Watchdog.org, February 25, 2014
About 4,000 North Carolina families must wait for the courts to untangle a legal challenge involving the state’s voucher program before they’ll know what schools their children can attend next year.

School Choice is the Only Choice for a Better Education
Column, Town Hall, February 25, 2014
The idea that parents have no control over where their children go to school is unthinkable. The public school education system currently in America is exactly that. Children must go to a school based not on choice, but on five numbers-their zip code.

STATE COVERAGE

ALABAMA

AEA blasts bill by Sen. Del Marsh limiting role of seniority in determining teacher layoffs
The Huntsville Times Blog, AL, February 25, 2014
The Alabama Education Association has blasted proposed legislation that would limit how much local school systems can consider seniority when deciding which teachers to lay off when they are forced to make cutbacks.

ALASKA

State should build on success of public charter schools
Column, Anchorage Daily News, AK, February 25, 2014
This is, officially, the Education Session in Juneau. You have our attention. Actually, you had our attention at the State of the State address. It was during this speech that Gov. Sean Parnell acknowledged public charter school success.

CALIFORNIA

Charters on New Prop. Z Rules: ‘Absolutely a Slap in the Face’
Voice of San Diego, CA, February 25, 2014
When the San Diego Unified school board voted to raise the bar on charter schools seeking Prop. Z funding, nobody talked about Old Town Academy.

FLORIDA

FCAT merit-based teacher pay: an unfair indicator
The Independent Florida Alligator, FL, February 25, 2014
Luckily, our FCAT days are behind us. After all, the snacks used as bribery tactics and all of the time out of class in the world couldn’t make up for the fact that state standardized testing is a waste of schools’ time and an unfair indicator of teacher and student success.

Florida Dept. of Education Releases Teachers’ Grades After Losing Lawsuit
The Ledger, FL, February 24, 2014
Polk County’s teachers performed slightly better than the state average in a controversial grading system the Florida Department of Education made public Monday after losing a lawsuit that forced its release.

Make testing a part of school vouchers
Editorial, Sun Sentinel, FL, February 24, 2014
It’s an educational fix long overdue. So give Florida Senate President Don Gaetz credit for insisting that private schools that receive state-supported vouchers administer the same accountability tests as their public-school counterparts.

Questions abound as state releases teacher evaluation scores
Tampa Bay Times, FL, February 25, 2014
Pasco County language arts teacher Valerie Smith learned early Monday that part of her 2013 job evaluation was being made public.

ILLINOIS

Parent groups push ISAT boycott in CPS
Chicago Tribune, IL, February 25, 2014
A coalition of Chicago Public Schools parent groups is calling for students to skip the Illinois Standards Achievement Test, which is being replaced this year by another test as a key element for promotions and eligibility for elite schools.

MARYLAND

Signs of trouble in county schools?
Editorial, Baltimore Sun, MD, February 24, 2014
Last week’s decision by Baltimore County’s PTA Council to ask Superintendent Dallas Dance to delay plans to convert all county high schools to an eight-period schedule is noteworthy for a number of reasons.

MASSACHUSETTS

New charter school still looking for location
South Coast Today, MA, February 25, 2014
City on a Hill Charter School, scheduled to open for 110 ninth-graders in August, will conduct its first admissions lottery next month without telling students or parents where the school will be located.

State eyes two charter schools
Boston Globe, MA, February 25, 2014
Massachusetts education officials are preparing to impose several conditions Tuesday on the operating licenses of two high-performing charter schools in Boston to ddress concerns about possible conflict of interest and to clear up any confusion over who is running the schools.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Nashua Teachers Union criticizes Common Core standards test
Nashua Telegraph, NH, February 25, 2014
Nashua teachers are criticizing a new test being rolled out across the state next year as part of the transition to Common Core education standards.

NEW MEXICO

Charter schools a great option
Opinion, Albuquerque Journal, NM, February 25, 2014
On Feb. 3, the New Mexico Coalition for Charter Schools hosted the annual School Choice Fair, which included 35 independent, magnet and charter schools that provided information to over 700 families. The intent was not just to display the array of options the New Mexico educational system has to offer, but also to educate parents and students on the available possibilities.

NEW YORK

Charter co-location: A phantom threat
Opinion, New York Daily News, NY, February 25, 2014
A new study reveals that district schools sharing space with charters do no worse on achievement tests

City charter operators shifting advocacy efforts to Albany
Capital News York, NY, February 25, 2014
Operators of charter schools in New York City are looking to Albany for support after failing to gain traction on a series of core issues with local elected officials or the de Blasio administration.

‘Fail factory’ teachers & parents rip school’s principal
New York Post, NY, February 24, 2014
Teachers at troubled Murry Bergtraum HS on Sunday blasted its principal and p.r. guy for bungling a student letter-writing campaign to The Post — and one parent group said the school should be shut down.

NORTH CAROLINA

Mooneyham: Look at school choice
Opinion, Daily Reflector, NC, February 24, 2014
A decision by a Superior Court judge last week to block a new school voucher law was met with howls of disapproval from school choice advocates.

OHIO

State needs to focus on keeping students from dropping out, says Gov. John Kasich
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, February 24, 2014
Ohio has never had a clear focus on preventing kids from dropping out of high school, Gov. John Kasich said Monday, but it needs to now.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma bills to limit third-grade retention pass committee and head to full House
The Oklahoman, OK, February 25, 2014
Parents of students who fail a third-grade reading test would be given additional options to having their children held back under two bills approved Monday by the state House Education Committee.

PENNSYLVANIA

Rules at last
Editorial, Philadelphia Daily News, PA, February 25, 2014
REVIEWING the set of proposed policy changes from the School District that establish new ground rules for authorizing and overseeing charter schools in the city, we were struck with the troubling picture that emerges of the current situation.

Unions didn’t create school-funding mess
Opinion, Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 25, 2014
THE PHILADELPHIA School District is out of money. This is a fact. Now ask yourselves why. It is not because of teachers’ salaries and benefits. Philadelphia teachers do not have comparable compensation equal to their peers across the state.

Would-be charter school founder plans appeal of York City district’s denial
York Dispatch, PA, February 24, 2014
The would-be founder of a proposed York City charter school has decided to take her case to the next level.

TENNESSEE

Multiple charter school proposals clash with new MNPS guidelines
Tennessean, TN, February 24, 214
Metro school officials didn’t back down from a controversial new policy that defines where new charter schools in Davidson County can locate as talks opened on Monday.

VIRGINIA

Middleburg: County’s first charter school?
Loudoun Times, VA, February 24, 2014
For the last six months, three members of the Loudoun County School Board have been extensively sifting through the Middleburg Charter School’s application.

More time needed to decide how to grade Va. schools
Progress Index, VA, February 25, 2014
The House Education Committee approved a bill delaying the implementation of a new grading system for schools this past week, but some delegates are questioning if the new system meets the needs of Virginia schools, parents and communities.

WASHINGTON

Common ground on teacher evaluations needs common facts
News Tribune, WA, February 25, 2014
If the Legislature refuses, the federal government will definitely conclude that nearly every district in the state isn’t meeting annual yearly progress and will be labeled “failing.” That’s current federal law. After that, it is very likely that the Education Department will redirect $44 million in federal Title I money for high-poverty schools.

Senate’s schools funding disappoints Inslee
Seattle Times, WA, February 24, 2014
The state Senate on Monday released a proposed budget that would add money for public schools — but nowhere close to what Gov. Jay Inslee has requested.

WEST VIRGINIA

Teacher pay raise measure up for vote
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, February 25, 2014
Senate is expected to vote on legislation today that would increase pay for teachers and school service personnel.

WISCONSIN

Scrap Senate bill, not Common Core
Editorial, Green Bay Gazette, WI, February 24, 2014
A proposal in the state Senate would establish a board to set state academic standards, effectively ending the Common Core.

ONLINE LEARNING

Bill would alter payments for virtual Maine charter schools
Portland Press Herald, ME, February 25, 2014
A legislator says the state shouldn’t pay as much for online students because the true cost is likely lower.

Detroit’s EAA offers high school students flexible summer schedule
Detroit News, MI, February 24, 2014
Six high schools operated by the Education Achievement Authority will allow students to perform school work online at home and earn credit for internships during the summer as part of the district’s new trimester schedule.

Teachers use technology to ‘flip’ classrooms
LaGrange News, CA, February 24, 2014
Two teachers at Callaway High School have started using a teaching method that flips the classroom model of in-class lectures and homework by using lessons students can watch online, reserving class time to work problems.

Click here for Newswire, the latest weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else – spiced with a dash of irreverence – from the nation’s leading voice in school reform. 

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Education Standards
Letter, New York Times, NY, February 23, 2014
“The Common Core in New York” (editorial, Feb. 15) criticizes teachers for raising legitimate concerns, in concert with parents, about the state’s botched job in carrying out the Common Core standards.

School choice — Good for students, good for America
Opinion, Washington Times, DC, February 23, 2014
The idea that parents have no control over where their children go to school sounds unthinkable, but America’s public education system is exactly that. Children must go to a school based not on choice, but on five numbers — their ZIP code.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

‘No Child’ waiver creates rift among Fresno education leaders
Fresno Bee, CA, February 23, 2014
Nearly seven months after Fresno Unified and seven other California school districts got one year of relief from strict federal accountability rules for student academic performance, administrators are now looking to reapply for flexibility from the much-maligned No Child Left Behind law.

CONNECTICUT

Without fail: Greenwich teachers get passing grade — all of them
Greenwich Times, CT, February 22, 2014
Greenwich public-school teachers received excellent “report cards” last year. They did so well that none of them recorded a failing grade, according to a human-resources report recently released by the school district.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. charter board adopts new way to judge alternative schools
Washington Post, DC, February 23, 2014
The D.C. Public Charter School Board has adopted a new way to define “alternative schools” and judge their performance, taking an important step toward plugging a hole in the board’s system for identifying which city charter schools are serving students well and which need to either improve or be closed.

FLORIDA

Florida lawmakers review school standards
Florida Today, FL, February 24, 2014
If the Legislature adjourns after its upcoming session without passing a single education-related bill, big changes still will be coming to Florida classrooms this fall.

Give every kid a fighting chance to succeed in school
Opinion, Miami Herald, FL, February 23, 2014
That landmark decision 60 years ago opened the pathway to better schools for all children. It gave parents, especially black parents, opportunities that were previously unavailable, and gave students like me an increased sense of hope and excitement about the future. It was a huge step forward, but in many ways we are still fighting for equality in education six decades later.

Scholarship Bill Introduced in Florida House
The Ledger, FL, February 23, 2014
The “massive expansion” of Florida’s de facto voucher system promised by House Speaker Will Weatherford was filed last week, setting up what is expected to be one of the most contentious education battles of the 2014 legislative session.

ILLINOIS

Charters eye closed CPS schools
Chicago Tribune, IL, February 24, 2014
A charter school’s efforts to win support to take over the building of a school closed by Chicago Public Schools last year was instantly criticized by a community leader, illustrating one hurdle the district faces as it tries to find new uses for shuttered facilities.

LOUISIANA

Monroe judge again rules Jindal teacher tenure law unconstitutional
Times-Picayune, LA, February 21, 2014
Parts of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s controversial teacher tenure law passed in 2012 are unconstitutional, a Monroe judge ruled Friday (Feb. 21). Fourth Judicial District Judge Benjamin Jones upheld a decision he made in Augustthat said the law violates the constitutional rights of teachers facing dismissal.

KANSAS

Kan. charter school bill up for debate
Wichita Eagle, KS, February 24, 2014
Senate Education Committee members are expected this week to continue their discussion of a proposal to expand Kansas laws regarding charter schools.

MAINE

If we’re going to reform education in Maine, vague-sounding reforms won’t help
Opinion, Bangor Daily News, ME, February 23, 2014
“High schools are transitioning.” Students will have more “choices about how they acquire and demonstrate learning.” “Students will join integrated learning communities.” “Students will contribute to online discussion boards.” “This move is sending a powerful message.” “We get it, but not only do we get it, we’re rewarding it.”

MINNESOTA

State, Faribault fail to meet target goals to close achievement gap
Faribalt Daily News, MN, February 21, 2014
New data released by the Minnesota Department of Education shows that less than half of districts statewide are on track to close the achievement gap, with Faribault among those not reaching target goals.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter school focusing on leadership coming to Manchester
Union Leader, NH, February 24, 2014
A new charter school focused on developing leaders plans to open near the airport in September, one of four new charter schools in New Hampshire.

NEW JERSEY

Administration cautiously oks two charters, passes on two more
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, February 24, 2014
A pair of charter school networks get the nod to open in Camden and Newark, but DOE approach continues to be decidedly slower than in earlier years.

Newark schools chief wants teacher performance included in layoff criteria
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, February 24, 2014
Union leaders leap to defense of long-established contractual practice of basing job cuts on years of experience.

N.J. teachers union reviewing legislation to include parental involvement in educator evaluations
New Jersey News, NJ, February 23, 2-14
A state lawmaker has introduced legislation that would make parental involvement part of the new public school teacher evaluations created under New Jersey’s recently enacted tenure reform law.

NEW YORK

Education Standards
Letter, New York Times, NY, February 23, 2014
“The Common Core in New York” (editorial, Feb. 15) criticizes teachers for raising legitimate concerns, in concert with parents, about the state’s botched job in carrying out the Common Core standards.

Educators say evaluation system is ‘broken,’ but Cuomo isn’t convinced
Journal News, NY, February 23, 2014
So, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s shiny, new Common Core implementation panel had its first meeting Wednesday and there was hardly any mention of perhaps the most divisive issue in our Common Core stew: teacher evaluations.

Fariña Meets With Charter School Leader
Wall Street Journal Blog, February 22, 2014
New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña, meeting Saturday morning for the first time since she took office with charter school leaders, said the discussion was positive and engendered good will.

Keep the Charters Coming!
Opinion, Democrat and Chronicle, NY, February 21, 2014
Educational reform has taken a great leap forward with the recently announced new charter school openings and existing charter expansions within the city.

Save these schools
Editorial, New York Daily News, NY, February 22, 2014
New York City’s innovative, high-performing charter schools are bracing for impact as Chancellor Carmen Fariña, due to meet with school leaders Saturday, gets set to determine their fate under Mayor de Blasio.

NORTH CAROLINA

Taking the long view on raising teacher pay
Opinion, Charlotte Observer, NC, February 22, 2014
Public school teacher pay is too low. The governor’s plan to increase pay in the early years is a good start, but like nearly all proposals so far, is a partial approach disconnected from the realities of today’s workplace. What is needed is a comprehensive approach.

Voucher effort misplaced
Editorial, Greenville Daily Reflector, NC, February 22, 2014
In Friday’s ruling to grant a preliminary injunction halting the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, Wake County Superior Court Judge Robert H. Hobgood found that not doing so would “cause irreparable harm.” That same argument helps build the case for a lawsuit filed against the voucher program by the N.C. Association of Educators and the N.C. Justice Center.

Judge halts private school vouchers
Winston-Salem Journal, NC, February 22, 2014
Thousands of North Carolina students’ plans to attend private school next year were put on hold Friday when a judge halted the state’s controversial private school voucher program.

OHIO

Franklin Elementary reform plan excites teachers
Chronicle-Telegram, OH, February 23, 2014
Franklin Elementary School teacher Amy Yates said she listened to the ideas school officials were proposing — preschool, arts-based learning, combining technology and curriculum — when she heard about the “New Beginnings” proposal several weeks ago.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma Legislature may rescind Common Core education standards
Tulsa World, OK, February 24, 2014
Opposition to national K-12 curriculum standards among Oklahomans persists, and may be rising, as a new measure to eliminate the Common Core appears ready to make its way to the House calendar this session.

PENNSYLVANIA

Future of New Hope Academy in York City to have court hearing March 10
York Dispatch, PA, February 23, 2014
The future of a York City charter school will be the subject of a courtroom hearing next month in Harrisburg.

Mastery wins right operate charter schools in Camden
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 23, 2014
CAMDEN Philadelphia charter school powerhouse Mastery Schools was given the green light Friday to operate in Camden, where the organization also hopes to open a “Renaissance” school through a separate application process.

Phila. revamps its charter school policy
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 22, 2014
PHILADELPHIA Amid mounting financial pressure from charter schools, the Philadelphia School District Friday unveiled a revised charter policy proposal that uses a carrot-and-stick approach.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Private school choice program for students with disabilities awards more than $600K in scholarships
Post and Courier, SC, February 22, 2014
Aiden was the first student in the Lowcountry to receive a $10,000 scholarship to the $27,000 per year school as a result of the state’s new private school choice program.

TENNESSEE

For-profit charter school operators watch TN
The Tennessean, TN, February 24, 2014
Out-of-state companies that bring in millions in revenue by managing charter schools have their eyes set on Tennessee, an epicenter of education reform.

Kingsport teacher pay plan shifts weight from degrees to performance
Kingsport Times-News, TN, February 23, 2014
Kingsport City Schools’ new differentiated compensation policy for teachers will result in a pay increase for every teacher.

WASHINGTON

State Senate fails on teacher evaluations
Editorial, Seattle Times, WA, February 22, 2014
The state Senate’s failure to improve teacher evaluation standards comes with professional and financial risks for Washington school districts.

Political center crumbles on state education reforms
Column, News Tribune, WA, February 20, 2014
It’s probably risky business to make assumptions about how politicians in political bodies will behave, although I’ve usually been safe assuming that legislators will vote yes on their own bills.

ONLINE LEARNING

Expand access to online learning for all Maine students
Opinion, Bangor Daily News, ME, February 23, 2014
In 2012, Gov. Paul LePage issued an executive order requiring the Department of Education to expand access to online learning opportunities for Maine’s students. Two years have passed, and the greater community of 185,000 Maine students is still missing the real promise of digital learning.

OG ‘flips’ over new teaching method
Hancock County Reporter, OH, February 22, 2014
In the topsy-turvy world of Mat Deveany’s math classrooms, “homework” is done in school and lectures are watched online at home.

Still no deal between Greenfield schools, virtual school
Greenfield Recorder, NH, February 22, 2014
The Greenfield Commonwealth Virtual School’s contract with the Greenfield School Department is set to terminate next Saturday, and the two sides still haven’t reached agreement on a new deal.

Students, say goodbye to snow days — and say hello to school at home
CNN, February 24, 2014
Earlier this month, Zak Terzini roused himself about five minutes before his English class began and didn’t panic. Instead, the high school sophomore grabbed his iPod and checked on a class discussion of “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” without even getting out of bed.