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NEWSWIRE IS BACK! Click here for 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

La. Schools Chief White Testifies Before U.S. Congress
The Advocate, LA, May 7, 2013
While the Louisiana Supreme Court rejected the funding mechanism for the state’s expanded school voucher system, state Superintendent of Education John White was discussing school choice and accountability with members of Congress.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Pomona Unified Administrator Propose Turning Yorba Elementary Into Charter School
Inland Valley Daily Herald, CA, May 8, 2013
Pomona Unified School District administrators presented a proposal to the district’s Board of Education Tuesday night calling for converting Yorba Elementary School into a charter school with an emphasis on science and technology.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Gray Nominates Two New Candidates for D.C. Public Charter School Board
Washington Post, DC, May 7, 2013
Mayor Vincent C. Gray has nominated two candidates to fill vacancies on the D.C. Public Charter School Board, which is responsible for authorizing new charter schools and closing poor performers.

FLORIDA

Manatee’s Rowlett Elementary Considers Charter School Option During Budget Crisis
Bradenton Herald, FL, May 8, 2013
Rowlett Magnet Elementary School, concerned about the financial uncertainty facing the Manatee County School District, is exploring a novel approach to ensure the quality of its academic programs, which focus on communications and the arts.

‘Trigger’ Bill Or No, Parents Already Have Good Options To Empower Them
Miami Herald, FL, May 7, 2013
As media websites throughout Florida told of the end of the notorious “parent trigger” bill for this year, one state senator nailed the problem — the law already allows parents to get involved in fixing failing public schools, but few of them bother to do so.

GEORGIA

Common Core Standards Debated
Cherokee Ledger News, GA, May 8, 2013
Federal education standards being piloted in Cherokee County schools as a part of the state’s participation in Race To The Top (RTTT) became the topic of conversation at the May 2 school board meeting.

Georgia DOE Releases New Grades For Public Schools
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, May 7, 2013
Georgia’s new report card for public schools is out. The Georgia Department of Education said the average score for Georgia’s elementary schools is 83.4; middle schools is 81.4 and high schools is 72.6.

Governor Signs Bill Linking Teacher Evaluations To Student Performance
Atlanta Journal Constitution Blog, GA, May 7, 2013
StudentsFirst, the influential advocacy organization created by former Washington, D.C., schools chancellor Michelle Rhee, sent out a media release today celebrating Gov. Nathan Deal’s signing of House Bill 244.

ILLINOIS

Tick … Tick … Tick …
Chicago Tribune, IL, May 8, 2013
The latest headache for Chicago Public Schools officials: Independent hearing officers oppose efforts to close about a quarter of the 53 elementary schools that are on the block.

LOUISIANA

Jindal Promises To Find Voucher Funding After High Court Strikes It Down
Times-Picayune, LA, May 8, 2013
The Louisiana Supreme Court on Tuesday declared that the way the Jindal administration has been financing a statewide school voucher program is unconstitutional, a decision that has significant ramifications for the ongoing state budget debate and the approximately 8,000 students who have been promised voucher seats for the fall.

Funding For La. Gov. Jindal’s Voucher Program Struck Down By Court
Washington Times, DC, May 7, 2013
In a setback for Gov. Bobby Jindal’s drive to overhaul the state’s education system, the Louisiana Supreme Court on Tuesday said the state can’t fund its landmark voucher initiative with money meant for public schools.

Locals Applaud State Supreme Court Ruling On Vouchers
Monroe News Star, LA, May 8, 2013
Local educators and community members were excited Tuesday to learn about the Louisiana Supreme Court’s ruling that the funding mechanism for the Louisiana Scholarship Program is unconstitutional.

MAINE

After Turmoil, Portland Charter School Approved
Portland Press Herald, ME, May 8, 2013
The Maine Charter School Commission approved a scaled-down plan for Portland’s first charter school Tuesday, clearing the way for the Baxter Academy for Technology and Science to open in the fall

Lawmakers At Odds With LePage Administration Over Charter Schools
Portland Press Herald, ME, May 8, 2013
A standoff is developing between the Maine Department of Education and Democratic lawmakers over a new, more equitable way to fund public charter schools.

MARYLAND

Md. Teachers: We’re Not Ready For New Evaluation Systems, Common Core
Washington Post, DC, May 7, 2013
Maryland teachers are asking for more time and training to meet the demands of new evaluation systems and education standards expected to be in place by the start of the next school year, according to a survey from the Maryland State Education Association.

Referendum Petition Drive Targets Prince George’s Schools Takeover Bill
Baltimore Sun, MD, May 8, 2013
A signature-collecting petition drive has started in Prince George’s County to try to force County Executive Rushern Baker III’s impending school takeover to a 2014 referendum.

MASSACHUSETTS

Charter School Advocates Want Cap Removed in Mass.
Boston Globe, MA, May 8, 2013
Three years after state lawmakers lifted the cap on the number of charter schools that can legally operate in Massachusetts, advocates urged lawmakers Tuesday to abolish it, citing a study that found that the schools outperform traditional public schools in the state, particularly in Boston.

More School Reform
Boston Herald, MA, May 8, 2013
It’s cute that the Joint Committee on Education scheduled a hearing on a slew of bills related to charter schools during National Charter School Awareness Month.

MICHIGAN

Michigan District Can’t Pay Teachers, Lays Off Staff
Detroit News, MI, May 8, 2013
A Michigan school district that said it can’t afford to pay its teachers will remain closed for a second day Wednesday after laying off staff because of a loss of state funds.

NEBRASKA

Lawmakers Revive Arguments On Charter-Schools Proposal
Omaha World Herald, NE, May 8, 2013
Nebraska lawmakers who support an Omaha charter-schools bill launched a debate on a measure that was killed in committee this year.

NEW JERSEY

Appeal Filed To Block Camden School’s Approval
Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ, May 8, 2013
The Education Law Center has filed an appeal to block the state’s approval of the KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy.

NEW MEXICO

District Plans New Charter School Compacts
Santa Fe New Mexican, NM, May 8, 2013
Santa Fe Public Schools is moving forward with a plan to set up performance compacts with the district’s four charter schools in an effort to provide greater transparency and set clear goals for the schools.

NEW YORK

A 30-Month Legal Fight to Conceal E-Mails About a 95-Day Schools Chancellor
New York Times, NY, May 8, 2013
If you have lost three consecutive times in court on the same legal fight, with not a single judge giving you the time of day, and one of them saying that your main argument is “particularly specious,” what would you do?

NORTH CAROLINA

NC Senate Passes Bill Creating Separate State Board For Charter Schools
News & Observer, NC, May 7, 2013
The state Senate passed a bill Tuesday creating a separate regulatory board for charter schools by a vote of 32-17.

OHIO

Curriculum Critics Wrong
Columbus Dispatch, OH, May 8, 2013
A campaign against Common Core educational standards — developed by governors, adopted by 45 states and designed to help American children catch up to their peers around the world — is misguided and misinformed.

PENNSYLVANIA

Pocono Mountain Charter School’s Court-Appointed Custodian Quickly Takes Charge
Pocono Record, PA, May 8, 2013
The court-appointed custodian for the troubled Pocono Mountain Charter School swiftly stepped in Tuesday night, hiring a new principal and firing a public relations firm.

TEXAS

Charter School Rally Planned At Texas Capitol
Houston Chronicle, TX, May 8, 2013
Parents and activists are set to rally at the state Capitol for high-profile proposed legislation to expand charter schools in Texas.

WASHINGTON

New Law Targets How Schools Perform
Everett Herald, WA, May 8, 2013
One of the first Republican-sponsored education reform bills became law Tuesday and will give the state more power to intercede in schools where student performance on basic skills tests is persistently poor.

WISCONSIN

School Choice Will Help Students Succeed
Green Bay Press Gazette, WI, May 7, 2013
Choosing a school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make. Wealthy parents have always had access to a variety of educational options.

ONLINE LEARNING

Gov. Rick Snyder To Visit Zeeland’s Innoacademy Charter School, Site Of New Icademy
Grand Rapids Press, MI, May 8, 2013
Governor Rick Snyder today will visit Innocademy, a Zeeland-based year-round public school academy, and tour its Homestead Campus.

‘Blended Learning’ Leads To Rare Teacher Satisfaction
The Californian, CA, May 7, 2013
By all rights, Wendy Chaves’ Algebra II class should be a zoo. She’s charged with teaching nearly 50 teenagers at a time at the Alliance Tennenbaum Family Technology High School in Los Angeles. Yet Chaves has never felt more effective.

NEWSWIRE IS BACK! Click here for 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

New Course Recommended for Some High-School Students
Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2013
Amid a national push to lift high-school standards in the U.S., a new study recommends a different approach for students who go on to community college, one that emphasizes basic subjects to provide them with only the skills they would need to succeed in their future careers.

Republicans Should Love ‘Common Core’
Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2013
The Common Core State Standards are a set of rigorous academic standards in mathematics and English language arts. They are the culmination of a meticulous, 20-year process initiated by the states and involving teachers, educators, business leaders and policy makers from across the country and both sides of the aisle. The standards form a foundation for a high-quality education, have been adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia, and are slated for full implementation in 2014.

State School Systems Rethink Common Core Standards
Washington Post, DC, May 6, 2013
The growing backlash against the nationwide K-12 school standards known as Common Core, bubbling to the surface in Indiana, Michigan and elsewhere, has become the hottest story in education.

Assemblyman Diegnan’s Charter Bill Flies in Face of (Rare) Consensus
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, May 7, 2013
One of the few things educators and administrators agree on: charter schools need multiple authorizers

Teacher Pay Hurt by Recession, Report Says
New York Times, NY, May 7, 2013
During the recession and its aftermath, public schools took a hit as both state coffers and local property taxes shriveled. That showed up in shrinking employment, but also in teacher salaries.

Charter Schools: The Report Card
MSNBC, May 7, 2013
On Friday the White House issued a presidential proclamation naming May 5 -11 “National Charter School Week.” Charter Schools are publicly funded schools that are governed by an independent organization through a contract–or charter–with the state.

Corruption is Destroying America’s Schools
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, May 7, 2013
The recent 65-count cheating indictment against 35 Atlanta school officials, including the superintendent, has reignited an intense national debate on the use of standardized test scores as a key feature in teacher evaluations.

STATE COVERAGE

ALABAMA

Alabama’s Private Schools Don’t Want State Involvement
Montgomery Advertiser, AL, May 6, 2013
Private and parochial schools want to make sure Alabama’s new tax credits and scholarships for private school attendance don’t lead to the state government having a role in their operations.

CALIFORNIA

Bullis, LASD Battle ‘Escalating’
Mountain View-Voice, CA, May 6, 2013
The ongoing battle between Bullis Charter School and the Los Altos School District appears to be escalating — with officials from both organizations accusing the other of breaking the law.

LA Mayoral Candidates: Boost Education Reform
My Fox Atlanta, CA, May 7, 2013
The countdown is on for the May 21st election and the candidates are coming-a-courting. While officially the Mayor of Los Angeles has no role in how the public school system is run, extra-officially, he/she can play a big role. The Mayor’s office is a great bully-pulpit.

CONNECTICUT

Weingarten Proclaims Victory In New Haven
New Haven Independent, CT, May 6, 2013
Three thousand miles away from New Haven, the city became Exhibit A in a showdown between a national union president and a charter school proponent about the future of school reform.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. Charter School Waitlists Vary Widely
Washington Post, DC, May 6, 2013
Charter school waiting lists vary widely across the District, according to data released Monday by the D.C. Public Charter School Board that suggests demand tends to be greatest for early childhood programs and schools rated high-performing.

FLORIDA

Pasco County Charter Schools, By The Numbers
Tampa Bay Times Blog, FL, May 6, 2013
Pasco County School Board members plan a wide-ranging discussion on charter schools on Tuesday, discussing the future of charters in the district as well as the impact of newly adopted legislation.

GEORGIA

Charter School Funding A Hot Topic At APS Board Meeting
WXIA-TV, GA, May 6, 2013
Parents are putting pressure on the Atlanta Public Schools Board concerning charter school funding.

ILLINOIS

One Vote, Many Lives
Chicago Tribune, IL, May 7, 2013
The Chicago City Council will vote on many items Wednesday. None likely will be more important than the zoning change on tap for the property at 2245 W. Pershing Road. That is where Concept Schools, a top-quality charter operator, wants to open the Horizon Science Academy-McKinley Park.

INDIANA

Charter’s Opening Is Set For ’14 After Snafu
The Journal Gazette, IN, May 7, 2013
A technology-centered charter school approved to open this fall with some conditions will delay opening until 2014, according to a statement from the school.

LOUISIANA

Teachers Want Higher Standards, Delayed Consequences, Poll Says
Times-Picayune, LA, May 6, 2013
Higher educational standards, yes; consequences based on them, not yet. That’s the conclusion of a nationwide poll of 800 members of the American Federation of Teachers. The union released the results on May 3.

Louisiana House Backs Bill Allowing Parents To Shift RSD-Controlled Schools Back To Local Systems
Times-Picayune, LA, May 6, 2013
A bill allowing parents to petition to transfer control of their child’s school from the Recovery School District into the local school system easily cleared the House on Monday.

House Puts Teacher Evaluation Impact On Hold
Monroe News Star, LA, May 7, 2013
Some kinks in Louisiana’s teacher evaluation need to be straightened out before teachers’ futures are decided using the instrument, House members said Monday in unanimously approving legislation by Rep. Gene Reynolds, D-Minden.

MARYLAND

City Schools Chief Alonso Resigns
Baltimore Sun, MD, May 6, 2013
His six-year tenure has been marked by bold yet divisive reforms; Tisha Edwards will be interim superintendent

Andres Alonso’s Departure: An Opportunity for Baltimore to Move Beyond the Traditional District
Dropout Nation Blog, May 7, 2013
School reformers in Baltimore, along with those in the city looking to keep the city from becoming the next Detroit, can’t help but be pensive about yesterday’s news that Andres Alonso is departing as chief executive officer of its traditional district to take a gig at Harvard University’s education school.

MASSACHUSETTS

Bill Would Loosen Cap On Mass. Charter Schools
Boston Globe, MA, May 7, 2013
Supporters of legislation to lift the cap on charter schools in the state’s lowest performing school districts will be making their case before lawmakers.

66 Percent Support More Charter Schools
Cape Cod Today, MA, May 6, 2013
Charter school proponents on Monday morning were promoting new poll results showing voters in the Boston area support lifting caps on the number of charter schools by a nearly three to one margin.

MICHIGAN

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan ‘Very Encouraged’ By Visit To Michigan’s Reform District
Detroit Free Press, MI, May 6, 2013
Gov. Rick Snyder joined U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan today at Thirkell Elementary School and Brenda Scott Academy of Theater Arts in Detroit as part of three school tours highlighting local education reform and the importance of investing in preschool.

Michigan Schools Leave Food Subsidies On Table
Detroit News, MI, May 7, 2013
Every year, the federal government buys more than $1.4 billion in chicken, beef, butter and dozens of other products from U.S. farmers and then offers them at substantial discounts to America’s schools.

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi Prepares New Push On Education
Associated Press, May 6, 2013
Republicans’ statewide solutions include making it easier to create charter schools and holding back third-graders who can’t read. Other changes approved by lawmakers are state-funded prekindergarten and higher qualifications and merit pay for teachers.

MISSOURI

Paranoia About ‘Common Core’ Is A Lousy Way To Fix Schools
St. Louis Post Dispatch, MO, May 7, 2013
The anger is being fueled by conspiracy theorists, including some in the Missouri Legislature, who see the common core movement as some evil federal takeover of schools, rather than the thoughtful and bipartisan attempt that it is to raise standards and unify them across state lines so that the United States can do a better job of competing in a global economy.

NEW JERSEY

Newark Charter Is A Scam On Schoolchildren
Star Ledger, NJ, May 7, 2013
Here’s what we know about Fredrica Bey, founder of Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School in Newark: She has consistently taken money intended for kids in order to enrich herself and her organizations.

NEW MEXICO

4 On Your Side Investigation Reveals Charter School Rent Problems
KOB, NM, May 6, 2013
A 4 On Your Side Investigation has found taxpayers are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent money for school buildings they already own.

NEW YORK

Quinn Offers Plan to Add Slots for Gifted in City Schools
New York Times, NY, May 7, 2013
Seeking to address pervasive racial disparities at the top echelons of New York City schools, Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, plans on Tuesday to propose a significant overhaul of gifted and talented programs that would provide space for more children and loosen admissions requirements.

Charter Schools: A Skeptical Look
Brooklyn Eagle, NY, May 6, 2013
In his third term, Mayor Bloomberg is increasingly showing his true colors. Nowhere is this more evident than in his advocacy of charter schools. Bloomberg has constantly pushed for more charter schools, and unsuccessfully lobbied for the state to raise the cap on the number of charter schools that are permitted.

Charter School Success Spurs More To Act
Utica Observer Dispatch, NY, May 6, 2013
Utica With one charter school opening in the fall, the area might have two more schools on the horizon — one in Utica, another in Rome.

It’s Unfair To Ask Taxpayers To Subsidize Private Schools
Buffalo News, NY, May 7, 2013
Providing tax credits for those who choose a private or parochial school education for their children is no different. Parents, of course, have every right to choose what kind of education they believe is best for their children, but they shouldn’t be asking the public to subsidize their personal choices through back-door voucher schemes masquerading as charitable giving.

NORTH CAROLINA

Next Step For Charter Schools
Salisbury Post, NC, May 6, 2013
The strongest argument for charter schools when the concept gained widespread recognition in the 1990s was their ability to experiment with education techniques and curriculum. The schools could innovate free of many state and local regulations. The best practices developed from these living laboratories could be adopted by public schools, thereby improving education for everyone, advocates said.

Charter School Bill Would Lower Teacher Quality Standards
Progressive Pulse, NC, May 6, 2013
Tomorrow afternoon, the North Carolina Senate is set to vote on SB 337, which creates a Public Charter School Board that is separate from the State Board of Education and does away with the Charter School Advisory Council. This bill would needlessly exempt charter schools from any requirement that teachers be certified.

OHIO

Another Blow To City Schools
Columbus Dispatch, OH, May 7, 2013
Thursday’s records seizures at 20 Columbus high schools by the state auditor ought to prove convincing to those who have blindly defended the district or downplayed the seriousness of a monumental cheating scandal in the district.

PENNSYLVANIA

Auditor: Kensington Charter School Had Longtime Money Woes
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 7, 2013
A Philadelphia School District auditor testified Monday about long-standing financial issues at a Kensington charter school during a district hearing to determine whether the school should remain open.

Wrong Reform
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, May 7, 2013
The Bethel Park School Board recently passed a resolution asking the Pennsylvania Legislature to reform charter school funding. We agree, but not with Bethel Park’s proposed solution.

WISCONSIN

Wausau Schools Deal With Minority Achievement Gap
Wausau Daily Herald, WI, May 6, 2013
Minority students overall lag significantly behind their white peers in the Wausau School District, reflecting the racial achievement gap that affects students across the state.

ONLINE LEARNING

To Embrace Virtual Schools Would Be To Shortchange Maine Students
Portland Press Herald, ME, May 7, 2013
Instead, Maine should boost funding for the ‘bricks and mortar’ system that responds to the public.

Cincinnati’s First Tuition-Free Charter School To Open In August
Soap Box Media, May 7, 2013
Carpe Diem-Aiken will offer a blended learning model of digital curriculum with blended learning experiences, says Rick Ogston, founder of CDLS.

‘Blended Learning’ Charter High School Impresses One Grand Rapids Lawmaker, Another Raises Concerns
Grand Rapids Press, MI, May 6, 2013
State lawmakers visited the new Nexus Academy of Grand Rapids charter high school Monday to gain greater perspective on the model being used in Michigan and Ohio.

Board Approves Virtual School Proposal
Garden City Telegram, KS, May 7, 2013
USD 457 Board of Education members Monday night approved a virtual school be put into place at the Alternative Education Center.

NEWSWIRE IS BACK! Click here for 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

Expanded Options Are the Best Justification for School Choice
Reason Blog, May 3, 2013
Opponents of school choice often act as if the eternal chase after standardized test scores is the only purpose of any scheme for educating kids.

Closing the Social Gap in Schools
New York Times, NY, May 5, 2013
In “No Rich Child Left Behind” (Sunday Review, April 28), Sean F. Reardon reminds us of the growing educational divide not only between the poor and the middle class but increasingly between the middle class and the very rich. Only a significant infusion of federal money for early childhood programs will address this issue.

Wall Street ♥ Charter Schools
Muckety, May 5, 2013
Call them cynical, but the widespread involvement of financial firms in the charter school movement raises suspicion among many public school advocates.

STATE COVERAGE

ALABAMA

‘School Choice’ Law Fiscally Reckless
Decatur Daily, AL, May 5, 2013
I’m tired of writing about the Alabama Accountability Act. You’re probably tired of reading about it. Issues surrounding the law keep changing, though, and legislative actions this week likely will decide whether it remains on the books. Whether to salvage their political stature or because they finally read the law, lawmakers who voted for it suddenly are expressing concerns.

ARIZONA

Coming Charter School to be an Open Model for Districts
Tucson Citizen, AZ, May 5, 2013
Depending on who you talk to, Charter schools in Arizona were enabled for the purpose of innovating and improving education; or for destroying the public school system.

DELAWARE

In High-Stakes School Elections, A Few Rule The Many In Delaware
Delaware News Journal, DE, May 6, 2013
Low interest in Delaware school board elections has helped create a dynamic where a relative handful of voters decides the outcome of races with millions in educational dollars at stake.

FLORIDA

State Lawmakers Increased Education Budget By $1 Billion
Bradenton Herald, FL, May 6, 2013
Teachers won raises. School districts got a boost in per-pupil funding. Charter schools nearly doubled construction and maintenance dollars.

Orange Schools Creates Position To Help Close Achievement Gap
Orlando Sentinel, FL, May 5, 2013
In an attempt to “super-accelerate” the academic achievement of minorities, Orange County public school leaders plan to dedicate a senior administrator to the task.

Teacher Evaluations Take Time, Offer More Feedback
Gainesville Times, FL, May 5, 2013
When the new teacher evaluation system first rolled out, there was a lot of apprehension as state leaders talked about tying the evaluations to how teachers are paid.

Teachers At Failing Schools Eligible For $2,000 Bonuses
Sun Sentinel, FL, May 5, 2013
More than 700 teachers at Broward County’s low-performing schools could be eligible for $2,000 bonuses this year if they fare well on their evaluations.

IDAHO

North Star Charter School Gets Money To Stay Open
Idaho Statesman, ID, May 4, 2013
The financially strapped institution has secured $133,000 in loans and reimbursements to pay its bills through the end of the year.

INDIANA

How Indiana’s Grass-Root Activists Took Down The Common Core
Indianapolis Star, IN, May 4, 2013
The Common Core academic standards looked like a mighty Goliath when opponents began their opposition last year.

IOWA

Division Lingers In Iowa Legislature On How Best To Evaluate Teachers
Des Moines Register, IA, May 6, 2013
Proposed changes to Iowa’s teacher evaluation system have halted progress at the Statehouse on a sweeping education bill aimed at improving instruction in Iowa’s 1,434 public schools.

MAINE

Maine Charter School Funding Is A Lesson In Controversy
Orlando Sentinel, FL, May 3, 2013
Some raise concerns as the Education Committee looks at making this a line item in the state budget.

MASSACHUSETTS

Public School Districts Recruiting Students
Worcester Telegram, MA, May 5, 2013
With public school enrollments flat, some school districts are stepping up efforts to recruit students through school choice to generate revenue. Others are recruiting students from other countries.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Nashua Charter School Still In The Works Despite State Funding Issues
Nashua Telegraph, NH, May 6, 2013
It takes a lot more than a little uncertainty to derail Cheryl Bean’s dream to found a new school in the city.

NEW JERSEY

Special Report: Born In Hope, Newark Charter School Now Embroiled In Controversy
Star-Ledger, NJ, May 5, 2013
Linda Newton enrolled her 8-year-old son at Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School to shield him from the ills that afflict many of Newark’s regular public schools.

OHIO

Don’t Blame Boards, Superintendents
Tribune-Chronicle, OH, May 5, 2013
Charter schools and vouchers take money from public school districts. Almost $800 million in state funding went to charter schools last year. Why increase public tax dollars to charter schools when most earned a failing grade from the last year?

PENNSYLVANIA

Phila. School Staff Paint A Doomsday Budget Picture
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 6, 2013
If the doomsday budget being floated by the nearly broke Philadelphia School District comes to pass, this is what school will look like in September:

District Moves To Shut Down Pocono Mountain Charter School
Pocono Record, PA, May 5, 2013
Pocono Mountain School District has filed an “emergency motion” seeking a state shutdown of the embattled Pocono Mountain Charter School on the strength of new allegations.

Are Charter Schools Actually Better?
Lancaster Newspapers, PA, May 5, 2013
In theory, I like the idea of charter schools. I like that students who don’t do well in a traditional classroom setting might have an alternative, like at-home learning on the computer

York City School Reform: Why The Committee Chose An Internal Plan Over Charter Schools
York Daily Record, PA, May 4, 2013
After months of deliberation, members of the York City schools advisory committee and its chief recovery officer opted for giving the district a chance to turn things around.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Get Rid Of School Attendance Loophole In S.C. Law
Rock Hill Herald, SC, May 4, 2013
South Carolina students ought to have a wider choice of which schools they attend within the state’s public school system. But an antiquated loophole that allows privileged families to game the system is not the way to accomplish that.

TENNESSEE

Common Core Lifts TN’s Chances
The Tennessean, TN, May 5, 2013
There is really just one main question for the throngs of upset parents who have spoken out against the Common Core State Standards at public meetings over the past week:

TEXAS

Whites Flock To Private Schools While Minorities More Likely In Charters
Dallas Morning News, TX, May 4, 2013
The search for a way out of underfunded and underperforming public schools has led hundreds of thousands of Texas students into an alternative education.

WISCONSIN

Debate: School Voucher Issue On Its Own Bill Vs. Within State Budget
FoxNews 6, WI, May 5, 2013
Does the school voucher debate belong on its own bill, or within the state budget? The Wisconsin Senate’s top Democrat is demanding a stand-alone bill, but Gov. Walker calls that idea “ridiculous.”

Amid Reform Fatigue, A Crying Need For Leadership On Education
Journal Sentinel, WI, May 4, 2013
But a certain fatigue, and with it skepticism of new education “solutions,” may be setting in. Both, certainly, are pervasive in the city that takes the prize for educational experimentalism: Milwaukee.

Vouchers A Boon For Private Schools In Milwaukee, Racine Counties
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, May 4, 2013
Inside a sprawling building a few blocks from Mitchell International Airport, the first class of seniors who grew up in the country’s largest K-8 Catholic school will graduate this spring.

ONLINE LEARNING

‘Blended Learning’ Win Win Situation: Column
USA Today, May 5, 2013
By all rights, Wendy Chaves’ Algebra II class should be a zoo. She’s charged with teaching nearly 50 teenagers at a time at the Alliance Tennenbaum Family Technology High School in Los Angeles. Yet Chaves has never felt more effective. “I don’t have to worry about classroom management,” she reports. “The kids are engaged.”

Virtual Shout-Out For Cyber Schools
Philadelphia Enquirer, PA, May 5, 2013
As it turns out, I spent four years, from 2008 through 2012, observing a cyber high school in action. I watched my kids interact with their teachers. I kept an eye on their progress; I looked over the comments that teachers wrote on their papers.

Enrollment Up At Embattled Bluesky Charter School
Minnesota Public Radio, MN, May 4, 2013
An online charter school that faced closure just last year is now seeing an increase in enrollment.

Cost To Expand Texas ‘Virtual Schools’ Puts Bill In Legislature At Risk
Dallas Morning News, TX, May 5, 2013
Legislative efforts to dramatically boost the number of Texas students taking online courses have been sidetracked by strong opposition from public education groups and a hefty price tag that stunned supporters.

Online K-12 Learning On The Rise In Iowa
Quad City Times, IA, May 5, 2013
Rhavon Cox-Bey doesn’t consider cyber-learning as home school. Rather, it’s school at home. Last year, the Davenport woman enrolled her children De-Andria, 18, Jhavon, 15, Anaiaha, 10, and niece Alesia, 17, in the newly launched Iowa Connections Academy, a tuition-free online public school for students K-12.

NEWSWIRE IS BACK! Click here for 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.

Charter Advocacy Organization Calls for Independent Authorizers
Education Week Blog, May 2, 2013
A charter school advocacy organization has laid out its case for state lawmakers to pass policies that support using independent authorizers of those schools, an approach that it says is the best one for bringing both accountability and autonomy to the sector.

Common Core A Common Enemy For Some Conservatives, Liberals
Daily Caller, DC, May 2, 2013
The implementation of the Obama administration’s national education standards are being met with increased opposition from both conservative and liberal activists — albeit it for very different reasons.

STATE COVERAGE

ALABAMA

Private Concerns: Alabama Accountability Act Hits Another Snag
Anniston Star, AL, May 2, 2013
The premise behind the tax-credit portion of the Alabama Accountability Act is offering educational alternatives to children stuck in “failing schools.”

CALIFORNIA

West Contra Costa School District Rejects Charter Application
Mercury News, CA, May 3, 2013
West Contra Costa school district trustees Wednesday evening denied a petition for sponsorship from the backers of Caliber Schools for a K-8 charter school.

COLORADO

Colorado Education Overhaul Clears Legislature
Denver Post, CO, May 2, 2013
A monster makeover for K-12 school funding in Colorado has cleared the Democratic Legislature and await the signature of Gov. John Hickenlooper. But a big question remains: How will the state pay for it?

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

City Closes Door On KIPP DC Charter High School
Washington Post, DC, May 2, 2013
MAYOR VINCENT C. Gray (D) has pretty much shut the door on plans by KIPP DC to build a new high school on public land in Southwest Washington.

Critics: Charters Cheated Out Of Funds
Washington Examiner, DC, May 2, 2013
Public charter schools do not get the same amount of funds as their traditional public school counterparts, which severely affects their ability to acquire buildings and pay competitive wages, charter school leaders told members of the D.C. Council on Thursday.

Charter School Waitlists Hit 22,000
Washington Examiner, DC, May 2, 2013
The District’s public charter schools saw a nearly 50 percent increase in the number of children on schools’ waitlists this year, with roughly 22,000 students vying for seats, the Public Charter School Board announced Thursday.

FLORIDA

Judge Dismisses Challenge to Teacher Law
The Ledger, FL, May 2, 2013
A circuit judge has tossed out a lawsuit challenging a law requiring merit pay for teachers and ending tenure for new hires.

Florida’s Largest Teachers Union Lost Tax-Exempt Status
FCIR, FL, May 3, 2013
What happened to the Florida Education Association’s tax-exempt status? There’s a story there, but the fact is that the state’s largest teachers union has been operating since January without its coveted 501(c)(5) tax exemption. The organization with $31 million in revenue in 2010 had its tax status revoked for failing to file a tax return for three consecutive years.

Pruitt To Lead City’s Charter School System
Pine Island Eagle, FL, May 2, 2013
Instead of just one school to handle, Dr. Angela Pruitt will have four to care for. Pruitt, who has been the principal of Trafalgar Middle School for nine years, has been named the new superintendent for the Cape Coral charter school system and will begin work next month.

State Lawmakers Take On ‘Unsatisfactory’ Teachers
Bradenton Herald, FL, May 3, 2013
Two days after the Florida Senate killed the parent trigger bill, one of the proposal’s more controversial provisions found new life in the Florida House.

Charter School Bill Passes (Takes Aim At Northstar High Problems)
Orlando Sentinel Blog, FL, May 2, 2013
The House this morning passed charter school legislation that aims to deal with the problems at the now-shuttered NorthStar High School in Orange County — but also looks to make it easier for charter schools to expand.

LOUISIANA

School Districts Move Forward With Merit Pay Plans Despite Constitutional Challenge
Times-Picayune, LA, May 2, 2013
School districts statewide are moving forward with plans to tie teacher salary bonuses to the results of proposed new evaluations despite a constitutional challenge to the law that mandates both those evaluations and the bonus system itself.

Use A Year For Compass
The Advocate, LA, May 2, 2013
After a couple of years of pilot projects, a tough teacher evaluation system is finally becoming effective. As it is still causing concern among many teachers, its penalties should be deferred for this year, as a bill before the Legislature proposes.

Grading The Teachers’ Teachers
Hechinger Report, May 2, 2013
Gerald Carlson’s heart sank when he received word several years ago that a controversial statistical analysis had decreed his program one of Louisiana’s weakest in preparing educators to teach English language arts.

MAINE

Grading Quality, Or Incomes?
Portland Press Herald, ME, May 3, 2013
Education experts say it’s no surprise that Maine’s new A-to-F school grading system shows schools in wealthier communities generally have higher grades while those in poorer communities have more D’s and F’s.

MARYLAND

Six Out Of 10 Montgomery County High Schoolers Flunk Algebra Final
Washington Examiner, DC, May 2, 2013
Almost two-thirds of high school students in Montgomery County who took Algebra I last semester failed their final math exam, causing parents and school officials to search for answers as to what went wrong.

MASSACHUSETTS

Town Charter School Steps Up Profile
Barnstable Patriot, MA, May 2, 2013
The Barnstable Public Schools’ last remaining Horace Mann charter school is standing its ground and looking to renew its charter with the state for another five years.

MICHIGAN

Roberts: DPS Fixed, ‘Time For Me To Go’
Detroit News, MI, May 3, 2013
Two years after taking the helm of the Detroit Public Schools, emergency manager Roy Roberts said he is stepping down in two weeks.

NEW YORK

Figuring Out How to Give Teachers Useful Feedback
New York Times, NY, May 3, 2013
When Texas lawmakers rolled out a framework for evaluating public schoolteachers more than 15 years ago, they intended to identify ways to strengthen the state’s teaching corps.

NORTH CAROLINA

NC Won’t Find Any School Miracles To Copy In Florida
News & Observer, NC, May 2, 2013
As a Florida mom, I find it hard to watch states with veto-proof majorities push and pass the same education reforms that have hurt our children and harmed our public schools.

Update: NC Charter School Board Bill Delayed In Senate
Greensboro News & Record, NC, May 2, 2013
Debate on a bill that would create a new panel for managing North Carolina’s growing number of charter schools has been delayed until early next week.

OHIO

Law On Charters Still Needs Work
Columbus Dispatch, OH, May 3, 2013
A decade after Ohio’s first charter schools opened, state law still falls short of ensuring full accountability for private parties using tax dollars to operate public schools. A recent report by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute gives lawmakers a clear picture of some changes that need to be made.

Protesters March On Statehouse Against District-Takeover Proposal
Columbus Dispatch, OH, May 3, 2013
Protesters marched to the Statehouse today to oppose a provision in the proposed state budget that would allow mayors to take over school districts with the help of the state school superintendent.

End The State-Supported Charter School Boondoggle:
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, May 3, 2013
Charter schools and vouchers take money from public school districts. Almost $800 million in state funding went to charter schools last year. Why increase public tax dollars to charter schools when most earned a failing grade in the last year?

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma School Testing Troubles Show Need For Better Preventive, Contingency Plans
The Oklahoman, OK, May 3, 2013
FINDING a silver lining among a week of testing troubles at Oklahoma schools isn’t easy. We can think of only one: The contract with the company responsible for the debacle expires in June.

WASHINGTON

Panel Wants MAP Exam To Be Optional For Seattle High Schools
Seattle Times, WA, May 2, 2013
A committee formed to evaluate the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) tests given in Seattle Public Schools plans to recommend the exams be optional in high schools.

WISCONSIN

Feds Order More Oversight Of Voucher Schools
Wisconsin Radio Network, WI, May 2, 2013
The US Department of Justice is ordering state education officials to make sure disabled students in the Milwaukee school choice program are not being discriminated against.

Public, Private Schools In Madison Consider The Impact Of Voucher Program
Madison Commons, WI, May 2, 2013
If school vouchers expand to Madison, as Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposes, Wingra School Principal Paul Brahce would have to say “no.”

ONLINE LEARNING

Cyber Schools Hope One Day The Focus Will Solely Be On Learning
WHPTV, PA, May 2, 2013
Our state’s charter and cyber charter schools have made headlines recently. Some state lawmakers are questioning whether these public schools are making the grade when it comes to our tax dollars.

Florida Attorney General Sides With Virtual Charter School Over Who Has To Pay For Student Testing
Palm Beach Post Blog, FL, May 2, 2013
When the Florida Legislature in 2011 authorized virtual charter schools, it created a whole new realm in the education world — one that school districts are finding themselves trying to understand and navigate as virtual school operators begin to open across the state.

Florida Public Online School Gets Small Budget Increase
Miami Herald, FL, May 2, 2013
School districts, teachers and parents are celebrating the $1 billion addition to the state’s education budget.

New Lafayette School Program Would Target New Students
The Advocate, LA, May 2, 2013
The Lafayette Parish School System is considering the launch of a virtual school option for students in the fall to recapture students who have left the system for home schooling or virtual charter schools.

Auburndale, Stratford Join Virtual Education Program
Marshfield News Herald, WI, May 3, 2013
The Auburndale and Stratford schools districts have joined the Rural Virtual Academy consortium to provide a new option for students who might benefit from nontraditional education.

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NATIONAL COVERAGE

Charter Schools Unionize
Wall Street Journal, May 2, 2013
Teachers in one of the country’s largest nonprofit charter-school groups voted to unionize, fortifying efforts by organized labor to expand in an area of public education where it has been largely unwelcome.

‘No Child Left Behind’ Left Behind for Core Curriculum
Wall Street Journal, May 1, 2013
We agree that standardized tests are a means of assessing student learning and affective teaching, but we want our elected officials responsible for the standards and our parents and school boards able to change them to meet local needs. Unfortunately what’s been left behind is local control of education.

Duncan On Testing: ‘We Can’t Throw The Baby Out With The Bathwater’
Washington Post Blog, DC, May 1, 2013
Here is the text of a speech (as prepared for delivery) that Education Secretary Arne Duncan gave this week to the American Educational Research Association, meeting in San Francisco.

STATE COVERAGE

ALABAMA

Time Running Out To Clarify Private School Tax Credits
Tuscaloosa News, AL, May 2, 2013
As time runs out to clarify Alabama’s new private school tax credits, Republican lawmakers appear to agree on only one point: They want to be clear that no public or private school has to take a student from a failing public school.

CALIFORNIA

Charter Schools’ Impact To Be Discussed At Pasadena Forum
Pasadena Star, CA, May 1, 2013
The executive director of Pasadena’s Odyssey Charter School and other area educators will speak about charter schools on Thursday at a free public forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

Bill To Alter Evaluations Of California Teachers Fails Again In Senate
The San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA, May 2, 2013
The Senate Education Committee decided to reconsider the bill after deadlocking last week. The bill’s author, Sen. Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, said he had altered his legislation to try to persuade opponents to shift their stance.

COLORADO

Colorado Teacher Survey Shows Lower Confidence In Evaluation Process
Denver Post, CO, May 1, 2013
Although more Colorado teachers feel they’re held to high professional standards and supported by school leadership, an every-other-year survey also shows a decline in those who think teacher evaluations are fair or helpful.

DELAWARE

A Closer Look At Pencader Charter Vs. Christina School District
Delaware News Journal, DE, May 2, 2013
We all know there’s a “Delaware Way” in getting things done in this state, but, really, why are our politicians, movers and shakers, taking things to a ridiculous extreme on the issue of the state Department of Education’s oversight of charter and/or traditional public schools and allowing what certainly seems like a double standard to be applied by DOE?

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

David Catania’s Education Reform 2.0
Washington Post, DC, May 1, 2013
Four months into his chairmanship of the D.C. Council’s education committee, David Catania (I-At Large) already has big ideas about how to take school reform in the District to a new level.

FLORIDA

Teacher Pay Raises Placed On Fast Track
Miami Herald, FL, May 1, 2013
Florida teachers won’t have to wait until June 2014 to get their pay raises, lawmakers said Wednesday.

IDAHO

In Idaho, Long-Awaited “Common Core” Educational Standards Have Gotten Tangled Up In Right-Wing Politics
Pacific Northwest Inlander, WA, May 1, 2013
In a packed wood-paneled Grange hall on a Thursday night, six candidates for the Coeur d’Alene Board of Trustees debate the cost of bus privatization, “progressive education” and the International Baccalaureate program.

ILLINOIS

Woodland Still Pressing Change In Funding For State-Approved Charter Schools
Daily Herald, IL, May 2, 2013
Gurnee-based Woodland Elementary District 50 officials plan to continue calling attention to what they say is an unfair method of how state-approved charter schools are formed.

LOUISIANA

Nearly 8,000 Students Receive Voucher Seats For 2013-14
Times-Picayune, LA, May 1, 2013
The number of students attending private and parochial school at taxpayer expense is going up by at least 3,000 in 2013-14, the second year of the Louisiana Scholarship Program. Gov. Bobby Jindal announced Wednesday that nearly 8,000 students had been matched with voucher seats in the first round of applications. A second round will run from May 6 to 24.

La. Teacher Evaluation System Delayed
The Advertiser, LA, May 2, 2013
Members of the House Education Committee did the right thing last week when they postponed implementation of a controversial teacher evaluation system that many have said uses unfair criteria to measure a teacher’s effectiveness.

MAINE

Schools Get Letter Grades, Call System Flawed
Portland Press Herald, ME, May 1, 2013
The LePage administration unveiled a sweeping statewide grading system for public schools Wednesday that immediately drew sharp criticism from educators, who said it stigmatizes schools in poorer communities.

LePage’s Education Policy Earns Him An F
Portland Press Herald, ME, May 2, 2013
A state report card reveals not failing schools but the administration’s mixed-up priorities.

MICHIGAN

Charter School Brings New Life To Old Detroit
Detroit News Blog, MI, May 1, 2013
On a sunny, summer-like Wednesday, plans for a new charter elementary school were announced in Detroit — in front of historic Miller High School, still in the midst of major renovations. University Prep Science and Math is opening an elementary school here this fall; the district already runs a successful middle and high school in the city.

NEW JERSEY

Student Test Scores to Carry Just a Little Bit Less Weight for Tenure Decisions
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, May 2, 2013
After an extraordinary amount of public comment and some high-level meetings, the Christie administration has hedged on its plans to use test scores to evaluate teachers — but not by much.

Christie Faces Potential Legal Fight Over School Vouchers
Star-Ledger, NJ, May 1, 2013
If Gov. Chris Christie gets his coveted pilot school-voucher program through a stubborn Legislature next month, he may quickly find himself battling in another arena: the courtroom.

Camden Schools Now In State’s Hands
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 2, 2013
With the region’s attention focused on the looming county takeover of policing in Camden, another major city institution slipped relatively quietly from local control Tuesday night.

NEW YORK

Don’t Let NYC Teachers Stall More On Evaluations
AM New York, NY, May 1, 2013
Randi Weingarten, who heads the American Federation of Teachers, has called for a moratorium on consequences from the Common Core curriculum exams that 450,000 New York City public school students took last month.

NORTH CAROLINA

Public Charter Schools An Economic Development Strategy
News of Orange County, NC, May 2, 2013
Public charter schools in North Carolina present an opportunity for more school choice options and economic development in the state’s 85 rural counties. Parental school choice gives parents the freedom to meet their children’s needs regardless of income or address.

NC Charter School Board Ready For Senate Debate
WBTV, NC, May 2, 2013
A bill that would create a new panel for managing North Carolina’s growing number of charter schools is now heading to the Senate floor.

Bill To Create New Charter School Oversight Board Keeps Moving
Progressive Pulse, NC, May 1, 2013
You might recall that about a month ago, citizens were threatened with arrest as they silently protested SB 337, a bill to create a new charter school board that would remove oversight of public charter schools from the State Board of Education and put it in the hands of a new, independent entity comprising members handpicked by the Governor.

PENNSYLVANIA

Students Should Not Be Penalized
Towanda Daily Review, PA, May 2, 2013
Soon after the growing trend towards charter schools began, the Legislature passed a law requiring that students in those schools be allowed to participate in their home district schools’ extracurricular activities – sports, band, chorus, plays and so on.

Quaker Valley Board Asks For Cap On Charter School Costs
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA, May 1, 2013
Quaker Valley leaders say the growing cost of cyber and other charter school tuitions from local school district funds needs to be capped.

SOUTH CAROLINA

The ‘Choice’ Charade Continues
The State, SC, May 2, 2013
WHEN SENATE budget-writers took time away from more pressing matters (such as writing the state budget) to begin a review last month of legislation to pay parents to abandon the public schools, Sen. Larry Grooms complained that he had been pushing the plan for a decade and that “Ten years of patience is wearing thin.”

TENNESSEE

Charter School Bill Can Be Traced to ALEC
Daily News Journal, TN, May 2, 2013
A recent Daily News Journal carried a front page story about “Education bills take focus near session end.” Charter schools were the big focus. Part of the article stated, “As the 108th Tennessee General Assembly draws to a close, state lawmakers are hoping to push through education proposals that include creating a state panel to authorize charter schools for five counties…”)

TEXAS

School District Calls Taxpayer-Funded Tutoring Program ‘Waste Of Money’
KHOU, TX, May 1, 2013
A multi-million dollar waste. That’s how some local educators are describing a federally-funded tutoring program for kids. They say the big government bucks behind it all has attracted big business, and in the process, they say students are being left behind.

UTAH

Columnist Not Correct On Charter Funding
St. George Daily Spectrum, UT, May 2, 2013
Mark Twain popularized the saying that there are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics. People will often use numbers to bolster an argument or legitimize a point of view. Sadly, I believe Glenn Mesa, in his columns on charter schools, has utilized this trick.

VIRGINIA

McDonnell to Create ‘Teacher Cabinet’ to Advise on Va. School Policies
Washington Post, DC, May 1, 2013
Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) announced Wednesday that he will create a “Teacher Cabinet” of advisers to influence high-level decisions that affect public schools.

WASHINGTON

Sundquist, Ex-Seattle School Board Boss, To Head Charter-School Panel
Seattle Times, WA, May 1, 2013
State’s new Charter School Commission is tentatively scheduled to start accepting applications for charter schools by Sept. 22.

ONLINE LEARNING

Virginia’s First Statewide Virtual School Likely To Close
Washington Post, DC, May 1, 2013
The Carroll County School Board plans to end its partnership with the contractor that operates Virginia’s largest full-time statewide virtual school, effectively shutting down a program that serves more than 350 students.

Florida Virtual School: Proposed Budget Would Hurt Our Funding
Miami Herald Blog, FL, May 1, 2013
School districts, teachers and parents are celebrating the $1 billion addition to the state’s education budget.

Legislators To Visit New Charter High School Launched By Connections Education
Grand Rapids Press, MI, May 1, 2013
State lawmakers Monday will get a first-hand look at Nexus Academy of Grand Rapids, one of four blended learning charter high schools launched by online learning powerhouse Connections Education.