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Daily Headlines for January 17, 2013

January 17, 2013 By

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

Teachers Unions Support Obama’s School Safety Initiatives
Washington Post Blog, DC, January 16, 2013
The nation’s two main teachers unions, representing about 4.5 million educators and school personnel, support Obama’s initiatives regarding school safety.

FROM THE STATES

ARKANSAS

School Choice Law Hits Appellate Court
KARK, AR, January 16, 2013
Arkansas’ school choice law is in the limelight in St. Louis. The 8th District Court of Appeals is hearing the case after a federal judge in Hot Springs declared the law unconstitutional.

CALIFORNIA

Help School Districts By Letting Them Raise Their Own Tax Revenue
Los Angeles Times, CA, January 16, 2013
To do so, the state Legislature would need to reduce the voter threshold needed for levying parcel taxes from two-thirds to 55%.

CONNECTICUT

4 New City Charter Schools Proposed
New Haven Independent, CT, January 16, 2013
After two more young men connected to his congregation died of gun violence, Rev. Eldren D. Morrison concluded the need for a new charter school in Dixwell and Newhallville had grown all the more urgent: “the need is between life and death.”

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. Principals, Georgetown Launch Leadership Program
Washington Post, DC, January 16, 2013
A group of 25 principals of D.C. public schools this week began a master’s-degree program at , part of an effort to improve the quality of leadership in the city’s schools.

D.C. Leads Nation In Strength Of Charter School Laws, Report Says
Washington Post, DC, January 16, 2013
The District leads the nation in terms of the strength of its public charter school laws and their implementation, according to a new report issued Wednesday by a national group that supports charter schools.

FLORIDA

State, Teachers Union Spar Over Merit Pay
Tallahassee Democrat, FL, January 17, 2013
After two hours of arguments, Judge John Cooper seemed certain of one thing: It will likely be up to an appellate judge or the state Supreme Court to decide ultimate fate of Florida’s law tying teacher pay to student test scores.

Proposed Clay Charter School Faces Denial
Florida Times Union, FL, January 16, 2013
A proposed performing arts charter school in Orange Park has failed for the second time to meet state application standards required to open, according to two reviews by Clay County school district officials.

GEORGIA

Dekalb School Board Tries To Hang On To Jobs
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, January 17, 2013
Members of the DeKalb County school board will ask the state school board Thursday to let them keep their jobs.

INDIANA

School Standards Divide Hoosiers
The Journal Gazette, IN, January 17, 2013
A divide over new national education standards hit the Indiana Senate on Wednesday, with the education panel hearing four hours of testimony criticizing and supporting the measure.

LOUISIANA

Muhammad: Charter Would Be ‘Damaging’
Monroe News Star, LA, January 17, 2013
Monroe City School Board President Verbon Muhammad believes that losing Neville High School to the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for oversight of its charter would be “further damaging” to the school district.

John White Scores 3.15 Of 4 In First Year As State Superintendent
Times-Picayune, LA, January 16, 2013
State Superintendent John White may push controversial programs, but he’s largely pleasing his bosses, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. White earned a preliminary score of 3.15 out of 4 on his first performance review Wednesday.

Activist Says Creationism Is Taught In 20 Louisiana Private Schools That Could Enroll Voucher Students
Times-Picayune, LA, January 16, 2013
Louisiana anti-creationism advocate Zack Kopplin has launched a national database of 300 schools that are partly publicly funded and teach creationism, the belief that all living organisms originate from divine creation, as in the biblical account. The site,creationistvouchers.com, lists 20 such schools in Louisiana.

Time To Reform Public Schools
The Daily Advertiser, LA, January 17, 2013
It looks like the school voucher program is going to be declared unconstitutional.

MARYLAND

Charter Evaluation A Flawed Measure Of Baltimore Montessori’s Success
Baltimore Sun, MD, January 16, 2013
I am writing to share one perspective on the charter renewal process and provide more information about Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School (“Panel urges cutting ties to 6 schools,” Jan. 11). We set out to offer a personalized approach to teaching and learning for kids in Baltimore. How? By embracing the whole child, providing inspiring and challenging work within a very diverse and supportive community.

MASSACHUSSETTS

Charter Students Join New Schools
Boston Globe, MA, January 17, 2013
In the wake of last week’s closing of the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School, more than 20 teachers received pink slips, while parents scrambled to find new schools for their children.

Sturgis Charter School Holds Lottery For Next Year
Bourne Courier, MA, January 16, 2013
Sturgis Charter Public School selected 180 9th graders for the 2013-14 school year in a lottery last week. The school received 563 Grade 9 applications, an increase of 35 percent over the previous year.

Achievement Gap Plan Includes “Hard Work”
North Adams Transcript, MA, January 17, 2013
The school district’s efforts to close its achievement gap is being handled in an egalitarian manner: Everyone in each building, from students on up, must work harder, officials say.

MICHIGAN

Judge To Hear Arguments In Dispute Between DPS, Emergency Financial Manager
Detroit News, MI, January 17, 2013
A judge will hear oral arguments Feb. 20 in a dispute between the Detroit school board and Emergency Financial Manager Roy Roberts over control of academics and finances in the state’s largest district.

Snyder’s Education Push Puts Spotlight On Lansing Schools
Lansing State Journal, MI, January 17, 2013
If Lansing educators thought they dodged a bullet when an education reform measure died last month in the Legislature, Gov. Rick Snyder gave them new reason Wednesday to be worried.

MINNESOTA

Minnesota Schools Still Separate, Still Unequal
Twin City Daily Planet, MN, January 16, 2013
Minnesota was the first state in the nation to allow charter schools in 1991. While still technically public schools, charter schools are only subject to a selection of the rules and regulations that apply to most public schools.

MISSISSIPPI

Miss. Senate Approves Expanded Charter School Bill
Sun Herald, MS, January 16, 2013
A bill to expand charter schools in Mississippi easily cleared the Senate on Wednesday, and attention shifts to the House for the second year.

Charter Schools Pass Senate
Desoto Times, MS, January 17, 2013
Charter school legislation passed the Mississippi Senate Wednesday 31-17, with one DeSoto County state senator voting for it and the other against it.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

State Board Of Education Panel Reaffirms No New Charter School Dollars Available
Union Leader, NH, January 17, 2013
The chairman of the state Board of Education on Wednesday reaffirmed the board’s ban on approving any new charter schools in New Hampshire until the Legislature provides additional funding.

Academy For Science And Design Charter Renewed For Five Years
Nashua Telegraph, NH, January 17, 2013
Students and staff at the Academy of Science and Design can breathe easier, after the state Board of Education voted to renew its charter for another five years.

NEW MEXICO

School Choice Improves Educational Outcomes
Las Cruces Sun-News, NM, January 17, 2013
School Choice Week is right around the corner. This year’s celebration includes a special cross-country “whistle stop” train tour with stops in 14 cities from coast-to-coast, including Albuquerque. Our celebration takes place on Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Albuquerque Museum in Old Town. More information is available on the Rio Grande Foundation’s website. Please come out to support school choice in New Mexico!

NEW YORK

Deadline Imminent For City Teacher Evaluation System
NY 1, NY, January 1, 2013
Today is the deadline for the city to figure out how to rate its school teachers, but as of last night there is still no deal in place between the city Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers.

A Stubborn Union Blocks Reform
New York Daily News, NY, January 17, 2013
If Gov. Cuomo makes good on his promise, New York City schools will forfeit hundreds of millions of dollars in state aid Friday — all because the United Federation of Teachers and the Department of Education will have failed by Thursday’s midnight deadline to agree to a plan to evaluate teachers on student performance and other important measures.

Teachers Union President Michael Mulgrew Is About To Cost The City Millions In State Aid
New York Daily News, NY, January 17, 2013
With hours to go before Gov. Cuomo’s deadline for school districts and their unions to negotiate and have approved rigorous teacher evaluation systems, talks between the city and the United Federation of Teachers are dead in the water.

20% Or More Bad Teachers Clustered At 14 Brooklyn Schools, Study Finds
New York Daily News, NY, January 16, 2013
They’re the unfortunate 14 — Brooklyn public schools with 20% or more bad teachers.

School Bus Strike In New York City Enters 2nd Day
Associated Press, January 17, 2013
A standoff between striking school bus drivers and aides looking for job protections and a city administration that says they just can’t have it has the potential to go on for some time, observers said, as parents scrambled for a second day to figure out alternatives for tens of thousands of students who need to get to school.

OHIO

School Reformer Backs Kasich’s Efforts
Columbus Dispatch, OH, January 17, 2013
A national education leader who has the ears of Gov. John Kasich and other Ohio GOP leaders says the state’s education system has improved, and she hopes this year to help push additional reforms through the General Assembly.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma City Public Schools Officials Outline Reasons For Rejecting Charter Schools
The Oklahoman, OK, January 17, 2013
Oklahoma City Public Schools officials have announced why two charter school applications were rejected. The school district’s attorney declined to release the information after the board voted to decline the applications.

PENNSLYVANIA

Hard-Hit Districts Push Back Against Charter Schools
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA, January 17, 2013
Western Pennsylvania school districts that are losing students and money to charter schools are fighting back.

Recovery Chief Says Merger Not An Option For Duquesne
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA, January 17, 2013
A merger of Duquesne City School District with a neighboring district is no longer being considered, state-appointed chief recovery officer Paul B. Long told a forum on Wednesday.

Pittsburgh Public Schools Recommends Granting Hazelwood Charter School Request
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, January 16, 2013
A Pittsburgh Public Schools review committee has recommended the school board grant a request from Propel Schools to open a charter in Hazelwood this fall, but it is not clear the board would agree when it votes Jan. 23.

Championship Academy Plan Draws Criticism From City Schools Administration
The York Dispatch, PA, January 17, 2013
Championship Academy of Distinction had the second half of its hearing with the York City School Board on Wednesday. The hearing was the board’s last chance to ask questions of founder Cynthia Dotson, who wants to create a fitness and sports-themed charter school based at the YWCA.

TENNESSEE

Rejected Memphis Charter School Operators Plead Their Cases To The State
Commercial Appeal, TN, January 16, 2013
Charter school operators previously rejected by the Unified Shelby County Schools board took their cases to the state Wednesday, explaining why they are qualified to run schools and why the local decision to deny the charters should be overturned.

Giving Students Attending Failing School More Charter School Options Is Key, No Matter Who Approves Charters
Commercial Appeal, TN, January 17, 2013
It looks like the Tennessee General Assembly this session will consider legislation challenging the ability of local school boards to manage their own affairs.

TEXAS

Area School Districts Opposed To Vouchers
Weatherford Democrat, TX, January 17, 2013
As superintendents and school board presidents representing the Aledo, Azle, Brock, Garner, Millsap, Paradise, Peaster, Poolville, Santo, Springtown, and Weatherford independent school districts we know that our public schools are under attack.

ONLINE LEARNING

Cheboygan Area Schools Starting Virtual School In Late January
Cheboygan News, MI, January 17, 2013
Cheboygan Area Schools is taking a preemptive step in the future of education, announcing plans for a virtual school that will begin serving students later in January.

‘Flipped Classroom’ Offers One Solution To Homework Overload
Beacon News, IL, January 16, 2013
Everyone hates homework. Students complain about doing it, teachers hate correcting it, and parents feel helpless when they lack the expertise to help with it.

Colorado Virtual Academy Answers Tough Questions on Operations, Academic Performance
KUNC, CO, January 17, 2013
Officials at Colorado Virtual Academy were in the hot seat Wednesday night as the school’s authorizing district questioned everything from its academic performance to its relationship with the for-profit management company, K12 Inc.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

Mississippi Senate approves expanded charter school bill

January 17, 2013 By

by Jeff Amy, Associated Press
Sun Herald
January 17, 2013

A bill to expand charter schools in Mississippi easily cleared the Senate on Wednesday, and attention shifts to the House for the second year.

In a 31-17 vote, the bill had two Democratic supporters but no Republican opponents. The vote came after more than three hours of debate, a day after Senate Bill 2189 was introduced and passed by the Senate Education Committee.

Charter schools are public schools that agree to meet certain standards in exchange for freedom from regulations. Mississippi has a charter school law that allows a small number of its schools to convert to charters, but none has done so.

Wednesday, the Center for Education Reform, a pro-charter group based in Washington, called Mississippi’s law the “worst charter law in the country.”

Proponents said charter schools can improve achievement in Mississippi. “I think more than anything this is about closing the achievement gap in our state,” said Senate Education Committee Chairman Gray Tollison. The Oxford Republican wrote SB 2189.

Opponents, though, fear charters will weaken traditional schools by skimming motivated students and money. “The overriding concern is what is going to happen to school districts when you start separating students out,” said Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory.

Coast officials weigh in

Superintendents in South Mississippi had mixed reactions to the Senate’s bill.

Wayne Rodolfich, superintendent in Pascagoula, said he thinks the state should concentrate on improving the failing schools rather than open more schools.

“If you have a magic way of improving education, give us all that flexibility,” he said. “Let all of us do it.”

He also is concerned about money for current programs.

“Funding is going to be a major issue,” he said. “I think it’s important that we don’t destroy existing programs for charter schools. You can’t underfund education and then expect it to excel.”

Arthur McMillan, superintendent in Biloxi, agreed, adding a district shouldn’t open a new school for a small percentage of students.

“If charter schools work and you have a failing school, why not turn the whole school into a charter school?” he said.

Gulfport Superintendent Glen East said he would be willing to try charter schools if they would help students in failing schools.

“I’m not opposed to anything that’s going to help children,” he said. “If we can help children who want to be in an outstanding school, then let’s do it. I’m tired of being 50th (Mississippi’s ranking among the nation’s schools).”

The bill would give districts rated A or B a veto over whether charters can be put there, but those rated C and lower districts wouldn’t get a veto.

Most school districts in South Mississippi wouldn’t be required to allow a charter school to open under the bill.

In South Mississippi, it would apply to three school districts: Moss Point, Pearl River County and Picayune.

The state Department of Education has said it would like to see the rule apply only to districts that received a D or an F.

Governance, financing

A seven-member board would approve charter schools and oversee them, with three members appointed by the governor, three members appointed by the lieutenant governor and one member appointed by the state superintendent.

Students would be allowed to cross district lines to enroll in charter schools, and a local tax contribution from the home district would go with charter students, as well as state aid.

On to the state House

No House bills regarding charter schools had yet been introduced Wednesday evening. But many House members favor allowing C-rated districts to have vetoes as well, and House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, has said the House bill imposes a limit of 15 charters a year.

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, also a Republican, fought to deny vetoes to C districts last year. He said after the vote Wednesday it is important to have a law “that allows for the largest number of students possible having a public charter school option.” But he didn’t rule out a compromise.

Supporters Wednesday included two black Democrats, Sampson Jackson of Preston and Willie Simmons of Cleveland. Simmons said Tollison made changes that won his vote. He said the charter school law might dovetail with Simmons’ proposal to create a model school in Sunflower County to bolster parent involvement and social services for students.

“It will give them an option at the local level if they desire to utilize the charter school option,” Simmons said after the vote.

Changes from last year

Among the changes Tollison made between 2012 and 2013:

– Requiring applicants to show evidence of “adequate” community support and to analyze the impact on other public and private schools in an area.

– Explicitly banning private school conversions or new charter schools created by private school groups.

– Requiring charters to serve a proportion of under-served students at least 80 percent as large as the share of under-served students in the charter’s home district. The bill defines under-served as students with low family incomes, poor academic performance, special education needs or limited fluency in English.

– Ordering that the authorizing board must close a charter school if it is rated F for two consecutive years or if the school’s performance is the bottom 20 percent of all schools statewide when the five-year contract runs out. Charters could get reprieves for “exceptional” circumstances.

– Requiring 75 percent of teachers to be certified, and the remaining quarter to earn certification within three years. Last year, the Senate bill required only 50 percent of teachers to be certified.

Tuesday, senators amended the bill to require a shutdown after two years of F ratings. Tollison’s draft had said three. The Education Committee amended the bill Tuesday to ban schools that operate entirely online.

Filed Under: CER in the News Tagged With: ,

Hard-hit districts push back against charter schools

January 17, 2013 By

by Daveen Rae Kurutz
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
January 17, 2013

Western Pennsylvania school districts that are losing students and money to charter schools are fighting back.

The Penn Hills school board this week approved spending $3,500 a month for two years of advertising on TV and the Internet. Thirty-second ads will promote the Penn Hills Senior High School that opened last month.

The neighboring Woodland Hills school board awarded a $13,000 contract on Wednesday to develop infomercials to air on public access television.

Districts traditionally have not advertised schools, but their charter-school counterparts have, attracting a growing number of students.

Woodland Hills will pay $13.9 million — nearly 17 percent of its annual budget — to charter schools this year to educate more than 1,150 children who live in the district, the most students among 49 suburban districts the Tribune-Review surveyed. About 22 percent of eligible students there go to charter schools. Penn Hills is sending 787 students to charter schools at a cost of $8.1 million.

“It‘s cost us personnel. It‘s cost us programs,” said Tara Reis, a Woodland Hills board member and parent. “When you see these kinds of numbers, it‘s staggering. That‘s why we don‘t have reading specialists or an after-school tutoring program or pre-K programs anymore.”

Since the Legislature approved charter schools in 1997, 175 have opened statewide. Sixteen are online only. The charters are privately operated but funded by tuition payments from districts.

Supporters say they offer a better education than traditional public schools.

“I feel like a charter school gives us public education with a private-school feel,” said Ivelisse Torres of Penn Hills, whose daughter, Chloe, attends first grade at Imagine Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship, which opened in 2012.

Districts such as Woodland Hills are fighting reputations for low test scores and violence.

“The parent perspective is that the environment (in the school district) isn‘t conducive for the child,” said Bob Fayfich, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools. “There‘s violence in the school, not a focus on learning.”

Reis said Woodland Hills needs to highlight that the district and high school met minimum test score levels. Its infomercials would include a five-minute piece outlining positive things happening in the district; two one-minute spots sharing student experiences and alumni perspectives; and several 30-second ads themed “Woodland Hills … where diversity works.”

Butch Santicola, spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the state‘s largest public teachers‘ union, said districts “have sat back and been in defensive mode.”

“Charter schools are a game-changer, no doubt,” said Joseph Domaracki, interim associate dean of the College of Educational Technology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. “Public schools have to do more to maintain their populations. It‘s a reality.”

Districts responded slowly. Some started cyber programs.

A group of Westmoreland County districts offers courses through e-Academy, a cyber program the Intermediate Unit began. About 600 students participate, including 30 at Norwin‘s Center for 21st Century Learners. Some take traditional and cyber classes, said Tracy McNelly, Norwin‘s assistant superintendent of secondary education.

“What districts are seeing is that it‘s sort of stopping the bleeding,” said Allie Arendas, distance learning specialist for Westmoreland Intermediate Unit.

This year at Quaker Valley schools in the Sewickley area, more students enrolled in the district‘s QV e-Learning program than in charter schools.

“I don‘t know that I have a crystal ball, but competition and choice seem to be the rule of the day,” said Quaker Valley Superintendent Joseph Clapper. “Public school districts, in my opinion, shouldn‘t shy away from that.”

Districts asked state lawmakers for help. A bill to create a commission to study charter school funding passed the Senate but stalled in the House last year.

Sen. Jim Brewster, D- McKeesport, who publicly supported Propel Schools, acknowledged problems with the charter concept because charters siphon money from public districts.

“Right now, it‘s a feeding frenzy,” he said.

Melissa Hart, a lawyer who as a state senator was among sponsors of the charter school law, said she‘s pleased with their development.

“For some kids, the charters have been a real savior in some areas,” Hart said, noting that “no piece of legislation is perfect.”

“I‘m happy … that parents and families have more freedom on where to send kids without having to pay to send them somewhere. I think that‘s a good thing.”

Making the grade

More than 2 million students attend more than 6,000 public charter schools, according to the Center for Education Reform in Washington.

Its 14th annual Charter School Laws Across the States Ranking and Scorecard concludes that fewer than half of the states can meet the demand for charter schools and state laws must improve to ensure growth and sustainability.

The report ranks Pennsylvania 14th in the nation, giving its law a B grade. Among the nation‘s 43 charter school laws, the center gave four As, nine Bs, 19 Cs, and Ds or Fs to the remaining 11 states.

The center evaluates charter school laws based on their construction and implementation, and whether they ensure quality learning opportunities. To read more: https://staging.edreform.com/in-the-states.

Filed Under: CER in the News Tagged With:

D.C. leads nation in strength of charter school laws, report says

January 16, 2013 By

by Lindsay Layton
Washington Post
January 16, 2013

The District leads the nation in terms of the strength of its public charter school laws and their implementation, according to a new report issued Wednesday by a national group that supports charter schools.

The Center for Education Reform released its annual report card, in which it examines and rates the charter school system in every state, and found that less than half the states have good, effective charter school laws.

Charter schools are publicly funded but privately run schools, some of them by for-profit organizations. First created 21 years ago, there are now about 6,000 charter schools across the country, educating roughly 2 million students, according to the center.

The District, where more than 40 percent of public school students attend charters, leads the nation in terms of the amount of financial support given to charters and the amount of autonomy they possess, among other things, the center said. The District was ranked at the top last year as well.

In contrast, Virginia and Maryland were ranked among the worst states in terms of public charter laws and implementation.

The report card is available at www.staging.edreform.com/.

Filed Under: CER in the News

Charters Not Designed to Be Responsive to Parents. Right.

January 16, 2013 By

January 16, 2013

Huh? There are lots of ridiculously inaccurate things said about charters but this one takes the cake.

“…charters are often not designed with the focus of being responsive to parents…”

That’s funny. I’m not sure how one attracts parents if they are not responsive, but apparently an academic at NYU — and a member of the NY State Board of Regents — thinks otherwise.

Down in Tennessee, The Cornerstone charter school has been in a struggle with the district where it is also running a failed charter. There are rumors about behaviorable tactics being used in the school, including one teacher who took away kids shoes because they were playing with them.

That’s a pretty stupid thing to do under any circumstance, but it hardly has to do with responsiveness to parents, a hallmark of the charter school concept and for which most schools demonstrate huge parental satisfaction.

Here’s Pedro Noguera‘s full quote:
“The kind of reaction you are seeing is not uncommon. There are many communities where that has occurred,” said Pedro Noguera, executive director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education at New York University.

“It’s more likely to happen in charters because charters are often not designed with the focus of being responsive to parents, the community or the culture of
the children.”

Right.

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso Tagged With:

Daily Headlines for January 16, 2013

January 16, 2013 By

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

How To Get High School Dropouts Into ‘Recovery’? Ideas Bloom Across US.
Christian Science Monitor, MA, January 15, 2013
Innovative programs across the US are finding some success in reengaging high school dropouts. They strive to target ‘disconnected’ youths – those not in school and not working, who are a costly burden for taxpayers.

FROM THE STATES

ARKANSAS

Big Week For School Choice
Arkansas Times, AR, January 16, 2013
Arkansas’s public school system could be upended by events this week.

CALIFORNIA

First Success For ‘Parent Trigger’ Shouldn’t Be The Last
Orange County Register, CA, January 15, 2013
In recent days, these pages have given repeated attention to a disheartening new report from the education group StudentsFirst, which identified California as a national laggard in education reform.

L.A. Unified To Overhaul Struggling Crenshaw High
Los Angeles Times, CA, January 16, 2013
Calling Crenshaw the worst in L.A. Unified, Supt. John Deasy gets the green light to turn the landmark campus into three magnet schools.

Hebrew-English Charter School In Van Nuys Approved By LAUSD
Las Angeles Daily News, CA, January 15, 2013
A proposed Hebrew-English charter school in Van Nuys won the approval Tuesday of the LAUSD board, which also OK’d the renewal of two landmark charters and the conditional approval of a third.

California Charter Schools Grow At Fastest U.S. Rate
Huffington Post, January 15, 2013
California leads the nation in both the growth and overall number of charter schools, according to a study by the Washington-based National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

COLORADO

Several School Districts In Colorado Pushing For Rigor In Science
Denver Post, CO, January 16, 2013
Come this fall, a new initiative to increase the rigor of science and math education will start by changing the sequence of classes students take.

CONNECTICUT

State Teacher Evaluations To Cost Darien Time And Money
Darien Daily Voice, CT, January 16, 2013
New state mandated teacher evaluations are expected to significantly increase the amount of time Darien school administrators devote to evaluating teachers. Darien is also considering spending $80,000 to help transition to the new system.

FLORIDA

Legal Challenge To The Teacher Merit-Pay Law Starts Today
Tallahassee Democrat, FL, January 16, 2013
In 2011, Gov. Rick Scott chose a landmark education bill tying teacher pay to student performance as the first he would sign as governor.

GEORGIA

Parent Trigger Bill Another Avenue For Charter Schools; BOE Chair Kelley Skeptical Of Proposal
Douglas County Sentinel, GA, January 16, 2013
A Republican legislator said he plans to introduce a bill in the General Assembly that will let parents who aren’t satisfied with their child’s school petition the local school board to convert the school into a charter school.

INDIANA

We Can’t Vouch For This Expansion Plan
Northwest Times, IN, January 16, 2013
Legislation to expand eligibility for school vouchers in Indiana needs to be scrapped, at least for now. Those vouchers allow many Hoosier families who otherwise can’t afford a private school to have that school choice option.

State Senator Proposes To Rein In National Common Core Education Standards
Evansville Courier & Press, IN, January 15, 2013
A Republican state senator wants to pull Indiana schools off a set of national education standards that he said are a “step backward for Indiana.”

IOWA

Governor Lays Groundwork For Ed Reform Talk
Globe Gazette, IA, January 16, 2013
On the heels of a report card giving Iowa an “F” for its state education policy, Iowans got a taste Tuesday of the education talking points they’ll hear during this legislative session.

LOUISIANA

Ascension Board Denies Charter Application
The Advocate, LA, January 16, 2013
The Ascension Parish School Board on Tuesday rejected the application of a charter school that hoped to open in the parish for the 2013-14 school year.

Orleans Parish School Board, RSD launch OneApp program
The Advocate, LA, January 16, 2013
The unified enrollment application known as OneApp was launched Tuesday by the Recovery School District and the Orleans Parish School Board in an effort to continue streamlining the process for families deciding where to send their children for the 2013-2014 school year.

Jindal Gains Victory As Court Puts Hold On Voucher Block In Tangipahoa
The Times-Picayune, LA, January 15, 2013
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s school voucher overhaul racked up a victory Monday when a panel of appellate court judges granted to stay a federal district court judge’s ruling to block the program’s implementation in Tangipahoa Parish.

MARYLAND

Holding Charter Schools Accountable
Baltimore Sun, MD, January 15, 2013
Improved review process for Baltimore City weeds out unsuccessful experiments while still encouraging innovation

MASSACHUSETTS

$2.5B School Aid Plan Outlined By Governor Patrick
Boston Globe, MA, January 16, 2013
Governor Deval Patrick proposed Tuesday to sharply increase spending on public education by more than $2.5 billion over the next four years, an investment he said was critical to the state’s social and economic future.

Newburyport Charter School Buys Local Building With Help From Mass Development Bond
Boston Globe, MA, January 15, 2013
Newburyport’s River Valley Charter School now owns the 36,000 square foot building it has been leasing for over a decade.

MICHIGAN

At This Late Stage, Detroit Schools’ Leaders Are Still In Conflict
Detroit News, MI, January 16, 2013
For many months now, in my board-appointed capacity as interim superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools, I’ve been working hard to follow a judge’s order to collaborate with Emergency Financial Manager Roy Roberts in administering the school district.

MISSISSIPPI

Senate Committee Approves Charter School Bill
Hattiesburg American, MS, January 15, 2013
Legislation to expand charter schools in Mississippi is once again moving forward, with the state Senate Education Committee approving Senate Bill 2189 on a split vote Tuesday.

Nonprofit Vs. For-Profit Debate Could Be Sticking Point In House
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, January 16, 2013
As the charter schools debate moves to the forefront of legislative agendas this week, one little-discussed issue will be key to codifying support in the House for a bill the Senate will accept.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Derry Charter School Leadership In Place
Union Leader, NH, January 15, 2013
When Derry’s new alternative charter high school opens next September at the Gilbert H. Hood Middle School, current district middle school assistant principals Justin Krieger and Joe Crawford will be the full-time co-directors of the school.

NEW JERSEY

East Brunswick Township Council Blocks Charter School Move; Hatikvah Threatens Lawsuit
Asbury Park Press, NJ, January 15, 2013
In the wake of the Township Council’s reversal on Monday of a variance granted this summer by the Zoning Board, Hatikvah International Charter School said that it plans to file a lawsuit against the township to fulfill its plans to move and expand.

NEW YORK

School’s Twist on Going Private
Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2013
A Vermont town’s plan to close its only public grade school and reopen it as a private academy puts an unusual twist on efforts by parents and residents nationwide to seize more control of educational opportunities.

Former Urban Choice Leader Starting Another Charter
Rochester City Newspaper, NY, January 15, 2013
Figuring out how to improve student performance in the city’s schools is arguably the biggest challenge facing Rochester. Like many cities across the country, Rochester has pursued multiple avenues to increase student achievement with little success.

Teacher-Eval Talks Bog Down
New York Post, NY, January 16, 2013
City officials and the teachers union yesterday spent crucial negotiating time for a deal on a new teacher-evaluation system bickering over whether an independent mediator was needed.

District, Union Reach Deal On Teacher-Evaluation Plan
Buffalo News, NY, January 16, 2013
The Buffalo teachers union and district officials reached an agreement on a teacher-evaluation plan Tuesday night at the union’s Porter Avenue headquarters – likely staving off the loss of $33.4 million in state aid at nearly the last minute.

In Speech, Quinn Spells Out Education Platform
Wall Street Journal Blog, January 15, 2013
City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, a top Democratic contender in this year’s mayoral race, generally aligned her education platform with the policies of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in a speech Tuesday, saying the city needs to build on a “foundation” that is already in place.

OKLAHOMA

Gates Foundation Study About Teacher Effectiveness A Must Read For Policymakers
The Oklahoman, OK, January 16, 2013
AS Oklahoma continues its journey toward improving evaluations for teachers, policymakers should pay attention to the results of a new nationwide study on determining educator effectiveness.

Make Superintendent Appointive? Don’t Forget Labor, Insurance Posts
The Oklahoman, OK, January 16, 2013
STATE Sen. Susan Paddack ran for the office of state schools superintendent in 2010. She lost. Now Paddack, D-Ada, says there’s no reason for the job to be political in nature. She’s filed a bill seeking to make the position appointive.

PENNSYLVANIA

School District Of Lancaster Eyes Charter School
Lancaster New Era, PA, January 15, 2013
Supporters and opponents of a charter school proposed for Lancaster city painted starkly different pictures of the school during a hearing before the School District of Lancaster board Tuesday night.

TENNESSEE

Schools That Take Vouchers Must Be Accountable
The Tennessean, TN, January 16, 2013
Gov. Bill Haslam surprised the world at an education forum Monday, committing to school voucher legislation. Earlier, he had indicated that would not be part of his legislative agenda.

School Vouchers May Help, But Won’t Solve Larger Problem
Leaf Chronicle, TN, January 16, 2013
We were surprised to learn Gov. Bill Haslam has decided to come forward with a proposal on school vouchers in his State of the State address Jan. 28. Haslam has been saying he was undecided on the issue, and did not foresee making it part of his legislative agenda this year.

TEXAS

School Trial Turns To Efficiency
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TX, January 15, 2013
The sweeping case challenging how the state helps pay for Texas schoolchildren’s education entered a new phase Tuesday, now focusing on “efficiency” with testimony from a Mansfield mother who home-schooled her fifth-grader for a year because there was no space at a local charter school.

Travis Heights Will Be Austin District’s First Home-Grown Charter School
Austin American-Statesman, TX, January 15, 2013
Such lessons will be routine next school year once Travis Heights becomes the Austin school district’s second full-scale in-district charter school.

VIRGINIA

Teacher Pay Plan Would Cost Districts
Suffolk News Herald, VA, January 15, 2013
Suffolk’s public schools superintendent appears supportive of much of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s 2013 education agenda, but he is lukewarm on plans for a partially state-funded raise for some teachers.

VERMONT

Vt. School Boards, Officials Propose Reform
Barre Montpelier Times Argus, VT, January 16, 2013
Some of Vermont’s top educators called Tuesday for an overhaul of the state’s education system, saying one is needed to ensure children are ready to compete globally.

WASHINGTON

Tests, Observers, Kids = Fair Teacher Evaluations
Bellingham Herald, WA, January 16, 2013
Just as Washington’s school districts are gearing up to adopt new teacher evaluation systems, along comes an authoritative mega-study that spells out how to get it right. The project – funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – is an exceptional piece of science.

Seattle Teacher Protests Over MAP Tests Counterproductive
Seattle Times, WA, January 15, 2013
A testing boycott by teachers at two Seattle schools taps into anger over standardized tests but stops short of offering solutions.

WEST VIRGINIA

A Consensus Begins On School Reform
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, January 16, 2013
No one is happy with the public school system in West Virginia. Taxpayers give a larger portion of their meager incomes to education than residents of all but a handful of states, but our schools are near the bottom in academic achievement.

Teachers Union Wary Of Shifting Control
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, January 16, 2013
The head of West Virginia’s largest teachers union is wary of education reform plans that involve shifting more control to regional bodies.

WYOMING

Wyoming Senate Amends, Advances Education Superintendent Bill
Star Tribune, WY, January 15, 2013
The Wyoming Senate restored some duties to the state schools superintendent as it advanced a bill revamping how the state Department of Education is run.

ONLINE LEARNING

Fighting the Long Battle for a Virginia Virtual School
Bacons Rebellion, VA, January 15, 2013
Del. Dickie Bell, R-Staunton, knows he faces an up-hill climb creating a public online alternative to local school districts in Virginia, but he’s not giving up. The challenges are many. The educational establishment doesn’t like any idea that would turn schooling over to private-sector contractors.

Virtual Charter Schools Out Of Bill
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, January 16, 2013
Virtual charter schools would not be allowed in Mississippi under a bill that passed the Senate Education Committee Tuesday.

Funding Of Virtual Schools A Concern For Superintendent
Woodward News, OK, January 16, 2013
Woodward Superintendent Tim Merchant expressed concern with the allocation of state money to virtual private schools during his report at Monday’s Board of Education meeting.

Colorado Virtual Academy’s District Charter in Jeopardy
KUMC, CO, January 15, 2013
The future of the state’s largest virtual K-12 school may be in jeopardy. With its charter set to expire later this year, Colorado Virtual Academy needs to find an authorizer, or shut down over the summer.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

Annual Charter School Law Report Card Issued

January 16, 2013 By

Most states only making satisfactory progress. Strong laws in 13 states.

CER Press Release
Washington, D.C.
January 16, 2012

With fewer than half of the U.S.’s state charter school laws earning a satisfactory grade, policymakers this year are faced with enormous challenges. The success of these new public schools is unparalleled, with more than 2 million students today attending in excess of 6,000 public charter schools. Yet, with fewer than half of the states able to meet the demands of parents and educators who want the freedom to choose charter schools, state laws simply must improve to ensure growth and sustainability.

This is the conclusion of the 14th annual Charter School Laws Across the States Ranking and Scorecard produced by The Center for Education Reform. Among the nation’s 43 charter school laws, there are only four As, nine Bs, 19 Cs and the remaining 11 states earned Ds and Fs.

“At 21 years old, the national charter school movement is only making satisfactory progress,” said CER president Jeanne Allen. “Satisfactory progress is not good enough for our students’ report cards and it shouldn’t be good enough for our state report cards. In the past two years, we’ve seen two new charter laws but both are average in their construction, unlikely to yield large numbers of successful charter schools, and only minimal state improvements. Many states failed to advance substantive reform in 2012, a fact we hope to see change this year.”

Only four states improved their laws since the Center’s report card was issued last year, but nowhere near the trends of the late 1990s era when 17 states created or amended charter school laws.

Since 1996 the Center has studied and evaluated charter school laws based on their construction and implementation, and whether they yield the intended result of charter school policy, which is to ensure the creation of numerous quality learning opportunities for children.

The annual charter school rankings are a critical component of The Center for Education Reform’s Parent Power Index©, which together with the other key elements of reform make up the complete index. Many states will see changes in their scores on the Parent Power Index as a result of the Charter School Laws Across the States Ranking and Scorecard, which will be available to the public January 22.

“As policymakers consider changes to their charter school laws, they also need to be mindful of what it takes to have truly great education reform policies across all issues.” Allen said. “If a charter school law isn’t strong, school choice options minimal or non-existent, digital learning exists for the few over the many, and teacher quality measures are not assured, students will not have opportunities they need and deserve.”

CER’s 2013 Charter School Laws Across the States Ranking and Scorecard are reflected at https://staging.edreform.com/in-the-states. The revised Parent Power Index© for States, 2013, will be available January 22.

Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With: , ,

The Last Eight States Without Charter School Laws

January 15, 2013 By

Download or print your PDF copy of Last 8 States Without Charter School Laws

Filed Under: Choice & Charter Schools

2013 Charter Law Ranking Chart

January 15, 2013 By

Click on a state name to get detailed information about the charter school law and the rating.

Press Release
Download or print your PDF copy of 2013 Charter School Law Ranking & Scorecard

Filed Under: Choice & Charter Schools

Newswire: January 15, 2013

January 15, 2013 By

Vol. 15, No. 2

OHIO’S ON IT. Thanks to Governor John Kasich and his state board of education, the Buckeye state is moving on substantive education reform, including a teacher evaluation program that ties performance to clear state standards. While it remains to be seen whether the implementation will be as strong as the policy adopted (an issue we’ve seen elsewhere), according to news reports, “by next school year, each teacher will be rated based on students’ academic growth, usually measured on standardized tests, and on how teachers do in the classroom observations.” Accountability for schools being measured on an A-F scale so it’s clear to parents, money being driven to the school level, and a focus on making sure the performance evaluations result in consequences are on policymakers’ agenda.

Additional states are considering making more substantive changes in evaluation for all school players — from students to adults — including North Carolina and Tennessee. Who else is taking a serious look at real accountability? Tell us here.

HELP DC STUDENTS. Only 17 shopping days left to get a DC Opportunity Scholarship! One of the many choices available to students in the District that are most in need and whose families might be considering a private school choice, the DC OSP has helped thousands get out of their failed schools, achieve in school and improve their lives. Politics, as usual, has plagued the program since it’s inception, which has resulted in many people in the community not knowing whether or not the program is even available to them! The organizers are now trying hard to reach out to the community to notify people that this scholarship exists. Help people you may reach in your work or community learn about this great opportunity.

MICHIGAN SUCCESS. A new study finds that Michigan Charter Schools Outperform Traditional Public School Students. This is from CREDO, and we’ve been very critical before about their data. After close analysis of their work in New Jersey and Michigan, CER concludes that the state level reports more closely approximate ‘good research’ and employ better use and understanding of data than their flawed national study. As we say in our statement today, “Where the approach and data used in CREDO’s national study remains flawed, we believe that the current methodology used in the Michigan and New Jersey studies is more sound, and more closely approximates the level of research expertise we should be using to judge charter school achievement. In these studies, it appears that more and better demographic and school level data were used to identify and compare individual students to their ‘traditional public school’ counterparts, providing a more realistic view of students, and therefore, more credible results.” Read the report here. Read the debate over the methodology here and here.

ADVOCACY DAY, 2013. If you’re in New York and support charter schools, you can do more than honk; you can join the literally tens of thousands of happy parents and successful students who the Charter Parents Action Network are taking to Albany to tell legislators what they need to know — the truth, not the bloggers fantasies — about having the power to transform their own children’s lives. To RSVP or to follow up with questions, call 212-437-8394 or go to nyccharterschools.org/advocacyday. If you’re not in New York, you may want to learn how they do this, and take it to your own capital, or find out who already does. Get active!

HELP A LEGISLATOR. Or help thousands. This month new and veteran lawmakers started getting organized for the annual rite of legislative passage — the legislative session. Most of these people are just like you and me — they live in homes or apartments, sleep in beds, drive cars, have kids or dogs or cats or problems or debts, and they have a few ideas and they decided to run for office, and won. So they now have a vote, and guess what? Most of them don’t know where to start to learn about how – and why — to make education reform part of their program this year. Let’s all help out a legislator. First, make sure they know how their states actually work with regard to online learning, school choice, charters, teacher evaluations etc. Their state is ranked on these and other measures. Help them get into the top ten! They may need model legislation or talking points. Use these here, or create your own. But call, visit, educate and push. You know the Blob is.

LOOKING GOOD FOR LOUISIANA. A preliminary review of the state’s voucher program looks good for parents and children who most need options. While the full court hearing has yet to occur, this week an “appellate court panel ruled that the state has a ‘strong likelihood’ of winning its appeal on those grounds and granted a stay of [the court’s initial] ruling, pending a final determination in the case.” The program has continued to operate and that the unions may suffer another blow to their well-funded, but poorly-contrived challenge to school choice. Let’s hope.

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly
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