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Voucher Ruling Turns Concept of “Public Funds” on its Head

November 30, 2012 By

CER Press Release
Washington, D.C.
November 30, 2012

Center for Education Reform Founder and President Jeanne Allen made the following statement regarding news about Louisiana State District Judge Tim Kelley’s ruling that Gov. Bobby Jindal’s expanded voucher program is unconstitutional:

“The debate in Louisiana has turned the concept of ‘public funds’ on its head. Taxpayer dollars for education should be used for their intended purpose –actually educating children! This ruling will ensure that the unions and the bureaucracy will continue their stranglehold on Louisiana schools, and that children will continue to be stuck in failing schools with little accountability.

It’s time the justice system was held accountable for making such a divisive and clearly political ruling on a program that has saved children’s lives. We will be supporting the good people of Louisiana and our allies who fought so hard to get this program created, to ensure justice is truly done to those whose decision ill-serve not just this state, but all of our United States.”

Filed Under: Press Releases

Charter School Laws Across the States 2012

November 30, 2012 By

Download or print your PDF copy of The Essential Guide to Charter School Law: Charter School Laws Across the States 2012

Press Release
Webinar Briefing on Charter School Laws Across the States 2012
Charter School Laws 2012 Ranking & Scorecard

Filed Under: Choice & Charter Schools

Inside Hawaii Charter School’s 12-Year Success

November 30, 2012 By

“A School of Choice”
by Susan Halas
Maui Weekly
November 29, 2012

What Maui public high school ranks near the top of all Hawai’i schools in reading and math scores?

What K-12 school tests well above the national norms across all grade levels, has a curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and achieves remarkable results for considerably less than the cost of other public schools?

If you didn’t know it’s Kihei Charter School (KCS), you are not alone.

KCS, Maui’s only public charter school, is one of only 32 public charter schools statewide.

It celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2011, but unless you’re a student, parent or community partner, chances are you might not have noticed.

The charter school’s presence isn’t conspicuous. Its decentralized classrooms are spread out in repurposed commercial space in Kihei at the Kihei Commercial Center and Lipoa Shopping Center, with three additional classrooms leased from St. Theresa Church.

There is no gym, no playing fields and few sports activities. There is an outdoor meeting area and large school garden on the backside of the shopping center. It’s possibly the only public school with a commercial coin-op laundry tucked between its classrooms.

You may not have heard of the school because, as Dan Kuhar, one of KCS’s two directors put it, “We’re not too good at blowing our own horn but, we’re a success by whatever metric you want to use. We’re not for everybody. We’re a school of choice. We are an option and we can be a very good fit.”

KCS’ Many Accomplishments

Just because they’re not so hot in the hype department doesn’t mean they don’t have a lot to crow about.

According to Gail Weaver, KCS’s other director, the school:

Leads the state public high schools in both reading and math test scores

90 percent proficient in reading (ranking second statewide*)

73% proficient in math (ranking second statewide*)

*Computed as of April 2012 from data supplied by State of Hawai’i via Hawai’i Charter Schools Network; includes most recent test data using “No Child Left Behind” standards.

First STEM school in Hawai’i and the only one that offers STEM classes to all students.

Offers college-level for-credit courses in both high school and college subjects, including engineering courses, for all students in grades 7-12.

Only public school in Hawai’i to offer University of Hawai’i courses on its own campus.

First and only school in Hawai’i to receive Healthier US School Challenge Bronze Award of Distinction for school lunch and nutrition.

Fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Last year, KCS had a graduating senior class of just over 30.

“Eighty percent of all graduates continue directly on with their education,” Weaver said. Enrollment is open to any student on the island of Maui by application.

KCS is Growing Fast

The school was founded in 2001 with a student body of about 60 high-school-age kids sharing space at Kihei Youth Center. It grew rapidly and soon expanded to the old Rainsong Guitar Factory in the Kihei Commercial Complex. As of October 2012, KCS is leasing over 30,000 square feet of space and has a current enrollment of 581 youngsters in grades K-12 (High School, 270; Middle School, 185; blended lower grades and special programs make up the rest.)

But this is a school that is bigger than its classrooms and has its main focus outside the schoolhouse walls. It has its own fleet of nine (soon to be 10) vans that transport students off into “real life” on a daily basis.

These, said Kuhar, are not “field trips,” but part of the schools basic learning experience. Likewise, the classrooms are flexible and multi-purpose. KCS is project-based–there are no textbooks per se, and current technology is integrated into every aspect of school life. Class size, he said, averages at about one teacher to every 17 students.

Achievement Brings Its Own Problems

But if you think nothing succeeds like success, this story will remind you there are exceptions. The problems at KCS are not the problems that result from achievement and recognition.

Space is the main issue; the school is bursting at the seams. Finding, leasing and paying for adequate facilities are top priorities, as is getting KCS its fair share of money in a public school system that seems to punish rather than reward innovation and accomplishment.

KCS’ budget comes from a per-student allotment of about $5,900 a year, which totals about $4 million annually. The cost for space and utilities eat up about $1 million of the money.

“So the first million off the top doesn’t go to the kids; it goes to the landlords and the utilities,” Kuhar said.

Regular schools, termed “comprehensive,” receive additional funds for facilities and maintenance. Though both charter and comprehensive schools are ultimately under the state Board of Education, they have different financial and administrative rules. Those rules say that charter schools, especially “start up” charters (as opposed to existing schools that have converted to charter status), must pay their own facilities and utility costs out of flat, per-capita fee allotments from the state.

KCA Searches for Space

Gene Zarro, chairman of the KCS governing board, is also CEO the South Maui Learning ‘Ohana, the nonprofit organization that planned and founded the school, and holds the leases on its current physical facilities.

The inequities of public funding sometimes put him in an awkward position.

This is the case in Kihei, where the community has long desired a “regular” high school. That school was in the planning stages long before KCS opened. The “regular” high school still does not exist, except on paper. The proposed school is a very big-ticket item, estimated to cost $160 million to be spent in two phases.

In comparison, Zarro thinks that “about $10 million” would meet all KCS’s space needs for the foreseeable future. But even that much smaller amount is proving difficult to find.

“We are all are sensitive to the desire for a high school for Kihei,” Zarro said. “KCS is not eager to be seen as in competition with the proposed high school, because ‘our model is not that model.’ We think that there’s room for both.”

As Weaver put it earlier, referring to the traditional “comprehensive” school: “We never wanted a campus on a hill with a fence around it. We want a school that is within the community, not isolated from it.”

But comparisons seem inevitable. Why spend big bucks on a “comprehensive” model when small bucks would take care of a standout school that’s real and growing?

No matter which way it goes, Zarro hopes to be the architect of the KCS’ next expansion. Whether he buys, leases, builds, borrows, finds an angel or is able to finagle it by other means, he’s pursuing all the options to find more space for KCS.

To find out more about “Gene’s Schemes,” and possible funding sources and facilities options for expansion of the school, read part two in next week’s issue.

Filed Under: Breaking News Tagged With: ,

Daily Headlines for November 30, 2012

November 30, 2012 By

Just How Potent Are Teacher Unions?
National Review, November 30, 2012
Hostess Brands is set to liquidate its 82-year-old company because it was unable to meet the salary demands of its unionized employees. Roughly 18,500 workers will lose their jobs because 5,500 members of various bakers’ unions can’t appreciate that a tightening economy, stiffening competition, and an increasingly health-conscious America mean fewer Twinkies for all.

Feds: Leave States Free To Reform Their Schools
Fairmont Sentinel, NM, November 30, 2012
With the national debt and its many related issues moving to the top of both President Barack Obama’s and Congress’ agendas, matters such as education reform probably will receive little attention next year, some analysts have said. Good.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

California Targets School Borrowing
Wall Street Journal, November 30, 2012
California Treasurer Bill Lockyer Thursday called for overhauls in school districts’ sales of so-called capital-appreciation bonds, saying too many schools are locking themselves into what he described as “terrible deals” with onerous terms such as debt payments of more than 10 times the principal.

Not So Fast On Charter Schools
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 29, 2012
It is beyond me why The Times believes charter schools have been any kind of “spark” to education reform in Los Angeles.

LAUSD Slow To Report On Teacher Misconduct
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 29, 2012
An audit finds that the school district failed to promptly inform a California panel about allegations, including sexual ones.

COLORADO

Board OKs Charter School On North Campus Despite Protests
Denver Post, CO, November 30, 2012
About 30 North High School students, parents and community supporters formed a conga line of sorts outside the Denver Public Schools headquarters Thursday afternoon as they chanted, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, co-location’s got to go.”

GALS School Breaks Gender Barriers
Ed News Colorado, CO, November 29, 2012
GALS, which stands for Girls Athletic Leadership School, is making waves as the first girls-only charter school in Colorado.

‘Buy-in’ Key to EL School Conversion, Says Sirko
Glenwood Springs Post Independent, CO, November 30, 2012
The possible conversion of an existing Glenwood Springs school into an official Expeditionary Learning School is a “separate but interconnected conversation” to the ongoing charter school talks, said interim Roaring Fork School District Re-1 Superintendent Diana Sirko.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. Last In Nation In Rate Of High School Graduation
Washington Times, DC, November 29, 2012
The nation’s capital had the worst four-year high school graduation rate in the country in 2010-2011, a finding that suggests the city has more work to do to reform its historically troubled school system.

FLORIDA

Charter Schools Revenue There But Not Shared Fairly
Press News, FL, November 30, 2012
Re: Your editorial “Don’t raise taxes for charters,” Nov. 16. The City of Cape Coral Charter School Authority, also known as the “Oasis” schools, has been actively pursuing proper funding for several years. We thank you for the recognition of our system as “providing quality education” to our 3,000 students in Cape Coral.

HAWAII

A School of Choice
Maui Weekly, HI, November 29, 2012
First of a two-part series about Kihei Charter School explores its 12-year history, growth and success. What Maui public high school ranks near the top of all Hawai’i schools in reading and math scores?

INDIANA

Charter Schools Represent Another Valid Option For Parents To Consider
News Sentinel, IN, November 30, 2012
Research suggests that neighborhood schools are valued highly by urban residents and represent an important part of neighborhood identity.

As Hoosier Students Look For Options, Many Charters Aren’t Making The Grade
93.1 WIBC Indianapolis, IN, November 30, 2012
More Hoosier students are attending charter schools, but just like the choice between charters and traditional public schools is critical, the choice between who operates that charter is also extremely important.

Private Schools See Growth With Vouchers
The Herald Bulletin, IN, November 29, 2012
To Anderson’s private schools, it doesn’t matter if a student is on a voucher or not, the mission is to serve all with a quality education, officials said.

LOUISIANA

Charter School Closer To Approval
The Daily News, LA, November 30, 2012
The Louisiana Department of Education announced Wednesday that it will recommend the approval of 11 new charter schools in Louisiana, including one in Bogalusa , for the 2013-14 school year. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will consider each of the proposal applications during a meeting next Wednesday.

State Begins Voucher Trial
The St. Tammany News, LA, November 30, 2012
A lawsuit filed by 43 school boards from across Louisiana and two statewide teachers’ unions challenging the constitutionality of the state’s new education reforms, including the voucher system, began Wednesday in Baton Rouge in 19th Judicial District, Division F Judge Tim Kelly’s court.

MARYLAND

Residents Start Petition Against Plans For College Park Charter School
Washington Post, DC, November 29, 2012
Richard Williamson, 41, of College Park can see the historic building that could become a new 700-student public charter school from his dining room window — a view he describes as fearful given the potential traffic congestion, tax hikes and crime increases he said may come to the area if the school plan moves forward.

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston School-Choice Recommendations Delayed
Boston Globe, MA, November 30, 2012
An advisory committee racing to meet a deadline on recommending changes to the way ¬Boston assigns students to schools will have until at least January to cast a vote, the mayor’s office ¬announced Thursday.

Parents Support Charter Petition
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, November 29, 2012
As the clock ticks toward the mid-December day when the state’s education board will decide the next step for Gloucester ’s charter school — with charter revocation being a possibility — a petition to keep the school open is being circulated, capturing more than 400 signatures in less than two days.

MICHIGAN

‘Any Time, Any Place, Any Pace’: The New Paradigm
Detroit News, MI, November 30, 2012
Like any parent or grandparent, Rose wants the best for these children — the best environment, the best education, the best future. That includes the opportunity to select the right school

Schools Evaluate Teachers
Daily Press & Argus, MI, November 30, 2012
New statewide evaluations for Michigan teachers were released this week; however, results of the evaluations could leave parents more confused than enlightened.

Michigan Schools: 97% Of Teachers Effective Or Better
Detroit News, MI, November 30, 2012
More than 97 percent of the state’s 96,000 teachers were rated effective or higher in 2011-12, including teachers working at some of the state’s lowest performing schools.

Bills To Refine State Education Authority’s Role Make Progress
Detroit News, MI, November 29, 2012
Bills clarifying the role of the state’s Education Achievement Authority are hung up on how schools would end state oversight.

Bills Would Force Districts To Sell Vacant Buildings
Daily Press & Argus, MI, November 30, 2012
An effort to boost the state’s lowest-performing school districts would also require high-performing districts in Livingston County to repair their vacant buildings and sell them to competing charter schools, according to Howell Public Schools Superintendent Ron Wilson.

MISSISSIPPI

Member Booted Over Charter Schools Bill
WJTV, MS, November 29, 2012
This year a charter school bill died in the house education committee by just one vote.
Now Republican Speaker Philip Gunn has replaced a democratic member who opposes charter schools with one who supports the idea.

NEW JERSEY

More Homework Needed On Study
Asbury Park Press, NJ, November 30, 2012
State Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf this week was quick to seize on a new study indicating that charter schools outperformed traditional public schools, particularly in urban districts, as evidence that such schools are providing “much needed options for New Jersey students.”

NEW YORK

Gov, Take The Lead On School Reform
New York Daily News, NY, November 30, 2012
With Gov. Cuomo’s New NY Education Reform Commission soon expected to release its preliminary recommendations, our public schools are at a hinge moment.

For NYC’s Students, Move On Evaluations
New York Post, NY, November 30, 2012
In February, Gov. Cuomo stood with state Education Commissioner John B. King Jr. and the heads of city and state teachers unions to announce agreement on a new evaluation system for teachers and principals. The new law was a groundbreaking accord that laid the foundation for a fair, responsible process to provide educators with constructive evaluations that can strengthen teaching and learning.

Elmira Group Plans Charter School For Boys
Elmira Star Gazette, NY, November 29, 2012
More than 40 people, armed with curiosity and questions, heard a local group’s plan Thursday night to open a charter school in Elmira in September 2014.

OHIO

Charter School Gets 30-Day Reprieve
Columbus Dispatch, OH, November 30, 2012
A struggling Columbus charter school got a one-month reprieve to stay open, but it still might be forced to close just before students return from winter break.

School Standards Pass House
Columbus Dispatch, OH, November 30, 2012
Ohio schools soon might face a new A-to-F report-card system and a harder time earning high marks after the Republican-led House approved sweeping changes yesterday to the state’s school-accountability system.

OREGON

Reading The Fine Print
Mail Tribune, OR, November 29, 2012
Some parents of students at Madrone Trail Public Charter School are critical of the school’s board of directors, and they’ve asked the Medford School Board to intervene. Doug Breidenthal, Madrone Trail board chairman and a Jackson County commissioner-elect, says the parents are in the minority and are dredging up old issues.

PENNSYLVANIA

No ‘Cooking The Books’ For Charter Schools
Towanda Daily Review, PA , November 30, 2012
Much as the state Department of Education caught several Pennsylvania school districts cheating on student achievement tests, the U.S. Department of Education has caught the state education agency fudging on behalf of charter schools.

Erie Boarding Charter Application Cuts High School Grades
Erie Times-News, PA, November 30, 2012
Organizers of the proposed Eagle’s Nest College Preparatory Charter School have changed the scope of their plan heading into their upcoming charter approval hearing.

TENNESSEE

Streamlined Process For Metro Schools Of Choice Makes Things Easier
The Tennessean, TN, November 30, 23012
A new system for applying to Metro Nashville schools of choice has smoothed out the application process this year, although the number of requests for transfer is expected to be about the same.

District And Charter Schools Have Lessons To Offer
The Tennessean, TN, November 30, 2012
Metro Nashville Public Schools is one of the most diverse school districts in the Southeast, if not the entire U.S. It is a district that serves not only diverse ethnicities, but also a myriad of cultures and languages from around the globe and every income level in the socio-economic spectrum.

The Choice: A School Fight Over Middle Class Families
Nashville Public Radio, TN, November 30, 2012
Students in Nashville have until the end of Friday to apply for a seat in the ever-growing list of “option schools.” Like other large districts nationwide, Metro has been expanding choice to make the system more attractive to families. But even with a menu of charters, magnets and language immersion programs, Metro still has convincing left to do.

Suburban Mayors Say Charter Schools Are ‘Fallback Position’
Memphis Business Journal, TN, November 29, 2012
While efforts to form municipal school districts have been dealt a critical blow by a U.S. District Court ruling, the mayors of Memphis suburban cities are regrouping for their next move, which includes preparing arguments for a Dec. 27 deadline.

TN School Voucher Report Leaves Key Areas Open To Debate
The Tennessean, TN, November 30, 2012
A much-anticipated report Gov. Bill Haslam requested on a potential school voucher program for Tennessee has left key areas open to debate, including recognizing a “range of opinions” on the scholarship’s funding mechanism.

Cheating Ring Undermines All Teachers’ Integrity
The Tennessean, TN, November 30, 2012
Teachers and administrators should be outraged. We certainly are. Federal prosecutors in Memphis this week indicted 14 people, mostly educators, on allegations that they cheated on teacher-certification tests in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas.

TEXAS

State Officials Question Academics, Student Safety At Prime Prep
WFAA, TX, November 29, 2012
When NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders’ non-profit organization applied to open a charter school in North Texas , he promised overall excellence.

WASHINGTON

Let’s Undo Costly Bureaucracy
Daily Herald, WA, November 30, 2012
The guest commentary, “Weak Charter vote dilutes real mandate” in the Saturday Herald is critical of the voters who supported I-1240 for charter schools. Where will the money for them come from, the writers ask?

Who Will Charter Schools Serve?
Kent Reporter, WA, November 29, 2012
Among other things charter schools in this election were touted as being good for students who are not doing well in regular public schools. We know that highly diverse/high poverty schools generally have proportionately higher numbers of students not making the grade, with black and brown students most often performing the worst.

ONLINE LEARNING

Online Charter Schools Spent Millions Of Taxpayer Dollars On Advertising To Recruit New Students
Huffington Post, November 29, 2012
An analysis by USA Today has revealed that 10 of the largest online charter schools spent an estimated $94.4 million in taxpayer dollars on advertising over the past five years. The largest, Virginia-based K12 Inc., spent approximately $21.5 million in just the first eight months of 2012.

Torrington School Board Discusses Online Learning For THS Students
Register Citizen, CT, November 29, 2012
Last year, the Torrington School District implemented an online learning program called “Odysseyware” for students who are at risk of dropping out or who are behind in credits and classes.

Study Looks Into Online Schooling Effectiveness
KREX, CO, November 29, 2012
A recent study done by the Colorado Department of Education shows that, statewide, students in online schools aren’t performing as well as those in traditional schools

LCPS Offers Full-Time Virtual Learning
Las Cruces Sun-News, NM, November 29, 2012
Five high school students with very different educational needs and backgrounds are blazing a new trail for Las Cruces Public Schools.

Online Learning Fills Gaps In Rural Education
Kamloops News, CA, November 30, 2012
People living here can’t remember the last time one of their brightest kids went on to medical school.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

BLOB fights Louisiana Reforms

November 29, 2012 By

“Louisiana Voucher Test”
Review & Outlook
Wall Street Journal
November 28, 2012

Here’s the bizarre world in which we live: In 2007 Gabriel Evans attended a public school in New Orleans graded “F” by the Louisiana Department of Education. Thanks to a New Orleans voucher program, Gabriel moved in 2008 to a Catholic school. His mother, Valerie Evans, calls the voucher a “lifesaver,” allowing him to get “out of a public school system that is filled with fear, confusion and violence.”

So what is the response of the teachers union? Sue the state to force 11-year-old Gabriel back to the failing school.

This week a state court in Baton Rouge is hearing the union challenge to Louisiana’s Act 2, which expanded the New Orleans program statewide and allows families with a household income less than 250% of the federal poverty line to get a voucher to escape schools ranked C or worse by the state. Gabriel’s voucher covers $4,315 in annual tuition.

The tragedy is how many students qualify for the program. According to the state, 953 of the state’s 1,373 public schools (K-12) were ranked C, D or F. Under the new program, more than 4,900 students have received scholarships allowing them to attend non-public schools.

Enter the teachers unions, which sued this summer to stop the incursion into their rotting enterprise. According to the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and the Louisiana Association of Educators, the voucher program steals money from public schools.

But teachers who do their homework know that the state constitution has no prohibition on where money may be allocated, as long as it is going to educate Louisiana children. Louisiana school funding is determined by a designated Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, instead of directly by lawmakers. According to the state’s constitution, the Board must set a “minimum foundation” for funding and ensure that it is fairly distributed among school districts, locally known as parishes. In poorer neighborhoods, the state chips in to make up for any shortfall in local funding.

According to the Institute for Justice, which represents families using the program, the financial footprint of the scholarships so far has been small. Per pupil expenditures have not been affected in the public schools. And of some $3.6 billion in state funds spent by Louisiana to bolster its Minimum Foundation Program, only $22,054,733 is attributable to the new student scholarship program, around 0.6%.

The real squeeze isn’t to public education but to the publicly employed educators, whose union interests have long since taken primacy over providing kids with a decent education. The Louisiana unions know that putting their dismal classrooms into competition with private schools could eventually have students and parents trampling each other in a rush to the exits.

Louisiana’s story is the latest study in how far the education bureaucracy will go to protect its money and power and resist the competition that comes from school choice, even when it means forcing kids to return to schools that steal their futures. The scholarships are only available to students in failing schools. If teachers unions want to stop their students from leaving, they don’t need a lawsuit. They need to start serving 11-year-olds like Gabriel Evans instead of themselves.

Filed Under: Unions & Establishment Tagged With: ,

Daily Headlines for November 29, 2012

November 29, 2012 By

Great Teacher Evaluation Shouldn’t Be Good Luck
CNN Blog, November 29, 2012
In the nine years I’ve been in the classroom — at three different urban schools — I’ve consistently experienced evaluations that have allowed me to grow as an educator. I’m a better teacher because of that, and my students have benefited.

Charter School Group Calls For Tougher Laws
USA Today, November 28, 2012
In what may be a wake-up call to many of the USA’s 6,000 charter schools, an influential group called Wednesday for tougher standards for these independently run public schools, saying lawmakers should have more power to close down underperforming schools.

Tougher Charter School Standards Praised — By Charter Group
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, November 28, 2012
An essential feature of the Cleveland school reforms recently supported by city voters is the school district’s decision to engage with the city’s best charter schools to lift outcomes for all students — in part by making it harder for sham charters to take root. That approach has been reaffirmed from an unlikely quarter: the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.

FROM THE STATES

ARIZONA

Public Schools Compete With Charter Schools For Enrollment Numbers
KVOA, AZ, November 28, 2012
New numbers reveal that there are now over 144,000 Arizona students enrolled in charters. That’s about 10,000 more than previous years. This is the highest of anywhere in the country, second to Washington D.C.

CALIFORNIA

ICEF Charter Schools Say They Are Back On Track Financially
The Daily Breeze, CA, November 28, 2012
ICEF Public Schools, a collection of 14 charter schools in Los Angeles County that nearly shut down two years ago because of fiscal malaise and overexpansion, is back on track financially, officials announced this week.

Charters and Special Ed: Checking Up
Voice of Sand Diego, CA, November 28, 2012
Because of the unique way special education is funded in California , new charter schools are automatically enrolled in their home school district’s special education program. In San Diego Unified and elsewhere, the district charges charter schools a per-student fee for those services.

Hollister Charter School Gains District Approval In 3-2 Vote
Gilroy Dispatch, CA, November 28, 2012
The Hollister School District on Tuesday approved a contract and conditional approval of a petition to open a charter school in Hollister for the 2013-14 school year.

COLORADO

Approve STRIVE High School at Denver’s North Annex
Denver Post, CO, November 29, 2012
The Denver school board should OK a resolution authorizing a Strive high school of 500 students in the North High annex.

Hamner Named House Ed Chair
Ed News Colorado, CO, November 28, 2012
Rep. Millie Hamner of Dillon has been named chair of the House Education Committee and Rep. Cherilyn Peniston of Westminster will be vice chair.

DELAWARE

Is Building Of Odyssey School Necessary?
The News Journal, DE, November 28, 2012
I simply don’t understand why this school has to be built. We have declining enrollments in many New Castle County schools, public and private. Why can’t we use McKean or Dickinson? They are both down 400 students from 2000-2001. We used Wilmington High for Cab Callaway and Wilmington Charter.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Ward 8 Parents, Teachers Challenge D.C. School Closure Plan
Washington Post Blog, DC, November 28, 2012
A standing-room only crowd of parents, teachers and activists gathered Tuesday evening at Savoy Elementary School in Southeast Washington to critique and challenge Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s plan to close 20 under-enrolled schools.

FLORIDA

Union Against Evaluations
Hernando Today, FL, November 29, 2012
Even if Pablo Picasso could be hired to teach art in Florida schools, chances are he would be among many to score poorly under the state’s new teacher evaluation process.

Florida Failing To Hold Private Schools Accountable, Even With State Money
Bradenton Herald, FL, November 29, 2012
Several confounding questions surround yet another alarming situation at a private school owned by a man whose financial track record can only be described as wanting at best. The Prep Academy is now the fourth school owned by Hendrik Lamprecht to fall into deep trouble, though its exact status remains hazy.

ILLINOIS

General Assembly To Vote On Extending School Closings Announcement
Chicago Tribune, IL, November 28, 2012
The request by Chicago Public Schools for more time to compile a list of school closings was all but granted Wednesday, giving officials four more months to make a case for why schools need to be shut down.

INDIANA

Marshall Academy Offers Kids An Option
Journal Gazette, IN, November 29, 2012
Research suggests that neighborhood schools are valued highly by urban residents and represent an important part of neighborhood identity.

Indiana Governor Warns Of Foes To Education Reform
Washington Times, DC, November 28, 2012
At the forefront of education reform in the U.S., Indiana faces an uncertain future after its trail-blazing schools chief was ousted three weeks ago and replaced by a teachers union official.

LOUISIANA

Louisiana Voucher Test
Wall Street Journal, November 28, 2012
This week a state court in Baton Rouge is hearing the union challenge to Louisiana ‘s Act 2, which expanded the New Orleans program statewide and allows families with a household income less than 250% of the federal poverty line to get a voucher to escape schools ranked C or worse by the state. Gabriel’s voucher covers $4,315 in annual tuition.

Foundation Invests in N.O. Charters
The Advocate, LA, November 29, 2012
The Texas-based Laura and John Arnold Foundation announced a $25 million investment Wednesday to help create and expand high-performing charter schools in New Orleans .

New Orleans School Reforms Get $25 Million Grant To Expand
Times- Picayune, LA, November 28, 2012
In a significant vote of support for New Orleans’ school reforms, the Laura and John Arnold Foundation announced a $25 million investment Wednesday to help successful local charters expand and to attract top national charter organizations to the city. The goal is to turn education around for 15,000 kids.

Teachers Should Be Active In Reform Effort
American Press, LA, November 28, 2012
One might almost understand why Steve Monaghan senses an attack. Almost. The president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, speaking at the organization’s annual meeting last week, cited Gov. Bobby Jindal’s education agenda in 2012, through which the governor used the weight of his high office to stack the deck in favor of his version of school reform.

MASSACHUSETTS

Brockton School Officials Mounting Effort To Block Charter School
Enterprise News, MA, November 29, 2012
School officials and School Committee members are gearing up to mount opposition to a proposal to start a charter school in the city.

MICHIGAN

Media Plays Into ‘Unfounded Hysteria’ Over School Reforms
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, MI, November 28, 2012
The Bridge Magazine is misleading the public when describing an educational reform bill, said Michael Van Beek, education policy director of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

Is Michigan ‘s Education Achievement Authority Establishing A Statewide School Reform District On The Fast Track?
Grand Rapids Press, MI, November 28, 2012
Michigan Republicans are continuing to shape a proposal that could lead to a statewide expansion of a school district aimed at turning around low-performing schools.

Proposed Teacher Evals Draw Critics
Detroit News, MI, November 29, 2012
Teacher evaluation models at 28 Michigan school districts all fall short of what Michigan should strive for in its new statewide model, according to a nonprofit education advocacy group.

MINNESOTA

New Coalition Targets Achievement Gap In Schools
Star Tribune, MN, November 28, 2012
An influential collection of metro-area organizations goes public Thursday with a new attempt to focus the spending of millions intended to erase the achievement gap in inner-city schools.

MISSISSIPPI

Charter Schools: What Is Your Definition Of A Pilot Program?
Clarion Ledger Blog , MS, November 28, 2012
I got a call from Rep. George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg, this morning. “It will be a pilot program,” Flaggs told me straight off, referring to charter schools and my column today. We talked at length, and he ran down what he sees a House charter school bill looking like. But is it a pilot program?

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Lynch for Education, So Long As Students Stay In Assigned Schools
Laconia Daily Sun, NH, November 28, 2012
John Lynch has been handing out favors. The beneficiary is our teachers’ union. Under his direction this fall, the Board of Education promoted rules that make it harder for parents to choose an alternative to the public school for their children.

NEW JERSEY

Reaching Students
Asbury Park Press, NJ, November 29, 2012
For students at Red Bank Charter School, the 18-classroom, sky-blue building perched on Oakland Street, the school week is 40 hours long, similar to a full-time job.

‘Renaissance Schools’ Get Board’s Go-Ahead in Camden
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, November 29, 2012
A proposal to build up to five new “renaissance schools” in Camden under the fledgling Urban Hope Act passed a key hurdle early yesterday morning as the Camden school board gave the go-ahead to the controversial plan.

In A Reversal, Camden School Board Approves KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy Renaissance School
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, November 29, 2012
Reversing itself, the Camden school board Wednesday backed the creation of a “Renaissance school” at the site of the former public Lanning Square Family School .

NEW YORK

Group May Sue Over Money Owed to Poor New York School Districts
New York Times, NY, November 29, 2012
Six years after New York’s highest court forced the state to substantially increase financing to poor school districts, the group that won that ruling is threatening a new lawsuit unless Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the Legislature come up with billions of extra dollars for those districts.

Teachers Face ‘Anxiety’ With New Evaluations
Daily News, NY, November 29, 2012
This school year teachers at Albion and other school districts in New York will be graded, from a 1 for ineffective to a 4 for highly effective.

Alarm Again Raised Over Lack Of Buffalo Teacher Evaluation Plan
Buffalo News, NY, November 28, 2012
Superintendent Pamela C. Brown on Wednesday renewed her call for Buffalo Teachers Federation President Philip Rumore to return to the negotiating table to reach an agreement on teacher evaluations.

School Superintendents Respond On Teacher Evaluations
Newsday, NY, November 28, 2012
After reading the editorial “More whining on evaluations” [Nov. 28], I believe that Newsday is more interested in being quotable than factual. To make the argument that the new teacher accountability program isn’t unfunded, or underfunded, the writer suggests that Middle Country received an additional $4 million in aid, leading a reader to conclude that there are plenty of dollars available for these evaluation programs.

OHIO

Major Charter Schools Don’t Apply For Cleveland School Tax Money
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, November 29, 2012
Most of Cleveland’s major charter school organizations did not apply by Tuesday’s deadline for a share of money from the just-passed school levy.

Ohio’s 3 Finalists To Vie For Millions
Columbus Dispatch, OH, November 29, 2012
A plan by Reynoldsburg schools to personalize student learning was among 61 finalists nationwide selected by the U.S. Department of Education for a shot at $400 million in federal Race to the Top funding.

State May Count Hours, Not Days In School Year
Columbus Dispatch, OH, November 29, 2012
Longer days instead of make-up days may be ahead for Ohio schools struggling to rearrange their calendars after snow days and other scheduling calamities.

Finally, Progress On School Reform
Salem News, OH, November 29, 2012
At long last, Ohio seems on the brink of simple, common-sense school reforms.

PENNSYLVANIA

With Deadline Looming, A Bus Tour Of Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, November 29, 2012
Friday is the deadline for district students to apply to a citywide or special-admission high school, or to transfer to a district neighborhood school.

State Fails For Attempt To Remove Standard From Tests
Wilkes Barre Times-Leader , PA, November 29, 2012
CALL IT THE de-standardization of standardized tests. When test results don’t meet your goals and you can’t change the tests, change the way you use the tests.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Charleston County School District Still On Track To Open Lowcountry Tech Program On Downtown Rivers Campus
Post and Courier, SC, November 29, 2012
The school board didn’t take any action that would change its 2007 decision for the new Lowcountry Tech program to share space with the Charleston Charter School for Math and Science in the downtown building, and it doesn’t appear that a majority of the board would support changing that.

Buist Academy Increasing Enrollment For 2013-14 School Year By 70 Students To 480
Post and Courier, SC, November 29, 2012
Buist Academy , one of the most in-demand magnet schools in Charleston County , will accept more students for the 2013-14 school year.

TENNESSEE

Creation of Municipal Charter Schools Could be an Option for Suburbs
WREG, TN, November 28, 2012
A federal judge’s decision to stop municipal schools from opening is not quiet the end of the line for those people in support of them.

Closures Intrinsic to Charter-School System
Nashville Public Radio, TN, November 29, 2012
Families and Metro education officials are being reminded charter schools aren’t necessarily permanent. Charters are ramping up in Tennessee , boasting some ten thousand students. They get public money to run their own way, on the promise they’ll put up good test scores. But some charters inevitably fall short, and shutting them down is a messy process.

School Dispute Roils Memphis
The Tennessean, TN, November 29, 2012
Leaders of an attempt by six Memphis suburbs to start their own public school systems are considering how to respond after a federal judge halted their effort.

WISCONSIN

ALPS Charter School Resembles One-Room School House
The Oshkosh Northwestern, WI, November 28, 2012
A small Oshkosh charter school emulating the feel of historic one-room school houses may soon find itself the recipient of state-wide attention, and some possible funding to help share the school’s methods.

ONLINE LEARNING

School Board Institutes Fees For Cyber, Charter Student Activity Participation
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA, November 28, 2012
Charter and cyber-school students are welcome to participate in Penn Hills School District sports or extracurricular activities — but it’s going to cost their schools.

Don’t Give Up On Online Learning
The Tennessean, TN, November 29, 2012
Opponents of online learning options for children are shortsighted in their recent criticism of the new Tennessee Virtual Academy . Technology is the future of education throughout the world, and Tennessee cannot afford to be left behind.

Online Schools Spend Millions on Advertising to Recruit New Students
NPR StateImpact , OH, November 29, 2012
In the stories on online education we wrote with the Cleveland Plain Dealer earlier this year, we looked at the huge growth in online charter schools and one of the big questions about those schools: Where does the money go?

Students And Funds Increasingly Move Toward Digital Classrooms
The Review, OH, November 29, 2012
Since the first Ohio virtual schools opened in 2000, charter schools have increased in popularity statewide, with approximately 30,000 students currently enrolled. As more students enroll in these schools, questions regarding standards and accountability arise

JRL Online Class Bid Denied
The Advocate, LA, November 29, 2012
State officials Wednesday rejected a bid to offer online classes to public school students by a firm linked to the 2009 bribery trial of the brother of former U.S. Congressman William Jefferson.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

Union Challenges Louisiana Reforms In Court

November 28, 2012 By

“Louisiana education lawsuit: Teachers association expects protracted legal battle”
by Lauren McGaughy
Times Picayune
November 28, 2012

Louisiana’s recent education overhaul will be tested Wednesday in court as multiple teachers associations and school boards challenge the constitutionality of changes made this year to the state’s voucher program and teacher hiring rules. Ahead of Wednesday’s court case, Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) President Steve Monaghan told NOLA.com he expects a protracted legal battle with the Jindal administration.

“Pragmatically, one has to understand that the legal process doesn’t go like a blitzkrieg. It is a lengthy process that can take months and sometimes years,” Monaghan said Tuesday.

He added, “we are fully aware that the administration is very, very likely to appeal and to appeal to the Supreme Court.”

State Superintendent of Education John White came out against the lawsuit in June, issuing a statement that said, “The LFT is preventing parents from doing what they think is best for their children. It’s time to return our focus to teaching and classrooms, but the LFT keeps dragging us back to politics and courtrooms.”

The Washington, DC-based Institute for Justice, a libertarian law firm, have also come out against the suit. They issued a statement this month condemning the suit.

“It is imperative that school choice flourish in Louisiana or else another generation of Louisiana schoolchildren will be condemned to educational purgatory,” the Nov. 20 statement read.

“Faced with an exodus of children from underperforming and failing public schools, teachers’ unions and school boards have sued to stop parents from making that choice,” it added.

Institute of Justice members, along with Ken Campbell, president of the Black Alliance for Educational Options, and others will protest the suit tomorrow morning outside the court house in Baton Rouge.

The suit was brought by the LFT, Louisiana Association of Educators, Louisiana School Boards Association and 43 local school boards.

It challenges the constitutionality of the education overhaul, called Act 2, passed at the end of the last legislation session. The LFT said Act 2 violates Section 3 of the state constitution which says public education funding will go only to public schools and school systems.

LFT Director of Public Relations Les Landon told NOLA.com on Monday they are confident in their ability to win the suit.

“Ultimately we believe we will prevail and it will be demonstrated Governor Jindal steamrolled a blatantly unconstitutional issue through the legislature,” Landon said.

But the immediate outcome of the lawsuit and the media attention it has garnered — Monaghan said he has been contacted by national as well as local outlets — will be educating the public on legislative oversight and independence.

“The silver lining in all of this is an awakening of segments of the population who were either apathetic of the process or trusting of the process,” Monaghan said. “That was a field trip experience.”

The Act 2 suit will be heard tomorrow in Baton Rouge’s 19th Judicial Court District.

The LFT has also filed a separate suit against Act 1 — part of the education overhaul — of the legislative session, claiming it is also unconstitutional because its passage will effect multiple laws.

The state constitution does not allow these “bundled objectives” in one bill on the grounds it would discourage legislators from voting for a multi-part bill because they are opposed to just aspect.

Filed Under: Breaking News Tagged With: ,

Bills would turn Michigan into ‘super choice’ state

November 28, 2012 By

by Nancy Derringer
Bridge Magazine
November 27, 2012

Michigan Board of Education President John Austin calls it a “nuclear bomb.”

National education reformer Diane Ravitch proclaims “Michigan is on its way to ending public education.”

Michigan Future Inc. President Lou Glazer warns that local school districts won’t survive.

Welcome to education reform in Michigan, circa 2012.

A coordinated series of draft and introduced bills could reshape public education in Michigan, giving students more options and re-routing taxpayer money.

Richard McLellan,* the Lansing attorney at the center of legislation, says critics should focus more on improving education than their debating points: “I think it will potentially drive real change for better learning. So, in that respect, if you believe schools are not doing a very good job today and you believe they do a better job afterward, then yes, it could be disruptive for some people’s careers.” He wishes, “People spent as much time analyzing the reforms as they spend with rhetoric.”

State education leaders warn, however, of serious unintended consequences of the reforms that need to be addressed if the bills are to be passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Rick Snyder:

“Super choice”

* House Bill 6004 and Senate Bill 1358 expand the powers of the Educational Achievement Authority, which was established to run low-performing schools. The EAA is state-operated school district that this year is running 15 Detroit schools, with plans to expand next year to schools across the state scoring in the bottom 5 percent of all schools.

The legislation would codify an existing interlocal agreement in state law.

But the legislation goes beyond a legal cleanup. The EAA also could potentially take over schools beyond the state’s bottom 5 percent, open its own schools, hand over existing local public school buildings to charter schools, and exempt EAA schools from statewide assessment tests.

* House Bill 5923 would create nine new kinds of schools, including boarding schools, corporation-run schools and single-gender schools. For example, Compuware could open a school for the children of its employees and receive per-pupil funding for it.

Another variety of school – “globally competitive” – would be able to use a competitive admissions process and “recruit pupils from anywhere in the world.”

HB 5923 would strongly promote online classes, to the point that it appears to “uncap” the enrollment restrictions placed on cyberschools via charter school legislation adopted barely a year ago.

Even your local township government could bid to open a school under HB 5923. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Lisa Lyons, R-Alto, though McLellan told Bridge he authored it.

* A draft document, also crafted under McLellan, would revamp the state’s school funding law.

Today, the state sends a minimum of $6,900 to schools for each student enrolled. That money goes to one school, whether it is a traditional public school or a charter. The 302-page draft bill, summarized in an Oxford Foundation report commissioned by the governor, suggests that student aid be “unbundled” – that the $6,900 be split among various entities providing educational services to individual students.

Students who have enough credits to graduate from high school early would be given a $2,500 grant to continue their education at a Michigan college.

Reactions plentiful, less-than-laudatory

Michigan School Superintendent Mike Flanagan is in favor of reform, but thinks the state should slow down until we know how current reforms, such as lifting the cap on charters and increasing online education options, work.

Dan Quisenberry, president of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, said this new chapter in school reform is “asking some important questions” that will potentially provide “a richer experience for students.”

However, he said, the administrative infrastructure required to allow funding to follow student activities, perhaps over multiple districts, could prove to be a challenge.

“The essence here is, (the bill is) responding to some things that are happening in education, and let’s get busy doing these things. Is it messy to get there? Yes, but that’s work that needs to be done.

“(But), to flip a switch and do this in 12 months? We may be ahead of ourselves,” Quisenberry said.

Cindy Schumacher, executive director of the Governor John Engler Center for Charter Schools at Central Michigan University – the state’s largest charter authorizer – released a statement that read, in part:

“We support the ‘Any Time, Any Place, Any Way and Any Pace’ model of education articulated by Governor Snyder as well as his emphasis on performance funding based on individual student growth. … Our continued focus will be to ensure that choice, accountability and improved academic performance are the goals of our system of schools. While we continue working to prepare our students academically for success in college, work and life, it is encouraging to see these priorities expanded in Michigan’s broader public education space.”

In the Upper Peninsula, Patrick Shannon, director of charter schools for Bay Mills Community College, is cautiously optimistic. Bay Mills serves a Native American population, and is the authorizer for a number of charters serving low-income populations and minority populations around the state.

“I’ve heard this called the debit-card system,” said Shannon. “A lot has to be fleshed out, (but) it’s potentially good for parents and students.”

 What’s the dispute about?

Two of the most controversial elements are:

* A la carte academics – the ability for students to take classes almost anywhere they want, and have the state’s student aid follow them. Some education leaders worry that this concept will undermine traditional neighborhood schools by further eroding state funding. If a student takes world history at the neighboring charter school and a foreign language online, school aid would be split between providers.

But school aid pays for more than teacher salaries. “K-12 schools base their business model on an extremely high share of all kids,” explained Glazer, president of Michigan Future, a nonprofit education advocacy organization. “That allows them to subsidize high cost programming including high school sports and band with the surplus generated by low-cost kids.”

Margaret Trimer-Hartley*, superintendent of University Prep Math and Science charter schools in Detroit, points out that some programs, such as high school science courses, are costly. Will every school continue to support a full host of science courses if some of their students are going to other schools?

Such a system makes sense in the business world, but may not translate well to K-12 education, says Livingston Educational Service Agency Superintendent Dave Campbell.

“When a kid is in three different buildings, “it increases the chances of kids falling through the cracks,” Campbell said. “Most kids need a strong community of adults who care enough about them to hold them accountable.” Dividing time between various schools and online courses “fragments support. It’s not what most teen-agers need – they need structure.”

* “Super choice” – the broadening of charters and online schools. House Bill 5923 allows a lot more groups to open charter schools, from businesses to municipalities. Charters could be single-sex, and charters wouldn’t have to accept all students who come to their door. The bill also allows the creation of more online schools.

Trimer-Hartley argues that urban areas already have a “saturated market.” She worries that more options will foster a “Walmart-ization of the education system: low costs with no customer loyalty.”

Going beyond ‘A’ effort

Michigan already has one of the richest school-choice environments in the nation, earning an “A” from the Washington D.C.-based Center for Education Reform. Michigan moved up to an “A” from a “B” in 2011.

The CER also ranks Michigan 11th in the nation for “parent power.” Its individual assessment of the state’s school-choice environment noted: “Michigan is prohibited from offering private school choices, but it makes up for that in its robust charter law which is expansive and responsive to consumers. A high number of digital learning opportunities and good teacher quality measures keep districts on their toes. And now failing school districts are finding new partners to manage their schools. All of these developments are plusses for parents.”

The CER ranked Michigan’s charter-school law, revised in 2011, fifth-strongest in the nation.

But choice’s academic record is mixed. Some charter schools have records of high achievement among their students; some are among the state’s worst schools. “If we do this, we need to make sure we don’t get more crap charters,” Austin said. “We need better schools.”

Michigan’s current cyber school – the Michigan Virtual Charter Academy – has a spotty academic record. Low-income students scored worse on 8th grade math than similar students in Detroit, or Grand Rapids; among 11th grade students at the cyber school, not one student scored at a proficient level in math.

Because of that record, some educators worry about expanding online options. “Before we charge to create more, shouldn’t we know if what we’re doing now works?” asked Austin. “What you don’t want are signs reading “Free education – call 1-800.”

The Oxford Foundation is accepting public comment on its proposal until Dec. 14. The report will be shipped to Snyder in January, at which point the governor will decide whether to incorporate the reform measures into his 2013 budget.

A spokesman for Snyder stated via email Monday that, “While the governor is reserving comment on the Oxford Foundation proposal until he gets the final draft at the
end of the year, he is looking forward to reviewing the proposal and the associated legislation when they get to his desk.”

The other measures, however, are before the Legislature and lawmakers can act on them before year’s end – should they so choose.

“We know if the Legislature adopts this, the superintendents will be busy figuring out how to make this work,” McLellan said. “We know that whatever we write will need to be changed. We’re trying to provide a concept with flexibility.”

What is McLellan’s vision for Michigan if the reforms become law? “I’d hope that we’d find that kids in third grade could actually read,” he said bluntly. “We want to be on our way to having a literate Michigan population. We can’t say that today.”

Filed Under: CER in the News

Daily Headlines for November 28, 2012

November 28, 2012 By

Jeb Bush Hammers Teachers Unions At Education Summit
Washington Times, DC, November 27, 2012
In the fight to reform American schools, former Florida Gov. and outspoken education advocate Jeb Bush on Tuesday took direct aim at labor groups and joined a growing chorus who believe real change must start by loosening the grip of teachers unions.

Call for Reformers and Unions to Get Along
Stateline, November 28, 2012
Speaking in Washington, D.C. at the fifth annual Excellence in Action National Summit on Education Reform, John Podesta said that major electoral defeats in Indiana, Idaho and South Dakota showed the folly of painting unions as the enemy.

Charter School Proponents To Announce Major Focus On Shutting Down Failing Schools
Huffington Post, November 28, 2012
Charter schools are about to get a reality check. As someone who has observed the breakneck pace of the growing charter school movement up close, Greg Richmond, who leads the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), is taking a step back.

Why the School Turnaround Experiment Is Failing
Huffington Post, November 27, 2012
The disappointing results of the Duncan administration’s controversial School Improvement Grants exemplify the fundamental flaw of test-driven school “reform.”

FROM THE STATES

ARIZONA

District Moving Forward To Establish Charter School
Yuma Sun, AZ, November 27, 2012
The Crane Elementary School District governing board recently adopted a charter to move forward with the establishment of a district-sponsored charter school to be opened Fall 2013.

ARKANSAS

Teacher Test Fraud Opens The Door To School Choice In Arkansas
Daily Caller, November 27, 2012
Prospective teachers in three southern states paid stand-ins to take their licensing exams, according to a federal investigation that uncovered 15 years of mass fraud in the public school licensing system.

CALIFORNIA

Proposed Charter School Drawing Heat In Novato
Pacific Sun, CA, November 27, 2012
A national debate over the effect charter schools may have on student diversity has hit home in Marin, as a pair of Bay Area civil rights watchdogs have entered the fray over the proposed North Bay Academy in Novato .

Judge Disagrees With Bullis Charter In Facilities Case, Sides With Los Altos School District
Marin Independent Journal, CA, November 27, 2012
A Santa Clara County Superior Court judge has sided with the Los Altos School District in its latest legal run-in with Bullis Charter School, but the fight over facilities appears to be far from over.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Measuring Quality In D.C.’s School Voucher Program
Washington Post Blog, DC, November 27, 2012
On Saturday, November 17, 2012 the Washington Post published an article entitled “Quality controls lacking for D.C. schools accepting federal vouchers”.

Charter Schools Send Teens To College
Washington Times, DC, November 27, 2012
Graduating urban youths is incredibly important. Friendship Collegiate Academy , one of six public charter school campuses and one of 11 urban campuses run by my organization, is a public charter high school in underserved Northeast Washington .

THE 3-MINUTE INTERVIEW: Jason Lody
Washington Examiner, DC, November 27, 2012
Lody is executive director of Sela Public Charter School , the first Hebrew language charter school in the District — and only the third of its kind in the nation. “Sela” means rock or foundation in Hebrew, and the school recently announced that it will set its own foundation in the Ward 4 neighborhood of Takoma when it opens in fall 2013.

GEORGIA

Georgia’s High School Graduation Rates Near Bottom In U.S.
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, November 27, 2012
Georgia’s high school graduation rates are not good, but probably not quite as bad as the state’s number 48 ranking indicates, state schools Superintendent John Barge said Tuesday.

State Should Keep Charter School As It Is
The Brunswick News, GA, November 28, 2012
Someone in the Georgia Department of Education owes Glynn County , the public school system and the business community an explanation. Someone needs to tell us all, every taxpayer in Brunswick and the Golden Isles, how someone in state government in Atlanta could have approved a school charter that failed to meet the specifics of state law.

ILLINOIS

New Charter Turns To The Law To Inspire Kids
Chicago Tribune, IL, November 28, 2012
Legal Prep Charter Academy opened its doors in West Garfield Park three months ago, the only legal-themed high school in Illinois.

School Closing Bill Moves To House, Senate Floors
Chicago Tribune, IL, November 27, 2012
A key legislator said Tuesday that she remains undecided on whether to allow Chicago Public Schools four more months to produce a list of school closings, even as legislation on the extension moved to the House and Senate floors.

LOUISIANA

Do Louisiana School Vouchers Use State Or Local Money?
Alexandria Town Talk, LA, November 28, 2012
In what may have been the apex of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s power and influence over the state Legislature, his team pressed non-stop to push through a far-reaching package of education bills in the first three weeks of this year’s session, which is considered warp speed at the Capitol.

Louisiana Education Lawsuit: Teachers Association Expects Protracted Legal Battle
Times Picayune, LA, November 27, 2012
Louisiana’s recent education overhaul will be tested Wednesday in court as multiple teachers associations and school boards challenge the constitutionality of changes made this year to the state’s voucher program and teacher hiring rules. Ahead of Wednesday’s court case, Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) President Steve Monaghan told NOLA.com he expects a protracted legal battle with the Jindal administration.

MARYLAND

City Schools Unveil 10-Year Renovation Plan
Baltimore Sun, MD, November 27, 2012
In the next 10 years, Baltimore’s school system will have a leaner, modernized look under a proposed $2.4 billion facilities plan that calls for closing 26 school buildings and upgrading 136 others in a large-scale face-lift of Maryland’s oldest school infrastructure.

MASSACHUSETTS

City Schools Must Prepare Response To Charter Questions
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, November 27, 2012
We won’t know until sometime next month whether the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will let the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School carry on beyond this academic year — or really even finish it, given Tuesday’s comments by state Commissioner of Education Mitchell D. Chester (See news story, Page 1).

MICHIGAN

Detroit Schools Battle For Custody Following Public Act 4 Repeal
Michigan Chronicle, MI, November 27, 2012
“I have no idea who’s in charge of our public schools, and I don’t know if anyone really has any idea,” Harris said. “Both the school board and the emergency manager think they’re in charge.”

Bills Would Turn Michigan Into ‘Super Choice’ State
Bridge Magazine, MI, November 27, 2012
Michigan Board of Education President John Austin calls it a “nuclear bomb.”

These School Reforms Will Move Michigan Forward
Detroit News, MI, November 28, 2012
The 2012 election is behind us and the voters of this state have spoken. Now it’s time for our state’s leaders to come together and work on common solutions to the problems facing our state.

School Reform Aims For Profits
Detroit Free Press, MI, November 28, 2012
The state Republicans’ wave of education reform is nothing but a power grab. It is part of a long-term strategy to give the so-called job creators control of the education dollar. The voucher era is at hand.

MISSISSIPPI

Did Gov. Bryant Propose A Pilot Program For Charter Schools?
Clarion Ledger Blog , MS, November 27, 2012
Gov. Phil Bryant was on the Paul Gallo Radio Show this morning talking about a variety of topics from Medicaid expansion to health insurance exchanges to his upcoming education policy announcement on Friday.

Pilot Charter School Program Could Work In Mississippi
Clarion Ledger, MS, November 27, 2012
Everyone knows that one of the top issues for the upcoming legislative session is charter schools. Last year, the bill failed largely because it never made it out of committee in the House, where a bipartisan group of legislators killed the Senate version. House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, has fixed that problem by reassigning committee members.

MISSOURI

State-Appointed Board In Riverview Gardens To Remain In Place
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, November 28, 2012
State education officials voted Tuesday in St. Louis to extend state oversight of the struggling Riverview Gardens school district by ordering a Special Administrative Board to remain in place an additional three years.

Link Between Poverty, School Success Needs To Be Systemically Addressed
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, November 28, 2012
As the struggles of school districts across the state reflect, neither size nor geography will determine success but rather the quality of the education being provided and our ability to support the families and neighborhoods where the schools are located. We need to recognize that where children live — their house, their apartment and their neighborhood — matters.

NEVADA

Out of the Race
Las Vegas Review Journal, NV, November 28, 2012
In the end, the encouraging 11th-hour efforts of Gov. Brian Sandoval, the Clark County School District and the Clark County Education Association bore no fruit for local students. The district’s application for a Race to the Top grant from the U.S. Department of Education was rejected Monday.

NEW JERSEY

NJ Charter School Students Learn More Than Their Peers, Says New Report
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, November 28, 2012
New Jersey’s ongoing debate about whether traditional public schools or charters do a better job educating students got some provocative new data yesterday, courtesy of a study from Stanford University that came down on the side of the charters — particularly in Newark ‘s embattled school district.

The Lesson in Newark
CNN Blog, November 28, 2012
School and union leaders in the nation’s largest school districts who are waging epic battles over teacher evaluation, compensation and the future of the teaching profession could learn a lesson from their colleagues in Newark, New Jersey . That’s where the city’s 3,300 teachers recently ratified a groundbreaking new contract that provides them unprecedented support and compensation.

N.J. Charter School Students, On Average, Outperform Those In Public Schools, Study Shows
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, November 28, 2012
Students in New Jersey charter schools show greater learning gains, on average, than those in comparable traditional public schools, a study released Tuesday by a Stanford University research center shows.

NEW YORK

Storied St. Jerome’s And Seven Other Bronx Catholic Schools Put On Notice For Closure In 2013
New York Daily News, NY, November 28, 2012
Among the eight Bronx Catholic schools identified as “at risk” for closure by the Archdiocese of New York is storied St. Jerome, which opened its school doors more than 140 years ago on Alexander Ave.

Bronx District OKs Elementary-School Choice
New York Post, NY, November 28, 2012
One of the city’s lowest-performing school districts has voted to give parents choice in applying to elementary schools — becoming only the second of 32 geographic districts to do so.

Charter School Could Mean $14.8M Loss to Utica School District
Utica Observer Dispatch, NY, November 27, 2012
With a charter school expected to open next fall, the Utica City School District is preparing its budget for $14.8 million loss of state aid over the next five years.

Multifaceted Approach Needed On School Reform
Buffalo News, NY, November 28, 2012
The executive director of the New York State School Boards Association is correct – we do elect the school boards. He is also correct about the statistics regarding degrees and experience of the members.

NORTH CAROLINA

Wake School Board Deals With Concerns About Capping
News & Observer, NC, November 27, 2012
Wake County school board members are trying to reassure parents that a proposal to limit overcrowding at nearly three dozen schools won’t shut their children out next school year.

OHIO

Ohio’s Grad Rates Show Racial Disparity
Columbus Dispatch, OH, November 28, 2012
Ohio has one of the nation’s lowest graduation rates for black students but one of the better rates for white students.

House Tweaking Schools Legislation
Columbus Dispatch, OH, November 28, 2012
Majority Republicans in the House say legislation to ramp up the school accountability system and create new report cards for schools and districts could be voted on as early as Thursday.

PENNSYLVANIA

KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy Renaissance School Proposal Is Approved By Camden School Board
Philadelphia Inquirer Blog, PA, November 28, 2012
After months of lobbying behind the scenes, the KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy renaissance school founders got their wish: their five-school campus proposal was accepted by the Camden School Board early Wednesday evening.

No Child Left Behind Waiver To Be Sought By Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, November 28, 2012
Pennsylvania Education Secretary Ron Tomalis said his department will seek a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind legislation, which in its current form calls for all students to test proficient in reading and math on annual state achievement exams by 2014.

TENNESSEE

Knox County Schools Accepting Charter School Proposals
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, November 28, 2012
Knox County Schools is accepting charter school proposals — for both new schools and potential conversions of existing schools to a charter — for the 2014-15 school year.

Suburbs Study Options After Schools Defeat
Commercial Appeal, TN, November 27, 2012
Suburban Shelby County residents had been preparing for swearing-in ceremonies for the municipal school board members they elected Nov. 6, but late Tuesday officials from Arlington , Bartlett , Collierville, Germantown , Lakeland and Millington had dropped those plans and were reassessing their options.

TEXAS

Dallas ISD Could Be Model For Reform, Education Secretary Arne Duncan Says During Visit
Dallas Morning News, TX, November 27, 2012
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s visit Tuesday to Dallas ISD offered local leaders an unrivaled opportunity to highlight the district’s reform plans and make a sales pitch to the country’s top educator.

WASHINGTON

I-1240 Opponents Can Take The High Road If They Want
News Tribune, WA, November 28, 2012
After four hard-fought charter initiative campaigns, legislative foot-dragging, and implacable opposition from the state’s public school establishment – not just the teachers’ unions – Washington voters have approved public charter schools

WISCONSIN

Voucher School Expansion May Do Little To Help Kids
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, November 27, 2012
Gov. Scott Walker should focus on how to ensure that more poor kids do better in school. They are the ones who need help.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

Newswire: November 27, 2012

November 27, 2012 By

Vol. 14, No. 32

WE’RE BACK. Okay, stop the calls and emails. We’ve heard you! You like our insightful and relevant commentary and news vignettes better than anyone’s, and you’ve told us loud and clear that we need to step it up. We’ve loved hearing that we write what you’re thinking and provide useful information that helps you do your job better. As we shared when we stopped a few months back, we took a pause and began providing you daily news clips instead, available on our website, and stepped up our News & Analysis section so that you’d have ready access to MORE news and MORE information. But, websites are so passé, and you apparently like getting millions of emails more than you like going to check out what you’ve missed online, so because you are the reason we exist to fight and to create more choice and accountability for all children, Newswire is back. Enjoy — and keep in touch.

CH,CH,CHANGES… Maybe? Not so much? Washington will be different in January, not the same, as some are suggesting. We’ll be here reporting and working and yes, pushing to make sure we don’t get more regulation over reform, that we don’t make inadvertent and frankly, illogical decisions about spending and accountability, like the proposals being discussed that would in effect put the feds in charge of determining what charter accountability is all about. What? You didn’t know about that? While accountability for traditional public schools is discussed in terms of school improvement grants and turn around models, proposals for charter school accountability are much more highly regulated, taking a movement born to welcome entrepreneurial enterprise and demonstrate performance-based accountability and turning it into a new “system” that requires a heavy hand from federal policymakers. Click here to read Feds Work to Regulate Charter Schools.

DC INSANITY. It just doesn’t stop. First, the DC Schools Chancellor announces that she will be closing 20 traditional public schools in Washington, largely because of under enrollment and poor performance. But instead of opening those buildings to growing charter schools, which now serve more than 43% of DC school children, she’s keeping them for ‘future’ growth and use. Meanwhile, smelling weakness in district support for charters, Washington Teachers’ Union President Nathan Saunders is calling on Congress and the City Council to unionize the charters. While it’s unlikely he’ll succeed, they will devote considerable resources to this battle, and cause intentional confusion in the public and distress for charter schools. Hmmm — and these are the unions who have supposedly gotten reform religion? Probably was just the election year politicking we see every four years.

SPEAKING OF FLIPPING… That the Philadelphia school district is bankrupt — financially and educationally — the School Reform Commission — without public input or legislation — has suspended all charter school expansion, even though the courts have said that technically charters do not need permission to expand.

COUNT DOWN TO SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK. The school choice movement is a big tent, with everything from online learning to full-blown vouchers that continue to withstand legal and administrative challenges and provide a critical lifeline to children often in dire need of strong, accountable schools. Such choices are also a reminder in the face of renewed regulation and control over charter schools that having freedom and flexibility to manage a school often ensures excellence and responsiveness to the needs of those served. As many legislatures prepare for new sessions in January and states from North Carolina to Tennessee poised to advance full school choice legislation, it’s a great time to celebrate the freedom in education that millions of parents so dearly value — and that more need. National School Choice Week is bringing together literally thousands of organizations for a week long education and awareness campaign that is grounded in the reality of life lived outside of the policy and cynical political environments that all too often get in the way of educating kids. Join them — and us — as we learn more about what school choice can do for all of us.

CER LIVE. The team is LIVE at the Excellence in Action National Summit this week. We hope to see you there! For those of you not in town this week, be sure to follow us on Twitter @edreform for breaking news and insights.

In Case You Missed It!…

Much talk continues in Washington and around the country about the election’s impact on education reform. Much was said before, analyzing the prospects for real reform and whether the candidates’ track record at national and state levels jived with their words. When the fight was over, we offered our congratulations — and cautionary advice — to President Obama and some thoughts on what the Republicans could have and should have done better. With a few weeks and a holiday since passed, we thought you might want to refresh your memory and be prepared to help us all move forward.

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