Sign Up For Our Newsletter

NEWSWIRE IS 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. Click here to read NEWSWIRE.

NATIONAL
Colleges Agree To Recruit KIPP Alumni
Washington Post, DC, November 26, 2012
Twenty colleges and universities, including some of the nation’s most prestigious, have pledged in the past year to recruit more students from a prominent charter school network that focuses on educating the rural and urban poor.

Leaders Speak at Summit on Education Reform
C-Span, November 27, 2012
The Foundation for Excellence in Education will begin its annual National Summit on Education Reform on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

Teacher’s Union: We Must End This “Fixation” On Testing Students
Washington Examiner, DC, November 26, 2012
The American Federation of Teachers announced today it is expanding on their campaign “against excessive testing” called “Learning Is More Than a Test Score.”

FROM THE STATES

ARIZONA

Phoenix, Mesa Mayors Push To Reform Education
Arizona Republic, AZ, November 26, 2012
Hoping to spur dialogue where others have failed, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Mesa Mayor Scott Smith announced on Monday a new forum to tackle education reform in the state through a bipartisan group of Arizona mayors.

CALIFORNIA

Green Dot Charter Schools Founder Steve Barr Resigns From Board Of Directors
Daily Breeze, CA, November 26, 2012
The founder of Green Dot Public Schools – a nationally renowned cluster of charter schools in Los Angeles County that includes two in the South Bay – has stepped down from the organization’s board of directors.

Civil Rights Groups Raise Concerns About Novato Charter School Plan
Marin Independent Journal, CA, November 26, 2012
In the latest twist in a contentious debate over a proposed Novato charter school, two San Francisco civil rights groups have entered the fray, arguing the school could isolate minorities and poor students.

Inglewood Superintendent Returns To Turn Schools Around
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 26, 2012
Kent Taylor hopes to stabilize the insolvent district that he says set him on his course through life. But not everyone is rooting for him.

COLORADO

Charter School Group To Proceed With Re-1
Post Independent, CO, November 27, 2012
A group of parents who want to start a new public charter school in Glenwood Springs will withdraw their application from the state chartering authority, but hope to proceed in making their case to the Roaring Fork School District.

DELAWARE

Odyssey Charter School’s Plan for Del. 48 Campus Raises Concerns
News Journal, DE, November 26, 2012
Westgate Farms resident James Kennedy was happy when he learned Odyssey Charter School officials chose the historic Mundy Farm on Del. 48 in Mill Creek as the site for a new location.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

KIPP DC a Finalist in Race to the Top Competition
Washington Post Blog, DC, November 26, 2012
Charter school operator KIPP DC is one of 61 finalists in the federal government’s $400 million Race to the Top-District grant competition, U.S. Department of Education officials announced Monday.

FLORIDA

Matt Reed: Why Brevard’s Opening Schools, Closing Others
Florida Today, FL, November 27, 2012
Sunday, I pointed to the absurdity for taxpayers in having to close four public schools in Brevard while paying to launch new charter schools, including one in Viera.

Researcher Says State Charter School Study Was ‘Poorly Done’ And ‘Biased’
State Impact NPR, FL, November 26, 2012
A University of Central Florida business professor and the Florida Department of Education have been swapping research the past week in a debate about whether charter schools perform better than district schools.

ILLINOIS

CPS Offer Escalates School Closing Fears
Chicago Tribune, IL, November 27, 2012
Chicago Public Schools leadership offered a trade Monday as it tries to win state lawmakers’ support for a key school reform measure: Agree to push back the announcement of what schools will close until spring, and the district will put a five-year moratorium on shutting more buildings.

The Painful Conversation
Chicago Tribune, IL, November 27, 2012
Closing a school, no matter how poorly it performs, is emotionally wrenching for students, parents and teachers. Now imagine that you had to close not one school, but dozens. That’s the painful reality facing leaders at Chicago Public Schools this year.

INDIANA

County School Voucher Use Low
Princeton Daily Clarion, IN, November 26, 2012
While enrollment in the state’s voucher program has more than doubled since implemented last year, only a small portion of Gibson County students are enrolled, according to the Indiana Department of Education.

IOWA

Des Moines School Board Considers Hiring Own Lobbyist
Altoona Herald, IA, November 26, 2012
Some Des Moines school officials want the district to hire its own lobbyist for the upcoming legislative session, a move that could lead to more decision-making authority at the local level.

LOUISIANA

School Voucher Desegregation Ruling Comes Ahead Of Teacher Union Lawsuit
Times Picayune, LA, November 26, 2012
Gov. Bobby Jindal’s education overhaul conflicts with a desegregation agreement in place in Tangipahoa Parish, a federal judge ruled Monday.

Teachers Group To Push Repeal Of Jindal’s Laws
The Advocate, LA, November 27, 2012
Steve Monaghan, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, acknowledged that repealing Gov. Bobby Jindal’s public school overhaul laws next year would require a political tsunami.

MARYLAND

Charter School Renewals, Contract Schools Debated
Baltimore Sun Blog, MD, November 26, 2012
Today, The Sun published a story about a slew of Baltimore city charter schools are up for renewal this school year, and all agree that it was fine time for the popular schools to have a uniformed, reliable and rigorous evaluation process that will improve their trajectory in the district. You can read more about that renewal process, here.

MICHIGAN

Public Education’s Big Challenge: Innovate Or Die
Detroit News, MI, November 27, 2012
Education should be about TLC: Teaching, learning and children. Yet when it comes to providing the education our children need and deserve, to not merely survive — but to thrive in a fast-paced, hyper-competitive, disruptive, knowledge economy where ideas and jobs move around the globe effortlessly — the focus quickly deteriorates into power, control, politics and adults.

MISSISSIPPI

Charlie Mitchell Was Wrong About Public Charter Schools
Sun Herald, MS, November 26, 2012
Unfortunately, Mr. Mitchell’s Nov. 20 column is a far cry from the type of serious public discourse the charter school debate deserves. Not only is Mr. Mitchell apparently unfamiliar with key provisions in the recent charter school legislation, his rhetoric is offensive as he resorts to images of garbage collection and segregation in an effort to inflame, not enlighten.

NEW MEXICO

Gov. Shows Support For Charters
Albuquerque Journal, NM, November 27, 2012
I want to give Gov. Susana Martinez a big ‘thank you” for attending the New Mexico Coalition for Charter Schools ’ 12th Annual Conference and addressing the attendees

NEW YORK

School Closures Target Widens
Wall Street Journal, November 26, 2012
The New York City Department of Education on Monday named 23 high schools that could be closed due to poor performance, up from 17 targeted at this time last year.

Syracuse Students Will Have A Say In Their Teacher’s Job Evaluation
Syracuse Post-Standard, NY, November 27, 2012
This year, Syracuse students, even the kindergartners, will have a voice in their teacher’s formal job evaluation.

Teacher Eval Hitch Could Cost Yonkers
Journal News, NY, November 27, 2012
The state is threatening to withhold millions of dollars in aid from the cash-strapped city schools next year if the district can’t iron out a deal with the teachers union on new performance appraisals by week’s end.

Teacher Evaluations Usually Not ‘Unfunded’
Newsday, NY, November 26, 2012
School districts throughout New York are complaining that the new evaluation system for teachers and principals is creating a fiscal burden they can’t handle. They’re calling it another of the “unfunded state mandates” administrators complain about so often. It is a mandate, but it’s not unfunded, or expensive, and the whining says more about the education establishment than the costs.

Archdiocese Of New York Releases List Of 26 Elementary Schools And One High School ‘At Risk’ Of Closure
New York Daily News, NY, November 27, 2012
The selections were made through an arduous, months-long evaluation process that involved school boards and an archdiocesan committee, officials said.

Schools Head Finds a Formula
Wall Street Journal, November 27, 2012
Five years ago, students in the public-school system here were almost as likely to drop out as earn a diploma. School-board meetings routinely devolved into shouting matches, with a board member once pouring a pitcher of ice water over an administrator’s head.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma Strikes Out Again In Quest For Race To The Top Education Funds
The Oklahoman, OK, November 27, 2012
The U.S. Education Department announced Monday that 61 finalists were named from about 370 applications nationwide. Six applications came from Oklahoma ; none were finalists.

OREGON

Albany School Board Turns Down Charter School
Albany Democrat Herald, OR, November 27, 2012
The Albany School Board agreed unanimously Monday to deny an application to open a charter school next fall, citing financial stability as the biggest problem.

Charter Schools Withdraw Applications From Portland Public Schools
The Oregonian, OR, November 26, 2012
Organizers from two charter schools that had hoped to open their doors this fall in Portland Public Schools have withdrawn their applications.

Executive Director To Be Evaluated By Homesource
The Register-Guard, OR, November 27, 2012
Paula Praus-Williamson, HomeSource Family Charter School’s executive director, is under fire from her own board and from the Bethel School District as the embattled charter school faces another round of allegations that it violated its contract with the Bethel district.

PENNSYLVANIA

Charter School Funding Reform Must Address Pension Flaw
Pottstown Mercury, PA, November 27, 2012
We can think of several reasons why laws regulating charter schools should be examined and addressed by Pennsylvania lawmakers after they failed to accomplish that task this legislative session.

Chester Upland School Board Rejects Recovery Plan
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, November 27, 2012
The Chester Upland school board voted, 5-4, Monday night to reject a recently released financial and academic recovery plan, causing the state to seek to have the troubled district placed in control of a receiver.

Council Ponders Philadelphia District’s Future
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, November 27, 2012
That’s what City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell wanted to know just three months after the release of the Boston Consulting Group’s controversial report and its recommendations for the distressed school district.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Lowcountry Teachers Quiz State Schools Chief On Evaluation System
Post & Courier, SC, November 27, 2012
About 200 Lowcountry public school teachers packed a high school auditorium Monday to learn more about what they need to do to make the grade.

TENNESSEE

Six Memphis City Schools Recommended For Closure
Commercial Appeal, TN, November 26, 2012
The 23-member unified school board will address a proposal to close six schools in the northwest and southwest regions of the Memphis City Schools district when it convenes for the third of three meetings this week.

TEXAS

Two Charter Schools Here Are Race To The Top Finalists
San Antonio Express, TX, November 26, 2012
Two charter school districts with campuses here were named national finalists for the federal Race to the Top competition — bringing the Harmony and IDEA Public Schools a step closer to the possibility of millions of dollars in grants previously unavailable to Texas schools.

WASHINGTON

No Charter Schools In Offing On North Olympic Peninsula
Peninsula Daily News, WA, November 27, 2012
Voters statewide approved allowing charter schools, but so far no one has contacted any of the nine North Olympic Peninsula school districts with an interest in starting one.

WEST VIRGINIA

The State School Board Is Serious About Reform
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, November 27, 2012
At last, West Virginia has a starting point for public education reform. On Wednesday, the state Board of Education approved its long-awaited response to the independent audit of our public school system.

WYOMING

Pilot Program To Evaluate Wyoming Teachers Could Begin In 2014
Casper Star-Tribune , WY, November 26, 2012
Measures to hold individual educators in Wyoming accountable for student learning may begin during the 2014-15 school year. That work, known as the second phase of the Wyoming Accountability in Education Act, originally was planned to start about a year earlier.

ONLINE LEARNING

State Examines Application For York-Based Cyber Charter School
York Dispatch, PA, November 27, 2012
Urban Cyber School , the first cyber charter school that would be based in York County , had its first big test on Monday.

Insurance Provider Files Suit Against PA Cyber
Beaver County Times, PA, November 26, 2012
In response to a federal class-action lawsuit filed by West Allegheny and three other school districts against the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School earlier this year, an insurance provider is asking federal court to determine the extent of the provider’s liability.

Georgia Threatens To Close K12-run Online Charter School
State Impact NPR, FL, November 26, 2012
The Georgia Department of Education is threatening to close an online charter school run by K12, the nation’s largest online education company, over issues with special education students.

NCAA Nixes Southwest Secondary, Local Online School
Albuquerque Journal, MN, November 27, 2012
High school student athletes, take note: You may want to make sure that online class you’re taking is accepted by the NCAA. As of October, the NCAA is no longer accepting any classes from Southwest Secondary, a popular Albuquerque charter school.

When ‘Grading’ Is Degrading
New York Times, NY, November 23, 2012
IN his speech on the night of his re-election, President Obama promised to find common ground with opposition leaders in Congress. Yet when it comes to education reform, it’s the common ground between Democrats and Republicans that has been the problem.

Charter School Corruption
Washington Post Blog, DC, November 23, 2012
No, this is not an indictment of all charter schools. Some do great things for kids. It is, however, the tip of an iceberg that is repeatedly ignored by school reformers who are insistent on opening more and more charters without sufficient oversight, all along saying it is “for the kids.” Funny so many adults apparently think it is more about their wallets.

Feds: Teachers Embroiled In Test-Taking Fraud
Associated Press, November 25, 2012
It was a brazen and surprisingly long-lived scheme, authorities said, to help aspiring public school teachers cheat on the tests they must pass to prove they are qualified to lead their classrooms.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Charter Schools Making Headway In Communities
San Diego Union Tribune, CA, November 23, 2012
It was 20 years ago that Gov. Pete Wilson signed the California Charter Schools Act into law, and California became the second state, after Minnesota, to approve charter schools. With the governor’s signature, the door in the Golden State was opened, creating an innovative educational laboratory.

For Two L.A. Schools, Sharing A Campus Is Starting To Chafe
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 25, 2012
Logan Elementary in Echo Park hosts Gabriella Charter School. That seemed good when enrollment was lower. But both schools are growing, and the campus is not.

Give Charter Schools Their Due
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 25, 2012
By now, it should be apparent that charter schools have been the spark to the education reform flame in the Los Angeles Unified School District .

Lessons From A Disadvantaged Children’s Charter School
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 23, 2012
Para Los Niños Charter School in an industrial part of downtown Los Angeles turns out to be a model for what upscale parents say they want for their children.

L.A.’s Revamped Teacher Evaluation System Getting Mixed Grades
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 25, 2012
Teachers are finding value in the new evaluation system as it rolls out, but administrators doing the reviews complain about how time-consuming they are.

Upcoming Battles In California Legislature Pit Education Reformers Against Teacher Unions And Their Backers
The San Jose Mercury News, CA, November 22, 2012
A nearly $6 billion infusion from Proposition 30 and a Democratic supermajority in the Legislature are a welcome pre-holiday gift to public education from voters, but it also could set the stage for battles between those laboring for education reform and suddenly fortified unions protecting teacher interests.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Kaya Henderson Wants Better Relationship Between Charter Schools And DCPS
WAMU, DC, November 25, 2012
Charter schools currently educate more than 40 percent of the District’s children. Now, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson says she wants the ability to authorize charter schools within the traditional public school system.

D.C. School Boundaries Fight Looms
Washington Post, DC, November 25, 2012
As District parents and activists organize to oppose Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s proposal to close 20 city schools, a potentially larger and more divisive fight looms.

FLORIDA

Florida Already Funnels Millions In Tax Dollars To Religious Schools
Orlando Sentinel, FL, November 24, 2012
On Election Day, voters turned down a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution that critics said could have cleared the way for taxpayer-funded vouchers for religious schools.

Confused, Discouraged Teachers File Complaints Over New Reviews
Orlando Sentinel, FL, November 22, 2012
When Central Florida teachers got their final job evaluations this month, many were puzzled or discouraged by how student test-score data affected their reviews.

With This Evaluation System, Florida Teachers Have No Shot
Palm Beach Post, FL, November 26, 2012
In 1999 the Florida Legislature and then-Gov. Jeb Bush enacted a law that said the state will assign valid grades to every public school.

Next Education Commissioner Will Tell Us A Lot About Florida’s Commitment To Reform
Orlando Sentinel, FL, November 24, 2012
With any luck, this week will bring a stop to the revolving door in the office of Florida’s education commissioner.

Public Schools Outperform Charter Schools
St. Augustine Record, FL, November 25, 2012
Here’s what the state Board of Education writes about charter schools:
They “are created through an agreement or ‘charter’ between the school and the local school board or a state university. This agreement gives the charter school a measure of expanded freedom relative to traditional public schools in return for a commitment to higher standards of accountability.”

West Boynton Charter School Was A ‘Want,’ Not A ‘Need.’
Palm Beach Post, FL, November 23, 2012
The “Canyon Angels” worked persistently and effectively to bring a charter school to their neighborhoods west of Boynton Beach. But one story line — that the parents had to overcome an obstructionist Palm Beach County school board and county commission — is inaccurate.

GEORGIA

No Easy Explanation For Charter School Amendment Vote
Athens Banner-Herald , GA, November 24, 2012
Predictably, the punditry’s instant analyses came out immediately upon the closing of the polls a couple of weeks ago, if not before, even though all of the electoral dust had yet to settle.

ILLINOIS

For Some, Entering A City Elite High School Gets A Little More Difficult
Chicago Tribune, IL, November 24, 2012
Demographic tweaks to a complex enrollment system intended to ensure diversity at Chicago’s best public high schools have created added anxiety for many parents who suddenly face tougher odds of getting their children into the elite schools.

Consistently Mediocre
Chicago Tribune, IL, November 24, 2012
Any kid trudging home to deliver a lackluster report card knows the first question from a parent: How will you do better next time? That’s the question every teacher, principal and administrator in this state needs to answer.

INDIANA

School Voucher Program Should Be Here To Stay
Star Press, IN, November 23, 2012
Indiana Supreme Court justices heard arguments last week over the state’s school voucher program, also known as Choice Scholarships Program.

New Indiana Schools Chief Says GOP Approval Not Needed
Journal Gazette, IN, November 26, 2012
Indiana’s new superintendent of public instruction, Democrat Glenda Ritz, said she can make some policy changes for the state’s schools without needing the approval of the Republican-controlled General Assembly and governor’s office, but that she welcomes input, no matter where it comes from.

KANSAS

Kansas Charting A Course For Teacher Evaluations
Topeka Capital Journal, KS, November 25, 2012
Sitting in her office at Chase Middle School, Teresa Songs places two red folders and a three-ring binder on her desk. The folders contain snapshots of her work as the school’s principal: an email she has sent with feedback to a teacher, information on recent staff training and a list of lessons on social skills that the children are learning.

Hope For Charter School In Town Is High
Hutchinson News, KS, November 24, 2012
This community of less than a thousand residents lost its only school when the elementary school closed in 2011. But the building could reopen in August 2013 as a K-12 public charter school.

MAINE

Public School District Budgets Take Cash Hit For Charter School Tuition
Kennebec Journal, ME, November 25, 2012
The creation of a new charter school and expansion of two existing ones in central Maine have some public school officials worried about the effect on their district budgets.

Cornville Charter School Settles Into Steady Groove, Hopeful For Future Growth
Morning Sentinel, ME, November 25, 2012
Students at Cornville are not separated by age. There is a combined kindergarten to second-grade classroom, a third- and fourth-grade classroom and a fifth- and sixth-grade classroom.

MARYLAND

Baltimore Charters Looking To The Next Decade
Baltimore Sun, MD, November 25, 2012
Eighteen charter schools seeking contract renewals to continue operating in Baltimore are undergoing a rigorous review process that will uniformly evaluate them for the first time since they began populating the district 10 years ago.

MASSACHUSETTS

Former Mayor Leads Effort To Open Charter School In Brockton
Enterprise News, MA, November 24, 2012
A group led by former Mayor John T. Yunits is trying to open the first charter school in the city, an effort that is likely to meet with opposition from public school officials and unions alike.

Charter School Review Has Context
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, November 25, 2012
There is no question that the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School, as noted by state Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester, still “faces substantial challenges to its ability to implement a viable and effective school program.”

MICHIGAN

Fight Over Detroit Education Achievement Authority Control Comes To Head
Detroit News, MI, November 26, 2012
Officials with the Education Achievement Authority say they’re transforming chaotic, underperforming Detroit schools into orderly buildings, where students are learning at their own pace using individualized education plans instead of standard grade-level curricula.

When It Comes To School Choice, Most Families Can Figure Out What’s Best For Their Children
Detroit News, MI, November 26, 2012
A new report on the prevalence of charter schools nationwide places Detroit in the No. 2 spot for the percentage of students in these alternative public schools. That’s cause for celebration for proponents of the movement but cause for alarm for those who believe charters are spreading too fast in Michigan .

MINNESOTA

Former State Senator Heads Back To Capitol To Push School Reform
Star Tribune, MN, November 23, 2012
Kathy Saltzman heads StudentsFirst, which champions reforms against the headwinds of Education Minnesota, the teachers’ union.

New Teacher Test Gauges Work In Front Of Classroom
Pioneer Press, MN, November 24, 2012
Starting next year, student results on the edTPA will count toward state approval of Minnesota’s teacher education programs. Down the road, the exam could replace a multiple-choice test on the science of teaching as a requirement to get a teaching license.

MISSISSIPPI

Forum To Focus On Charter Schools
The Meridian Star, MS, November 25, 2012
Organizers of a forum that will highlight statewide school reform initiatives expected to be addressed in the 2013 session of the Mississippi Legislature are encouraging residents of all East Central Mississippi counties to attend.

MISSOURI

Teachers Skeptical of Federal Education Efforts
Columbia Tribune, MO, November 24, 2012
A recent Gallup poll found that 68 percent of Americans think education will improve during President Barack Obama’s second term.

NEVADA

Education Reform
Las Vegas Review Journal, NV, November 23, 2012
This year’s state and local campaigns focused on education issues. Funding dominated election conversations about how to improve Nevada’s public schools.

NEW JERSEY

Teacher Seniority Still a Four-Letter Word to Administration — ‘LIFO’
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, November 26, 2012
For all its celebration of New Jersey’s new teacher tenure law, the Christie administration hasn’t hidden its lament for the one provision it couldn’t change: seniority protection for tenured teachers in the case of layoffs.

Bonus Time
The Economist, November 24, 2012
NEWARK’S public schools are dreadful. Although they have been under the supervision of New Jersey ’s state government since 1995, there has been little improvement since then.

NEW MEXICO

3-Tiered Teacher System Never Tied to Students
Albuquerque Journal, NM, November 26, 2012
I would like to comment on two recent Journal articles that addressed two important issues in K-12 public education that are currently being discussed and debated in New Mexico and beyond.

NEW YORK

Teacher Evaluation Systems Proving Costly
Newsday, NY, November 22, 2012
The newly mandated teacher and principal evaluation system is costing Long Island school districts tens of thousands of dollars per year in training, testing and materials, even as they struggle with effects of the property-tax cap and putting in place other required education reforms.

New Options Weighed for School Diplomas
Wall Street Journal, November 24, 2012
With New York state education officials expected to act early next year to give high-school students more career-specific pathways toward graduation and the working world, the idea is being endorsed as a way to improve graduation rates and fulfill demand for skilled workers in emerging industries.

OHIO

Cleveland-Area School Districts Must Work Harder To Keep Children Who Move Frequently From Falling Through The Cracks
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, November 24, 2012
Students who often change schools — making them hard to track and harder to teach — have long been a problem in many Ohio school systems, particularly Cleveland’s.

OKLAHOMA

As Study Shows, Money Alone Not To Blame For Oklahoma Schools’ Performances
The Oklahoman, OK, November 26, 2012
JENKS schools Superintendent Kirby Lehman recently said Oklahoma schools’ academic performance doesn’t rank nationally in the 40s, saying it was actually “in the 20s.” Only school funding ranks so poorly, he said.

PENNSYLVANIA

School Days Are Too Short
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, November 23, 2012
The Cherry Hill Board of Education and its teachers agreed to a new contract this week that extends the school day for middle and high school students.

Saugus To Hold Public Hearing On Charter School Proposal
The Daily Item, PA, November 26, 2012
A new charter school may be coming to Saugus next year, and the Department of Elementary and Second Eduction is holding a public hearing for input from residents.

Fair Standard For Charters
Scranton Times-Tribune, PA, November 25, 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.

TENNESSEE

TN School Vouchers Could Include Public, Private School Choices
The Tennessean, TN, November 26, 2012
As state lawmakers and members of a Gov. Bill Haslam-appointed task force consider the scope of a possible school voucher program in Tennessee, talks aren’t limited to using public dollars for private schooling.

School Closure Not Easy, But Best For The Students
The Tennessean, TN, November 25, 2012
The Metro School Board voted to close Smithson-Craighead Middle School after three consecutive years of lousy test scores. They weren’t picking on the school: All Nashville charter schools are given three years — and no more — to bring student test scores up to snuff or they’ll be shut down.

Charter Schools Are Succeeding
The Tennessean, TN, November 24, 2012
When school reform advocates gained state approval for charter schools in 2002, it was on the basis that charters would accept a high standard of accountability for their new responsibility of educating public school students. In effect, charters must deliver on what they promise — strong academic progress and performance — or face closure for chronically poor performance.

WASHINGTON

As Charter Schools Get Going Here, Best-Known Charter Chains May Stay Away
Seattle Times, WA, November 24, 2012
The first charter schools in Washington probably will be kitchen-table charters, started by a teacher or principal or two. Many of the nation’s best-known charter chains are already committed elsewhere or want to wait and see how the first charters fare.

Education Chairs Must Lead Washington State Forward
Seattle Times, WA, November 25, 2012
Washington state faces a daunting but critical challenge with a state Supreme Court ruling saying education is underfunded. Key to success is more constructive legislative leaders on education committees.

WEST VIRGINIA

Real School Reform Near
Wheeling Intelligencer, WV, November 26, 2012
At long last, Ohio seems on the brink of simple, common-sense school reforms.

Most States Now Allow Charter Schools
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, November 22, 2012
Opponents of charter schools – publicly financed, privately operated – paint them as demon spawn that sap resources from public schools.

WISCONSIN

Districts Combine Resources For Alternative Charter High School
Journal Sentinel, WI, November 25, 2012
Bob Kazmierski once struggled in a traditional high school classroom setting where he couldn’t get enough individualized attention, so he turned to Connects Learning Center , an alternative high school program in Cudahy.

ONLINE LEARNING

School Lockdown: PA Cyber Charter Owes The Public Some Answers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, November 25, 2012
Just because one facet of a public school is under investigation doesn’t mean its officials are off the hook on answering questions about other operations.

Bartow Virtual Academy Meets State Standards
Daily Tribune, GA, November 25, 2012
While State Department of Education officials have said they will begin shutting down the Georgia Cyber Academy in April if it fails to address concerns over how to handle special education curriculum, the Bartow County Virtual Academy is safe, says Bartow County Learning Center Director Larry Parker.

Lake Co. Faces Tough Questions On Growing Virtual School
WFTV, FL, November 23, 2012
The Lake County School District is facing tough questions about its growing virtual school.

Michigan Takes Big Step Forward In Online Testing Of Students
Detroit Free Press, MI, November 26, 2012
They ditched their No. 2 pencils in favor of a mouse and a keyboard to take the MEAP social studies exam — and in the process became part of a crucial project that will give state officials a glimpse into the future of online testing in Michigan .

Idaho’s Online Education Needs To Be Fixed, Not Abandoned
Idaho Statesman, ID, November 25, 2012
Online learning must be a component in an evolving Idaho classroom.But teachers and school districts also must have a real say in developing an online learning component that makes sense for today’s students — and tomorrow’s employees.

Carbon Co. School Provides Virtual School Option
Billings Gazette, WY, November 22, 2012
A Carbon County school has been working to bring the school to one family that live too far away for their two sons to make the daily trek to class.

Funding Rules Test Schools
Wall Street Journal, November 20, 2012
The school district in this ranching community has long been among the poorest in the state—and it remains so, local officials say, even though an oil boom has sent property values surging eightfold in the past two years.

FROM THE STATES

ARKANSAS

How One AR School Is Trying to Close the Achievement Gap
KARK, AR, November 20, 2012
Dedication. That’s how Wilbur Mills High School Principal Veronica Perkins summed up what it’s going to take for some students at her school to meet federal and state standards for math and literacy.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

More Details On Three Charter-School Chains Seeking Approval To Operate In The District
Washington Post Blog, DC, November 20, 2012
Three experienced charter-school operators have applied to set up shop in the District, eventually enrolling more than 6,000 kids at 10 separate campuses.

FLORIDA

Teachers Give An F To Evaluation Process
Florida Current, FL, November 21, 2012
The Florida Education Association wants a moratorium, a timeout, a pause in the implementation of SB 736, also known as the Student Success Act of 2011. It was the first bill Gov. Rick Scott signed into law and it ties teachers’ raises to how their students perform in the classroom.

Union Questioning Florida’s Teacher Evaluation Plan
Pensacola News Journal, FL, November 21, 2012
Margaret Goodman says she received high marks from all five principals she’s worked for during 39 years, yet Florida’s new evaluation system gave her a low rating of “needs improvement.”

GEORGIA

Black Politicians Ignoring Black Voters
Wall Street Journal, November 20, 2012
On Election Day earlier this month, voters in Georgia approved a ballot initiative that will expand school choice in a state where one in three high school freshmen fails to graduate in four years. You might consider this progress, but some lawmakers in the state are fighting the new law, which passed 59% to 41%. Even more curious is the fact that black lawmakers are leading the charge.

Georgia: Putting All Our Eggs And Hopes In Charter School Basket
Atlanta Journal Constitution Blog, GA, November 21, 2012
The battle in Georgia to win passage of a controversial charter school amendment turned out to be costly, divisive and polarizing.

ILLINOIS

Teachers Union Chief Slams ‘Top-Down’ Reform
Chicago Tribune, IL, November 20, 2012
Showing the same combativeness that was on display during the recent strike, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said Tuesday that the wealthy backers of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s efforts to overhaul the city’s troubled schools should donate money to support public education but otherwise butt out.

Aldermen Question CPS ‘Right-Sizing,’ Opening Charters In ‘Haphazard’ Way
Chicago Sun Times, IL, November 20, 2012
Aldermen upset about the prospect of massive school closings amid an expected charter expansion Tuesday got a lot of reassurances but not as many specifics from Chicago Public School officials.

INDIANA

Indiana School Voucher Program Taking Off; Lawsuit Over Popular Program Will Be Heard Wednesday
Indianapolis Star, IN, November 21, 2012
Indiana’s private school voucher program grew at an unprecedented rate this fall, more than doubling the number of students in its second year.

500 More Students Lost To Vouchers
The Journal Gazette, IN, November 21, 2012
Participation in the state’s voucher program more than doubled statewide this year, with Fort Wayne Community Schools losing more than 500 additional students to area private schools.

Thank God, Or Someone, For School Voucher System
Muncie Times, IN, November 21, 2012
Indiana Supreme Court justices will hear arguments this morning on whether the state’s school voucher system is the turkey its detractors claim it is.

Hoosier Voters Didn’t Renounce Education Reform
Muncie Times, IN, November 21, 2012
It’s ludicrous to equate Tony Bennett’s defeat in the school superintendent’s race with public rejection of a school reform agenda, as many in the education bureaucracy are trying to do.

LOUISIANA

Figuring Out How Well Louisiana Teachers Teach
Times-Picayune, LA, November 21, 2012
Many teachers are worried about the state’s new approach to evaluating their performance in the classroom, and that is understandable. It will be a dramatic change to use student test scores as part of a teacher’s measurement.

Principals, Teachers Wrestling With How To Carry Out New Teacher Evaluation Rules
Times Picayune, LA, November 20, 2012
Now, Louisiana was planning a major intensification of teacher job reviews, another chapter in a longstanding drive to reform public education, this one focusing on better identifying top-notch instructors and ushering out nonstarters.

MICHIGAN

Rush To School Reform Likely To Get It Wrong
Detroit Free Press, MI, November 20, 2012
Lame-duck legislative sessions are typically the devil’s cauldron, filled with a steaming heap of cowardly and ill-thought-out legislation that wouldn’t have a prayer of passing if citizens (or even lawmakers) were paying much attention.

MISSISSIPPI

Gunn Faces More Choices With Education Committee Vacancies
Clarion Ledger, MS, November 21, 2012
When House Speaker Philip Gunn removed Rep. Linda Whittington from the House Education Committee, he did so under the guise of promoting her to vice chairman of the Tourism Committee.

MISSOURI

Help Great Schools Flourish in Missouri
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, November 21, 2012
As we begin the transition from election to new term, we owe it to the children of Missouri to focus on high quality public schools. If we can find what’s working, and expand it to reach more students, we have a great shot at setting Missouri’s young people up for success, and giving our state a competitive advantage that will benefit us for years into the future.

UMKC Won’t Renew Charter for Derrick Thomas Academy
Kansas City Star, MO, November 20, 2012
The Derrick Thomas Academy charter school in Kansas City will no longer be sponsored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City, university officials announced Tuesday.

Downtown Elementary School Fills Neighborhood Need
Kansas City Star, MO, November 20, 2012
For the past 10 years, Kansas City has strived to turn downtown into a real neighborhood. The main ingredients were all there — new loft housing, a vibrant library, parks, cultural amenities, even a grocery store.

NEW JERSEY

Race to the Top Returns, This Time for School Districts
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, November 21, 2012
Twenty-one New Jersey school districts are among more than 370 nationwide to apply for $400 million in federal Race to the Top funds, as the sweeping and sometimes controversial competition goes local with a push into specific instruction models and technology.

NEW MEXICO

Kudos to Gov. for Supporting Charter Schools
Albuquerque Journal, NM, November 21, 2012
Consider this. While only 10 percent of New Mexico’s public schools are charters, under our new school grading system, 25 percent of the top 40 public schools that received an “A” grade were charters. In fact, four of the top 10 schools are charters.

NEW YORK

Report: Insolvency Looms For NY School Districts
CBS News, NY, November 20, 2012
More than 40 percent of New York school superintendents say they will be unable to balance their budgets within four years if obligations and income continue on the current path, and even more say they won’t be able to keep up with student instruction and services mandates.

Charter School Push Is Not For The Fainthearted
Buffalo News, NY, November 21, 2012
You have to wonder why he – why they – don’t just walk away. They were figuratively beaten up by the Board of Education.

OHIO

Graduation Test To Be Subbed Out
Columbus Dispatch, OH, November 21, 2012
Ohio will dump its high-school graduation test and replace it with a tougher college-readiness exam and a series of end-of-course tests.

Cleveland Schools Set Goal of Topping Other Big-City Districts by 2017
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, November 20, 2012
The Cleveland school district aims to have state test scores by 2017 that would top those that all other big-city districts in Ohio have now.

Reach Out To Bring Parents Back To The Cleveland Schools
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, November 20, 2012
School districts that want to improve student achievement have to partner with parents. That message isn’t earth-shattering, but it bears repeating as the Cleveland schools embark on the most critical phase of their reform plans.

OREGON

Breidenthal Defends Madrone Trail School From Parents’ Criticism
Mail Tribune & Daily Tiding, OR, November 21, 2012
Concerns from Madrone Trail Public Charter School parents expressed to the Medford School Board this week about the charter school’s board of directors are outdated and not representative of the majority of parents, board Chairman Doug Breidenthal said Tuesday.

PENNSYLVANIA

School Board OKs Plan To Close Achievement Gap
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, November 21, 2012
Pittsburgh Public Schools board Tuesday unanimously approved an equity plan that is largely the same as when it was introduced in August.

Scandal-Tainted Md. Honcho Named CFO of Philly Schools
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, November 21, 2012
MATTHEW E. Stanski, who was chief financial officer with Prince George’s County, Md., schools until a payment scandal forced his removal in September, has been named the Philadelphia School District ‘s new CFO, district sources have told the Daily News.

Pa. Charter Schools Have No Accountability
Mercury News, PA, November 21, 2012
The Pennsylvania General Assembly has failed again in its attempt to provide financial and academic accountability to charter schools.

TENNESSEE

Cap On Special-Ed Testing Concerns Schools
The Tennessean, TN, November 21, 2012
The push for educational accountability is creating a delicate balancing act for advocates of children with disabilities, who want improvement measured but don’t want children or schools punished for poor scores.

TEXAS

Five Lose Jobs At Charter School
San Antonio Express, TX, November 20, 2012
Five employees at KIPP-San Antonio’s University Prep High School have been laid off because state funding did not meet expectations, KIPP-S.A. CEO Mark Larson said.

WEST VIRGINIA

State BOE To Vote Again On Firing Of School Chief
Herald Dispatch, WV, November 20, 2012
West Virginia’s Board of Education will meet again next week to vote on Superintendent Jorea Marple’s firing because of concerns that the board may have violated the open-meetings law when it surprised many, including Marple, by ousting her on Thursday.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Virtual Uncertainty
Commonwealth Magazine, MA, November 20, 2012
The state’s first all-online public school in Greenfield struggles to boost student achievement

Virtual Schools Popping Up In Georgia
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, November 21, 2012
Virtual schools are expanding their reach into Georgia, where three schools now operate in the state with a combined enrollment of nearly 15,000 students.

Georgia Cyber Academy Disputes Allegations in Georgia Department of Education Comprehensive Monitoring Report
The Herald, GA, November 21, 2012
The Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA), together with the school’s independent nonprofit governing board, the Odyssey Charter School Board, disputes the allegations in a Comprehensive Monitoring Report released by the Georgia Department of Education (DOE) yesterday.

Students Get Chance To Earn Diploma With Online Learning
Burton View, MI, November 21, 2012
The Swartz Creek Global Learning Hub is a program for sixth grade through 13th grade students, which are also known as fifth year super seniors in the program, where the students take a combination of online courses accompanied with more traditional classes with a teacher to earn their high school diploma.

Teachers ‘Flip Classroom’ To Cope With Math Anxiety
WLS-TV, IL, November 20, 2012
The word pre-calculus is frightening, itself. But for some math is more than scary, it’s a pain.
“I don’t know how else to describe it, but it’s scary,” Allison King said. Just the thought of a major math test can be mentally paralyzing for the 16-year-old, who says she “sometimes” enjoys math.

All-Online K-12 Needed in N.M.
Albuquerque Journal, NM, November 21, 2012
One size doesn’t fit all. This is a key principle in public education reform and why charter schools — with their innovative approach to decision-making, scheduling, staffing, curriculum and filling in the gaps in traditional education — have energized students and parents in New Mexico.

** The next edition if the Daily Clips will be on Monday November 26. Happy Thanksgiving.

School Improvement Grants Produce Mixed Results
Washington Post, DC, November 19, 2012
A federal program that pumped a record $3 billion into failing schools has shown mixed early results, with more than one-third of the targeted schools doing worse after receiving funding, according to initial government results released Monday.

Obama’s Education Agenda Dominated By Loose Ends
Associated Press, November 19, 2012
President Barack Obama’s education agenda for next four years may look less like real reform and more like tying up loose ends, experts say, with practical budget issues and an age-old power struggle between Congress and the administration getting in the way.

Unions Flexed Muscles In State Campaigns
Associated Press, November 20, 2012
From California to Maine, unions used their political muscle in the recent elections to help install Democratic governors, build labor-friendly majorities in state legislatures and defeat ballot initiatives against them.

The Attack On Teacher Tenure
Video, CBS News, November 19, 2012
Education has not been a dominant issue in the presidential campaign so far, and that’s a problem for the American Federation of Teachers, the country’s second-largest union. AFT’s president Randi Weingarten talks to Charlie Rose and Gayle King.

No Child Left Behind Reauthorization Debate Likely To Continue In Obama Second Term
Huffington Post, November 19, 2012
In 2008, Barack Obama campaigned on the promise that his administration would oversee the rewriting of the expired No Child Left Behind Act. But four years later, education experts and legislators don’t see any end to the negotiations with and within Congress.

Chartering A New Course
Notre Dame Observer, IN, November 20, 2012
Charter schools may be the most controversial development in American education in the past decade. With the release of successful pro-charter documentaries such as “Waiting for Superman” and “The Lottery,” the conversation about the actual effectiveness of charter schools has been questioned as different statistics and studies have created a rigorous debate over an effort to save American education.

FROM THE STATES

ARKANSAS

State Education Officials Unveil New Accountability System
Log Cabin Democrat, AR, November 19, 2012
More than two-thirds of Arkansas ’ public schools are deemed in need of improvement and just 19 of the state’s 1,102 schools are considered “exemplary” under a new school accountability system unveiled Monday by state education officials.

COLORADO

Litigious Mob Takes On Vouchers
Colorado Springs Gazette, CO, November 19, 2012
We constantly hear about a “wall of separation” that protects governments from religion. The wall gives us a secular government, say separation activists, and allows individuals to exercise religion in their private lives.

Douglas County School Voucher Program Has Day In Appeals Court
Denver Post, CO, November 19, 2012
An hour of argument for and against the legality of the Douglas School District ‘s voucher program boiled down to a couple of main points Monday.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. School Closures: Accountability Must Trump Loyalty
Washington Post Blog by Kevin P. Chavous, November 19, 2012
Many years ago, when I was a member of the D.C. City Council, I attended a community meeting at a junior high school scheduled to be closed.

Three Charter School Operators Apply To Open Doors In The District
Washington Post, DC, November 19, 2012
Three experienced charter-school operators have applied for fast-track approval to run 10 campuses serving thousands of students in the District, D.C. Public Charter School Board officials said Monday.

Residency Fraud Still Plagues D.C. Schools
Washington Times, DC, November 19, 2012
D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson stood before a room of high school athletes in a swanky Verizon Center dining room Monday and reminded them of their hard work, good grades and effort to “do what was good and right” in the run-up to their showdown in the annual Turkey Bowl.

FLORIDA

Union Questioning Florida Teacher Evaluation Plan
St. Augustine Record, FL, November 20, 2012
An administrative law judge’s ruling has delayed but not stopped a new state teacher evaluation system.

INDIANA

Daniels’ Focus Was Accountability In Spending And In Student Outcomes
News Sentinel, IN, November 19, 2012
Mitch Daniels used his first term to get Indiana’s fiscal house in order. His second term sealed his reputation as the education reform governor.

LOUISIANA

Kenner Charter Welcomed
The Advocate, LA, November 20, 2012
As plans for Kenner’s first charter school firm up, the city’s public officials are buzzing, particularly since a chunk of the spots at the school will be set aside for Kenner residents.

Expert On Teacher Evaluation Has Concerns About Louisiana’s New System
Times-Picayune, LA, November 19, 2012
The new teacher evaluation system Louisiana launched this fall may be too simplistic, according to the architect of one of the most widely used evaluation systems in the country — and the one on which Louisiana’s new system is based.

MAINE

Portland Charter School On Track To Open In Sept. 2013
The Forecaster, ME, November 19, 2012
After receiving full-approval from the Maine Charter School Commission on Friday, Baxter Academy for Technology and Science is set to start classes next fall.

MICHIGAN

Michigan Schools Overhaul Faces Fight
Detroit News, MI, November 20, 2012
A plan to overhaul Michigan ‘s public education funding system came under sharp scrutiny Monday, as educators, state lawmakers and parents got their first glimpse at the proposed changes.

Flint School Board Considers Opening Charter School
The Flint Journal, MI, November 19, 2012
The Flint school board is considering opening its own charter school years of losing students, and the state funding they represent, to charter schools.

Let Dollars Follow Students
Detroit News, MI, November 20, 2012
Gov. Rick Snyder couldn’t care less about how things have always been done in education. He’s not afraid to rock the boat of the Michigan education establishment because he wants one thing: To see this state’s young people compete with their peers nationwide — and worldwide. To help achieve this goal, the governor wants to revamp how education is funded. A new education finance draft is complete, and it deserves the support of the Legislature.

MINNESOTA

Unique Collaboration Promotes Critical Skill: Reading By End Of Third Grade
Minn Post, MN, November 20, 2012
The Lee family, shown above at St. Paul City Charter School, represents more than 1,200 families in Minneapolis and St. Paul who have been participating in a unique collaboration to promote reading.

MISSISSIPPI

Charter Schools Must Be Tailored To State’s Needs
Sun Herald, MS, November 19, 2012
It’s hard to know what workaday people envision when the notion of “charter schools” is floated, usually as an all-purpose cure for whatever ails public education.”Ah, yes. Charter schools. They will fix everything.”

MONTANA

Public Money For Public Schools; Private Money For Private Schools
Independent Record, MT, November 20, 2012
On Oct. 26, the Independent Record published an opinion by Greg Gianforte, the founder and CEO of RightNow Technologies.

NEVADA

You Paid for It: Quest Academy
KTNV, NV, November 19, 2012
Teachers quitting, parents enraged and demanding answers, and students caught in the middle. That’s what’s going on at a local school under investigation by the state. And it’s raising issues of abuse of authority and waste of your tax dollars.

NEW JERSEY

Judging Teachers By Student Performance
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, November 20, 2012
Since New Jersey first started talking about revamping teacher evaluations, the biggest point of contention has always been the use of student performance in the equation.

NEW YORK

Likely Mayoral Contenders Suggest Improving Bloomberg’s Leadership of Schools
New York Times, NY, November 19, 2012
None of the likely contenders in the 2013 race for New York City mayor said Monday that they would lobby to scrap mayoral control of the city’s public schools in favor of the system it replaced in 2002: 32 neighborhood school boards with oversight and hiring powers.

There Is A Decided Lack Of Consensus As Community Education Council Weighs Changes To Admissions Process For Elementary Schools
New York Daily News, NY, November 19, 2012
Parents’ group debates whether to re-draw zones or eliminate them altogether in effort to give all families equal access to highest performing schools in Upper Manhattan

NORTH CAROLINA

Wake May Cap Schools To Reduce Reassignments
News & Observer, NC, November 20, 2012
Newcomers who buy a home in some of Wake County’s most desirable neighborhoods may encounter an unexpected drawback this school year – the nearest schools have no room for their children.

OHIO

Look For Housing From Old Schools
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, November 20, 2012
The Cincinnati Board of Education on Monday released the names of the people and groups who bought 11 old schools and one vacant parcel of land at auction Nov. 8.

PENNSYLVANIA

Charter Schools Blast SRC’s Move To Limit Enrollment
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, November 20, 2012
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools on Monday blasted the Philadelphia School Reform Commission’s decision to suspend part of state law so it could control charter-school growth, and said the move could trigger legal challenges.

TENNESSEE

Parents Fight to Keep Smithson-Craighead Middle School Open
News Channel 5, TN, November 19, 2012
Parents at Smithson-Craighead Middle School are fighting to keep the school open.

Smithson-Craighead Charter School Closing Rouses Supporters’ Emotions
The Tennessean, TN, November 20, 2012
An informational session meant to smooth students’ transition from soon-to-close Smithson-Craighead Middle, a charter school, to other Metro Nashville schools turned into an emotional pep rally Monday.

PENCIL Has Improved Local Schools
The Tennessean, TN, November 20, 2012
During the first year, 37 businesses signed on as PENCIL Partners for individual public schools. Today, 803 businesses, community organizations and colleges are paired with one or more of 153 schools to donate time, talent and goods to benefit students.

WEST VIRGINIA

Moving Rapidly On School Reform
Wheeling Intelligencer, WV, November 19, 2012
Key state legislators have said public school reform will be a top priority for their regular annual session, beginning in January. But to date, the state Board of Education has not weighed in on precisely what needs to be done. That may change this week.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

State Board Of Education Repeals Online Graduation Requirement
Idaho State Journal, ID, November 19, 2012
The State Board of Education today repealed the pending rule that required students graduating in 2016 to take two online courses to graduate from high school.