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Romney, Obama Clash Over Education
Wall Street Journal, September 25, 2012
The presidential candidates offered clashing views on education, with Republican Mitt Romney delivering some of his harshest judgments on teacher unions and President Barack Obama defending them.

Romney: Bar Teachers Unions From Giving To Political Campaigns
Los Angeles Times, CA, September 25, 2012
Mitt Romney said Tuesday that teachers unions should not be allowed to contribute to political campaigns, because their financial backing tips the negotiation process away from the interests of students.

Obama A ‘Big Proponent Of Charter Schools’
NBC News Video, September 25, 2012
In an interview with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, President Obama said he was frustrated at ‘teacher bashing’ and renewed his call to focus on early childhood education and transform schools that are underperforming.

Thriving in School
New York Times, NY, September 26, 2012
Re “How to Fix the Schools” (column, Sept. 18):Joe Nocera is right: the answer to how to fix the schools lies in a different approach to teaching.

FROM THE STATES

Choose Choice
Naples News, FL, September 26, 2012
I am writing to express my support to the Collier County School Board to approve the Charter School Application for Mason Classical Academy .

School Board Addresses Charter School Needs
Panama City News Herald, FL, September 25, 2012
The Bay District School Board on Tuesday approved a North Bay Haven Charter School contract amendment and on-site health clinic but denied Bay Haven Charter Virtual School applications.

Tampa Charter School Withdraws
St. Augustine Record, FL, September 25, 2012
Board chair says charters that are ‘just after a dollar’ aren’t welcome in county. A Tampa-based charter school organization seeking to come into St. Johns County withdrew its application Tuesday morning, mirroring the decision made Monday by another charter school organization.

GEORGIA

Leader Refutes Charter Claims
Dawson News, GA, September 26, 2012
With the vote on the charter school amendment just over a month away, the heat is getting intense. I know. I have felt it.

Supporters, Opponents Plan Public Forum For Ga. Charter School Amendment
WRDW-TV, GA, September 25, 2012
Georgia voters head to the polls in just six weeks to cast their ballots for big decisions on the local and national level. One state issue on the ballot is the amendment involving charter schools in the state.

Senate Campaign: Candidates Weigh In On Charter School Amendment
Douglas County Sentinel, GA, September 26, 2012
All five candidates seeking the District 30 Georgia Senate seat vacated by Bill Hamrick emphasized their conservative credentials Tuesday, but had some differences on the issue of a charter school amendment.

Unelected Yet Appointed Group Trying To Gain Public School Funds
LaGrange Daily News, GA, September 25, 2012
There are several aspects of one proposed Constitutional Amendment that will be put to Georgia voters in November that worry me. The subject of the question concerns “charter schools.”

Elite Scholars Academy on Top School List Again
Clayton News Daily, GA, September 26, 2012
Elite Scholars Academy, one of two charter schools in the Clayton County Public Schools System, has been selected as a Top 100 Middle School in Georgia . This is the second consecutive year that the school has earned the honor.

Area Schools Prepare To Install School Governance Councils As Part Of Charter System
North Fulton Revue & News, GA, September 25, 2012
Nine schools in North Fulton will take their first step toward increased local control in the coming months as they prepare to elect school governance councils to guide them through the process.

SACS Sends Warning Letter to Clayton Schools
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, September 25, 2012
Clayton County school officials were warned Tuesday that their system’s accreditation could be back in jeopardy because of school board infighting, micromanaging and grandstanding.

IDAHO

Boise School District Takes A Stand Against Education Reform Laws
NWCN, ID, September 26, 2012
The Boise School Board is getting political. With the November election fast approaching, the Board of Trustees decided to hold a special meeting Tuesday to take a stance on the education propositions that will be on the ballot, Propositions 1, 2 and 3.

ILLINOIS

CPS, Teachers End Legal Battles In New Contract
Chicago Tribune, IL, September 26, 2012
A tentative contract between the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools brings with it closure on lawsuits and labor grievances filed by both sides before and during the seven-day strike, according to a copy of the agreement posted online by the union.

GreenTek Charter School Still Has No Place In Rockford
Rockford Register Star, IL, September 25, 2012
The Rockford School Board unanimously agreed tonight that GreenTek Career Academy isn’t ready to become part of the Rockford School District .

INDIANA

State Schools Chief Wants Authority To Run Failing Systems
Evansville Courier Press, IN, September 26, 2012
State schools chief Tony Bennett is calling for new authority for his Indiana Department of Education to take over entire school districts that are failing, rather than just individual schools.

KENTUCKY

Brian Cooney: Too-Big-To-Fail Banks Still Threaten Economy
Lexington Herald Leader, KY, September 26, 2012
Of more importance in this regard is freeing schools from onerous rules and allowing parents choice among schools. Charter schools are an example of this. With charters, money follows the children, giving schools a strong financial incentive to adopt practices that parents value. Though Chicago has quite a few charters, Kentucky has none.

LOUISIANA

Value-Added Model Rating System Unfair To Teachers
American Press, LA, September 25, 2012
Contemplate this scenario: The CEO of the company you work for decides to implement an employee evaluation system in which only about 10 percent of the total employees will receive annually the highest level of evaluation possible. Job security and some employee compensation is based on that rating system.

New Orleans School Officials Push Holdout Charters To Join Single-Application Process
Times-Picayune, LA, September 25, 2012
After years of complaints from parents over how complicated it can be to register a student in New Orleans public schools, the city’s top education officials have come tantalizingly close to bringing every school within one streamlined enrollment system.

Teachers’ Organization Director Resigns
Baton Rouge Advocate, LA, September 26, 2012
The executive director of a teachers’ organization resigned suddenly, officials said Tuesday.

MASSACHUSETTS

MCAS Prep, Improvement Is Yearlong Process at Atlantis Charter School in Fall River
Herald News, MA, September 26, 2012
At the Atlantis Charter School, Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam success is a yearlong process.

MICHIGAN

Attorney: Repeal Of Emergency Manager Law Would Have Little Impact On Muskegon Heights Schools
Muskegon Chronicle, MI, September 26, 2012
While politicians were haggling over ballot language challenging the state’s emergency manager law, Donald Weatherspoon was busy composing a new chapter for the beleagured Muskegon Heights school district.

MISSOURI

‘Parent Trigger’ Approach To School Reform Isn’t Just Stuff Of Hollywood
St. Louis Beacon, MO, September 26, 2012
The trigger is pulled when a majority of parents in an underperforming school signs a petition to require the school to be drastically changed in one of a number of ways. In some cases, as the movie portrays, teachers are part of the petition process as well.

MONTANA

Candidates Seeking To Run State Schools Square Off
Montana Standard, MT, September 26, 2012
Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau said in a debate Tuesday that charter schools would not work in Montana, while Republican opponent Sandy Welch said she would consider a properly designed charter school system.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter School Moratorium Could Be Lifted
Union Leader, NH, September 25, 2012
The charter school moratorium could be lifted as soon as November if legislative budget writers approve an additional $5 million next month.

NEW JERSEY

NJ To Pilot Early Testing for Kindergarten
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, September 26, 2012
As part of the Christie administration’s latest push for early literacy, the state is launching a pilot program for testing children as they enter kindergarten.

Charter School Opens With Exorbitant Waiting List
North Brunswick Sentinel, NJ, September 26, 2012
After three years of planning and paperwork, the Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School (TEECS) opened its doors in September for children in kindergarten through fourth grade.

NEW YORK

Growing Pains: Union , Teachers And Students Complain About Crush Of 6,620 Oversized Classes In City Schools
New York Daily News, NY, September 25, 2012
Classes routinely exceed limits set by Department of Education and union. Two most packed schools are Benjamin N. Cardozo HS and Forest Hills HS, where some students are forced to sit on the windowsill or FLOOR, to get an education

Mount Vernon Files Another Legal Challenge Over Charter School
Newsday, NY, September 25, 2012
Mount Vernon is mounting yet another legal challenge against the New York Department of Education for approving the Amani Charter School , which city officials argue is “financially irresponsible” and will negatively impact the district’s budget.

Charter School Officials Not Greeted Warmly In Utica
Utica Observer-Dispatch, NY, September 25, 2012
The people behind two proposed Utica charter schools saw only a handful of friendly faces at public hearings Tuesday night.

NORTH CAROLINA

Wake School Board Fires Superintendent Tata
News & Observer, NC, September 26, 2012
The Wake County school board voted Tuesday to fire Superintendent Tony Tata after less than 20 months on the job, with some of the board’s majority Democrats calling him a polarizing figure who couldn’t bridge the board’s political divisions. The move points to the panel’s partisan divide and leaves its administration without a permanent leader as it faces pressing issues of growth, achievement, student assignment and financial support.

OHIO

State Issues Schools’ Slimmer Report Cards
Columbus Dispatch, OH, September 26, 2012
The slim version of Ohio’s school report cards that will go public today is like a hamburger without the bun: There won’t be attendance rates or an overall grade.

OREGON

Kids Unlimited Hoping to Start Charter School
NBC52, OR, September 25, 2012
Tom Cole, Executive Director at Kids Unlimited in Medford said he’s been hard at work. “We’ve submitted an application to the Medford School District based on a program ideology that we hope will someday land a school,” said Cole.

PENNSYLVANIA

Philly District Seeks Input On Which Schools To Close
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, September 26, 2012
The Philadelphia School District is preparing to close roughly 40 schools in June, and officials want your opinion on how they should pick which ones to shutter. Really.

York’s Charter Schools Struggle To Improve
York Dispatch, PA, September 25, 2012
Helen Thackston Middle and New Hope Academy charter schools have asked to expand their schools in the past year, as families have been clamoring to get students enrolled.

TENNESSEE

New Diversity Policy Won’t Close Any Nashville Schools
The Tennessean, TN, September 26, 2012
While Metro Nashville school officials grapple with how best to define school diversity for a system that has no majority race or ethnicity, on Tuesday they promised no school would be closed as a result of a new plan.

Nashville Democrats Slam Charter Fine
The Tennessean, TN, September 26, 2012
Nashville Democrats said they will oppose any effort to impose a statewide chartering authority, and they said Metro Nashville Public Schools may have grounds to sue the state after it withheld $3.4 million for rejecting Great Hearts Academies’ charter school application.

WASHINGTON

Why Charter Schools Are Not Enough
Ballard News Tribune, WA, September 26, 2012
This editorial is by Demian Godon, an opponent of I-1240 — an initiative that would allow charter schools in Washington — and a parent of two kids at Ballard High School . It’s no secret that we need to improve education in this state. But a charter schools measure on this year’s ballot is the wrong move.

No Need Here For Charter Schools
Issaquah Press, WA, September 25, 2012
Once again, Washington voters are being asked whether charter schools should be allowed here, as they are in 41 other states.

Under Initiative 1240, Local Charter School Is Unlikely
Issaquah Press, WA, September 25, 2012
On Nov. 6, people across the state will cast their vote whether to allow charter schools in Washington , and locals stand on both sides of the argument.

WISCONSIN

Program Targets Achievement Gap
Badger Herald, WI, September 25, 2012
Dane County announced plans to launch an education program addressing the area’s achievement gap that focuses on children before they begin kindergarten.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Online Holdouts No More
Wall Street Journal, September 26, 2012
As online learning has been incorporated into nearly every aspect of U.S. education—from prestigious universities to struggling public systems—one type of school has largely resisted the trend: elite private academies.

School Board Denies Application For Charter School
Ocala Star Banner, FL, September 25, 2012
A nonprofit group’s application to launch a Marion County online charter school was denied by the School Board on Tuesday.

School Politics
Santa Fe Reporter, NM, September 25, 2012
Virtual charter schools, which allow kids to learn online from home, may be the wave of the future in a rural state like New Mexico . But they’re also unproven and politically contentious, as a recent decision by the state’s Public Education Commission illustrates.

School Nurses’ New Role in Children’s Health
Wall Street Journal, September 24, 2012
Amid a steady rise in the number of children with complex health problems, a push is on to establish more full-fledged medical clinics within public schools and make the school nurse a more active participant in children’s medicine.

Seeking Allies, Teachers’ Unions Court G.O.P., Too
New York Times, NY, September 25, 2012
The strike by public school teachers in Chicago this month drew national attention to a fierce debate over the future of education and exposed the ruptured relationship between teachers’ unions and Democrats like Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Five-Year-Olds Put To The Test As Kindergarten Exams Gain Steam
Reuters, September 25, 2012
With school in full swing across the United States , the littlest students are getting used to the blocks table and the dress-up corner – and that staple of American public education, the standardized test.

To Separate Gifted Students, or Not?
New York Times, NY, September 25, 2012
Re “Young, Gifted and Neglected,” by Chester E. Finn Jr. (Op-Ed, Sept. 19): As principal of the Bronx High School of Science, I agree with the points made in the article.

BUSH: Schools’ Expectations Should Be Colorblind
Washington Times, DC, September 24, 2012
Closing the achievement gap in our schools is both a moral mandate and a national priority. We need all our children to meet high academic standards if we are to compete in the 21st Century global economy.

Grading Teachers Isn’t Enough; Teachers Deserve Useful Evaluation And Support.
Christian Science Monitor, MA, September 24, 2012
The Aug. 13 cover story, “The measure of a teacher,” reminds us that too often the dialogue on teacher evaluation focuses on its potential for harm, rather than the benefits that good systems, infused with teacher buy-in, can bring.
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Don’t Overemphasize SAT Report
Journal News, NY, September 25, 2012
Students’ SAT scores dipped to their lowest levels in 40 years for critical reading, and students also performed lower on the writing portion of the test that was added in 2005. The College Board, the nonprofit that owns the exam, also reported Monday that it considered just 43 percent of college-bound seniors “college ready.”

Top Down Reform Doesn’t Work
NBC News, September 24, 2012
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, talks about education reform and teachers unions.

‘Obama’s Money On Education Has Been Well-Spent’
NBC News, September 24, 2012
StudentsFirst’ Michelle Rhee discusses effectiveness of President Barack Obama’s education stimulus, importance of teacher evaluations, need to monitor No Child Left Behind waivers and the necessity to improve public education if U.S. is to compete in global marketplace.

FROM THE STATES

COLORADO

New Charter School Coming?
Cortez Journal, CO, September 24, 2012
The Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School District is officially considering adding a new charter school.

More Denver Public Schools Making The Grade, District Reports
Denver Post, CO, September 25, 2012
http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse Ten more Denver schools have earned A’s and B’s in the district’s 2012 annual school performance report card than did last year, the district announced Monday.

Last Empty School In D-11 Garnering Plenty Of Interest
Colorado Springs Gazette, CO, September 25, 2012
When the board voted in early 2009 to shutter eight schools, there were no detailed plans on what would become of the properties. Two were sold, one was traded, three became charter schools, one remains empty and one was repurposed by the district.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. Officials Change Policy On Charter Schools’ Occupation Of Surplus Buildings
Washington Post, DC, September 24, 2012
District officials have tweaked the way they determine which charter schools should be allowed to move into surplus public school buildings, an effort to address long-standing complaints that previous decisions were neither transparent nor always fair.

Charter Schools Offer Brighter Futures To D.C. Children
Washington Times, DC, September 24, 2012
Twenty years ago this month, the nation’s first public charter school opened. Today, more than 1.6 million public school students are attending close to 5,000 public charter schools in 40 states and the District of Columbia .

That’s My Take: DC Charter Schools
MY Fox DC, September 24, 2012
If you are truly objective and you place the interests of the students of the District above all the politics surrounding public education, it would be hard to argue that charter schools haven’t been one of the most effective ways to elevate academic achievement.

FLORIDA

Miami-Based Charter Schools Withdraw
St. Augustine Record, FL, September 24, 2012
A Miami-based organization seeking to open two large charter schools in St. Johns County has withdrawn its applications on the eve of facing a possible turndown by the district School Board.

Charter School Group Pulls Bid for 2 St. Johns Schools
Florida Times Union, FL, September 25, 2012
A Miami-based organization seeking to open two large charter schools in St. Johns County has withdrawn its applications on the eve of facing a possible turndown by the School Board.

GEORGIA

School Superintendent Association Head Refutes Pro-Charter Claims
Macon Telegraph, GA, September 25, 2012
With the vote on the charter school amendment just over a month away, the heat is getting intense. I know. I have felt it. I wrote a column a few weeks ago giving the pro-charter folks an opportunity to make their case for the amendment.

IDAHO

Examining Claims Of Anti-education Reform Law Ad
KTVB, ID, September 24, 2012
Election day is six weeks away, and the controversial education plan Students Come First, is on the ballot. Voters get to decide if the laws stay or go in the form of three propositions.

ILLINOIS

What About Rockford ? Youthbuild Charter Has Success Elsewhere
Rockford Register Star, IL, September 25, 2012
The Rockford School Board will either approve a dropout recovery high school charter tonight or reject Kerry Knodle’s charter plan for a fourth time.

Jean-Claude Brizard, Chicago Schools CEO, Was Nearly Invisible During Teachers Strike
Huffington Post, September 24, 2012
When teachers on strike took to the Chicago streets for nine days this month, news cameras followed the union president, the head of the school board and the mayor. The Chicago Teachers Union and city representatives would meet for hours, negotiating technical contract details. A throng of reporters was always waiting outside for the latest update. But the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, Jean-Claude Brizard, was nearly invisible.

IOWA

Charter Putting ‘First Generation’ Students Onto College Track
Storm Lake Pilot Tribune, IA, September 24, 2012
The Storm Lake Charter School program is achieving all of its original goals despite some state-imposed restrictions, according to a report heard by the Storm Lake Board of Education this week.

KENTUCKY

Flawed Law Hinders Charter School Administration
Louisville Courier-Journal, KY, September 25, 2012
Clear lines of authority are essential to the success of any business or government. Tennessee ’s law on appeals by charter-school applicants (TCA 49-13-108) seems contrary to good administration:

LOUISIANA

School Board Seeks To Keep Funding
The Advocate, LA, September 25, 2012
The Tangipahoa Parish School Board has asked a federal judge to stop the state from diverting district funds to schools that accept voucher students, but a plaintiffs’ attorney in the decades-old desegregation suit says the School Board’s effort doesn’t go far enough.

In Debate On Public Schools, New Orleans Stands Apart
Times-Picayune, LA, September 24, 2012
When it comes to debate on public education, at least as it plays out among those vying for a direct hand in how schools are governed, New Orleans can seem to be on a planet of its own.

MASSACHUSETTS

MCAS Top-Scoring Suburban Charter Schools
Boston Globe, MA, September 24, 2012
The Globe reviewed 7th, 8th, and 10th grade MCAS scores in English and math from 20 charter schools in cities and towns across Greater Boston. Almost every charter school did better overall than the community where it is based.

MICHIGAN

Truant Kids To Cost Families State Aid
Detroit News, MI, September 25, 2012
Michigan parents whose children don’t attend school will lose welfare cash benefits under a new state policy that takes effect Oct. 1.

MISSISSIPPI

Underfunding Schools Will Hurt State’s Future
Clarion Ledger, MS, September 24, 2012
First of all, the current proposal for charter schools is simply a way to fund private schools with public money and will drain much needed money from the already underfunded public schools.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter School Advocates Fight State Moratorium
Portsmouth Herald, NH, September 25, 2012
Outraged charter school advocates plan to pressure the New Hampshire Board of Education to reverse its recent decision to enact an indefinite moratorium on authorizing new schools.

Charter School Moratorium Perplexes Many
Union Leader, NH, September 24, 2012
Some New Hampshire lawmakers are concerned — and a little perplexed — about a state Board of Education decision to place an indefinite moratorium on approving additional charter schools in the Granite State.

NEW JERSEY

Evaluating Educators
Asbury Park Press, NJ, September 25, 2012
Principals and administrators will now be evaluated based on how well students are learning, under a pilot program being unveiled in a handful of the state’s districts this school year.

NEW MEXICO

Charters Promise High Quality
ABQ Journal, NM, September 25, 2012
A major difference between charter schools and traditional schools is the promise of a higher quality of education for students. Charter schools are held to a higher standard in student achievement, financial accountability and governing board performance than their traditional counterparts. That is the promise of charter schools: increased results for increased autonomy on how the schools are organized and operated.

NEW YORK

‘Risky’ Charter Partnership Helps Students Learn To Read
NBC News, September 24, 2012
Though the classroom at Veterans Memorial Elementary School may seem like any other, it has one key distinction: Chenard, like other kindergarten through second-grade teachers in the district, is part of a rare charter school-traditional school partnership that has led to strong improvements in literacy in this impoverished Rhode Island school district.

Parochial Schools Feel Pinch
Albany Times Union, NY, September 24, 2012
Charter schools, which were created as competition for traditional public schools, have been detrimental for parochial education, a new study contends.

Utica Board Of Education To Discuss Charter Schools
Utica Observer Dispatch, NY, September 24, 2012
The Utica City Board of Education will host a public hearing Tuesday to discuss two charter school proposals.

Optimism at Kingston High School
Daily Freeman, NY, September 25, 2012
The main reason for some optimism is a dramatic turnaround in the percentage of ninth-graders having to repeat the grade. After several years at 25 percent, the rate fell to only 8 percent of last year’s freshmen.

NORTH CAROLINA

McCrory Not Backing Down From Support Of Controversial Charter School
News & Observer, NC, September 24, 2012
The N.C. teachers association is hitting Republican Pat McCrory for his support of a charter school company being investigated in Florida for using uncertified teachers and asking school employees to hide the practice.

OHIO

Attendance Records Being Examined At 6 Schools
Dayton Daily News, OH, September 24, 2012
State auditors are examining student attendance records in six Miami Valley school districts as part of a statewide probe into possible data tampering to improve report card performance, a Dayton Daily News investigation has found.

PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia Schools Have Progressed Since State Takeover, Report Says
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, September 25, 2012
Even taking into account the possible effects of a cheating scandal that has rocked the city, the Philadelphia School District has made strides in the decade since a state takeover.

Cheating Only Part Of Problem
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, September 25, 2012
State education officials’ reaction to the first drop in test scores since Pennsylvania students began taking the standardized exams in 2002 conjures images from The Wizard of Oz.

Part of the Education Solution
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, September 25, 2012
In 2010, the School District of Philadelphia announced its Renaissance charter initiative, a bold plan to turn around persistently low-performing schools. The district empowered a number of parent groups to select charter providers for their failing neighborhood schools. Three of those parent groups chose Mastery. The student achievement results from those schools are now in.

BASD Board Symbolically Votes Against Vitalistic Charter School’s Move
The Morning Call, PA, September 24, 2012
The vote is the latest trouble for Vitalistic, which could lose its regional charter at a tentatively scheduled Oct. 29 public hearing over long-standing financial and managerial problems. The full extent of Vitalistic’s money problems were highlighted last week in a scathing state auditor general’s report that found improper payments to the families of employees and trustees, illegal loans, and improper lease reimbursements totaling more than $630,000.

Charter School Supporters Gather At The Capitol To Promote Reform Legislation
Patriot-News, PA, September 24, 2012
Several hundred charter school students and their advocates came to Harrisburg on Monday to give state lawmakers a homework assignment on their first day back from their summer recess.

State Rep: No Movement On Charter School Bills Over Summer
Pennsylvania Independent, PA, September 24, 2012
A major charter school reform package that would include funding changes and additional academic accountability is widely viewed as a top priority for Republicans in Harrisburg during the fall session, which began Monday.

TENNESSEE

Film On ‘Parent-Trigger’ For Schools Takeover Sparks Dialogue
The Tennessean, TN, September 25, 2012
Tennessee is ripe for a parent-trigger law like the one used in “Won’t Back Down,” a representative from education nonprofit Parent Revolution said after a special screening of the movie Monday.

House Dems To Speak Against Nashville Schools Fine
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, September 25, 2012
House Democrats are speaking out against a decision by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration to withhold $3.4 million in state funding from Nashville because of a dispute over a charter school application.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Plans in Works for New Cyber Charter School in York
York Daily Record, PA, September 24, 2012
Efforts are under way to start a new cyber charter school focused on urban youth, to be managed by the same company that manages New Hope Academy Charter School in York .

Erie SD Winning Back Cyber School Students
ErieTVNews, PA, September 24, 2012
$8500. That’s what the Erie School District has been losing from its budget each time a city student decides to attend an out-of-town cyber school. The money leaves Erie ‘s financially- strapped district, and goes to a cyber school someplace else.

District’s eLearn Program Off To A Good Start
Clay Center Dispatch, KS, September 24, 2012
USD-379 virtual school is reaching eight “completely virtual” students and 26 part-time students through its online program.

Chicago Schools Strike Incites Teachers Unions
Washington Times, DC, September 23, 2012
With Chicago’s ugly strike behind them, teachers unions are regrouping with a public relations blitz, meant to both repair a tarnished image and rally members who are under more fire than ever.

A Gold Star for the Chicago Teachers Strike
Wall Street Journal, September 23, 2012
After 10 years of top-down disruptions, teachers showed the power of collective action by those who work in schools

The Right Ways To Assess Teachers
Bangor Daily News, ME, September 23, 2012
Here’s a bit of advice to America ’s teachers: If you want the nation’s opinion leaders and CEOs to like you, don’t congregate in groups. Everyone, it seems, loves teachers individually. But when they get together, they become a menace to civilization.

Public Television Takes Role in Curbing Dropout Rates
New York Times, NY, September 24, 2012
More than 100 public television stations reaching two-thirds of the nation’s viewers turned over their air on Saturday to an unusual seven-hour telethon broadcast live from WNET-TV’s Lincoln Center studio in New York .

Fighting the Education Blob
National Review Online, September 24, 2012
School reformers who want to change the debate over how to fix America ’s public schools are successfully using a new weapon: cinema.

Education Nation: Schools in Crisis
NBC Nightly News, September 23, 2012
Teachers and students sound off about the state of America ‘s schools. NBC’s Rehema Ellis reports.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Charter Schools Aren’t Offering New ‘Transitional’ Kindergarten
North County Times, CA, September 24, 2012
While confusion continues over whether charter schools need to offer a limited two-year kindergarten program, like other public schools, officials at local charter schools are opting to forgo the program for now.

Berkeley Unified School District to Aid Local Charter School
Daily Californian, CA, September 23, 2012
After just one year of operation, Berkeley Unified School District ’s first and only charter school is facing financial troubles from significant deferrals in state funding.

Brown Signs Bill Spelling Out Evaluations (For Principals)
Ed Source, September 23, 2012
Without the acrimony and fanfare that doomed a teacher evaluation bill last month, the Legislature with near unanimity passed and Gov. Brown has now signed a milestone principal and teacher evaluation bill.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C.’S Test-Score Fantasyland
Washington Post, DC, September 23, 2012
D.C. schools’ new five-year plan says the 40 lowest-performing schools need to increase their collective math and reading proficiency rate from 23 percent in 2011 to 63 percent by 2017. It is hard to understand how intelligent adults could believe that that target has any connection to reality.

Talks Underway For New D.C. Teachers Contract
Washington Post, DC, September 22, 2012
The contract for D.C. Public Schools teachers is set to expire in less than two weeks, and labor leaders and school officials said negotiations about a new agreement are well underway and should conclude smoothly and soon.

Charter Schools Suspend, Expel Students At Widely Varying Rates
Washington Post Blog, DC, September 21, 2012
D.C. charter schools suspended and expelled students at widely varying rates in 2011-12, according to data released Thursday by the D.C. Public Charter School Board.

FLORIDA

School Board Advised To Reject All 9 New Charter Applications
Daytona Beach News Journal, FL, September 23, 2012
None of the nine applications to open new charter schools in Volusia County next year measure up to state standards for approval, according to a school district staff review.

Letter: Inflexible Evaluation System Doesn’t Fit Exceptional Students Or Their Teachers
TC Palm, FL, September 24, 2012
Unfortunately, the state of Florida has chosen to focus on the teacher evaluation system as a way to improve student achievement.

GEORGIA

Reason to Cheer
Savannah Morning News, GA, September 23, 2012
IT’S ENCOURAGING to know that Savannah-area public school students will soon have more of a good thing — a larger Oglethorpe Charter School.

Explaining The Charter School Amendment On The Ballot
WSAV-TV, GA, September 23, 2012
With the general election just months away the NAACP wants to make sure voters know exactly what they are casting their ballot for. The organization said there has been some confusion over the proposed constitutional amendment dealing with charter schools.

Attorney: Ga. Superintendent Illegally Campaigning
WRDW, GA, September 23, 2012
An Atlanta attorney says Georgia ‘s school superintendent and local officials are illegally using taxpayer money to lobby against a proposed constitutional amendment on charter schools.

Do The Math On Charter Amendment
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, September 23, 2012
I support public education. I support charter schools. I oppose the proposed so-called charter school amendment to the Georgia constitution, which the state’s voters will consider in November.

IDAHO

Talk to Each Other! Please
Magic Valley Times News, ID, September 23, 2012
We’ve spent dozens of column inches over the past several months questioning how teacher merit pay earned in the past school year could be withheld based upon a Proposition I vote this November.

Ad Slams Idaho School Reform Laws
Spokesman Review, WA, September 23, 2012
The hottest election issue of the season in Idaho – possible repeal of the state’s controversial new school reform laws – has yielded the first statewide TV campaign commercial, and it makes some questionable claims.

What Do Teachers Deserve? In Idaho, Referendum May Offer Answer
New York Times, NY, September 24, 2012
Chicago’s fight may be over, but in Idaho, the debate over schools has morphed into a harsh discussion about whom the voters should trust.

ILLINOIS

Emanuel’s Push For More Charter Schools Is In Full Swing
Chicago Tribune, IL, September 24, 2012
With Chicago students back in the classroom, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is free to push ahead with a key component in his effort to reform the city’s public education system — the aggressive expansion of charter schools.

Striking A Blow For Choice
Chicago Tribune, IL, September 23, 2012
On Monday, Sept. 10, the first day the Chicago Teachers Union was out on strike, 350,000 public school students — and their parents — were left high and dry. But for 52,000 other youngsters enrolled in public schools, it was just another day of learning.

Don’t Shy Away From Reforming Chicago Schools
Chicago Tribune, IL, September 23, 2012
Many children wake up with a view of our glittering skyline, but the economic opportunity in those buildings might as well be a world away. Social, economic and family dysfunctions create a divide between their dreams and the tools they have to achieve them.

Greentek School Can Fill Important Need In Rockford
Rockford Register Star, IL, September 22, 2012
Charter schools are an option for parents who may be dissatisfied with the education their children receive in regular public schools. But what about students who have run out of options?

Chicago Schools Strike Incites Teachers Unions
Washington Times, DC, September 23, 2012
With Chicago’s ugly strike behind them, teachers unions are regrouping with a public relations blitz, meant to both repair a tarnished image and rally members who are under more fire than ever.

KANSAS

Highland Park High School: Challenging Opportunity Gap Anew
Topeka Capital Journal, KS, September 23, 2012
September Less than 10 years ago, Highland Park High School in Topeka was the sixth-lowest performing high school in Kansas .

LOUISIANA

Parochial Schools Working Hard To Improve: Letter
Times Picayune, LA, September 24, 2012
Re: “Making voucher schools more accountable,” Other Opinions, Sept. 13.
It is understandable for a segment of the general public to be concerned about voucher/scholarship students.

Louisiana Federation Of Teachers Wants Lawmakers To Reconsider Education Package
Times Picayune, LA, September 22, 2012
The Louisiana Federation of Teachers has issued its own call for a special session of the Legislature, just days after Rep. Jerome “Dee” Richard, I-Thibodaux called on his colleagues to reconvene in Baton Rouge to discuss budget cuts by Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration.

MASSACHUSETTS

5 New Plans To Assign Boston Students
Boston Globe, MA, September 24, 2012
Boston school officials are expected to unveil five proposals Monday night for allowing students to attend schools closer to their homes, a move that potentially could end four decades of cross-city busing.

Union Influence Declining At Mass. Charter Schools
Boston Globe, MA, September 24, 2012
When teachers at a Brighton charter school unionized four years ago, the first such move in the state, people took notice.

Charter’s Survival Can Teach Us All
Sentinel and Enterprise, MA, September 23, 2012
Earlier this year, the North Central Charter Essential School in Fitchburg was fighting for its very existence. In January, it was nearly placed on probation by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education because of low test scores. Probation would have threatened the renewal of its five-year charter.

Charters’ Limits Keenly Felt In Some Boston Schools
Boston Globe, MA, September 24, 2012
This is one Boston Public Schools teacher who, like Scot Lehigh (“Way to better schools is around unions,” Op-ed, Sept. 14), hopes that there will be some legislative remedies to Boston ’s charter school enrollment numbers. On a recent Friday alone, I proudly worked with five special needs students who were once enrolled in Boston ’s charter schools.

MISSOURI

Fights Over Accreditation Obscure Growing Achievement Gap
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, September 23, 2012
The poor scores are one of the reasons why the state Board of Education voted this week to remove “provisional accreditation” status from the Normandy schools. That means that if Normandy doesn’t improve in the next two years, the state will, in effect, take over the district.

NEVADA

Some Labor Unions Question Dividends Of Helping To Elect Democrats
Las Vegas Sun, NV, September 24, 2012
For Nevada’s unions, election season is business time. There are phone banks to run. Voters to register. Doors to knock on.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter School Planners Left Wondering
Union Leader, NH, September 23, 2012
Last week, however, after the New Hampshire Board of Education voted to suspend the charter school approval process, the Exeter resident — founder of Friends of the Seacoast High School for the Arts — felt something different.

Nashua Charter Schools Moving Forward Despite Moratorium Vote
Nashua Telegraph, NH, September 23, 2012
She and a group of other local parents are working to bring the Southern New Hampshire MicroSociety Charter School to the Gate City . And despite a vote by the state Board of Education on Wednesday that places a moratorium on new charter schools, the group plans to forge ahead and hold a parent information session about the school at the Nashua Public Library from 7-8 p.m. Tuesday.

NEW JERSEY

First Day Of School…Again
Hudson Reporter, NJ, September 23, 2012
Hoboken Charter School students finally got their first full day of school on Tuesday at the St. Anne’s School building, a former Catholic School at 255 Congress St. in nearby Jersey City Heights .

Overblown Reform
The Trentonian, NJ, September 23, 2012
It’s the hot new fashion in school reform. One state after another is seeking to link teacher merit pay to student performance. A much diluted version will now be concocted in the educational disaster area of Chicago after a nasty teachers’ strike there.

A Report on the Education Transformation Report
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, September 24, 2012
The Education Transformation Task Force has published its final report, replete with some victories but more omissions

West Milford School District Teams Up With Local University To Train Teachers
North Jersey, NJ, September 24, 2012
The school district has teamed up with an area university to train teachers in specialized reading instruction.

NEW YORK

NY’s Teachers Start Year Under Heightened Scrutiny
Wall Street Journal, September 23, 2012
The new school year brought back-to-school jitters for some New York teachers anticipating the state’s new teacher evaluation law, knowing their “grades” at the end of the school year will be partly tied to student progress and test scores.

PENNSYLVANIA

Test Scores Raise New Doubt At Chester Charter
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, September 23, 2012
Standardized-test scores have dropped precipitously at Chester Community Charter School , the state’s largest charter, after an investigation of possible past cheating brought new scrutiny to the school’s testing practices.

Charter School Reform Leads Pre-Election Legislative To-Do List
Patriot News, PA, September 23, 2012
For the GOP-controlled Legislature and Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, reforms to Pennsylvania’s charter school law will top the agenda for the short pre-election session starting today.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Upstate Educators Have Concerns About Proposed Evaluation System
Spartanburg Herald-Journal, SC, September 23, 2012
A proposed evaluation system that could give teachers and principals letter grades based partially on student performance has local educators seeking answers and criticizing the way state leaders developed it.

Myrtle Beach Area Parents Turn To Alternative Education Options
Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC, September 23, 2012
More and more families are looking outside traditional public schools for alternative ways to educate their children. Experts say about one in four students attend some type of school of choice, which encompasses a range of options from private, magnet and charter schools to programs administered at home.

TENNESSEE

State Won’t Revoke $3.4M Great Hearts Penalty
The Tennessean, TN, September 24, 2012
A meeting Friday afternoon between state and local school officials didn’t result in any immediate action, but talks will continue as Metro schools try to deflect a potential $3.4 million penalty by the state.

Trigger Law Intrigues Nashville Parents Feeling ‘Metro Fatigue’
The Tennessean, TN, September 23, 2012
Tennessee doesn’t have a trigger law as strong as in other states, but Dean said there’s good reason for local parents to watch “Won’t Back Down.”

TEXAS

Legislature Should Reform Teacher Evaluations
Dallas Morning News, TX, September 21, 2012
Texas legislators should remember his example as they prepare for next year’s session. In 2011, GOP state Sen. Florence Shapiro of Plano developed a bill that would have helped instructors receive better development, including working with their principals on a career plan. SB 4 also would have required districts to include classroom performance in their teacher evaluations.

WASHINGTON

Band Together To Improve Education In Washington State
Seattle Times, WA, September 23, 2012
The greatest breakthroughs in education will happen when we join hands instead of pointing fingers, according to guest columnists

Charter Schools Offer State A Fresh Approach To Education
The Olympian, WA, September 24, 2012
The Washington public school system needs more innovation, especially to meet the needs of low-income, high-risk children from communities of color struggling in traditional public schools.

Initiative 1240: Approve To Advance Options For The Children
Spokesman Review, WA, September 23, 2012
Washington schools are improving. Dropout rates are coming down. Student test scores are rising. But it’s time, finally, for Washington voters to approve charter schools by saying yes to Initiative 1240.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Virtual School Reaching Out To Local Districts
Greenville Daily News, SC, September 21, 2012
After partnering with Greenville Public Schools in August to offer high school drop-outs a chance to earn their diploma via a virtual school, Berrien Springs Virtual Academy is now reaching out to neighboring school districts.

Virtual Charter Schools Coming Soon To South Florida
Sun Sentinel, FL, September 22, 2012
Now that the Florida Legislature has authorized “virtual charter schools” for kids as young as kindergarten, brace yourself for a strange new world of online education run by private companies.

EVSC’s Virtual Academy Offers Online Option For Students
Evansville Courier Press, IN, September 23, 2012
The key to success for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. Virtual Academy is constant communication between teacher and student, said its director, Janet Leistner.

RHS Principal: Online Education ‘Possibilities Are Endless’
Palladium-Item, IN, September 21, 2012
Hundreds of Richmond High School students are earning credits toward a diploma over the Internet instead of inside a traditional classroom.

Gltiches Aside, Huntsville School Students On Way To New Frontier With Computer-Based Teaching
Huntsville Times, AL, September 23, 2012
Something dramatic and exciting is happening in Huntsville. In the city that helped put men on the moon, our public schools are making one giant leap to an incredible, interactive digital learning environment that will challenge our students’ minds like never before and transform the traditional classroom.

Online School Offers Flexibility, Convenience
Hanford Sentinel, CA, September 22, 2012
As an actress and dancer, she goes back and forth between her home in Hanford and the L.A. area, where she attends auditions, acting and dancing lessons. This doesn’t leave her a lot of time for schoolwork, which is where Central California Connections Academy comes in.

Rethinking the Classroom: Obama’s Overhaul of Public Education
Washington Post, DC, September 21, 2012
In 31 / 2 years in office, President Obama has set in motion a broad overhaul of public education from kindergarten through high school, largely bypassing Congress and inducing states to adopt landmark changes that none of his predecessors attempted.

Focusing on Education, With an Eye on the Voters
New York Times, NY, September 21, 2012
The boilerplate for conservatives talking about education usually includes getting more school money into classrooms and out of administration. It usually does not edge into the dangerous ground of teachers’ salaries.

We Will Respect Our Teachers
Star Tribune, MN, September 20, 2012
Write that 100 times — and then act accordingly, because that’s how schools really get better.

Chicago Teachers Strike Shows Teacher Accountability At Charters Differs From Union-Contract Schools
Huffington Post, September 20, 2012
At the heart of the Chicago teachers strike, a historic rift that left 350,000 students in limbo for more than a week, was a question that school systems across the nation are confronting: How much should teachers be accountable for the performance of their students?

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

VISTA Students Scramble To Find New Schools
Stockton Record, CA, September 21, 2012
Huang, 17, was one of the roughly 70 students at Velocity International Science and Technology Academy who learned Wednesday that the new, troubled charter school would be shutting down.

School District Tosses Judge In ‘Parent Trigger’ Battle
San Bernardino Sun, CA, September 20, 2012
A group of parents seeking to take control of their kids’ failing school will have to wait a little longer, as the case moves from one superior court judge to another.

DELAWARE

State Seeks To Clarify Guidelines
The News Journal, DE, September 21, 2012
After two years of work, the state’s education leadership Thursday unveiled new regulations for monitoring and supporting the state’s growing charter-school system.

State to Study Pencader
The News Journal, DE, September 21, 2012
The state Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to place Pencader Charter Business and Finance High School on formal review.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

DCPS To Propose School Closures As Resistance Simmers
Washington Post Blog, DC, September 20, 2012
A long-anticipated round of proposed school closures will be announced in the next few weeks, Chancellor Kaya Henderson said Wednesday.

Some D.C. Charters Kick Out A High Percent Of Students
Washington Examiner, DC, September 20, 2012
The Capitol View middle school kicked out 70 percent of its students last school year either temporarily or permanently, according to data released Thursday by the DC Public Charter School Board. At Maya Angelou’s high school campus, 41 percent of students were suspended or expelled last year.

GEORGIA

Savannah’s Oglethorpe Charter School to Increase Enrollment
Savannah Morning News, GA, September 21, 2012
Oglethorpe Charter School officials have agreed to raise enrollment in exchange for a renewed charter and the Savannah-Chatham public school system’s large new building.

Charter Schools: County BOE Resolution Opposes Amendment
Times-Georgian, GA, September 21, 2012
The Carroll County Board of Education signed a resolution Thursday night urging Gov. Nathan Deal and state legislators to “cease efforts to erode local control of public schools.”

BOE Opposes Charter Amendment
The Toccoa Record, GA, September 20, 2012
Georgia voters will choose on Nov. 6 whether to allow the state to participate in allowing charter schools in local communities — a move the Stephens County School System opposes.

ILLINOIS

Did the Chicago Teachers Union Win?
Choice Media, September 20, 2012
The great Chicago teacher strike of 2012 has ended, and it’s time for Ed Reformers to look back and decide what really happened. We know kids didn’t go to school for 7 days. We know the union extracted a 17.6% raise from Mayor Rahm Emanuel and succeeded in getting merit pay dropped from consideration.

Paying For The New Teacher Contract
Chicago Sun-Times, IL, September 21, 2012
Mayor Rahm Emanuel could go a long way toward paying for the new teachers contract — without closing schools, raising class size or laying off teachers — by reversing financial maneuvers he ordered last year to prop up the city budget.

INDIANA

Teachers To Move To Merit Pay
Pharos-Tribune, IN, September 21, 2012
Area school administrators are watching Caston School Corporation this year to see how the corporation carries out the recent state mandate to base teachers’ pay on performance evaluations.

School Vouchers Lawsuit: Indiana Supreme Court To Hear Arguments
Indianapolis Star, IN, September 20, 2012
The Indiana Supreme Court will decide whether the nation’s largest school voucher program violates the state constitution.

LOUISIANA

New Foundation To Benefit Ebr Schools
The Advocate, LA, September 21, 2012
With little discussion, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board on Thursday unanimously agreed to form a partnership with a newly created nonprofit foundation that plans to help raise money for the parish school system.

Public School Teachers Fall Short In Efforts To Recall Jindal, Kleckley
Times Picayune, LA, September 20, 2012
Public school teachers seeking to recall Gov. Bobby Jindal and House Speaker Chuck Kleckley said Thursday that they failed in their efforts to oust the Republican leaders.

MARYLAND

Charter Good for Frederick County
Maryland Gazette, MD, September 21, 2012
Frederick citizens will be faced with a number of decisions this November. While many issues are complicated, one question is simple: “Do you approve the adoption of the charter of Frederick County ?” When you learn the facts, it’s clear that charter (government) brings many benefits to our community.

MASSACHUSETTS

Search For Lowell Charter School Site Narrows
Lowell Sun, MA, September 21, 2012
Since the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell received approval to open next fall, school officials have been busily working to find a site for the school in the city.

Area Schools Roll Out New Teacher Evaluation Plans
Daily Hampshire Gazette, MA, September 21, 2012
Teacher evaluations, long a hot-button topic in education circles, are front and center in Massachusetts this year as the state’s “Race to the Top” school districts prepare to implement required new standards for such evaluations.

MICHIGAN

In Michigan’s Reform District, Students Set Their Own Pace For Learning
Detroit Free Press, MI, September 21, 2012
The chancellor of the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan plans to improve the state’s lowest performing schools by dumping traditional teaching methods and giving students a learning plan that will allow them to progress at their own pace.

NEBRASKA

Lawmaker To Propose Smaller OPS Board, Limits On Administrative Compensation
Omaha World-Herald, NE, September 20, 2012
The string of controversies within the Omaha Public Schools is spurring legislative interest in capping administrative salaries, shrinking the board and making other reforms.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter School Funding Dries Up
New Hampshire Union Leader, NH, September 21, 2012
State education officials will approve no more charter schools for the indefinite future, after the state Board of Education on Wednesday quickly read and adopted a moratorium that affects schools even in the pipeline.

Principals Get Greater Role In Teacher Reviews
Eagle Tribune, NH, September 21, 2012
Teachers will see the principal in their classrooms more often under a new evaluation process at city schools, Superintendent James Scully said.

NEW MEXICO

PEC Rejects 8 of 9 Charter School Plans
Albuquerque Journal, NM, September 21, 2012
Just one new state-chartered school will open in New Mexico next year, after the Public Education Commission this week denied eight of the nine applications seeking approval.

Parochial Approach Won’t Reform Schools
Albuquerque Journal, NM, September 21, 2012
The community-oriented, community-driven label has an appeal, and a value — for everything from infrastructure improvements to neighborhood policing. People from, and in, an area often have special insight into what that area needs. But when it comes to identifying and implementing best practices in education reform, New Mexico needs to keep all its options open.

NEW YORK

Parents Seen Less Involved In Schools
Wall Street Journal, September 21, 2012
New city statistics are showing a steep decline in parent involvement in New York public schools, giving potential ammunition to critics who say the Department of Education under Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been unresponsive to families.

The ‘Walk For Choice’
The Chronicle, NY, September 20, 2012
In a show of solidarity for having a three school choice option, close to 400 people walked in a silent “walk for choice” to the Greenwood Lake Board of Education’s meeting on Wednesday night, presenting the board with a petition with 647 signatures requesting George F. Baker High School in Tuxedo be part of the choice option for its high schoolers.

PENNSYLVANIA

Gillingham Charter School Athletics Denied Entry Into Schuylkill League
Republican & Herald, PA, September 21, 2012
Varsity sports teams at Gillingham Charter School will not be participating in the Schuylkill League for two years.

Propel School Plan Rejected in Sto-Rox
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, September 21, 2012
For the second time, the Sto-Rox school board has voted unanimously to reject a charter application from Propel schools to open a K-12 school within the district, an action that ends a two-month discussion between the two sides about possible cooperation.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Hayes, Thompson At Odds On School Choice
The Herald, SC, September 21, 2012
Education reform emerged as a key issue at a candidates forum in Rock Hill Thursday – one state Sen. Wes Hayes’ first challenger since 1992 used to challenge his opponent.

TENNESSEE

Huffman to Talk Money With Metro on Friday
The Tennessean, TN, September 20, 2012
School board Chairman Cheryl Mayes asked for the meeting in a letter on Wednesday after Huffman announced earlier in the week that he would withhold $3.4 million from the school system because board members refused to approve a charter school as it had been directed to do.

Metro Council Calls Special Meeting Over Charter Trigger Law
Nashville Public Radio, TN, September 20, 2012
The chair of the Metro Council’s education committee has called a special meeting to discuss a state law allowing parents to essentially take over school. The never-before-used trigger law permits petitioners to convert a public school into a charter.

TEXAS

Bush Touts Role Of Principals During Visit to KIPP
Houston Chronicle, TX, September 20, 2012
A new student turned up in an East End second-grade classroom Thursday. He wore a suit and tie and stood about twice as tall as the youngsters around him.

VIRGINIA

State Superintendent Proposes Revamped Math Objectives
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, September 21, 2012
Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright is proposing to revamp Virginia ‘s annual math objectives with more aggressive standards aimed at closing the achievement gap between high- and low-performing schools and students.

Charter Proposal Deserves A Fair Shake
Fairfax Times, VA, September 21, 2012
The efforts of a group hoping to create Northern Virginia’s first public charter school took a hit last week when Fairfax County school officials said much work remains to be done before the school’s application passes muster.

WASHINGTON

Teachers Will Get Earned Merit Pay
Spokesman Review, WA, September 21, 2012
It turns out both sides were wrong: Idaho teachers who earned merit-pay bonuses last year under a controversial school-reform law will get those payments this fall, regardless of the outcome of a Nov. 6 vote on whether to repeal the law.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Virtual Learning Stories Miscast Role Of Nonprofit Foundation
Portland Press Herald, ME, September 21, 2012
“Special Report: The profit motive behind virtual schools in Maine ,” Sept. 2, mischaracterizes the relationship of those championing digital learning as for-profit and essentially conspiratorial.

Charter And Virtual Schools Need More Oversight
Sun Sentinel Blog, FL, September 20, 2012
For my Broward print column today, I wrote about the dark side to the explosion of charter and virtual schools that’s been encouraged by our choice-happy Legislature.

State Panel Turns Down Virtual Charter School Bid
The New Mexican, NM, September 20, 2012
The Public Education Commission on Thursday turned down two Santa Fe-based charter school applicants.

With Strike Over, Chicago Faces Another Test
Wall Street Journal, September 20, 2012
Linking Teacher Evaluations to Student Achievement Can Be a Hard Assignment, as Other States’ Experiences Have Shown

Segregation Prominent in Schools, Study Finds
New York Times, NY, September 20, 2012
The United States is increasingly a multiracial society, with white students accounting for just over half of all students in public schools, down from four-fifths in 1970.

Lessons From The Teachers Strike
Washington Post, DC, September 19, 2012
Here’s a bit of advice to America’s teachers: If you want the nation’s opinion leaders and CEOs to like you, don’t congregate in groups. Everyone, it seems, loves teachers individually. But when they get together, they become a menace to civilization.

For-Profit Corporations Are Ruining Our Nation’s Education
Patriot News, PA, September 19, 2012
It is vital that we hear and support the Chicago teachers’ call for less reliance on standardized testing — for student evaluation and for teacher evaluation. They were not fighting for more money, although all city schools are in desperate need of support. They were fighting for the soul of public education, which is under attack by for-profit corporations.

Why Should Teachers Do It All?
New York Times, NY, September 20, 2012
I commend Alex Kotlowitz for highlighting the issues we face in educating our most impoverished children. Asking teachers alone to find solutions for the myriad issues students bring with them every day, let alone teaching them to read, write and do arithmetic, is too much.

Skeptical Unions Pose Challenge To Districts’ Race To The Top
September 20, 2012, Nearly 900 districts nationwide, including 76 districts and charter schools in California , have told the federal government that they plan to compete for the final $400 million Race to the Top district competition. But with local unions having in effect a veto over their districts’ application, that number could dwindle.

Parent Power Index Ranks States in Ed Reform
Choice Media, September 19, 2012
If you’re listening to this, you’re probably interested in education reform, and you may have even had a conversation with neighbors, relatives or friends about how things are going in your state to shake up the education establishment and make schools better.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

San Bernardino Charter School Shut Down
San Bernardino Sun, CA, September 19, 2012
More than 100 students who had been attending a charter school for at-risk children stayed home Wednesday, and they won’t be going to Crown Ridge Academy ever again.

How Best To Rate Teachers?
Appeal Democrat, CA, September 19, 2012
With kids back in school, the need for reforming California ‘s education system is evident to many parents. The state’s students continue to perform near the bottom on most national rankings. For example, on the November 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress, California ranked 47th of 50 states on fourth-grade reading and math and on eighth-grade math.

DELAWARE

Pencader On Hot Seat
Delaware News Journal, DE, September 20, 2012
The Pencader Charter Business and Finance High School may face its second formal review by the state Department of Education in as many years.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

KIPP Gains Survive New Scrutiny, With A Footnote
Washington Post Blog, DC, September 19, 2012
New research on the nation’s largest and best-performing charter school network has a dull title — “Student Selection, Attrition, and Replacement in KIPP Middle Schools” — but it adds fuel to a fierce national debate over why KIPP looks so good and whether schools should follow its example.

FLORIDA

Seven Charter Schools Proposed For Sarasota-Manatee
Herald Tribune, FL, September 19, 2012
The uptick in the number of charter schools shows little sign of slowing down, with as many as seven new schools set to open in Sarasota and Manatee counties next year.

Charter School Impacts
WWSB ABC 7, FL, September 20, 2012
Thousands of Suncoast students are now attending charter schools. That number may be growing, with five more schools trying to get approval. It’s a trend not only impacting choice, but also the more traditional schools already in place.

Gov. Scott Helps For-Profit Company Launch Charter School
WTSP 10 News, FL, September 19, 2012
Tallahassee, Florida – Gov. Rick Scott continues his push to help more charter schools operate in Florida .

Stray Attack On School Vouchers Coming To A Ballot Near You
Tampa Bay Tribune, FL, September 20, 2012
Few public issues are as absorbing as the balance between religion and government, so a ballot initiative that aims to change the boundary is worthy of rigorous debate. Instead, Florida ‘s Amendment 8 is being treated to a proxy campaign on school vouchers.

GEORGIA

Reject Charter Amendment
Augusta Chronicle, GA, September 19, 2012
On Nov. 6, Georgia voters need to be aware of a confusing and deceptive question which will appear on our ballot. The question reads: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?”

Charter Schools A Positive for Georgia
Savannah Morning News, GA, September 20, 2012
On March 19, I was one of 40 state senators in the Georgia legislature who voted in favor of placing the above question on the general ballot this fall.

IDAHO

Idaho Arts Charter School Receives $50,000 Prize
Idaho Press Tribune, ID, September 20, 2012
Idaho Arts Charter School was awarded $50,000 from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation as one of six ID21 grand prize award winners across the state.

ILLINOIS

Teacher Gains Debated
Chicago Tribune, IL, September 20, 2012
While Chicago’s teachers may have drawn national attention to their cause, it’s still unclear whether what was achieved at the bargaining table during a seven-day strike was worth the disruption to teachers, students and parents.

After Teachers Strike, Doubts About Implications
Associated Press, September 20, 2012
Mayor Rahm Emanuel secured an extension of Chicago’s school day and empowered principals to hire the teachers they want. Teachers were able to soften a new evaluation process and win some job protections.

CPS Must Come Clean On School Closings
Chicago Sun-Times, IL, September 19, 2012
There are endless reasons why Chicago teachers say they went on strike. Pay, charter school growth, unfair evaluations, teacher recall, the over-use of standardized tests, the “privatization” of public education, poor teaching and learning conditions, anger toward Mayor Rahm Emanuel and on and on.

INDIANA

Charter Renewal Time for Imagine MASTer
The Journal Gazette, IN, September 20, 2012
Imagine MASTer Academy’s board and staff are gearing up for a visit from Ball State University officials who will determine the fate of the school and decide whether to renew the school’s charter status.

Charter School Eyes Anderson
The Herald Bulletin, IN, September 19, 2012
Staff from Anderson Community Schools and the Impact and Excel Centers expressed strong opposition to the proposed charter Premier High School during a public meeting Wednesday evening.

MAINE

Charter School Board At Capacity, Preparing For Review Of At Least 8 Applications
Bangor Daily News, ME, September 19, 2012
The Maine Charter School Commission welcomed two new members Wednesday as it gears up for another busy season of considering at least eight applications for new charter schools in Maine .

MASSACHUSETTS

Charter Scores Vary Wildly
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, September 20, 2012
The Gloucester Community Arts Charter School’s MCAS scores reported Wednesday morning show significant improvement in English Language arts programs over the school’s first-ever test results last year.

MICHIGAN

Schools Avoid Strong Evaluations
Detroit News, MI, September 20, 2012
The art of measuring a teacher’s impact is tricky – and figuring out how to do this fairly has sparked conversation and controversy.

MISSISSIPPI

Lawmakers Question School Funding Formula
Clarion Ledger, MS, September 19, 2012
The gap between the state’s school funding formula and money actually being appropriated could widen past $300 million next year, raising new questions about the formula’s future.

MISSOURI

Union Cooperation Helped St. Louis Schools Progress, Both Sides Say
St. Louis Beacon, MO, September 19, 2012
The kind of change that only came through a teachers’ strike in Chicago has been achieved more easily in St. Louis through greater cooperation between the school system and the teachers union, the president of the American Federation of Teachers said Wednesday.

NEW JERSEY

True Tenure Reform
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, September 19, 2012
Something called “tenure reform” is about to be enacted in the state of New Jersey . This is a result of an effort in the Legislature to cure a serious illness by applying a series of Band-Aids.

Honing Needed On Merit Pay
Asbury Park Press, NJ, September 19, 2012
Merit pay for exceptional public school teachers may be an idea whose time has come. Why not reward the exceptional educators in our midst?

Officials Unveil New Del. Charter School Framework
North Jersey , NJ, September 20, 2012
Delaware education officials are unveiling a new accountability system to strengthen state oversight of charter schools.

NEW YORK

From Failing To Blue Ribbon School : Bronx Charter School For Excellence Takes Home National Award
New York Daily News, NY, September 20, 2012
The Bronx Charter School for Excellence won the distinction of being one of three charter schools in the state to win a National Blue Ribbon Schools Award from the U.S. Department of Education.

Group Blocked From Offering Charter Plans For 2 Schools
Buffalo News, NY, September 20, 2012
A group wanting to turn East High School and Waterfront Elementary into charter schools was told Wednesday they could not present their plans to the Buffalo Board of Education.

NORTH CAROLINA

QEA Leader Opens New School
Winston Salem Chronicle, NC, September 20, 2012
The man behind the success of Winston-Salem’s Quality Education Academy (QEA) is putting his weight behind another charter school.

School Board Tries To Kill Charter Schools
Rhino Times, NC, September 20, 2012
The Guilford County Board of Education is fighting a rearguard action against the expansion of charter schools, more than a year after the North Carolina General Assembly removed the 100-school cap on charter schools in the state.

Increasing Choice Boosts Education
Jacksonville Daily News, NC, September 19, 2012
North Carolina has been testing the waters of a similar program, with legislators still weighing the issue. The divide over the question of a voucher system largely lies between Republicans who have endorsed the concept and many professional educators who do not.

OHIO

Why President Obama Can Still Count on Ohio’s Teachers
StateImpact NPR, OH, September 20, 2012
There is a difference when it comes to the ways President Obama and Mitt Romney want to improve public schools, and it’s a big one — money.

Third-Grade Goal
Columbus Dispatch, OH, September 20, 2012
With a recent vote to set a cut-off score for Ohio’s new “third-grade reading guarantee,” the state Board of Education has drawn a reasonable line for determining which children are struggling enough in reading that they should repeat third grade and receive extra help.

OKLAHOMA

Teachers Offer Policymakers The Best Voices To Help Guide Decisions
The Oklahoman, OK, September 20, 2012
EDUCATORS across America have undoubtedly watched what happened in Chicago the past several days with more than passing interest. Perhaps with all the changes facing public education, a teacher strike was a predictable response. Think about that: The going gets tough … and teachers strike.

PENNSYLVANIA

On His First Day, New Schools Chief Begins With Fact-Finding
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, September 20, 2012
For William R. Hite Jr., the clock started ticking Wednesday. It was the new Philadelphia schools chief’s first day on the job full-time, the first day of fact-finding for a plan he said he would release Jan. 2.

Harrisburg Teachers Prepare For New State Teacher Evaluation System
Patriot News, PA, September 19, 2012
Harrisburg School District teachers aired concerns over the states new teacher evaluation system during a training session held Wednesday.

Parents Upset Easton Area School District Does Not Provide Transportation To Charter School
Lehigh Valley Express-Times, PA, September 20, 2012
Lisa Lippincott said her eighth-grade daughter didn’t get enough time to study arts while in Easton Area Middle School , so she enrolled her in the Arts Academy Charter School in Salisbury Township .

RHODE ISLAND

Julia Steiny: Should Struggling Districts Follow the Lead of Charter Schools?
GoLocal Prov, RI, September 20, 2012
Nine schools in the Providence School District have agreed to consider converting to charter status, by partnering with one of Rhode Island’s excellent charter schools. Together they’ll adapt the charter-school’s educational strategy, write up their co-created new design, and apply for charter status from the state.

TENNESSEE

Charter Incubator Offers Stipends, Training To Draw Memphis Talent
Commercial Appeal, TN, September 20, 2012
Two years later, White is the first participant in the Education Entrepreneurs Fellowship, a three-year training program the Tennessee Charter School Incubator is kicking off in Memphis to increase the pool of charter leaders skilled enough to turn around failing schools.

Nashville Parents Explore Taking Over Schools
The Tennessean, TN, September 20, 2012
Dissatisfied parents and elected officials from West Nashville are exploring a never-before-utilized state law that would allow a public school to be converted into a parent-controlled charter school.

On Great Hearts Rejection, School Board’s Amy Frogge Won’t Back Down
The Tennessean, TN, September 20, 2012
Amy Frogge’s cellphone won’t stop ringing. Reporters, politicians, out-of-town callers with unfamiliar caller IDs — suddenly, it seems, everyone wants a word with the PTO president turned school board member who is just two weeks into her first gig in public office.

TEXAS

IDEA Enrollment Numbers Fall Short
Austin Chronicle, TX, September 20, 2012
IDEA Allan, the Austin Independent School District ‘s controversial in-district charter school, has failed to reach its enrollment target for the first year, though the school is still treating its numbers as a success.

WASHINGTON

Charter Schools Would Reduce Funding For Education
News Tribune, WA, September 20, 2012
This November, voters will be asked to decide about Initiative 1240, which if approved would allow the creation of charter schools. Public schools in Washington are already faced with the challenge of improving student performance at a time of declining resources.

WISCONSIN

Private School Vouchers Add To Pain Of Public School Cuts
Capital Times, WI, September 20, 2012
Dear Editor: Your article “Cuts to K-12 school aid fourth-largest in nation” talks about the huge cuts to public schools. It’s terrible that Gov. Scott Walker’s administration has cut so much.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Daniel Boone Officials Want To Create Online School
Reading Eagle, PA, September 20, 2012
Dr. Gary L. Otto can see where the future of education lies. And the Daniel Boone superintendent wants to make sure his district is up to speed before it’s too late.

More Oversight Needed For Florida Charter, Virtual Schools
Sun Sentinel, FL, September 19, 2012
Or imagine a school where you don’t have to go to school, and where as many as 275 kids who sidle up to their home computers are “taught” by a single teacher.