CER Newswire Vol. 2, No. 25
June 27, 2000 

* SCHOOL CHOICE: The results are in for Florida's Math and Reading scores. Last week we reported on the writing scores and it's clear that Florida schools improved somewhat in these vital areas too. So far, we know that while none of the 78 schools that had failed last year failed again this year, there were at least 20 new schools that were put on the failing schools list. It's evident that while good things are happening, much remains to be done. For a detailed analysis of the scores and schools' progress go to: http://www.firn.edu/doe.

* CHARTER SCHOOLS: All politics are local and in Frederick, Maryland a large number of parents have organized and gotten their school board to respond to their demand for charter schools. The Center for Charter Schools in Frederick County has sparked lots of local attention and now the school board is even considering drafting a charter school policy. It's not that simple because Maryland does not have a charter school law. Maryland is among the last of only 14 states that has not enacted a law allowing charter schools. The Frederick group and others in the state of Maryland will be pressing their state representatives to deliver to them the opportunity to create charter schools. Anyone who wants to connect with the Maryland group should e-mail marylandcharters@aol.com.

* TODAY IN DC a referendum vote will decide the future governance of the D.C. Public Schools. The proposal calls for a 9-person board, of which 5 are to be elected, balanced by 4 others appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Council. This Board was a compromise between the Mayor and the Council who split on whether it should be an all elected board – and it has generated less support than it merits. A strong board is important for education reform in the district and could have a major impact on the quality of traditional schools as well as public charters schools. The Board has the power to charter up to 10 charter schools each year and presently monitors 15 charter schools.

* KUDOS to the PAL Academy Charter Schools of Manatee County, Inc. for receiving their third charter contract. This contract awarded by the Manatee School Board is for the first Department of Juvenile Justice charter school in the state of Florida. The charter school will provide the educational service delivery for long-term commitment of adjudicated youth in partnership with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, the Manatee County Sheriff's office and the PAL Academy Charter Schools of Manatee County, Inc.

* CONFERENCES: 

• The AEPP (Association of Educators in Private Practice) is holding its Annual Conference in Detroit, Michigan this coming July 27-29. The conference, which will be located in Detroit's Cobo Hall, is sure to gather professionals from across the county who share a vision of the impact educational entrepreneurs can have on learning in the next century. For more info go to www.aepp.org.
• The Annual Milken Family Foundation Conference is going on right now in Los Angeles and is a tribute to outstanding teachers from 41 states. Just as important however, the entire conference is focused on the need to reform the teaching profession with changes to the way we recruit, retain and reward teachers. Along with the Education Leaders Council, the Milken Family Foundation is the sponsor of the Teacher Advancement Program which will be piloting these ideas in several states this year. For more information, visit http://www.mff.org/tap/tap.taf.

* DON’T FORGET! Still available from the Center are three valuable resources on charter schools Charter Schools Today: Changing the Face of American Education, Charter School Laws Across the States 2000 and our National Charter School Directory 2000. Call CER at (800) 521-2118 to get more information and purchase your copy today, or order online!

* COMING SOON: CER's own Nine Lies About School Choice: Answering the Critics. 

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The CER Newswire is published by The Center for Education Reform, the nation's leading authority on school reform. CER is dedicated to making schools better for America's children by improving educational access and excellence for all. CER works with parents, teachers and policymakers to advance meaningful education improvement initiatives.

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