Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Education News for Friday, April 21

Weakened New Orleans voucher program moved forward – A House committee overrode the wishes of Gov. Kathleen Blanco on Thursday and approved a plan to set up a voucher program for students attending New Orleans’ worst public schools. (more)

Children before special interests – In the Philadelphia Daily News, Matt Ladner writes about Oprah’s show on the dropout crisis in our nation. (more)

LA mayor puts spotlight on charter school – State of the City address offered lavish praise for alternative campus that could be a model in proposed L.A. Unified takeover. (more)

Time to set things right in LAUSD – Op-ed in LA Daily News: Every parent in Los Angeles has a right to ask, "What’s going on with our schools?" The Los Angeles Unified School District has a 22 percent dropout rate – some studies show it is as high as 50 percent. (more)

More news posted later today.

UPDATE:

NY congressman set bills for U.S. tuition tax credit – Rep. Vito Fossella  plans to introduce a bill early next week that has already drawn praise and condemnation from both sides of the school choice debate, and is certain to stir the political pot once it is formally introduced. (more)

Spellings to examine NCLB loophole – Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is pledging to scrutinize a loophole that allows states to exclude nearly 2 million student test scores under the No Child Left Behind Act. (more)

South Carolina nonprofit becomes political player – A new breed of political animal is staking out territory in the state’s 2006 elections, including school choice. (more)

Orleans school recover chief named – In addition to clearing the way for 22 new charter schools to open next school year in New Orleans, state education leaders on Thursday tapped a longtime educator and state Department of Education administrator to run the city’s recovery school district. (more)

Baltimore charter schools struggling – Problems involve basic operational areas such as teacher quality, classroom instruction, adherence to special education policies and procedures.. (more)

UPDATE:

Florida House panel holds off on vouchers – The council postponed a highly partisan education issue, another proposed amendment that would let lawmakers restore one school voucher program that has been declared unconstitutional and create new ones while protecting two that haven’t been challenged. (more)