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Education News for Tuesday, May 30

Can’t Complete High School? Go Right Along to College – It is a kind of Alice-in-Wonderland idea. If you do not finish high school, head straight for college. (more) 

Unions’ retirement advice is failing teachers – Some of the United States’ largest teachers unions have joined forces with investment companies to steer members into retirement plans that frequently have high expenses and mediocre returns. (more)

Why Supe Selection Is Like Judging a Dog Show – By the end of this column I will have selected the next superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Because I believe that the children, parents, teachers and citizens of Los Angeles are entitled to transparency in such deliberations, I invite you to join me as I work my way toward a decision. (more)

School choice focus of forum – School choice — at least a version that would grant tax credits to some parents who enroll their children in private schools — revealed clear differences for viewers who watched Sunday’s televised debate featuring five Republicans running for South Carolina superintendent of education. (more)

Parents Answer Cellphone Ban in N.Y. Schools – They say the crackdown is too strict and imperils children’s safety. But the mayor holds the line. (more)

GOP’s missed chance: No choice for NH parents – Editorial: Republicans in the state House of Representatives might have missed their best chance to implement one of their platform planks. (more)

It adds up: How teachers in Palm Beach County could earn six-figure salaries –  Looking for a job with eventual six-figure earning potential? You might consider teaching at a Palm Beach County school. (more)

Will school closures do job? – As Seattle Public Schools prepares to shutter as many as a dozen school buildings, there’s growing concern that closures won’t save as much money as expected. (more)

Mayor Faces School Skeptics – In an effort to shore up support for his quest to win control of the Los Angeles public schools, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will go to Sacramento today to lobby business and labor leaders, as legislators warn that the major initiative of his term could be in trouble. (more)

A Mostly Easy Road for Chief of Schools – His wife’s illness is the one issue overshadowing Jack O’Connell as he runs a less-than-stressful campaign for reelection as California’s superintendent of public instruction. (more)

Exit-exam shift not the best answer for high schoolers – Opinion: The California legislature should vote down an effort to weaken the state’s high academic expectations. (more)

Education earmark shows Los Angeles now in political power – A look at a $1 billion earmark for Los Angeles Unified School District–and what it means for the perpetual school finance battles in California. (more)

UPDATE:
CA initiative renews preschool debate – From coast to coast, states are pushing to get more 4-year-olds into classrooms like Cheryl Smith’s thriving pre-kindergarten group at Cool Spring Elementary School in Adelphi. (more)

Ohio EdChoice voucher participation – With the application deadline fast approaching, 561 students, 1.2% of those eligible, have signed up for the new statewide EdChoice school voucher program. Despite this slow start, there is good reason to believe that this voucher program can fulfill its promise of offering true education choice to those who need it most. (more)

Wisconsin yanks school’s voucher status – State officials ordered Sa’Rai and Zigler Upper Excellerated Academy out of Milwaukee’s voucher program Friday, citing possible fraud in student applications. (more) 

With more choice has come resegregation – A school-assignment system established in 2001 to give San Francisco parents more choice has resegregated many schools across San Francisco. (more)