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Education News for Tuesday, June 27

Debunking the fictions that block school reform – Opinion: A coalition of unions published a glossy report this month complaining that poverty was largely to blame for the poor performance of Rhode Island’s public schools.  Not surprisingly, perhaps, the document discounted any responsibility by the unions for poor student performance, or any need for greater accountability by teachers. (more)

Study shows more quit school than previously reported – Editorial: The fact that three of every 10 children who enter high school in Indiana never receive a diploma should be a priority concern to all. (more)

Aspiring teachers experience diversity – Pennsylvania education majors participate in a Philadelphia program designed to help them understand racial and ethnic differences. (more)

Take it to the people – Editorial: The defenders of the education status quo in L.A., most notably Superintendent Roy Romer, members of the school board and the bloated bureaucracy they support – are apoplectic over Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s reform plan.  To overcome this massive resistance, Villaraigosa is going to need to do what he does best – appeal directly to the people. (more)

Improper spending alleged in Camden – State investigators are looking into whether two Camden (New Jersey) principals improperly spent tens of thousands of dollars of district money on a big-screen plasma television, iPods, laptops, and other electronic equipment. (more)

No Child Left Behind input sought – During the next few weeks, some Utah legislators will be weighing in on the potential reauthorization of No Child Left Behind. Most want to either throw it out or make some adjustments. (more)

Invest less in tests, more in learning – Opinion: While proposed changes to the Delaware student testing program are welcomed improvements, they still leave open a fundamental choice in our state: Will we continue to invest in a custom, multi-faceted assessment system, or will we join the states that restrict investment in testing in order to drive more resources into improving teaching and learning? (more)

Check back later for more education news.   

UPDATE:

FOR SCHOOL EQUALITY, TRY MOBILITY – DUMB liberal ideas in education are a dime a dozen, and during my time as superintendent of Houston’s schools and as the United States secretary of education I battled against all sorts of progressivist lunacy, from whole-language reading to fuzzy math to lifetime teacher tenure. Today, however, one of the worst ideas in education is coming from conservatives: the so-called 65 percent solution. (more)

The Charter Fight Ahead – That the obstructionism of the United Federation of Teachers and its pawn in Albany, Sheldon Silver, prevented the Legislature from lifting the limit on the number of charter schools is a defeat, but it may have its virtues. (more)

False choice, no choice – The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute inadvertently offered a false choice to Pennsylvanians about how to lower property taxes. The results of a recent survey indicated there was overwhelming support to raise the state sales tax in order to lower property taxes. However, the Quinnipiac analysis of that finding can easily mislead anyone who accepts the implication that there are only two choices. (more)

Mo. Considers Tax Credit for Scholarships– A plan to create tax credits for individuals and businesses that contribute money to K-12 scholarship organizations was introduced in both chambers of … (more)

Arizona Charter Makes Top 100 List
When Newsweek released its list of the top 100 high schools in the nation May 1, a charter school in Tucson made history. (more)

Can Political Leaders Find the Courage to Liberate Education? – This is the final installment of a seven-part series showing why charter schools do not have the freedom needed to create significant educational improvements … (more)

Overhauling a Broken Educational System -From the first paragraph of his book’s introduction, Frederick Hess sets forth a contrarian view of today’s American public schools that suggests significant … (more)

Diverse Panel of K-12 Leaders Backs Weighted-Student Method of Funding A diverse group of leaders in K-12 education policy are advocating a dramatic change in the way schools are financed, saying they should receive money based on the number and types of students they serve and that principals should determine teacher pay, professional development, and many other matters currently set by districts. (more)

Parents May Not Recover Expert Fees Under IDEA, Supreme Court Rules The main federal special education law does not authorize parents who prevail in a dispute over their child’s individualized education program to recover expert fees, a divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled today. (more)

Troubled charter schools can just swap sponsors
The (Cleveland)
P
lain Dealer: June 27. Some of Ohio’s charter schools are like the guy whose doctor told him he was drinking too much, so he changed doctors. "Sponsor hopping"—the practice of a charter school leaving a rigorous sponsor in favor of a less demanding one—might not rival alcohol abuse as a social problem. But as many charter schools decide this week whether to re-sign contracts with their current sponsors, it’s enough of a problem to concern even charter school supporters. (more)

State agency will have say on charter school approval – A new state agency will take over responsibility for approving and overseeing charter schools, under a law signed Monday by Gov. Jeb Bush. (more)