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Charter School Battle Shifts to Affluent Suburbs
New York Times, NY, July 17, 2011
Suburbs like Millburn, renowned for educational excellence, have become hotbeds in the nation’s charter school battles, raising fundamental questions about the goals of a movement that began 20 years ago in Minnesota.

Obama Seeks CEO Help for Schools
Wall Street Journal, July 18, 2011
President Barack Obama will meet with some of the nation’s top CEOs Monday to prod them to invest more heavily in education initiatives, especially those he champions, such as high-quality teaching and early childhood programs.

Easing Test Pressure Won’t Save Kids
Washington Post, DC, July 17, 2011
Who is to blame for tampering with tests in Atlanta and Baltimore? Why are there so many suspicious testing irregularities in Washington, Philadelphia and other cities? From what I have read in blogs, columns and official statements, the verdict is in. Cheating, wherever it occurred, was caused by too much pressure on principals and teachers to raise student achievement.

Our View: Don’t Blame Tests For School Cheating Scandals
USA Today, July 17, 2011
The wrongdoing was systemic and the coverup sophisticated. Documents were altered, and materials were withheld from investigators. Whistle-blowers were punished, and one of the most blatant perpetrators won plaudits, raises and bonuses.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Los Angeles Schools To Revamp Their Ban On Social Promotion
Los Angeles Times, CA, July 18, 2011
One approach to ensuring that children are academically ready for promotion would be to provide extra help for students in key grades.

Newton: A New Voice L.A.’s Teachers Union
Los Angeles Times, CA, July 18, 2011
New UTLA President Warren Fletcher is a welcome change from his predecessor. But he has his work cut out for him to save his union.

California Ignores Parents, Empowers Reactionaries
San Francisco Examiner, CA, July 17, 2011
Many states are passing progressive legislation to empower parents and students with choice in education. California , on the other hand, is considering legislation that ignores the needs of students and makes the most powerful anti-choice force in the state even more powerful.

COLORADO

Denver Judge: Douglas County Voucher Program Suits Should Stay In Denver
Denver Post, CO, July 18, 2011
Last November, as Douglas County school district leaders were beginning to craft their voucher program, State Board of Education Chairman Bob Schaffer asked Colorado Department of Education staff to help “pave the way for Douglas County” and its controversial program within the department.

Parents Deserve To Know
Denver Post, CO, July 17, 2011
Colorado’s teachers union is wrong to sue the State Board of Education over a rule requiring notification of teacher arrests.

FLORIDA

If University of Florida Program Can Revitalize Teacher Training, Pinellas Schools Benefit
St. Petersburg Times, FL, July 17, 2011
Over the past few years, UF has rolled out its promising but unproven teacher training package to a handful of Florida school districts, including Pinellas. The $24 million investment has spanned five counties and involved 11,000 teachers so far.

GEORGIA

Atlanta Public Schools: Help APS Students Break Poverty’s Lock
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, July 16, 2011
The saddest theme of the report dissecting the cheating rackets that enveloped Atlanta Public Schools was that so many educators did not believe their pupils were capable of meeting even minimal academic standards.

Charter Schools Worth Supporting
Savannah Morning News, GA, July 18, 2011
Education has dominated local political news the past couple of weeks, mostly because of the long expected yet still shocking report which detailed the depth of cheating in the Atlanta Public Schools system.

Uncharted Course Ahead For Charter Schools Locally
Savannah Morning News, GA, July 18, 2011
Charter schools have a place in the Savannah public schools going forward, insist educators and parents alike. Figuring out where is a challenge beyond Rand McNally, Garmin and Mapquest.

Cracking a System in Which Test Scores Were for Changing
New York Times, NY, July 18, 2011
There had long been suspicions that cheating on state tests was widespread in the Atlanta public schools, but the superintendent, Beverly L. Hall, was feared by teachers and principals, and few dared speak out.

HAWAII

As Schools Struggle, Officials Seek Relief From NCLB
Star Advertiser, HI, July 17, 2011
A decade after Hawaii students started taking annual reading and math assessments under No Child Left Behind, there are growing calls locally and nationally to overhaul the federal law that requires that schools meet rising annual proficiency goals or risk losing federal money.

ILLINOIS

Education Reforms Underfunded, Illinois Schools Chief Warns
Chicago Tribune, IL, July 18, 2011
State superintendent says budget cuts could hamper performance evaluations for principals, teachers.

INDIANA

Will Vouchers Stand Up To State Constitution?
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel , IN, July 15, 2011
So far, state officials say they’ve received more than 125 applications from schools seeking to take part in Indiana’s new private- school voucher plan. According to the Bloomington Herald-Times, nearly all the 80 schools approved to date appear to be faith-based.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Teacher Tenure Will Take 5 Years
Nashua Telegraph, NH, July 16, 2011
New teachers will have to work for five years in the same district before earning tenure, after Gov. John Lynch this week allowed the change to become law without his signature.

NEW JERSEY

Foundation Academy Charter in Trenton Expanding to Include High School in the Fall
The Times of Trenton, NJ, July 17, 2011
Foundation Academy Charter, a college preparatory middle school for students in grades 5 through 8, will expand to include a high school starting this fall.

NEW MEXICO

On the Waiting List
Silver City Sun News, NM, July 17, 2011
For the first time in its six-year history, Aldo Leopold High School, Grant County’s only charter school, has reached its enrollment cap of 120 students, and has had to create a waiting list for interested students.

NEW YORK

New York City Abandons Teacher Bonus Program
New York Times, NY, July 18, 2011
A New York City program that distributed $56 million in performance bonuses to teachers and other school staff members over the last three years will be permanently discontinued, the city Department of Education said on Sunday.

Teacher Grading System Passes
Wall Street Journal, July 16, 2011
The city Department of Education and the teachers union have agreed on a teacher evaluation system at 33 failing schools that will for the first time use individual student progress to measure the performance of educators.

NORTH CAROLINA

Family’s Crusade Leads To New Law
Charlotte Observer, NC, July 17, 2011
Leslie Petruk burst into tears when she heard recently that House Bill 344 had passed.
The bill, which became law June 30, allows up to $6,000 a year in tax credits to help pay for private education and therapy for children with special needs.

OHIO

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson Keeps Pushing State For New Teacher Evaluation System
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, July 17, 2011
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is demanding a do-over in Columbus, accusing Republican state lawmakers of reneging on plans to approve tougher new rules that would have made it easier for him to fire any public school teacher for poor performance.

‘Last Chance’ Often A Misnomer
Columbus Dispatch, OH, July 17, 2011
Thirteen current Columbus school-district employees have signed agreements that give them one last chance to change their behavior, or else.

OKLAHOMA

Plenty of Lessons From High-Profile School Cheating Scandals
The Oklahoman, OK, July 17, 2011
THE pressure on teachers to help students perform well on state-mandated tests has never been greater. The No Child Left Behind law’s requirement of a rising performance bar means states in the past several years have steadily and sometimes dramatically increased what it takes for students to meet academic standards.

PENNSYLVANIA

Fairly Or Not, Spikes In Test Scores Haunt Some Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, July 16, 2011
Superintendent Kevin J. McHugh suspects that the Pennsbury School District may be a victim of its own success.

Charter Schools’ Influence Unclear
Centre Daily Times, PA, July 18, 2011
Officials in Bald Eagle Area, like those in Bellefonte, Philipsburg- Osceola and Penns Valley area school districts, have in recent years created online programs largely in an effort to lure students back from cyber charters, or prevent students like Shawley from dropping out.

Charter Schools Fought To Be An Option
Centre Daily Times, PA, July 17, 2011
Elizabeth Eirmann knew middle school could be a challenge for her son. She figured that if Samuel fell behind then, it would be hard for him to catch up later. And she didn’t want him to get lost in a crowd.

Improve Voucher Bill
Scranton Times-Tribune, PA, July 18, 2011
When the Republican majorities in both houses of the state Legislature and Republican Gov. Tom Corbett took office early this year, it looked like school choice legislation would be their first priority.

RHODE ISLAND

What Achievement First Has Achieved
Providence Journal, RI, July 17, 2011
When I took over as superintendent of the Hartford Public Schools in 2006, one of the first things I did was to call Dacia Toll, the president of Achievement First, to ask her to bring her high-performing school model to my district.

UTAH

Teacher Pay Idea Has Great Merit
Daily Herald, UT, July 17, 2011
A brouhaha over teachers’ contracts in Ogden provides lots of lessons on why merit pay is an
idea whose time has come. It’s time to seize the moment statewide.

VIRTUAL LEARNING

The Internet Will Reduce Teachers Union Power
Wall Street Journal, July 18, 2011
Online learning means fewer teachers (and union members) per student.

Studies Show Cyber Schools Not Making Grade
Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, PA, July 18, 2011
Every school district in Luzerne County reached a key state benchmark that measures school performance in the 2009-10 school year, but the news was not nearly as good for the 11 charter cyber schools operating in Pennsylvania.

Controversy Swirls About Cyber Schools
Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, PA, July 17, 2011
Backers praise their accessibility, but critics question their accountability.

Commitment Vital to Child’s Success
Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, PA, July 17, 2011
A decade ago, Ian’s parents, Dawn and David, were among the first families in the state to test the waters of what was then an emerging educational movement known as cyber schooling.

Phoenixville Unveils Its Own Cyber School
Pottstown Mercury, PA, July 17, 2011
Touting it as a “great opportunity” for students who want a conventional and online education, the Phoenixville Area School District is making the transition into the 21st century, competing with area cyber schools by creating its own online curriculum.

Memphis Exploring Virtual Academy
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, July 16, 2011
Union school district serves as fiscal agent for education venture

New School Is Both Virtual, Reality
Munster Times, IN, July 18, 2011
For generations, Hoosier students have gone to high school. Now they have the option of high school coming to them. The Achieve Virtual Education Academy, created by the Wayne Township Metropolitan School District in Marion County , is now open to students living anywhere in Indiana.

Part-Time Teaching Online Pays Off
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV, July 18, 2011
Teachers have been known to make a few extra bucks by delivering pizza or hawking peanuts at the ballpark. These days, students might just as easily find their teachers working online.

Charter Schools Not The Right Idea
The South End, MI, July 14, 2011
In the general discourse on the subject of education, “ideas,” preferably of a bold nature, are often called for. Fair enough. But the most depressing facet of political life in recent years surely is that bad ideas can be identified simply by this sign: the federal government has implemented them.

Fixing the Fix
Columbus Dispatch, OH, July 14, 2011
When Congress enacted the No Child Left Behind law in 2001, it aimed to identify poor-performing schools and force them to improve or face consequences, including letting students transfer to better schools. But now the question might well be, ‘Who’s going to be left?’

Impossible Standards Fuel Spread Of Cheating
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, July 15, 2011
Cheating isn’t usually a laughing matter, though, as the Philadelphia School District is learning. A recently revealed 2009 report by the state Department of Education flagged 22 district-run schools and seven charters for suspicious results on standardized tests.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

San Bernardino Public Safety Charter School Turns Its Attention To New School Year
San Bernardino Sun, CA, July 14, 2011
As a legal battle continues between the Public Safety Academy’s board of trustees and the charter school’s former CEO, Michael Dickinson, academy officials are gearing up for the new school year beginning Aug.4.

DELAWARE

Reach Academy Has Earned Right To A Future
Delaware News Journal, DE, July 14, 2011
New life for Reach Academy Charter School can’t just turn on the fact that 200 girls would be thrust into traditional public schools well after the school choice options have closed.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Schools Chancellor Henderson Relaxes Evaluation Rules For Some Veteran Teachers
Washington Post, DC, July 14, 2011
D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson, prodded by the Washington Teachers’ Union, has relaxed teacher evaluation rules so that some veterans who receive two consecutive poor appraisals can keep their jobs.

FLORIDA

Florida Not Alone in Push to Make it Tougher on Teachers
The Bradenton Times, FL, July 15, 2011
Its been a tough year to be a teacher. If you’re startled, or you jump when you hear the word “reform,” chances are you’re in the education field. Florida Governor Rick Scott said he was going to reform education, and he and his team has not wasted any time with their wrecking ball.

New Education Chief Touts School Choice, Other Goals
Orlando Sentinel, FL, July 14, 2011
Gerard Robinson, Florida’s incoming education commissioner, visited Orlando on Thursday for a “look, listen and learn” tour and to familiarize Floridians with his background and approach to education.

As Florida School Construction Money Dries Up, Charter Schools Are The Winners
St. Petersburg Times, FL, July 15, 2011
In an already lean budget year, Florida’s public schools are facing yet another challenge: Finding money to build badly needed new schools and fix crumbling old ones.

Failing Charter Schools Safe For Now
Pensacola News Journal, FL, July 15, 2011
Two Escambia County charter schools with low standardized test scores and financial problems will operate for at least another year.

GEORGIA

Eight Charter Schools Get Money From Governor
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, July 14, 2011
Eight imperiled Georgia charter schools got good news Thursday when Gov. Nathan Deal pledged $10 million to keep them afloat.

Deal’s Pledge Will Help Cherokee Charter
Cherokee Tribune, GA, July 15, 2011
Cherokee Charter Academy’s funding woes were quickly subdued Thursday after hearing Gov. Nathan Deal’s pledge to hand out $10 million in bridge funding to Georgia charter schools that were affected by a state Supreme Court ruling in May.

HAWAII

‘Don’t Turn Your Back,’ Teachers Union Ad Says
Honolulu Star-Advertiser, HI, July 14, 2011
The teachers union took to the airwaves Wednesday to try to bring the state back to the bargaining table.

INDIANA

125 Indiana Schools Apply For Private Voucher Program
Indianapolis Star, IN, July 14, 2011
State officials say they’ve received more than 125 applications from schools seeking to take part in Indiana’s new private school voucher plan.

School Vouchers Offer Path To The Future
Evansville Courier & Press, IN, July 14, 2011
Tanya Cleckley says the smaller class sizes available in most private schools is what she finds attractive about enrolling her children in one of them using Indiana’s new school voucher program.

LOUISIANA

Charter School May No Longer Need To Move Out Before New School Year
WWL-TV, LA, July 14, 2011
Next month, students are scheduled to return to Sojourner Truth Academy off Freret Street. This week, though, school administrators heard there was a good chance they wouldn’t be back there.

MARYLAND

Number of City Schools Missing Academic Targets Surges
Baltimore Sun, MD, July 14, 2011
Nearly 90 percent of Baltimore elementary and middle schools fell short of academic targets on state assessments this year, signaling a trend that education officials nationwide say will eventually label most American schools as failures.

MICHIGAN

Catherine Ferguson Academy Becomes Charter School Under New District
The South End, MI, July 14, 2011
School officials outlined plans for Catherine Ferguson Academy’s future as a charter school during a press conference July 13.

NEW JERSEY

Trenton Leadership Needs To Make School Choice Top Priority
NJ Spotlight, NJ, July 14, 2011
NJ Spotlight’s recent interview with Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver hopefully drew attention to a mired process of addressing what has been called the key civil rights issue of our time — educational choice.

OHIO

South High Outsourcing Daily Operations
Columbus Dispatch, OH, July 15, 2011
The Columbus school district has won a federal turnaround grant that will pay for an outside group to run long-struggling South High School.

State Superintendent Blames Budget Cuts For Layoffs
Columbus Dispatch, OH, July 15, 2011
Blaming state budget cuts, schools Superintendent Stan W. Heffner yesterday announced the elimination of 26 jobs at the Ohio Department of Education, and more layoffs are coming.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Georgetown Likely To Approve Charter School, Although Hurdles Remain
Myrtle Beach Sun, SC, July 15, 2011
There’s a very good chance that a new charter school will be approved by the Georgetown County Board of Education later this month.

TENNESSEE

Memphis City School Caught In Seniority Quandary
Commercial Appeal, TN, July 15, 2011
Memphis City Schools is balancing on the beam of spending millions of dollars a year to recruit and keep talent while also complying with teacher union seniority rules.

Urban Parents Want School Options
The Tennessean, TN, July 14, 2011
District officials say there are plenty of options for parents who live in the urban core. Robert Churchwell Museum Magnet Elementary opened last year at 1625 D.B. Todd Blvd. and provides an arts integrated curriculum.

WISCONSIN

Kaukauna Schools Are Test Case For Wisconsin Collective Bargaining Changes
Green Bay Press-Gazette, WI, July 14, 2011
Republican Gov. Scott Walker has touted the Kaukauna School District’s projected budget surplus as proof the state’s collective bargaining law already is working.

VIRTUAL LEARNING

Ipad Perk: Students, Teachers Get Gadgets
Greensboro News & Record, NC, July 14, 2011
Montlieu Elementary Academy of Technology just got way cooler. Starting this fall, every teacher and student at the school will be outfitted with their very own iPad.

High-Tech School: Science Charter School Unveils New Building
Idaho State Journal, ID, July 15, 2011
Brent Christensen teaches language arts, and art to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders at the Idaho Science and Technology Charter School in Blackfoot.

Online Program Is Asset To Education
St. George Daily Spectrum, UT, July 15, 2011
Today, with the advances in technology, there are many ways in which students can receive a full education. The Washington Online School Utah program is one of those additions to public education that can enhance and expand a students’ learning experience.

Online Options Abound For Arizona K-12 Students
East Valley Tribune, AZ, July 15, 2011
Arizona students are taking online classes by the thousands, and with a change in state law, they have more options to do so.

Charter School Forges Ahead With Expansion
Wall Street Journal, July 14, 2011
Four years after opening its first charter school in Santa Clara County, Rocketship Education wants to significantly expand the number of schools it operates.

School Woes Slow Malloy
Wall Street Journal, July 14, 2011
As a candidate, Dannel Malloy a year ago placed education at the center of his campaign. He pledged that if elected governor, he would build on a slew of long-awaited education changes Connecticut lawmakers had passed in order to snag federal Race to the Top funds, intending to push the state even further.

ARIZONA

NPA Posts High Pass Rates On AIMS
Arizona Daily Sun, AZ, July 14, 2011
Northland Preparatory Academy again posted high pass rates on this spring’s annual standardized AIMS test

CALIFORNIA

Regulations Approved For Schools’ ‘Parent Trigger’ Law
Los Angeles Times, CA, July 14, 2011
After months of controversy, the state Board of Education set out a clear road map Wednesday to allow parents unparalleled rights to force major changes at low-performing schools.

Offered Chance, Few Failing Schools Close Doors
Associated Press, July 14, 2011
At San Francisco’s Willie Brown Jr. College Preparatory Academy, enrollment has plummeted and student performance has lagged. School officials have decided it’s better to close.

COLORADO

Douglas County District’s Plan For “School” Puts It Further Into Uncharted Charter Territory
Denver Post, CO, July 14, 2011
To operate its groundbreaking and controversial voucher program, the Douglas County School District has hit upon yet another groundbreaking and controversial plan: the creation, staffing and approval of its own charter school.

DPS Food Workers Get Funds To Design Pay-For-Performance Evaluations
Denver Post, CO, July 14, 2011
Denver Public Schools food workers this week received a $150,000 grant to begin designing their own pay-for-performance evaluation system.

DELAWARE

Reach Likely To Stay Open
Delaware News Journal, DE, July 14, 2011
The state secretary of education believes Reach Academy Charter School should remain open

Families And Faculty Plead For Pencader
Delaware News Journal, DE, July 14, 2011
Faculty, students and parents from Pencader Business and Finance Charter School pleaded their cases to state officials Wednesday night in an attempt to keep their school open.

FLORIDA

Miami-Dade Schools Chief Carvalho Vows To Keep 2 Schools Open
Miami Herald, FL, July 13, 2011
Miami-Dade schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday affirmed his commitment to saving two Miami-Dade high schools threatened with closure – and got permission from the School Board to manage a new charter school opening three campuses this fall.

Pasco School District, Union Resolve Homeroom Dispute
Tampa Tribune, FL, July 13, 2011
The Pasco County school district and the teachers’ union have resolved an unfair labor practices claim the union filed after some high schools began using expanded homeroom periods for instructional time.

ILLINOIS

Celebrate ISTEP Gains, But Keep On Improving
Palladium-Item, IL, July 13, 2011
There should be a collective sigh of relief spreading across Indiana this week as the result of new scores posted on statewide standardized tests.

The Other Transformers
Chicago Tribune, IL, July 14, 2011
July is usually the time for blockbuster action at the movie house, not the schoolhouse. This summer is different.

LOUISIANA

Jefferson Parish Pushes Overhaul At 4 High Schools With Lagging Scores
Times-Picayune, LA, July 13, 2011
High schools missed out on a federal reform grant the Jefferson Parish school system recently won for schools serving lower grades, so parish officials now are setting out to craft their own turnaround plan at four campuses.

Jefferson Parish School Board Moving Toward Third Charter School
Times-Picayune, LA, July 13, 2011
The Jefferson Parish School Board has moved a step closer to opening a third charter school, accepting a $200,000 state grant to help find an organization to manage the campus.

MICHIGAN

DPS Taps Charter School Leader Ross To Head Its Program
Detroit News, MI, July 13, 2011
Doug Ross, CEO of New Urban Learning, a nonprofit charter school operator in Detroit, was named this afternoon as director of charter schools for the Detroit Public Schools.

NEW JERSEY

N.J. Board Of Ed Votes To Relax Hiring Requirements For Superintendents In The State’s Most Troubled Districts
Star-Ledger, NJ, July 13, 2011
The state Board of Education has voted to relax requirements for hiring superintendents in the state’s most troubled school districts, opening these jobs to non-educators for the first time.

N.J. Revises Education Department
Associated Press, July 14, 2011
New Jersey’s Education Department received a makeover Wednesday aimed at making it less of a regulatory agency while putting in place Gov. Christie’s goal of successfully teaching and graduating children from all walks of life.

OKLAHOMA

State Elementary School Reading Program Unfunded For First Time In 13 Years
The Oklahoman, OK, July 14, 2011
Literacy First began establishing roots in Oklahoma in 1998, but the program’s founders say this economic drought threatens the teacher training program.

PENNSYLVANIA

Corbett Blames Teacher Layoffs On Districts
York Daily Record, July 13, 2011
The blame for the thousands of teachers losing their jobs rests with Pennsylvania school districts, not the deep cuts in state aid in Pennsylvania’s newly enacted budget, Gov. Tom Corbett suggested Tuesday.

Most Philadelphia-Area School Districts Avoid Drastic Cutbacks
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, July 14, 2011
Despite a tough Pennsylvania budget season that saw state aid cut for the first time in more than a decade, most area school districts averted drastic classroom cuts for the coming school year.

After Seeing School District Data, City Wants More
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, July 14, 2011
City officials were recently granted an unprecedented look at internal Philadelphia School District documents, providing a level of access that has long evaded those trying to keep tabs on the district.

Pa. Tells Districts To Check Testing Irregularities
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, July 14, 2011
The Pennsylvania Department of Education on Wednesday told 40 school districts and nine charter schools across the state to investigate irregularities found with their 2009 test scores.

Pa. Examines Why Report On Tests Was Ignored
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, July 14, 2011
A report analyzing irregularities among the standardized tests of nearly 1 million students arrived at the state Department of Education in July 2009 and “basically sat on a shelf,” agency spokesman Tim Eller said Wednesday.

TENNESSEE

High Expectations Lead To Higher TCAP Scores
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, July 14, 2011
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam rightly congratulated the state’s public school teachers last week for the long strides made in student achievement as measured by state test scores.

VIRTUAL EDUCATION

More Kids Will Learn In Cyberia
New York Post, NY, July 14, 2011
High school will become a virtual learning experience for more New York teenagers under a sweeping new state policy that promotes online instruction.

Online School Expects To Double Enrollment
KTUL, OK, July 13, 2011
The Tulsa Public School system has a new virtual learning program, using the Internet. Some students may never have to step into a traditional classroom again.

Cactus Shadows To Expand Online-Learning Program
Arizona Republic, AZ, July 14, 2011
The Cactus Shadows High School blended online-learning program has proved so popular that the district is adding an evening version.

Changes In Florida Law Make It Easier To Take Classes Online
Florida Times-Union, FL, July 14, 2011
For some students, a few virtual classes in addition to a traditional school environment is just perfect. Some prefer to go virtual full-time.

Hall May Create Virtual Charter School
Gainesville Times, GA, July 13, 2011
Traditional classroom learning might become a thing of the past for Hall County Schools. As the district incorporates more technology, officials are investigating the possibility of a virtual charter school for grades sixth through 12th.

Schools Chiefs See a Path to Proposing Their Own Accountability Systems
New York Times, NY, July 12, 2011
Some state education chiefs say that if Congress does not overhaul No Child Left Behind, the main federal law governing public education, by the fall, they may be allowed to propose their own accountability systems as an alternative.

Atlanta’s Testing Scandal Adds Fuel To U.S. Debate
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, July 13, 2011
Atlanta’s school cheating scandal, one of the largest in U.S. history, has launched a national discussion about whether the increased use of high-stakes tests to rate educators will trigger similar episodes in the years ahead.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

L.A. Officials Unexpectedly Move To Shut Down Charters Implicated In Cheating
Los Angeles Times, CA, July 12, 2011
In an unexpected action, Los Angeles school officials Tuesday voted against renewing the operating agreements of two charter schools involved in a cheating scandal last year. The decision could lead to a shutdown of all six schools run by the Crescendo organization.

Proposed ‘Parent Trigger’ Rules Still Need Work
Los Angeles Times, CA, July 13, 2011
After several months of intense lobbying, new rules have been proposed governing the so-called parent trigger process that allows parents to challenge the operation of low-performing public schools.

COLORADO

41 Colorado School Districts Line Up For Evaluation Pilot Program
Denver Post, CO, July 13, 2011
Colorado school districts have overwhelmed the state Department of Education with their interest in participating in a state pilot program this fall for evaluating new teachers and principals.

Advisory Group Questions ‘Voucher Charter’
Education News Colorado, CO, July 13, 2011
Five parents who serve on Douglas County’s district accountability committee asked lots of questions Tuesday about the voucher charter school slated to open this fall.

Douglas County School District To Create Faux Charter School
9NEWS, CO, July 13, 2011
There will be no classrooms full of students. There will be no staff of teachers. The sign outside indicates that the location is the school district headquarters. Yet, this will be the location of Douglas County’s newest charter school.

FLORIDA

Carvalho Vows To Keep Miami Edison, Miami Central Open
Miami Herald, FL, July 12, 2011
Two iconic Miami-Dade schools – one of which was held up by President Barack Obama as a national model for education reform – may have to close their doors or be converted into charter schools because they have not shown the required improvements by a controversial state rule.

St. Lucie School Board Approves Contract For Charter
TCPalm, FL, July 12, 2011
In about 13 months, the College Preparatory Academy of the Treasure Coast is expected to open as the county’s only charter high school.

At Least 4 New Charter Schools Coming This Fall To Pinellas County School District
St. Petersburg Times, FL, July 13, 2011
Two offer Pinellas students the chance to go to a different kind of high school. Another is opening its fourth campus. Still another is creating a school for younger students.

GEORGIA

Charter School Proposed For At-Risk 7th- And 8th-Graders
Herald & Review, GA, July 12, 2011
A new charter school, designed to serve at-risk students in grades seven and eight initially, is in the early planning stages.

Charter School Rushes To Get Ready For Year
Cherokee Tribune, GA, July 12, 2011
With the 2011-12 school year rapidly approaching, officials with the recently state-approved Cherokee Charter Academy are still racing to prepare the school for its inaugural class in August.

ILLINOIS

Charters Tell Mayor They Support Longer School Days
The Chicago Tribune, IL, July 12, 2011
Chicago charter schools have sent a letter to Mayor Rahm Emanuel voicing support for a longer school day. No surprise here: Chicago charter schools have sent a letter to Mayor Rahm Emanuel voicing support for a longer school day.

Education Activist Boasts Of Power Plays, Then Apologizes
The Chicago Tribune, IL, July 13, 2011
An education activist’s blunt tale of wooing House Speaker Michael Madigan and outfoxing teachers unions created a stir Tuesday by violating a cardinal rule of Statehouse power plays – what happens under the dome stays under the dome.

Braggart Angers Teachers’ Union After Tough Negotiations Over Reform Bill
The Chicago Sun-Times, IL, July 13, 2011
Unions and legislators who worked on Illinois’ landmark education reform legislation are upset with an advocate who bragged in Aspen last week that he snookered them into accepting drastic cuts in teacher union’s rights.

INDIANA

City Will Still Pull School’s Charter, Despite ISTEP Strides
WRTV Indianapolis, IN, July 12, 2011
An Indianapolis charter school blasted by the mayor for poor performance showed a drastic improvement in ISTEP scores, but that won’t keep the city from pulling its support.

MARYLAND

Prince Street Barely Missed Benchmark
The Daily News MD, July 13, 2011
Officials said the “school choice” program is being offered at Prince Street Elementary due to the performance of only a handful of students.

MASSACHUSETTS

Kirk Won’t Back ‘City’ Push On School Suit
Gloucester Times, MA, July 12, 2011
While the
City Council has filed a motion to join the 15-parent lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction that could shut down the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School, Mayor Carolyn Kirk says the “city’s” stand does not have her stamp of approval or support.

MICHIGAN

Charter School Company Holding 2 Public Forums
Detroit News, MI, July 13, 2011
A charter school company operating two former Detroit Public Schools this fall is holding a town hall meeting at 6 tonight to discuss its plans for Edmonson Elementary, now called GEE Edmonson Academy. Global Educational Excellence was selected by DPS to operate Edmonson and White elementary schools as charter schools.

MISSOURI

KC District Should Partner With Charter Schools
Kansas City Star, MO, July 12, 2011
Legal details are one thing, but the Kansas City School District has no logical or competitive grounds to deny the use of its buildings to charter schools.

NEVADA

Leaders Say Charter Schools Key To Education Reform
Las Vegas Sun, NV, July 13, 2011
Nevada’s state and local leaders say the key to education reform is in charter schools.

OHIO

Pickerington Lending Money To Open Charter School
10TV, OH, July 12, 2011
A plan to open a charter school in Pickerington is being met with some hesitancy, as the district just made moves to cut millions from its budget to save money, 10TV’s Tanisha Mallett reported on Monday.

Kasich Asks Teachers To Design Merit-Pay Plan
Columbus Dispatch, OH, July 13, 2011
It took a 30-minute meeting with a handful of teachers from across the state yesterday for Gov. John Kasich to decide who should construct a merit-pay system for Ohio schools. And it’s not him.

PENNSYLVANIA

Christie’s Increase In School Aid Is Detailed
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, July 13, 2011
The Christie administration released new school aid numbers Tuesday that detail Gov. Christie’s $850 million increase in state education funding.

RHODE ISLAND

School Board Leader Resigns
Providence Journal, RI, July 12, 2011
The president of the School Board resigned Monday night, saying that she could no longer stand working in a system that is driven by politics, power and patronage, not what’s best for children.

TENNESSEE

Too Soon To Judge
The Commercial Appeal, TN, July 13, 2011
Memphis City Schools might wind up with no choice in the matter, but it would be unfair to the faculty and students at three of the district’s charter schools that are threatened with closure to be out of business this fall.

VIRTUAL EDUCATION

Dept. Of Education: Technology Task Force Making Progress
Coeur d’Alene Press, ID, July 12, 2011
The Idaho Department of Education reported Tuesday that the Students Come First Technology Task Force wrapped up its July monthly meeting, after making progress on several areas including discussions on how mobile computing devices will work in the classroom.

Clark County’s Charter Schools Experiment With Technology
Las Vegas Sun, NV, July 13, 2011
Imagine a school where kindergartners use Apple iPads to learn numbers and letters and upperclassmen use them to study the constellations and create multimedia presentations.

Back To School With Virtual Learning: Separating Fact From Fiction
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV, July 13, 2011
Seventeen million pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students in the U.S. will get at least some of their education virtually by 2015, according to new research from Ambient Insight. More than four million of these students will get their entire educations virtually, from full-time virtual schools.

CPS Approves Increased School Choice
Cincinnati.com, OH, July 13, 2011
Even as Cincinnati’s school board approved new school choices for students and discussed shoring up extra-curriculars, board members Monday night questioned how to make these changes fair for students.

L.A. District Officials Propose Changes To Public School Choice Program
Daily Breeze, CA, July 12, 2011
Los Angeles Unified officials and school board members Tuesday proposed two key changes to the district’s landmark Public School Choice reform effort, which some parents and community members fear could water down the ambitious plan.

AFT Teachers Union To Defend Educators In Cheating Scandals
USA Today, July 11, 2011
The head of the USA’s second-largest teachers union on Monday said local affiliates will defend the rights of teachers caught up in cheating scandals, including the one now unfolding in Atlanta. But she said cheating “under any circumstances is unacceptable.”

Union Chief Faults School Reform From ‘On High’
New York Times, July 12, 2011
Amid one of the most contentious periods in recent memory for teachers’ unions, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, on Monday called for education reform that emanates from teachers and their communities, rather than from “those who blame teachers for everything.”

FROM THE STATES

DELAWARE

Reach Supporters Plead Their Case
Delaware News Journal, DE, July 12, 2011
The supporters of Reach Academy Charter School brought additional evidence Monday to the state Board of Education that they say proves the school is viable and should remain open.

A Model For The Charter
Delaware News Journal, DE, July 12, 2011
When Margie López Waite walks around the gray building flipping on lights in classrooms, it’s clear that her dream is all the more real now. In little more than a month, this vacant building at 326 Ruthar Drive in Ogletown will transform into the dual-language Las Américas Aspira Academy.

FLORIDA

Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy At A Critical Crossroads
Pensacola News Journal, FL, July 12, 2011
Tabatha Fields picked Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy for her two daughters because she liked the Pensacola charter school’s intimate, inviting environment.

Charter School Jumps From ‘D’ To ‘A’
Miami Herald, FL, July 11, 2011
Somerset Academy South Homestead Elementary “made magic.” That’s how teacher Melissa Alvarez describes the charter school’s leap from a state-issued D grade last year, to an A for 2010-2011. It was the largest grade improvement and highest overall grade of any elementary school in Homestead.

GEORGIA

Four APS Superintendents Removed In Scandal Fallout
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, July 11, 2011
Interim Superintendent Erroll Davis replaced four area superintendents with principals Monday and former school board chairman Khaatim Sherrer El announced his resignation in the continuing fallout from a cheating scandal that has overwhelmed Atlanta Public Schools.

Dallas-Area District Puts Ex-APS Official On Leave In Wake Of Cheating Probe
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, July 12, 2011
DeSoto school trustees placed embattled Superintendent Kathy Augustine on paid leave Monday following a Georgia probe released last week that found widespread cheating in Atlanta schools while she served as second-in-command.

ILLINOIS

Quinn To Sign Aurora Charter School Bill Wednesday
The Beacon-News, IL, July 11, 2011
Governor Pat Quinn is expected be in Aurora Wednesday to sign a bill that would create a new Fox Valley charter school focused on science and math. The proposed STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) school would serve up to 500 third- through eighth-graders from the East Aurora, West Aurora, Indian Prairie and Oswego school districts.

INDIANA

Suit Hasn’t Slowed State’s New Voucher Program
Evening News and Tribune, IN, July 12, 2011
The Indiana Department of Education will have a new voucher program up and running in the coming weeks despite an attempt by the state’s largest teachers’ union to block its implementation.

State Creates Website To Educate Parents About Vouchers
Indianapolis Star, IN, July 12, 2011
The state Department of Education has created a website to help parents figure out how to receive state money to send their children to private school — and whether they qualify.

MASSACHUSETTS

City Refiles To Join Lawsuit Vs. Charter
Gloucester Times, MA, July, 11, 2011
As Judge Robert Cornetta prepares his decision for the end of the month on a 15-parent lawsuit that seeks a preliminary injunction and could shut down the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School, the city of Gloucester has filed a new motion to back the city school parents’ case.

MICHIGAN

Competition Key In Improving Schools
Detroit News, MI, July 12, 2011
The Detroit News reported last week that charter high schools in Detroit aren’t performing much better – and in some cases they are doing worse – than the city’s traditional public schools, when looking at test scores.

MISSOURI

Barat Academy Faces More Troubles
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, July 12, 2011
Barat Academy got locked out of its own school Monday as part of eviction proceedings, leaving uncertainty over whether it will open for classes as scheduled next month.

Eyes Are On Academie Lafayette As Charter Schools Seek To Expand
Kansas City Star, MO, July 11, 2011
Anyone waiting to see a test of the Kansas City school board’s newly expressed friendliness toward charter schools won’t have to wait long.

NEW JERSEY

Marlboro School Administrators Recommend Participation In Teacher-Evaluation Program
Asbury Park Press, NJ, July 11, 2011
Administrators in the K-8 district are recommending the Board of Education apply to participate in the state’s teacher-evaluation pilot program.

OHIO

It’s Official: Schools Lose $780 Million
Columbu
s Dispatch, OH, July 12, 2011
When the dust settled on the new state budget, operating funds for Ohio schools were cut nearly $780 million for the next two years, with 17 central Ohio districts facing reductions that top 10 percent this school year.

OREGON

Coburg Charter School Gearing Up
The Register-Guard, OR, July 12, 2011
Critics say rating system may unfairly penalize high-achieving schools

PENNSYLVANIA

Rating Teachers
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, July 11, 2011
Pennsylvania lawmakers should take care in considering a bill that would let school districts use students’ test scores to measure teacher performance. The legislation would mandate a statewide change as early as next year. Standardized-test scores would weigh heavily in determining whether teachers keep their jobs, receive tenure, or get merit pay.

TENNESSEE

Teacher Morale Affected By Vocal Minority, Huffman Says
Nashville Public Radio, TN, July 11, 2011
Tennessee’s Education Commissioner says this spring’s legislative battles left teacher morale bruised. Commissioner Kevin Huffman chalks that up to the harsh back-and-forth not among lawmakers but that of outside comments.

WISCONSIN

Educators Skeptical Of Plans For Statewide Reform
Leader-Telegram, WI, July 12, 2011
A school whose eighth-grade students improve from a fourth-grade to a seventh-grade reading level in one year may have reason to pat itself on the back, but under federal No Child Left Behind benchmarks, it still would be a “failing” school.

Kaukauna Teachers Object To Policy Changes
Appleton Post Crescent, WI, July 12, 2011
About five dozen teachers and community members packed a Kaukauna Board of Education meeting Monday night to express their frustration with a recently adopted employee handbook.

VIRTUAL LEARNING

Internet Offers Robust Learning Option
The Tennessean, TN, July 12, 2011
With all the recent conversation about online, or virtual, learning, you would think it is a new concept, but distance learning is nothing new – it has its roots in the old correspondence schools of the 19th century.

Tennessee’s First Virtual Academy Goes Online In August
The Tennessean, TN, July 12, 2011
The Union County school system has established what’s believed to be a first in Tennessee: an online public school for students in kindergarten through eighth-grade.

Public School Ads Target Cyber Schools
Altoona Mirror, PA, July 12, 2011
In the wake of a state budget that eliminates reimbursements to school districts for student enrollment in cyber schools outside of their districts, public school officials are planning a campaign to re-attract the students they’ve lost.

Idaho Looks At 2 Online Courses For Graduation, Down From 8
The Spokesman-Review, July 11, 2011
Idaho’s tech-focused “Students Come First” school reform plan originally envisioned requiring all Idaho students to take eight online classes to graduate from high school, but the state now is looking at requiring just two.

Obama Administration Must Retool No Child Left Behind Law
Seattle Times, WA, July 7, 2011
A showdown over the No Child Left Behind federal education law can be avoided if the Obama administration spells out how it plans to give states relief from key provisions of the law.

Arne Duncan: How Dream Act Can Cut Deficit
National Public Radio, July 7, 2011
During Obama’s Twitter Town Hall meeting Wednesday, several questions focused on U.S. schools’ needs and budgets. Host Michel Martin and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan discuss No Child Left Behind, the plan aimed to improve failing public schools; as well as the Dream Act, which would create a path to citizenship for some undocumented youth.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Stealth Attack on California’s Schools
Los Angeles Times, CA, July 8, 2011
AB 114 was passed to appease the California Teachers Assn., to the detriment of school districts, which are already in serious financial straits.

Teachers From Low-Performing Schools Face Stigma On Job Search
Los Angeles Times, CA, July 8, 2011
In a bizarre game of musical chairs, nearly 1,000 Los Angeles teachers – who are guaranteed jobs somewhere in the school system – have been hunting for a school that wants them. And hundreds of them have to counter a stigma that they are undesirable castoffs, because they previously worked at low-performing schools that are being restructured.

Manteca Unified, Great Valley & Public Education
Manteca Bulletin, CA, July 7, 2011
Competition in public education is about to arrive in Manteca. Some two decades after the concept of charter schools was first rolled out in Sacramento, Great Valley Academy is preparing to open next month.

INDIANA

School Takeover Hearings Leave A Lot To Think About
Indianapolis Star, IN, July 8, 2011
The Indiana Department of Education recently finished the last of the local hearings on the possibility of state intervention at up to seven IPS schools. Here are several thoughts I had while sitting through most of the hearings:

Vouchers Offer Great Deal For All Taxpayers
Indianapolis Star, IN, July 8, 2011
Contrary to the constant drivel from teacher unions and pundits like Dan Carpenter, school vouchers will partially remedy the historic inequitable distribution of tax revenues at the expense of those who chose to educate their children in private schools.

LOUISIANA

New Orleans Catholic School Chief OK With Voucher Standards
Times Picayune, LA, July 7, 2011
The new head of New Orleans area Catholic schools predicts significant improvements next year at Catholic schools accepting students whose tuition is paid with government vouchers. And she says the Catholic schools would not object to the state imposing performance standards on those schools.

MARYLAND

First Charter School Eyed For Montgomery County
Washington Times, DC, July 7, 2011
Montgomery County school officials appear poised to approve the county’s first charter school, but want more time before reaching a final decision.

MICHIGAN

Lansing School Board Will Give Parents Voice In Restructuring
Lansing State Journal, MI, July 8, 2011
Lansing school board members are not sure yet what the process will look like, but they promise district families they will get an opportunity this summer and fall to help shape the district’s future.

NEVADA

Model for Nevada
Las Vegas Sun, NV, July 8, 2011
After much drama and litigation, those reforms finally took effect last week. So are Wisconsin school districts collapsing on top of defenseless kids? Not yet. In fact, Gov. Walker’s law is giving some districts the fiscal and operational flexibility to benefit students and teachers.

OHIO

School Rankings Rate Low With Educators
Columbus Dispatch, OH, July 8, 2011
Starting next year, Ohio’s 3,500 public schools will be ranked best to worst in annual reports issued by the state.

Margaretta: Charter Schools Will Help At-Risk Students
Sandusky Register, OH, July 8, 2011
The Margaretta Board of Education approved establishing an independent charter school at an emergency meeting Thursday.

OKLAHOMA

State Superintendent Met Cautious Support From Local Leaders At OKC Meeting
Oklahoman, OK, July 8, 2011
Oklahoma state schools Superintendent Janet Barresi delivered her first state of education address Thursday at the Cox Convention Center to a mixed-house of supporters and protesters.

PENNSYLVANIA

Bad Teacher:” Evaluations Aim To Find Them
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, July 8, 2011
So although a proposal by Gov. Corbett, backed by a bill from Sen. Jeffrey Piccola to include student test scores in the factors that go into evaluating a teacher has many merits, we are cautious about endorsing such a plan without some caveats.

RHODE ISLAND

Plan For 5 Charters Up To R.I. Regents
Providence Journal, RI, July 7, 2011
For months, a plan to open as many as five charter schools in Cranston and Providence under the control of the cities’ mayors has stirred up a storm of debate over who controls local schools and the taxpayer money that pays for them.

TENNESSEE

Charter Schools Have A Place
Commercial Appeal, TN, July 8, 2011
KIPP expands: KIPP Memphis’ expansion plans will give under- performing students more options to succeed academically.

TEXAS

Texas Bill Gives Charter Schools Momentum in Financing Growth: Muni Credit
Bloomberg, July 8, 2011
Texas will join Colorado in providing state backing for charter-school bond offerings, a move that may spur debt sales while reducing some issuers’ borrowing costs in a growing part of the municipal market.

KIPP Helps Grow College Funds
Houston Chronicle, TX, July 7, 2011
With her youngest about to start his senior year in high school, the 49-year-old is finally about to open her family’s first college savings account. She plans to scrape together $20 a week, money that will be matched by an ambitious program being piloted by the KIPP charter school giant, the Corporation for Enterprise Development and the United Negro College Fund, now called UNCF.

VIRTUAL LEARNING

A Different Kind Of Education
Indianapolis Star, IN, July 8, 2011
Welcome to online high school, where students read, take tests and talk to teachers without a classroom. Lawalin teaches summer school now, but come fall, she will join about 20 other teachers to launch Achieve Virtual Education Academy — Indiana’s first statewide online-only public high school.

Cambridge Lakes Rolling Out New Virtual School
Northwest Herald, IL, July 8, 2011
The Cambridge Academy is set to roll out its virtual learning curriculum this fall. The Illinois Board of Education recently approved the Cambridge Lakes Charter School ‘s academic software for kindergarten through 12th-grade students.

Bluesky School May Join Regular District
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN, July 7, 2011
Officials in the West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan district have been discussing a deal that could allow much of BlueSky’s program to survive while helping the traditional district branch out into online education.

Enrollment Booms At Virtual School
The Press-Enterprise, CA, July 7, 2011
Taylion Virtual Academy began a new year and a summer school session on Tuesday with a significantly higher enrollment than it had during the 2010-11 academic year.