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Teachers Unions Steer Clear of Race to the Top
Washington Times, DC, December 14, 2012
Teachers unions are infamous for pursuing money and power at children’s expense. It’s ironic when they try to turn down taxpayer money on principle but state and local officials won’t let them.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

LAUSD Board Seeks Control Over Grant Applications
Daily Breeze, CA, December 16, 2012
In a move that could stem the flow of tens of millions of dollars to cash-strapped Los Angeles Unified, the school board has empowered itself to endorse — or veto — applications for grants topping $1 million.

District Denies Charter School, Cites Lack Of Support For English Learners
Napa Valley Register, CA, December 17, 2012
A petition to start a new charter school in the Napa Valley Unified School District has been denied by the district’s board of trustees.

DELAWARE

Charter School Draws National Attention
The News Journal, DE, December 16, 2012
Like the rest of the juniors at Charter – recently named one of the country’s 165 most academically selective public high schools in a recent book by school reform expert Chester Finn – Ye and his project teammates, Naman Agrawal and Gary Aggarwal, presented their 11th-grade research project to their peers and a panel of faculty members last week.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

All D.C. Charter Schools Shouldn’t Have To Admit Neighborhood Kids First, Panel Says
Washington Post, DC, December 14, 2012
The District should consider allowing charter schools that move into closed D.C. public school buildings to give admissions preference to children who live nearby, according to a task force convened by the D.C. Council.

Report: DCPS Scores Have Not Improved With Reforms
Washington Examiner, DC, December 17, 2012
Third-graders in DC Public Schools have failed to show any gains in math or reading since aggressive school reforms began in 2007, according to an independent analysis of the city’s standardized test scores.

FLORIDA

Key West Collegiate Academy Offers Choices
Florida Keys Citizen, FL, December 17, 2012
The old adage about big things coming in small packages seems tailor-made to fit the Key West Collegiate Academy. This high school, tucked away in a series of rooms leased from the Florida Keys Community College, counts just 46 pupils among its student body, but they sure seem motivated — and happy to be there.

School Presents Best Practices At Conference
The News Herald, FL, December 16, 2012
The Chautauqua Learn and Serve School is setting the example for charter schools across the nation.

GEORGIA

School Accrediting Agency Set To Release Ruling On Dekalb County
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, December 16, 2012
Judgement day for the DeKalb County School District is Monday, when a regional accrediting agency plans to release the results of its investigation into alleged school board mismanagement.

ILLINOIS

Stop Misguided School Plans
Chicago Tribune, IL, December 16, 2012
Recently, before a Board hearing this week to expand charter schools, Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett said that they “had several other [charter] schools that were in the hopper and we’re going to move forward with our commitment there.”

INDIANA

It’s A New Day For Gary School System
Munster Times, IN, December 17, 2012
New Gary school Superintendent Cheryl Pruitt is building partnerships with local universities and businesses. This can only benefit the district and its students.

KANSAS

KC School Enrollment Grows, But Olathe Had Biggest Increase
Kansas City Star, KS, December 17, 2012
Kansas City’s good fortune — aided by charter school closures and the continued rise in Hispanic populations across the area — highlighted the newly official Kansas and Missouri enrollment figures for the 2012-13 school year.

LOUISIANA

Changes in New Orleans Charter School Landscape Beginning To Come Clear
Times-Picayune, LA, December 15, 2012
Changes in New Orleans’ Recovery School District are beginning to shake out for the 2013-14 school year. On Friday, Crocker Arts and Technology announced that New Orleans College Prep will take its reins come fall.

Teacher Raises Now Linked To Student Performance
St. Charles Herald Guide, LA, December 16, 2012
Teachers working for the St. Charles Parish public school system will undergo reconfigured pay raise scales after the School Board passed a rule change last week.

MARYLAND

Uncertainty For Students At City School Choice Fair
Baltimore Sun, MD, December 15, 2012
Terrell Carr and his mother, Niesha Carr, have loved his experience at William C. March Middle School. From the Arabic classes in which he’s excelled to the quality of the instruction, both have nothing but good things to say about the school. And they are disappointed that it might close at the end of the year.

MICHIGAN

Lawmaker, School District Share Views On Education Authority
News Herald, MI, December 17, 2012
That’s how state Rep. Patrick Somerville (R-Huron Twp.) characterized a bill before the state Legislature that would expand the reach of the existing Education Achievement Authority

MISSISSIPPI

A New Wave Of Reform? 30 Years After Historic Effort, State’s Schools Still Lag
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, MS, December 16, 2012
Thirty years ago this week, former Gov. William Winter helped usher the passage of the Education Reform Act, sweeping legislation designed to help a public school system that had lost much public support during a divisive integration battle. Today, however, the state’s education system still ranks at or near the bottom of the country, and state leaders have again vowed to make education issues the focus of the upcoming Legislative session.

NEVADA

Council Puts Finishing Touches On Revamped Teacher Evaluation System
Las Vegas Sun, NV, December 15, 2012
A state-level committee on Friday released its final recommendations for a new way to evaluate the state’s public school teachers.

NEW YORK

Fresh Start On Charter Schools Needed
Buffalo News, NY, December 16, 2012
Is it really possible to transform the city’s 44 low-performing schools into charter schools by September 2013? Simply as a logistical matter – forget the convoluted politics – it seems unlikely. But we know why frustrated parents and community members are reaching for that lever: It’s the one they’ve got.

Charter Schools Need Not Educate All Kids
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY, December 15, 2012
Mark Zupan, dean of the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business, proposed in a Nov. 25 op-ed that parents of Rochester School District students be given financial credits (vouchers) so that they can enroll in any private school that will accept them.

Only 3 Of 16 Schools In Region Have Approved Teacher, Principal Evaluation Plans As Deadline Looms
Daily Freeman, NY, December 17, 2012
As winter breaks approach, the Kingston, New Paltz, and Catskill school districts are the only three districts out of 16 in the region that have received approval from the state Education Department on controversial new teacher and principal evaluation systems.

NORTH CAROLINA

Compete And Cooperate: New Direction For Mecklenburg Schools
Charlotte Observer, NC, December 15, 2012
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and area charter and private schools are gearing up to compete and collaborate at the same time. The new year ushers in the season when families choose where their kids will go to school in August. The competition can be fierce – but leaders of all types of schools have launched talks about working together to benefit students and teachers.

OHIO

Charter Schools Pay Off For CEO’s Family
Dayton Daily News, OH, December 15, 2012
A Dayton Daily News investigation found that a company managing several taxpayer-funded charter schools in the area is a lucrative family business whose husband-and-wife management team makes more than $400,000 a year.

Cleveland Schools CEO Turns To Parents
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, December 16, 2012
Now that Cleveland has passed a 15-mill levy slated to bring in millions for the district, this is no time for Clevelanders to sit on their hands.

OKLAHOMA

Senator Files Bill To Change End-Of-Instruction Testing Requirement
Tulsa World, OK, December 17, 2012
A state senator has filed a bill that would essentially gut a controversial law requiring students to pass four of seven end-of-instruction exams to earn a diploma.

OREGON

Oregon Education Reform Creates Unnecessary Bureaucracy
The Oregonian, OR, December 15, 2012
Since the No Child Left Behind educational reform took effect, one of the main pushes from the states is to hold teachers and school districts accountable for educational improvement.

PENNSYLVANIA

Charter Schools Must Pay The Price
Towanda Daily Review, PA, December 15, 2012
Charter schools are public schools yet state lawmakers continue to allow them to evade the same funding restrictions and accountability standards that apply to conventional public schools.

Real Reason For Closing Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 17, 2012
THE SCHOOL closing proposal by the new schools chief (“Learning Curve,” editorial, Dec. 14) was predictable and predicted. The continued expansion of charter schools has caused a deliberate shrinkage in regular public-school enrollment. Anyone who does not see this as a gradual absorption of the public school system by private interests is not paying attention.

Closing Schools With Care
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 17, 2012
The School Reform Commission has taken on the unenviable task of closing nearly 40 of the city’s public schools. Bravo to the members for their courage. They are sure to be bombarded by upset parents, fearful students, anxious teachers, and frustrated communities as they grapple with an issue that their predecessors sidestepped for decades.

Hite’s Fortitude In For A Test
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 16, 2012
After announcing plans to close about one out of every six schools in the city, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. can expect an onslaught of opposition.

Allentown School Directors Question Charter School Applicant’s Ties To Gülen Movement
Morning Call, PA, December 16, 2012
Board members are concerned that engineering academy’s applicants have ties to Gülen Movement. Hearing set for Tuesday.

Three York County School Districts, One Charter Get State Grant Money
York Daily Record, PA, December 15, 2012
Three York County school districts and a charter school are among the 37 recipients of about $480,000 from the state’s Safe Schools Targeted Grant program, according to a news release.

TENNESSEE

Nashville Chamber Pushes Charter Schools
The Tennessean, TN, December 17, 2012
Capping a year in which the growth of charter schools dominated education discourse in Davidson County, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has made publicly financed, privately led charters its primary focus in its latest annual education report card.

TEXAS

Compromise On IDEA’s Contract With The Austin School District Provides A Temporary Balm
Austin American Statesman, TX, December 15, 2012
If the IDEA Allan charter school that opened in August is going to stay open, it will have to survive long enough to prove its worth. And it must be willing to revise its business model to fit a new political reality that has emerged since November, when four new school trustees were elected to the Austin Independent School Board.

AISD Speaking Slots Go Quickly
KXAN, TX, December 17, 2012
Don’t expect to show up at the Austin Independent School District’s headquarters on Monday morning and sign up for one of the 30 speaking slots available for Monday night’s board meeting.

Some Texas Districts Pursuing School Choice Locally
KUHF News, TX, December 16, 2012
State leaders are preparing to push for legislation to expand the choices available for Texas’ nearly 5 million public school students. Meanwhile, some local districts are already pursuing similar reforms within their own systems.

Schools Vie For Federal Funds
Longview News-Journal, TX, December 17, 2012
Gov. Rick Perry had called it “foolish and irresponsible” for Texas to apply for funds from the Obama administration’s signature education initiative. He feared Race to the Top funding would come with too many federal mandates on how to run classrooms in his state.

Cumberland Academy Plans Middle School Addition
Tyler Morning Telegraph, TX, December 17, 2012
Cumberland Academy, a Tyler charter school, is slated to open a middle school in fall 2013.

VIRGINIA

Charter School Proposal In Loudoun Ignites Opposition
Washington Post, DC, December 16, 2012
Lots of people in Loudoun County would love to see an innovative new school focusing on math and information technology, preparing teenagers for careers in high-demand, high-salary fields.

WASHINGTON

Teachers, Others Head To Tacoma To Learn About Charter Schools
Bellingham Herald, WA, December 15, 2012
If turnout at a charter school conference held Saturday in Tacoma is any measure, there’s definitely some interest in the independently managed, publicly financed schools that were approved by voters in November.

WEST VIRGINIA

Requirements For Schools Superintendent In Bull’s-Eye
Charleston Gazette, WV, December 15, 2012
Twenty years ago, the state’s teachers unions were outraged when the West Virginia Board of Education voted to lower the education experience requirements for county superintendents, fearing it would lead to “good old boys” hiring practices and a surge of superintendents with no background in public schools.

WISCONSIN

Walker Outlines Education Priorities For Next Year
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, December 15, 2012
Wisconsin’s education landscape shifted dramatically about two years ago, after a biennial state budget cut millions in school spending and limited collective bargaining, paving the way for changes affecting the size of teachers’ take-home pay to the scope of their performance evaluations.

ONLINE LEARNING

Is The State’s Only Online Virtual School Working?
Telegram & Gazette, MA, December 16, 2012
Students at a privately operated online school that is costing Massachusetts taxpayers almost $2.5 million a year are falling far behind other students in the state based on their assessment test scores, and half of them are quitting during the academic year or failing to return the next year.

Massachusetts Virtual Academy Sparks Disagreement in Greenfield
The Republican, MA, December 16, 2012
The School Department’s affiliation with the Massachusetts Virtual Academy has created a heated rift, with School Committee member Maryelen Calderwood among the program’s chief critics. Calderwood voted against contracting with K12, the company that runs the virtual academy, and she has been opposed to the venture ever since.

Easton Launching Cyber School Without District Teachers
The Morning Call, PA, December 17, 2012
Easton Area School District will launch a cyber school next month, but its classes won’t be taught by district teachers.

Online Public School Expands To Includes Grades 7-12
Times Republican, IA, December 15, 2012
First-grader Aiden Brezina doesn’t have to bother with crowded school buses. He doesn’t have to worry about forgetting his lunch box or being picked on in the classroom.

Education Superintendent Outlines Goals
Helena Independent Record, MT, December 16, 2012
Office of Public Instruction Superintendent Denise Juneau wants to raise the dropout age in Montana from 16 to 18 and increase funding for Montana Digital Academy so that more students can access online courses without having to pay.

Supporters, Critics Debate Merits Of Proposed Argosy Charter School
Fall River Herald News, MA, December 13, 2012
Advocates of the proposed Argosy Collegiate Charter School told members of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education that the city’s school district is not preparing students for success after graduation, which is creating the need for educational alternatives.

Weighing Options for Expanding School Choice
New York Times, NY, December 14, 2012
In debates over school choice, like the one brewing as the 83rd legislative session draws closer, traditional public school districts are often cast as stubborn defenders of the status quo.

Looking at Charter Schools
WNYC, NY, December 13, 2012
Beth Fertig, WNYC’s education reporter and contributor to SchoolBook, talks about her series on the issues surrounding charter schools, including attrition rates and locations.

‘School-To-Prison Pipeline’ Hearing Puts Spotlight On Student Discipline
Washington Post, DC, December 13, 2012
It was a defining moment for the issue, which advocates call the school-to-prison-pipeline. It refers to get-tough disciplinary practices that steer students out of schools — through suspension, expulsion or police involvement — and into the criminal justice system.

Right-To-Work: Does It Improve Teacher Quality?
Forbes, December 13, 2012
Based on results from the 2011 NAEP (the “nation’s report card”), 7% of Detroit public-school 8th-graders are proficient in reading. Even more staggering, 4% of Detroit public-school 8th graders are proficient in math.

U.S. Standard For Certifying Teachers Worth Pursuing
Everett Daily Herald, WA, December 14, 2012
You can just hear the sighs in public schools across the land. Ugh … another test … just what we needed.

FROM THE STATES

ARKANSAS

Study: Charter School Students Are Vaccinated Less
KTAR, AR, December 13, 2012
Arizona charter school kindergartners are being vaccinated at lower rates than those in public schools, a University of Arizona study said.

CALIFORNIA

Division Among Parent Trigger Group
Victorville Daily Press, CA, December 13, 2012
Two of the original five filers of the “Parent Trigger” lawsuit against Adelanto School District were voted out of the Desert Trails Parent Union’s steering committee, according to the group’s lead organizer, Joe Morales.

A Good Step Forward
Livermore Independent, CA, December 14, 2012
The Livermore School District and Livermore Valley Charter School efforts to reconcile their differences represents a good sign for education in Livermore.

Fears Arise Over More Possible Horizon Charter School Locations Shutting Down
CBS13, CA, December 13, 2012
A chain of charter schools is in turmoil, and now parents fear their kids may be left with no place to learn.

COLORADO

Re-1 Board: Timing Is Off For TRES Charter
Post Independent, CO, December 14, 2012
The Roaring Fork District Re-1 school board voted 4-1 Wednesday to deny a charter application for the Two Rivers Expeditionary School (TRES), saying more work needs to be done to refine the proposal.

Quality Teaching Vs. Tenure Rights
Denver Post, CO, December 14, 2012
For years, tenured teachers who lost their positions within Denver Public Schools and could not find another were forcibly assigned to what inevitably were the poorest schools and most challenging situations.

FLORIDA

Holding Voucher Schools To Account Is Overdue
Tampa Bay Tribune, FL, December 14, 2012
Gov. Rick Scott campaigned two years ago as an outsider who would bring a fresh perspective to Tallahassee. He did that this week when it came to private school vouchers, acknowledging the need for Florida to shed its hypocrisy on education accountability.

IDAHO

Prop 1, 2, 3 Opponents Worry Idaho Legislature Will Revive Repealed Education Laws
Boise State Public Radio, ID, December 14, 2012
The leaders of the campaign that defeated Idaho’s Propositions 1, 2 and 3 in last month’s election are concerned that the laws could come back. They’re speaking out against efforts to resurrect the education overhaul rejected by voters.

Some High-ranking Idaho Schools Don’t Get Merit Pay
Magic Valley Times-News, ID, December 14, 2012
Some south-central Idaho schools received high marks under the state’s new five-star ranking system, but didn’t qualify for merit pay. Melissa McGrath, spokeswoman for the Idaho State Department of Education, said there are some cases statewide, but it’s not a widespread occurrence.

ILLINOIS

CPS Pushes Ahead With Plans For More Charter Schools
Chicago Tribune, IL, December 14, 2012
Chicago Public Schools officials moved ahead Thursday with plans to open more charter schools next year, a sore point for critics who are fighting the Emanuel administration’s plans to close scores of neighborhood schools in 2013.

Lack Of Detail On School Closings Frustrates Some Parents
Chicago Tribune, IL, December 14, 2012
When Mayor Rahm Emanuel won a delay last month in announcing planned school closings, he promised to use the time to let concerned Chicagoans attend hearings and be involved in the conversation about any changes to the district.

INDIANA

Deputy Mayor of Education Speaks on Charter School Expansion
WIBC, IN, December 14, 2012
Jason Kloth says the Ballard administration strongly believes every child and every family should have access to high quality education options. He says the administration is committed to providing that not only through the mayor’s office but also through private and traditional public schools.

IOWA

Sioux City Officials Closely Following Charter School Talks
Sioux City Journal, IA, December 14, 2012
Sioux City school district officials are asking lawmakers for the same ability to develop new education programs as charter schools.

KENTUCKY

Breathitt Schools Cheating Our Children
Lexington Herald-Leader, KY, December 14, 2012
Corruption. Cronyism. Mismanagement. Strong words, but mild for the abuse of trust perpetrated on the young people of Breathitt County by the adults who were responsible for educating them.

LOUISIANA

School Board Pays Into Voucher Suit Kitty
The Advocate, LA, December 14, 2012
The Livingston Parish School Board on Thursday approved a payment into a legal defense fund for costs associated with the state court challenge to the constitutionality of the funding mechanism supporting the state’s voucher program.

MAINE

Standards Take Shape For Grading Maine Teachers
Press Herald, ME, December 14, 2012
Maine is taking its first concrete steps to establishing statewide standards for evaluating teachers’ performance, something that has historically been left to local districts.

MASSACHUSETTS

Reville A Hard Act To Follow In School Post
Boston Globe, MA, December 14, 2012
STATE EDUCATION secretary Paul Reville, who is stepping down from his cabinet post in the Patrick administration, deftly managed to enlist the state’s largest teachers’ union in pursuit of aggressive education reform, with special attention on upgrading urban schools.

MICHIGAN

DPS Board, Roberts Ordered Back To Court
Detroit News, MI, December 14, 2012
The Detroit school board and Emergency Financial Manager Roy Roberts have been ordered to return to court next week with a list of issues to be settled in the battle for control of day-to-day academics and finances at Detroit Public Schools.

Lansing OKs EM, Detroit Lighting Bills
Detroit News, MI, December 14, 2012
The Republican-controlled Legislature sent to the governor Thursday two contentious bills aimed at fixing some of Detroit’s most vexing problems.

MINNESOTA

Teacher Evaluation System To Be Tested In Some Minnesota Schools
Minnesota Public Radio, MN, December 13, 2012
A new proposed teacher evaluation system is headed to a testing phase in some Minnesota schools.

MISSISSIPPI

Reform Nonsense: More Style Than Substance
Clarion Ledger, MS, December 13, 2012
In a few weeks, our elected statewide political representatives will be engaged in protracted debates and lively discussions about reforming education in Mississippi.

MONTANA

Conrad Senator Outlines Sweeping Education Reform, Funding Bill He’ll Present In 2013
Billings Gazette, MT, December 14, 2012
A Republican state senator on Thursday outlined a sweeping proposal to reform Montana’s public schools and their funding, including an overhaul of academic standards and a $50 million a year cut in local school property taxes.

NEW JERSEY

Grant to N.J. Ed Dept. Contingent on Gov. Christie’s Tenure
Washington Post Blog, DC, December 14, 2012
The private Broad Foundation gave a grant of up to to $430,000 to the New Jersey Department of Education that includes this contingency: It can be withdrawn if Chris Christie (R) is no longer governor of the state.

NEW MEXICO

Why Education Reform Must Continue Forward
Albuquerque Journal, NM, December 14, 2012
Less than half of fourth-graders nationwide know what the words “flourish” and “prestigious” mean, according to the latest results from the country’s only national standardized test.

NEW YORK

City Plans To Move New Charter School Run By Eva Moskowitz Into Crown Heights Building That Officials Said Has No Room
New York Daily News, NY, December 13, 2012
A Crown Heights public school could be forced to make room for a charter school two years after city officials said there wasn’t enough room in the building.

OKLAHOMA

Teachers Union Leader: Poor Leadership Crippling OKC School District
The Oklahoman, OK, December 14, 2012
Working for or with Oklahoma City Public Schools can be an unbelievable experience. Unbelievable as in “beyond belief.” Substantial problems face our district and the least-discussed problem is poor leadership — leadership that is beyond belief.

PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia Superintendent Identifies Schools He Intends To Close
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 14, 2012
Proposing the largest contraction in the history of the Philadelphia School District, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said that come June, he wants to shut one out of six city schools and relocate, close programs, or reshuffle grades at many more.

Group Presents School For Immigrant Students
Erie Times News, PA, December 14, 2012
Horton and a group of supporters presented plans to the Erie School Board on Thursday night for the Erie New Americans Friendship Academy Charter School. The proposed school would focus on providing language skills and comprehension for English as a second language students.

Judge Approves State Receivership For Chester-Upland Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 14, 2012
The troubled Chester Upland School District now is in the hands of a state-appointed receiver.

Pennsylvania Charter Appeals Board Fails
York Dispatch, PA, December 14, 2012
The merits of York City-based New Hope Charter School have yet to be debated. But the grade is in on Pennsylvania’s charter school law: It flunks.

TENNESSEE

Choice Breeds Success
Commercial Appeal, TN, December 14, 2012
Municipal school systems are only attractive in comparison to Memphis city schools of the past. The children of parents who live in the municipalities deserve better. They deserve school choice options that Republicans have used to transform education in the city, but with expanded and enhanced parental choice including stricter requirements for local control.

UTAH

State Board Demands Better Enrollment Accountability From Charter Schools
The Salt Lake Tribune, UT, December 14, 2012
City Academy was one of the state’s first public charter schools to start operating in 2000. But more than a decade later, the Salt Lake City school, which serves students in grades seven through 12, has yet to meet its projected enrollment.

VIRGINIA

McDonnell Proposes 2 Percent Raise For Teachers
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, December 14, 2012
Virginia’s public school teachers would see a 2 percent pay raise under Gov. Bob McDonnell’s proposed budget amendments, but any boost is contingent on lawmakers approving several changes, including extending probation periods for new teachers.

Teachers’ Raises Tied To Policy For Culling Those Who Under Perform
Roanoke Times, VA, December 14, 2012
Gov. Bob McDonnell will ask state lawmakers to fund a 2percent salary increase for public school teachers next year, but the raises would be paid only if the General Assembly also passes legislation that sets terms for terminating under-performing teachers.

WEST VIRGINIA

Long On Pensions, Short On Teacher Pay
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, December 14, 2012
In 1994, West Virginia’s Teachers Retirement System had enough assets to cover only about 11 percent of its long-term obligations. It had an unfunded liability of $3.3 billion.

ONLINE LEARNING

Hit The Delete Button On Cyber Charter Funding
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 14, 2012
If Auditor General Jack Wagner’s plea for reform in how Pennsylvania allows cyber charter schools to operate sounds familiar, it should.

Virtual School Students To See History Come Alive At Albany’s Historic Carousel And Museum
Albany Tribune, OR, December 13, 2012
Students from Oregon Connections Academy and their families will see history come alive when they attend a special field trip to the Historic Carousel and Museum in Albany on Thursday, Dec. 20. The event starts at 10 a.m. at the Carousel and Museum located at 503 1st Avenue West in Albany.

NEWSWIRE IS BACK! Click here for the latest weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else, spiced with a dash of irreverence, from the nation’s leading voice in school reform.

States Faulted Over Teacher Pension Shortfall
Wall Street Journal, December 13, 2012
U.S. states carry a total of about $325 billion in unfunded teacher pension liabilities, according to a report that says efforts by lawmakers to tinker with vesting periods or shave benefits are falling far short of the overhaul that is needed.

Should Potential Teachers Be Tested as Lawyers Are?
Wall Street Journal, December 12, 2012
I wholeheartedly agree with Randi Weingarten’s “How About a Bar Exam for Teachers?” (op-ed, Dec. 10), with one caveat: that with the additional instruction, educational reviews and qualifications also come better teacher salaries.

Stephanie Lowden: Don’t Blame Teachers For Achievement Gap
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, December 13, 2012
With all due respect to John Legend and Geoff Canada, firing teachers is not the solution to the achievement gap in Madison schools. The two spoke in Madison last week, prompting Friday’s article “Reformers: City schools need institutional change.”

A Lesson In Teacher Quality From My Twin Girls
New York Daily News, NY, December 13, 2012
Yet under the system we have for evaluating teachers, the two get treated the same. They’re paid the same, based only on the number of years they’ve worked and the number of advanced degrees they have. The quality of the work they do every day is irrelevant.

FROM THE STATES

FLORIDA

State Board Selects Bush Policies Backer As Florida Education Commissioner
Florida Times-Union, FL, December 12, 2012
State Board of Education members voted unanimously Wednesday to select Indiana’s recently ousted school superintendent as Florida’s new education commissioner.

New Education Chief Needs To Listen, Learn
Tampa Bay Times, FL, December 13, 2012
First the Florida Board of Education complained that the backlash against high-stakes testing and a new teacher evaluation system is the result of poor communication rather than flawed public policy.

Florida’s New Formula For Rating Teachers Makes Einstein Look Simple
Sun Sentinel, FL, December 12, 2012
How can teacher greatness be measured? In Florida, by a formula that makes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity look like child’s play.

Gov. Rick Scott: All Schools Should Face the Same Standards
Sunshine State News, FL, December 13, 2012
Gov. Rick Scott signaled that he supports holding all schools that receive taxpayer funding to similar standards — a stance that could open the door to administering state tests to some private school students.

GEORGIA

Schools To Get Flexibility Based On Grades
Newnan Times-Herald, GA, December 13, 2012
Educators will get the freedom from state rules they’ve long desired if their schools earn top grades, the chairman of the House Education Committee told Georgia legislators Tuesday.

ILLINOIS

Rein in Charter Schools
Chicago Sun Times, IL, December 12, 2012
At the same time the Chicago Public Schools is moving forward with plans to close schools in a district that has 100,000 extra seats, it wants to open 13 new public charter schools.

INDIANA

City-County Council Committee Signs Off On 3 New Charter Schools
Indianapolis Star, IN, December 12, 2012
A City-County Council committee approved a charter school operator’s proposal for three new schools Wednesday night while delaying action on proposals for four other charters sponsored by Mayor Greg Ballard.

MARYLAND

Virginia’s Soft Bigotry
Free Lance Star, MD, December 13, 2012
VIRGINIA’s new educational standards vary according to students’ race. You heard that right. Is this a shocking example of latter-day bigotry? A necessary accommodation? Or what? Let’s consider.

MASSACHUSETTS

Brockton School Leaders Debate Pros And Cons Of Charter School’s Effect On Funding
Brockton Enterprise, MA, December 13, 2012
Local educators disagree with charter school supporters on the impact a proposed charter school in Brockton would have on public school students.

Charter Should Show City School Leaders The Need For Change
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, December 12, 2012
The word that state Commissioner of Education Mitchell D. Chester will call for revoking Gloucester Community Arts Charter School’s charter at a state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting next week may signal the end for the public, independent school — a school that just completed its K-8 grade profile with the start of its third year in September.

MICHIGAN

Bill To Expand State’s Reform School District Is Up Against The Clock
Detroit Free Press, MI, December 13, 2012
Lawmakers and interest groups were still revising a bill Wednesday to formalize and expand the Education Achievement Authority for poorly performing schools as the Legislature approached the end of its lame duck session.

Don’t Bully the EAA
Detroit News, MI, December 13, 2012
We get it. Members of the Michigan public school establishment are up in arms over various education reforms rolling through the Legislature. But that’s no excuse for the petty politics they are playing with the state’s newest reform school district.

MISSISSIPPI

Gov. Bryant Tackles Charter Schools
Desoto Times Tribune, MS, December 13, 2012
Gov. Phil Bryant tackled the thorny charter school issue in the very county that led opposition to last year’s charter school effort due to concerns charter schools in high-performing counties like DeSoto might siphon away funds from public schools.

Mississippi Lawmakers Brush Up On Education Proposals
Sun Herald, MS, December 12, 2012
Mississippi lawmakers were doing homework Wednesday before the 2013 session.
The House and Senate education committees met together at the Capitol to discuss elementary-school reading skills, teacher evaluations and charter schools.

NEVADA

Zappos Charter School Planning Builds ‘Excitement Around Education’
Las Vegas Sun, NV, December 13, 2012
This is how you make a school. At least, it’s how you make a school when Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh and the Downtown Project are involved.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter Administrator Joins School Board
New Haven Independent, NH, December 13, 2012
Mayor John DeStefano has tapped Che Dawson, a longtime youth worker now serving as an assistant principal at Amistad Academy Elementary School, to fill the latest vacancy on the city’s Board of Education.

NEW JERSEY

Report: Nearly All Of Newark’s Most Disadvantaged Students Attend Failing Schools
Star-Ledger, NJ, December 12, 2012
Nearly all of Newark’s most disadvantaged elementary and middle school students attend failing district and charter schools, a report released today has found.

NEW MEXICO

Computer Outlays Must Have Students at Core
Albuquerque Journal, NM, December 13, 2012
Who knew that adopting Common Core academic standards for public schools would, at the core, cost so darn much?

NEW YORK

Buffalo’s Plan For Eight Low-Performing Schools Calls For Transfers
Buffalo News, NY, December 12, 2012
At least four principals will have to be moved out of low-performing schools next year as a result of the school reform model the School Board approved Wednesday night for several schools.

NORTH CAROLINA

Local Leaders Contribute To Talk Of Statewide Education Reform
Stanford Herald, NC, December 13, 2012
While the battle over education reform is set to start up once more in Raleigh next month, several Lee County leaders have been engaging in behind-the-scenes talk with legislative leaders.

OHIO

State Officials Auditing Troubled Charter School
Columbus Dispatch, OH, December 13, 2012
A Columbus charter school already strained because of poor fiscal management now is under state scrutiny for its work with special-needs children.

Newfound Urgency
Columbus Dispatch, OH, December 13, 2012
Ohio’s new “third-grade reading guarantee” is causing big headaches, especially in big-city school districts. While they aren’t anything to celebrate, those headaches are necessary and overdue.

High-Performing Charter Schools Get Wooed Hardcore
NPR StateImpact, OH, December 12, 2012
Like the prettiest girl in a room full of ugly ducklings, charter schools that get a reputation for being high-performing get wooed hardcore. Districts and states looking for schools that have solved the puzzle of educating low-income, non-white students want these high-performing charter schools bad.

Ohio Senate OKs New School Evaluation System
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, December 12, 2012
The Ohio Senate on Wednesday passed a Republican-backed education bill that calls for a more demanding evaluation system for schools, along with other significant changes.

PENNSYLVANIA

Hite To Announce Plans To Close 37 School Buildings
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 13, 2012
On Thursday, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. will announce the proposed closures of 37 school buildings, plus multiple other changes coming to the cash-poor Philadelphia School District.

TEXAS

Community-Backed Charter in Travis Heights Goes to the Board
Austin Chronicle, TX, December 13, 2012
As the Austin Independent School Dis¬trict considers showing one Eastside in-district charter school the door, trustees are considering opening a new charter in South Austin. But unlike IDEA Allan, which many feel was forced on the Allan neighborhood, the plan for a new charter at Travis Heights Elementary has been formulated and presented by the local community.

Schools Spell Out Money Plans
San Antonio Express-News, TX, December 12, 2012
Two Texas charter school networks with campuses in San Antonio outlined their plans Wednesday for spending nearly $60 million in federal grant funds.

WASHINGTON

School Officials Discuss Student Transfer Policy
Spokesman Review, WA, December 13, 2012
Spokane Public Schools’ administration and board members have spent weeks trying to make changes to its intradistrict transfer policy to make sure neighborhood kids can go to their neighborhood school and students transferring into a school outside their neighborhood won’t have to leave.

Race To The Top Grant In King County Is A Win For Innovation In Education
Seattle Times, WA, December 12, 2012
Seven South King County school districts garnered a whopping $40 million federal grant with a holistic educational approach: “Start Strong,” be “STEM Strong” and “Stay Strong.”

WISCONSIN

Achievement Gap In Madison School District Under Scrutiny
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, December 13, 2012
Closing the achievement gap in the Madison School District will require a strong core curriculum in school and more support from outside of school, leaders of the district, city and county said Wednesday.

WYOMING

Panel Recommends Stripping Ed Dept. Of Some Duties
Laramie Boomerang, WY, December 13, 2012
State public schools Superintendent Cindy Hill said her agency has done its job and is fully behind education reform efforts, but members of a legislative committee weren’t convinced as they recommended stripping the Wyoming Department of Education of a host of education accountability duties on Wednesday.

ONLINE LEARNING

‘The School Of Tomorrow’ Arrives In Henderson County
Times-News, NC, December 13, 2012
Since the Henderson County school district went wireless this year, teachers and students are settling into using the newfound technology.

Jail Graduates Detention Officers Through Online Academy
Eastern Arizona Courier, AZ, December 12, 2012
After three weeks of online instruction and three weeks of classroom and practical instruction, 11 new detention officers from the Arizona Detention Association Basic Detention Class 85 were sworn in at the General Services Building on Friday.

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Schools In 11 States Win Nearly $400M In Grants
Associated Press, December 11, 2012
Schools from 55 districts in 11 states plus the District of Columbia have won nearly $400 million in federal grants to promote school reform.

Virginia Teachers: Cuts Would Hurt Poor, Disabled
Washington Times, DC, December 12, 2012
Virginia teachers are joining a chorus of national educators who are imploring Congress to address the looming “fiscal cliff” and are warning that state school systems stand to lose big if nothing is done.

Jindal: Teachers Unions Have Mounted ‘Herculean’ Effort To Stop School Reform
Washington Times, DC, December 11, 2012
As a central piece of his controversial education-reform agenda heads to the state Supreme Court for review, rising Republican star and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Tuesday unloaded on teachers unions and cast them as the biggest reason American schools continue to wallow in mediocrity.

Rethink School Choice
Huffington Post, December 11, 2012
But in truth, favoring school choice means about the same thing as favoring computers — the statement means very little unless and until the ideas take on a specific form. After all, a choice plan intended to mitigate neighborhood segregation would be designed with very different rules than a choice plan envisioned as a way to increase competition.

My View: I Would Trade Tenure For Better Teaching
CNN Blog, December 12, 2012
I’ve been in the classroom for 11 years – that makes me a minority in the teaching profession, as more than half of all teachers have taught for a decade or less. But I’m still striving to be a better teacher.

FROM THE STATES

ARKANSAS

Partial Credit
Arkansas Times, AR, December 12, 2012
The thrust of the education-reform movement in Arkansas over the last decade has been to equalize opportunity for all students.

CALIFORNIA

Novato School District Staffers Criticize Charter Proposal
Marin Independent Journal, CA, December 11, 2012
A proposal for a new charter school in Novato is flawed in numerous areas including curriculum, budgeting and the likely makeup of the student body, school district staffers said Tuesday.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

KIPP DC Wins $10 Million In Race To The Top Education-Grant Competition
Washington Post, DC, December 11, 2012
Charter school operator KIPP DC is among 16 winners of the federal government’s Race to the Top District grant competition, U.S. Department of Education officials announced Tuesday.

FLORIDA

Pinellas School Board Plans To Shut Imagine Charter School In St. Petersburg
Tampa Bay Times, FL, December 12, 2012
In a unanimous vote, the Pinellas School Board on Tuesday said it intends to shut Imagine Charter School, a once-promising school in downtown St. Petersburg that has faltered academically since it opened.

Opening of Step Up Academy Charter Schools May Be Delayed
The Ledger, FL, December 11, 2012
Although school district staff says all is in order for a January opening of Step Up Academy charter schools for at-risk students on six high school campuses, some school board members and John Stewart, the new interim superintendent, aren’t ready to proceed.

Teachers Take Issue With Evaluation System At Lawmakers Forum
News Herald, FL, December 11, 2012
A few centuries earlier Bay County teachers would have grabbed their torches and pitchforks.

Finalists Interviewed, New Education Commissioner Likely Picked Today
Tallahassee Democrat, FL, December 12, 2012
Three finalists for the top position in Florida’s state education system faced questions about how they would sway critics and defend the credibility of state education polices in public job interviews held Tuesday.

Evaluations Earn An ‘F’
News Herald, FL, December 12, 2012
The children of fictional Lake Wobegon from Garrison Keillor’s “Prairie Home Companion” were said to be “above average.” The same can be said of Florida’s public school teachers — if the state’s new evaluation system is to be believed.

Gov. Scott Wants State Standardized Testing for Students Who Get Vouchers
News Chief, FL, December 11, 2012
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, parting ways with his fellow Republicans, asserted Tuesday that students who get financial help from the state to attend private schools should take the same standardized tests as public school students.

GEORGIA

City School Board Approves Joining Charter Foundation
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, December 12, 2012
The Marietta City School Board only approved a few things during their work session Tuesday night, including a recommendation from Marietta Superintendent Emily Lembeck to join the soon-to-be-formed Charter System Foundation.

Ga. Schools To Get Flexibility Based On Grades
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, December 12, 2012
Educators will get the freedom from state rules they’ve long desired if their schools earn top grades, the chairman of the House Education Committee told Georgia lawmakers Tuesday.

HAWAII

Hawaii Teacher Evaluation Concerns Keep State, Union From Agreement
Honolulu Civil Beat, HI, December 12, 2012
A new performance-based teacher evaluation system and reduced sick leave are the key issues preventing the Hawaii State Teachers Association from agreeing to a new contract with the state, union leaders and educators said.

IDAHO

Idaho Ed Campaign Tops Previous Record
Idaho Statesman, ID, December 12, 2012
Opponents of Propositions 1, 2 and 3 raised $3.6 million in their successful effort to repeal education reforms in the Nov. 6 election. Opponents raised $2.8 million. The great bulk of the money was spent on advertising.

KANSAS

Teacher Success
Lawrence Journal World, KS, December 12, 2012
Lawrence school officials seem to be taking a creative and productive approach to revamping the district’s teacher evaluation system.

LOUISIANA

Jindal Touts Vouchers As RSD Schools Get High Marks
The Advocate, LA, December 12, 2012
Gov. Bobby Jindal touted his embattled school voucher program Tuesday with a Washington, D.C.-based, pro-school choice think tank that had named the Louisiana Recovery School District as the nation’s best for educational “choice and competition.”

MASSACHUSETTS

Consider What Argosy Charter School Could Accomplish
Fall River Herald News, MA, December 11, 2012
Hundreds of families seeking a better education each year try to leave the Fall River district school system, but are denied their only option because of a state-mandated limit on public charter schools, including the popular Atlantis Charter School.

Making The Case For Another Charter School
Salem News, MA, December 12, 2012
Editor’s note: Pioneer Charter School of Science has requested state permission to open another charter school in Saugus that would accept students from Salem, Peabody, Danvers, Lynn and Saugus. If approved, the school would open in September 2013.

MICHIGAN

All DPS Employees To Get One-Time Bonus Thanks To Budget Surplus
Detroit News, MI, December 12, 2012
Employees of Detroit Public Schools will receive a bonus in their paycheck on Dec. 21 as part of the district’s budget surplus from last year.

Teacher Shortages Close 3 Districts
The Detroit News, MI, December 12, 2012
At least three school districts in Metro Detroit closed Tuesday after hundreds of teachers called in sick to join union rallies in Lansing against right-to-work legislation passed by lawmakers.

NEW YORK

Teachers Trump Kids
New York Daily News, NY, December 12, 2012
The grades are in, and they are being kept secret: 10,500 city teachers have found out how well they raised student achievement as measured by state math and English tests, but parents have no right to the information.

NY Approves Charter School For Newburgh
Times-Herald Record, NY, December 12, 2012
As expected, the Newburgh Preparatory Charter High School sailed through the process, since it won the approval of the State Education Department’s Charter School Office as well as Commissioner John King weeks earlier.

DOE Flubs In Race For Feds’ $40M
New York Post, NY, December 12, 2012
The city should have showed them the money. The Department of Education lost points on its application for $40 million in federal funds by refusing to make school-worker salaries public — and wound up with zilch.

NORTH CAROLINA

Wake School Board Approves 2013-14 Assignment Plan
Charlotte Observer, NC, December 12, 2012
CARY Wake County’s choice-based student assignment plan effectively died Tuesday with the school board’s 5-4 vote to adopt an approach that again ties each address to a specific school.

OHIO

Mayor Frank Jackson Names Members Of Schools’ Advice Panel, A 1st Step In Districtwide Overhaul
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, December 11, 2012
The new Cleveland schools’ Transformation Alliance will review charter school applications and make recommendations to the Ohio Department of Education about which sponsors should be able to open new schools in the city.

School-Grading System Incomplete
Columbus Dispatch, OH, December 12, 2012
Ohio lawmakers are expected to approve a new grading system today for determining how well schools and school districts are performing.

PENNSYLVANIA

York City School Board Loses In Bid To Block New Hope Charter Appeal
The York Dispatch, PA, December 12, 2012
The York City School District Tuesday lost its attempt to quash a charter appeal hearing for New Hope Charter School.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Local Educators Oppose State Superintendent’s Teacher Evaluation Plan
Anderson Independent Mail, SC, December 11, 2012
State Superintendent Mick Zais is having a hard sell on his proposal to change teacher evaluations.

TENNESSEE

Nashville School Board Backs Off Suing State Over Lost Funds
The Tennessean, TN, December 12, 2012
Despite one board member’s push to dig in and fight, the Metro school board on Tuesday backed off its threat to sue the state for withholding $3.4 million in funds to punish the district for rejecting a charter school application.

Franklin Special School District Opposes Vouchers
The Tennessean, TN, December 11, 2012
There seems to be more questions than answers when it comes to the use of vouchers and the authorization of charter schools in the Franklin Special School District.

Is Teacher Merit Pay On The Way In Tennessee?
The Chattanoogan, TN, December 11, 2012
In the immediate future, teacher compensation systems will likely be redirected from an input-driven system to an outcome-based system. Unlike the general labor force, where output is a key salary determinant, the field of education rewards experience and advanced degrees. That is not always bad.

TEXAS

Two Texas Charter Schools Named Race To The Top Winners
San Antonio Express, TX, December 12, 2012
A pair of Texas charter school networks with San Antonio campuses will get nearly $30 million apiece in federal Race to the Top grants, the U.S Department of Education announced Tuesday.

School Board Could Halt IDEA Allan Plan
KXAN, TX, December 11, 2012
The Austin school board could put the brakes on expansion plans for the first in-district charter school that opened this year in East Austin.

VIRGINIA

Proposed Loudoun Charter School Loses Supervisor’s Support
Washington Post Blog, DC, December 12, 2012
A member of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has withdrawn his support from a proposed charter school — which would be the first in Loudoun if allowed to open — because of “controversy” and concerns over a number of key operational issues.

WASHINGTON

How To Get Washington’s Charter Schools Right
Seattle Times, WA, December 11, 2012
Two education professors who oppose charter-school Initiative 1240 make some suggestions for how to get Washington’s charter schools right.

Seattle, South End Schools Win Race For $40 Million
Seattle Times, WA, December 11, 2012
Seven school districts in King County, which banded together three years ago to raise the number of students who graduate from college, have won a four-year, $40 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help them achieve that goal.

Remove Education Duty From State Constitution
The Olympian, WA, December 12, 2012
While debating education funding after the Supreme Court ruled the state isn’t fulfilling it’s obligation, no politician has proposed the obvious: amend the constitution to eliminate the “paramount duty” language.

ONLINE LEARNING

Easton Area School District Cyber School to Launch in January
Lehigh Express Times, PA, December 12, 2012
Easton Area School District will join neighboring school districts by allowing students to take online courses next year.

Virtual School Enrollment Up
Fox News 4, FL, December 11, 2012
The Lee County School District is taking new steps to take its classrooms virtual.
The district says enrollment for its virtual school is reaching its highest level ever. Virtual school is used a lot by students who travel frequently for sports or other extracurricular activities.