Daily Headlines for August 7, 2012
Better Pay For Better Teachers?
New York Post, NY, August 6, 2012
“Merit Pay Matters” (Editorial, Aug. 2) highlights a fundamental flaw that has persisted in the US public-school system for decades — that being a lack of merit incentives for union teachers.
Parent Trigger Laws: What Leading Thinkers Have To Say
Huffington Post, NY, August 6, 2012
Parents in Adelanto , Calif. , scored a victory for advocates of the “parent-trigger” law last week. The law allows public-school parents who gather signatures from a majority of their peers to transform a school into a charter. They can also opt to remove a consistently failing school’s staff or close the school entirely.
School Reform: Highland Hail Mary
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, August 7, 2012
The states are often said to be the laboratories of democracy, yet in education policy they have become more homogenized, not less. Blame for that is bipartisan; Jimmy Carter carved out a new Cabinet department for education; George W. Bush promoted the No Child Left Behind law.
FROM THE STATES
ARIZONA
‘Failing’ Schools, Law Increase Students Eligible For Arizona Voucher Program
East Valley Tribune, AZ, August 6, 2012
Changes to Arizona ’s pseudo-voucher program will mean one in five public school students will qualify when applications open next spring.
Top-Rated Charter School Scouting For Quad-City Interest
Daily Courier, AZ, August 6, 2012
Parents may have another choice in their children’s education in the quad-communities if they can generate enough interest to open a BASIS School campus to serve area children in grades 5-12.
CALIFORNIA
New Parent Group Forms To Oppose Bullis
Mountain View Voice, CA, August 6, 2012
A group of parents and concerned citizens have formed a coalition to defend the Los Altos School District against what the members of the “alliance” say is the overzealous and overreaching leadership of Bullis Charter School .
COLORADO
Colorado Charter Schools Change Names
Denver Post, CO, August 7, 2012
West Denver Prep is now in the east. And the north and the south. So the name that made sense when this group of open-enrollment public charter schools was small doesn’t fit any more.
FLORIDA
Go Local For Education Chief
Tampa Bay Tribune, FL, August 7, 2012
Gerard Robinson did the Florida Board of Education and Gov. Rick Scott a favor by resigning as Florida’s education commissioner.
ILLINOIS
Emanuel Rings In The Year At Charter School
ABC7Chicago, IL, August 6, 2012
School is back in session for some children on the Southwest Side of the city. Mayor Rahm Emanuel rang the school bell Monday morning to signal the start of classes for UNO’s Octavio Paz Charter School students.
INDIANA
IPS Enrollment Unclear With State Takeover Of Four Schools
Fox 59, IN, August 6, 2012
Indianapolis Public Schools welcomed students back to school on Monday, but the district has undergone significant changes since classes were let out. Four schools were taken over by the state, and the superintendent said he’s paying close attention to enrollment numbers that influence funding.
Meeting Wednesday Will Offer Information On School Vouchers
Courier Press, IN, August 6, 2012
More than 6,000 students around the state have signed up to use the school voucher program for the upcoming school year, and it’s not too late for other interested families to apply.
LOUISIANA
ACLU Piqued by Delhi Charter Pregnancy Policy
Monroe News Star, LA, August 6, 2012
A Delhi Charter School policy that prevents pregnant female students from attending school and can force them to take a pregnancy test to continue attending school if administrators “suspect” pregnancy has drawn the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Louisiana Teachers Union Threatens To Sue Private Schools Over Voucher Program
FoxNews, LA, August 6, 2012
A Louisiana teachers union is threatening private schools with legal action if they accept money from a new voucher program – and the threat has already forced at least one school to put its participation in the program on hold.
Teacher Unions Hurt Themselves On Voucher Issue
Opelousas Daily World, LA, August 7, 2012
During the recent legislative session, several important pieces of education-related legislation passed that created considerable controversy. Perhaps the most controversial was one that granted school vouchers.
MASSACHUSETTS
The Right Reform Path in Lawrence?
Boston Globe Blog, MA, August 6, 2012
There are two issues that matter in K-12 education – what you might call the twin achievement gaps, those between the inner city poor (often including English language learners) and the rest of the state, and the international achievement gap whereby the percentage of students who are advanced in core subjects in the top-performing countries far outstrips the percentage among Massachusetts students.
MICHIGAN
Head Of Muskegon Heights Charter Schools Discusses Discipline, Achievement And New Teachers
The Muskegon Chronicle, MI, August 6, 2012
The Muskegon Heights charter school district received more than 300 applications for 100 teaching positions and most of those hired didn’t previously work in Muskegon Heights , the school district’s administrator said during a live chat with MLive readers Monday.
Charter Schools Perform Slightly Better On State Report Cards, But Gaps At National Heritage Academies Schools A Concern
The Grand Rapids Press, MI, August 6, 2012
Charter schools performed slightly better than traditional schools on Michigan’s new state report cards, but authorizers say they are looking to narrow achievement gaps, especially at charters managed by National Heritage Academies.
MISSISSIPPI
Teacher Merit Pay No Solution
Clarion Ledger, MS, August 7, 2012
I find it interesting that we discuss merit pay as it applies to teachers, but not other professions, many of which, like teachers, can do their best when they are with their clients (for teachers, the students) but have no control after the client/student leaves the structured environment.
Bryant’s Merit Pay Proposal Could Survive Political Wars In ‘13
Desoto Times, MS, August 6, 2012
Back in 1996, former Republican Mississippi Gov. Kirk Fordice was pushing merit pay for teacher in a Legislature that was firmly controlled by Democrats.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Nashua Board To Take Up $84,000 In Spending For Charter School Transportation
Nashua Telegraph, NH, August 7, 2012
The Board of Education expects to approve spending $84,000 Tuesday night to cover the cost of busing city students to the Academy for Science and Design as mandated by state law, but some members aren’t happy about it.
NEW JERSEY
Christie Hails Tenure Bill as Victory
Wall Street Journal, August 6, 2012
After signing a bill to overhaul teacher tenure rules Monday, Gov. Chris Christie said the changes represented one of his signature political achievements, ranking only behind a successful effort to limit government employees’ pension and benefit costs.
Compromise, Caffeine, and Trade-Offs: Behind NJ’s New Tenure Reform Bill
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, August 7, 2012
With the signing yesterday of New Jersey ’s new teacher tenure law, there was the expected fanfare about the stakeholders and bipartisan efforts that went into crafting the final bill.
NEW MEXICO
Carlsbad Charter School Planned
Carlsbad Current-Argus, NM, August 6, 2012
A Carlsbad campus is among a group of innovative charter schools being planned throughout New Mexico by two El Paso educators.
NEW YORK
City’s 1st Chinese Charter Weighed
New York Post, NY, August 7, 2012
A proposed Queens charter school is planning to put acupuncture, martial arts and calligraphy on its East-meets-West educational menu — and to feed kids Chinese grub, to boot.
6 Charter Schools May Open in Hudson Valley by 2013
Newsday, NY, August 6, 2012
Now that six Hudson Valley charter school proposals are on the path to opening, it may be only a matter of time before there are more school choices in the region.
Legal Action Could Be Taken Against Troy School District Following Several Issues
Troy Record, NY, August 6, 2012
If the Troy City School District does not comply by Wednesday with several issues brought up by local charter school attorneys, including failing to pay the first invoice of the 2012-2013 school year and allegedly singling out charter school families, the charter schools will commence legal action, according to documents given to the district last week.
Teachers Express Anxiety Over New Evaluation System
Ithaca Journal, NY, August 6, 2012
But when it came time for the Q&A portion, educators in the audience were most concerned with the teacher evaluation system the state is preparing to implement in January. The system will rate teachers and principals as “highly effective,” “effective,” “developing” or “ineffective.”
NORTH CAROLINA
Millennium Charter Academy Earns ‘School of Distinction ’ Honors
Mt. Airy News, NC, August 7, 2012
Millennium Charter Academy has earned “ School of Distinction ” honors from the results of the State ABCs of Public Education report.
High School Graduation Rates Are Up
News & Observer, NC, August 7, 2012
It is not grasping for good news to celebrate a dramatic increase in North Carolina ’s high school graduation rate over the last six years. Assuming comparisons of the 68.3 percent rate of 2006 and the 80.2 rate this year are apples to apples, the boost is a sign of genuine progress.
PENNSYLVANIA
Teacher-Tenure Law Helps Bridge Gap Between Christie And Union Leaders
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, August 7, 2012
Teachers’ union leaders and Gov. Christie appeared in the same room Monday – and even shook hands – as they heralded legislation on tenure passed by lawmakers from both parties.
TEXAS
HISD, Charter School Discuss Possible Partnership
The Tribune, TX, August 6, 2012
The Humble School District and YES Prep Academy , a charter school, are discussing a potential partnership between the district and the school. Both officials with HISD and YES Prep have confirmed to The Tribune that these initial talks have taken place, with at least one meeting held in July.
Carlsbad Charter School Planned
El Paso Times, TX, August 6, 2012
A Carlsbad campus is among a group of innovative charter schools being planned throughout New Mexico by two El Paso educators.
VIRGINIA
Achievement Subgroups, While Raising Ire, Are Not New
Hampton Roads Daily Press, VA, August 6, 2012
Last week, I reported on the state’s new method of assessing student achievement on Standards of Learning exams, now that it has a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind accountability model.
Missing the Mark
Hampton Roads Daily Press, VA, August 6, 2012
The state’s new system of benchmarks for school performance offers proof positive that Jim Crow is alive and well in the commonwealth of Virginia .
VERMONT
Vt. Schools Report Card: 73% Receive Failing Grade
Battleboro Reformer, VT, August 7, 2012
Education officials from Montpelier to Brattleboro are ready to leave No Child Left Behind, behind.
ONLINE SCHOOLS
Districts Save Money By Offering Their Own Cyberschool
Chambersburg Public Opinion, PA, August 6, 2012
When Franklin County school districts teamed up last year to offer a cyber school for their students, they hoped to provide a quality education while saving important budget dollars in the process.
New Doubts Arise for Online Charter
The Pilot, NC, August 6, 2012
Those of us who earlier expressed grave misgivings about the proposal by K12 Inc. to open a virtual online school in Cabarrus County now find new reasons for doubt.