Daily Headlines for September 20, 2012
With Strike Over, Chicago Faces Another Test
Wall Street Journal, September 20, 2012
Linking Teacher Evaluations to Student Achievement Can Be a Hard Assignment, as Other States’ Experiences Have Shown
Segregation Prominent in Schools, Study Finds
New York Times, NY, September 20, 2012
The United States is increasingly a multiracial society, with white students accounting for just over half of all students in public schools, down from four-fifths in 1970.
Lessons From The Teachers Strike
Washington Post, DC, September 19, 2012
Here’s a bit of advice to America’s teachers: If you want the nation’s opinion leaders and CEOs to like you, don’t congregate in groups. Everyone, it seems, loves teachers individually. But when they get together, they become a menace to civilization.
For-Profit Corporations Are Ruining Our Nation’s Education
Patriot News, PA, September 19, 2012
It is vital that we hear and support the Chicago teachers’ call for less reliance on standardized testing — for student evaluation and for teacher evaluation. They were not fighting for more money, although all city schools are in desperate need of support. They were fighting for the soul of public education, which is under attack by for-profit corporations.
Why Should Teachers Do It All?
New York Times, NY, September 20, 2012
I commend Alex Kotlowitz for highlighting the issues we face in educating our most impoverished children. Asking teachers alone to find solutions for the myriad issues students bring with them every day, let alone teaching them to read, write and do arithmetic, is too much.
Skeptical Unions Pose Challenge To Districts’ Race To The Top
September 20, 2012, Nearly 900 districts nationwide, including 76 districts and charter schools in California , have told the federal government that they plan to compete for the final $400 million Race to the Top district competition. But with local unions having in effect a veto over their districts’ application, that number could dwindle.
Parent Power Index Ranks States in Ed Reform
Choice Media, September 19, 2012
If you’re listening to this, you’re probably interested in education reform, and you may have even had a conversation with neighbors, relatives or friends about how things are going in your state to shake up the education establishment and make schools better.
FROM THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
San Bernardino Charter School Shut Down
San Bernardino Sun, CA, September 19, 2012
More than 100 students who had been attending a charter school for at-risk children stayed home Wednesday, and they won’t be going to Crown Ridge Academy ever again.
How Best To Rate Teachers?
Appeal Democrat, CA, September 19, 2012
With kids back in school, the need for reforming California ‘s education system is evident to many parents. The state’s students continue to perform near the bottom on most national rankings. For example, on the November 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress, California ranked 47th of 50 states on fourth-grade reading and math and on eighth-grade math.
DELAWARE
Pencader On Hot Seat
Delaware News Journal, DE, September 20, 2012
The Pencader Charter Business and Finance High School may face its second formal review by the state Department of Education in as many years.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
KIPP Gains Survive New Scrutiny, With A Footnote
Washington Post Blog, DC, September 19, 2012
New research on the nation’s largest and best-performing charter school network has a dull title — “Student Selection, Attrition, and Replacement in KIPP Middle Schools” — but it adds fuel to a fierce national debate over why KIPP looks so good and whether schools should follow its example.
FLORIDA
Seven Charter Schools Proposed For Sarasota-Manatee
Herald Tribune, FL, September 19, 2012
The uptick in the number of charter schools shows little sign of slowing down, with as many as seven new schools set to open in Sarasota and Manatee counties next year.
Charter School Impacts
WWSB ABC 7, FL, September 20, 2012
Thousands of Suncoast students are now attending charter schools. That number may be growing, with five more schools trying to get approval. It’s a trend not only impacting choice, but also the more traditional schools already in place.
Gov. Scott Helps For-Profit Company Launch Charter School
WTSP 10 News, FL, September 19, 2012
Tallahassee, Florida – Gov. Rick Scott continues his push to help more charter schools operate in Florida .
Stray Attack On School Vouchers Coming To A Ballot Near You
Tampa Bay Tribune, FL, September 20, 2012
Few public issues are as absorbing as the balance between religion and government, so a ballot initiative that aims to change the boundary is worthy of rigorous debate. Instead, Florida ‘s Amendment 8 is being treated to a proxy campaign on school vouchers.
GEORGIA
Reject Charter Amendment
Augusta Chronicle, GA, September 19, 2012
On Nov. 6, Georgia voters need to be aware of a confusing and deceptive question which will appear on our ballot. The question reads: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?”
Charter Schools A Positive for Georgia
Savannah Morning News, GA, September 20, 2012
On March 19, I was one of 40 state senators in the Georgia legislature who voted in favor of placing the above question on the general ballot this fall.
IDAHO
Idaho Arts Charter School Receives $50,000 Prize
Idaho Press Tribune, ID, September 20, 2012
Idaho Arts Charter School was awarded $50,000 from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation as one of six ID21 grand prize award winners across the state.
ILLINOIS
Teacher Gains Debated
Chicago Tribune, IL, September 20, 2012
While Chicago’s teachers may have drawn national attention to their cause, it’s still unclear whether what was achieved at the bargaining table during a seven-day strike was worth the disruption to teachers, students and parents.
After Teachers Strike, Doubts About Implications
Associated Press, September 20, 2012
Mayor Rahm Emanuel secured an extension of Chicago’s school day and empowered principals to hire the teachers they want. Teachers were able to soften a new evaluation process and win some job protections.
CPS Must Come Clean On School Closings
Chicago Sun-Times, IL, September 19, 2012
There are endless reasons why Chicago teachers say they went on strike. Pay, charter school growth, unfair evaluations, teacher recall, the over-use of standardized tests, the “privatization” of public education, poor teaching and learning conditions, anger toward Mayor Rahm Emanuel and on and on.
INDIANA
Charter Renewal Time for Imagine MASTer
The Journal Gazette, IN, September 20, 2012
Imagine MASTer Academy’s board and staff are gearing up for a visit from Ball State University officials who will determine the fate of the school and decide whether to renew the school’s charter status.
Charter School Eyes Anderson
The Herald Bulletin, IN, September 19, 2012
Staff from Anderson Community Schools and the Impact and Excel Centers expressed strong opposition to the proposed charter Premier High School during a public meeting Wednesday evening.
MAINE
Charter School Board At Capacity, Preparing For Review Of At Least 8 Applications
Bangor Daily News, ME, September 19, 2012
The Maine Charter School Commission welcomed two new members Wednesday as it gears up for another busy season of considering at least eight applications for new charter schools in Maine .
MASSACHUSETTS
Charter Scores Vary Wildly
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, September 20, 2012
The Gloucester Community Arts Charter School’s MCAS scores reported Wednesday morning show significant improvement in English Language arts programs over the school’s first-ever test results last year.
MICHIGAN
Schools Avoid Strong Evaluations
Detroit News, MI, September 20, 2012
The art of measuring a teacher’s impact is tricky – and figuring out how to do this fairly has sparked conversation and controversy.
MISSISSIPPI
Lawmakers Question School Funding Formula
Clarion Ledger, MS, September 19, 2012
The gap between the state’s school funding formula and money actually being appropriated could widen past $300 million next year, raising new questions about the formula’s future.
MISSOURI
Union Cooperation Helped St. Louis Schools Progress, Both Sides Say
St. Louis Beacon, MO, September 19, 2012
The kind of change that only came through a teachers’ strike in Chicago has been achieved more easily in St. Louis through greater cooperation between the school system and the teachers union, the president of the American Federation of Teachers said Wednesday.
NEW JERSEY
True Tenure Reform
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, September 19, 2012
Something called “tenure reform” is about to be enacted in the state of New Jersey . This is a result of an effort in the Legislature to cure a serious illness by applying a series of Band-Aids.
Honing Needed On Merit Pay
Asbury Park Press, NJ, September 19, 2012
Merit pay for exceptional public school teachers may be an idea whose time has come. Why not reward the exceptional educators in our midst?
Officials Unveil New Del. Charter School Framework
North Jersey , NJ, September 20, 2012
Delaware education officials are unveiling a new accountability system to strengthen state oversight of charter schools.
NEW YORK
From Failing To Blue Ribbon School : Bronx Charter School For Excellence Takes Home National Award
New York Daily News, NY, September 20, 2012
The Bronx Charter School for Excellence won the distinction of being one of three charter schools in the state to win a National Blue Ribbon Schools Award from the U.S. Department of Education.
Group Blocked From Offering Charter Plans For 2 Schools
Buffalo News, NY, September 20, 2012
A group wanting to turn East High School and Waterfront Elementary into charter schools was told Wednesday they could not present their plans to the Buffalo Board of Education.
NORTH CAROLINA
QEA Leader Opens New School
Winston Salem Chronicle, NC, September 20, 2012
The man behind the success of Winston-Salem’s Quality Education Academy (QEA) is putting his weight behind another charter school.
School Board Tries To Kill Charter Schools
Rhino Times, NC, September 20, 2012
The Guilford County Board of Education is fighting a rearguard action against the expansion of charter schools, more than a year after the North Carolina General Assembly removed the 100-school cap on charter schools in the state.
Increasing Choice Boosts Education
Jacksonville Daily News, NC, September 19, 2012
North Carolina has been testing the waters of a similar program, with legislators still weighing the issue. The divide over the question of a voucher system largely lies between Republicans who have endorsed the concept and many professional educators who do not.
OHIO
Why President Obama Can Still Count on Ohio’s Teachers
StateImpact NPR, OH, September 20, 2012
There is a difference when it comes to the ways President Obama and Mitt Romney want to improve public schools, and it’s a big one — money.
Third-Grade Goal
Columbus Dispatch, OH, September 20, 2012
With a recent vote to set a cut-off score for Ohio’s new “third-grade reading guarantee,” the state Board of Education has drawn a reasonable line for determining which children are struggling enough in reading that they should repeat third grade and receive extra help.
OKLAHOMA
Teachers Offer Policymakers The Best Voices To Help Guide Decisions
The Oklahoman, OK, September 20, 2012
EDUCATORS across America have undoubtedly watched what happened in Chicago the past several days with more than passing interest. Perhaps with all the changes facing public education, a teacher strike was a predictable response. Think about that: The going gets tough … and teachers strike.
PENNSYLVANIA
On His First Day, New Schools Chief Begins With Fact-Finding
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, September 20, 2012
For William R. Hite Jr., the clock started ticking Wednesday. It was the new Philadelphia schools chief’s first day on the job full-time, the first day of fact-finding for a plan he said he would release Jan. 2.
Harrisburg Teachers Prepare For New State Teacher Evaluation System
Patriot News, PA, September 19, 2012
Harrisburg School District teachers aired concerns over the states new teacher evaluation system during a training session held Wednesday.
Parents Upset Easton Area School District Does Not Provide Transportation To Charter School
Lehigh Valley Express-Times, PA, September 20, 2012
Lisa Lippincott said her eighth-grade daughter didn’t get enough time to study arts while in Easton Area Middle School , so she enrolled her in the Arts Academy Charter School in Salisbury Township .
RHODE ISLAND
Julia Steiny: Should Struggling Districts Follow the Lead of Charter Schools?
GoLocal Prov, RI, September 20, 2012
Nine schools in the Providence School District have agreed to consider converting to charter status, by partnering with one of Rhode Island’s excellent charter schools. Together they’ll adapt the charter-school’s educational strategy, write up their co-created new design, and apply for charter status from the state.
TENNESSEE
Charter Incubator Offers Stipends, Training To Draw Memphis Talent
Commercial Appeal, TN, September 20, 2012
Two years later, White is the first participant in the Education Entrepreneurs Fellowship, a three-year training program the Tennessee Charter School Incubator is kicking off in Memphis to increase the pool of charter leaders skilled enough to turn around failing schools.
Nashville Parents Explore Taking Over Schools
The Tennessean, TN, September 20, 2012
Dissatisfied parents and elected officials from West Nashville are exploring a never-before-utilized state law that would allow a public school to be converted into a parent-controlled charter school.
On Great Hearts Rejection, School Board’s Amy Frogge Won’t Back Down
The Tennessean, TN, September 20, 2012
Amy Frogge’s cellphone won’t stop ringing. Reporters, politicians, out-of-town callers with unfamiliar caller IDs — suddenly, it seems, everyone wants a word with the PTO president turned school board member who is just two weeks into her first gig in public office.
TEXAS
IDEA Enrollment Numbers Fall Short
Austin Chronicle, TX, September 20, 2012
IDEA Allan, the Austin Independent School District ‘s controversial in-district charter school, has failed to reach its enrollment target for the first year, though the school is still treating its numbers as a success.
WASHINGTON
Charter Schools Would Reduce Funding For Education
News Tribune, WA, September 20, 2012
This November, voters will be asked to decide about Initiative 1240, which if approved would allow the creation of charter schools. Public schools in Washington are already faced with the challenge of improving student performance at a time of declining resources.
WISCONSIN
Private School Vouchers Add To Pain Of Public School Cuts
Capital Times, WI, September 20, 2012
Dear Editor: Your article “Cuts to K-12 school aid fourth-largest in nation” talks about the huge cuts to public schools. It’s terrible that Gov. Scott Walker’s administration has cut so much.
ONLINE SCHOOLS
Daniel Boone Officials Want To Create Online School
Reading Eagle, PA, September 20, 2012
Dr. Gary L. Otto can see where the future of education lies. And the Daniel Boone superintendent wants to make sure his district is up to speed before it’s too late.
More Oversight Needed For Florida Charter, Virtual Schools
Sun Sentinel, FL, September 19, 2012
Or imagine a school where you don’t have to go to school, and where as many as 275 kids who sidle up to their home computers are “taught” by a single teacher.