Daily Headlines for October 22, 2012

Obama Ad Blasts Romney Over Teachers
USA Today, October 20, 2012

President Obama’s campaign is playing the education card against Mitt Romney with a new ad attacking him over teachers and class size.

How to Measure a Teacher’s Effectiveness
New York Times, NY, October 21, 2012

Re “Want to Ruin Teaching? Give Ratings” (Op-Ed, Oct. 15): I couldn’t agree more with Deborah Kenny that evaluating teachers with high-stakes tests is a dreadful idea.

FROM THE STATES

ARKANSAS

Blytheville To Hold Public Hearing On Conversion Charter
Courier News, AR, October 20, 2012

Blytheville School District will be holding a public hearing Monday to announce its plans to seek a district conversion charter for Blytheville High School.

CALIFORNIA

‘Choices’ Opens New Doors For Students At Failing LAUSD Schools
Daily Breeze, CA, October 20, 2012

Most of the parents who sign up for LAUSD’s Choices program hope to send their child to a specialty magnet – a performing arts program for an aspiring actor, perhaps, or a medical academy for a would-be doctor.

Parent Trigger Advocates, Opponents Struggle Over Adelanto Children’s Future
Redlands Daily Facts, CA, October 21, 2012

Inside Christina Purcell’s classroom at Desert Trails Elementary School , there was no hint of the political turmoil going on outside, just a few hundred feet away.

Charter Seeks Student Improvement In Proposed D-49 Transfer
Colorado Springs Gazette, CO, October 21, 2012

As a large, statewide online school seeks to transfer its state charter to growing Falcon School District 49, east of Colorado Springs , one brick-and-mortar charter school may be considering an exit.

CONNECTICUT

Education Reform Gains Local, National Attention
Yale Daily News, CT, October 22, 2012

With the November elections in two weeks and a debate over the direction of the country’s school system taking place nationwide, ongoing education reform in New Haven has become the subject of praise from local, state and national political officials.

Education Reform Leader Backs Plan To Appoint Bridgeport Board Of Ed
CT Post, CT, October 21, 2012

A national leader in education reform Sunday offered his support for the city’s plan to replace the elected Board of Education with a new board appointed by the mayor.

FLORIDA

Charter School Companies, Online Learning Outfits Try To Wield More Influence In Tallahassee
Tampa Bay Times, FL, October 22, 2012

In the looming battle for public education dollars, Jon Hage has launched a pre-emptive strike.

GEORGIA

Amendment Supporters, Opponents Clash In Debate
Savannah Morning News, GA, October 22, 2012

The opponents and supporters of the charter-school amendment agree on something: The issue is about money and control, according to comments made Sunday on statewide television.

Ga. Officials Defend Charter School Politicking
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 22, 2012

Deal is among the amendment backers who argue it’s a matter of offering more educational options. State Schools Superintendent John Barge, along with many local superintendents and school board members, lead the opposition. They say the amendment would strip power from local school boards that now can approve or reject applications for charters and could siphon money from existing schools.

Charter School Fight In Washington Has Parallels To Ga.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, October 21, 2012

On a recent fall day here, Melissa Westbrook and Shannon Campion settled into high chairs behind a small table in the basement studio at cavernous Seattle City Hall .

Yes to Charter Schools
Macon Telegraph, GA, October 21, 2012

On Nov. 6, voters will be asked whether the state should be able to approve charter schools. Yes the state should. You should vote yes.

Charter Amendment Facts Differ From Campaign Rhetoric
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, October 20, 2012

Of the two constitutional amendments on this fall’s ballot, the one dealing with charter schools has generated the most attention and confusion.

INDIANA

Controversial Policies Spark Challenge In Indiana School Superintendent Race
Evansville Courier & Press, IN, October 22, 2012

After stepping into the Indiana superintendent of public instruction’s office, Republican Tony Bennett said he has faced opposition with an intensity he never would have predicted four years ago.

KANSAS

Kan. Ed Board Candidate Wants To Ease Path Into Classroom
Topeka Capital Journal, KS, October 21, 2012

A Kansas man who operates an online tutoring service as “Mr. X, Mentor of Mathematics” is running for the Kansas State Board of Education in hopes of making it easier for professionals outside the public school system to become teachers.

KENTUCKY

Kentucky School Officials Bracing For Fallout From Lower Test Scores
The Courier-Journal, KY, October 21, 2012

Parents be warned: Your child’s results from Kentucky’s rigorous new statewide tests will be released within the next few weeks — and somewhat by design, the outcome is expected to be grim.

LOUISIANA

Magnet Schools Host Event To Draw In 2013-14 Students
The Advocate, LA, October 22, 2012

Hundreds of parents and children crammed aisles and corridors Saturday in Cortana Mall where students from 33 magnet and gifted and talented programs at East Baton Rouge Parish public schools recruited and wooed shoppers with song, dance, drama and robotics demonstrations Saturday.

Educators Criticize Evaluation System
Opelousas Daily World, LA, October 21, 2012

An increasing number of educators say Louisiana’s evaluation system makes it more likely teachers at high-achieving public schools will get poor reviews, threatening their job security.

MARYLAND

Md. State Board Of Education’s New President Has Big Demands
Washington Post, DC, October 21, 2012

As a former board member of Maryland’s second-largest public school system and the current president of a community college, Charlene M. Dukes is considered by many education officials to be a natural choice to chair the board that sets policies for all of Maryland ’s public schools.

MASSACHUSETTS

MCAS and Charter Schools
Boston Globe, MA, October 21, 2012

I read your article (“Charter students score well on MCAS tests,” Sunday, Sept. 23) with great interest concerning the success of charter schools verses their local public school district.

At Roxbury Charter School One Goal Stands Out: Get Our Kids To College
The Standard-Times, MA, October 21, 2012

Shortly before 8 a.m. on a recent Friday, the front lobby of City on a Hill, a Roxbury-based charter high school, was full of laughing, boisterous teenagers, their voices a cacophony in the modern entry space.

Mayor Menino Describes Proposed School Assignment System
Boston Globe, MA, October 21, 2012

Our city is deep in conversation on efforts to create a new school assignment system. As many parents know and as we have heard loud and clear today’s system is too complicated, frustrating, and unpredictable for too many of our families.

MICHIGAN

State Slams Oakland Schools For Wide Achievement Gap
The Oakland Press, MI, October 22, 2012

There is a growing standoff between some of Oakland County’s high performing districts and the Michigan Department of Education over the state’s labeling some of their schools as having an achievement gap.

NEW JERSEY

Moran: Newark Teacher Union’s Chief Backs Groundbreaking Reform
Star-Ledger, NJ, October 21, 2012

The contract gives his teachers the chance to earn $5,000 bonuses if they can show they are highly effective, and double that if they agree to teach in a struggling school. Teachers who fill shortages in subjects such as math and science can get another $2,500.

Lawmakers Seek To End N.J. Takeover Of Schools
The Record, NJ, October 20, 2012

Paterson would gain control of its public school system for the first time in 21 years under legislation introduced by Democrats that also would limit future state takeovers to five years, lawmakers announced Friday.

Move to Nov. Has Major Effect On N.J. School Races
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 22, 2012

New Jersey school board candidates, who typically spend just a few hundred dollars per election, are finding it’s a different world this year.

NEW MEXICO

Test Scores No Panacea for Teacher Evaluations
Albuquerque Journal, NM, October 22, 2012

We appreciate the Journal’s editorial about the dedicated teachers at Susie Rayos Marmon Elementary who are working on their National Board Certification. We couldn’t agree more.

NEW YORK

Another Charter School Test Passed
Wall Street Journal, October 19, 2012

Eight of New York City’s top elementary and middle schools are charters—and four of the charters are in Harlem .

Kingston Teachers Anxious About New Evaluation System; Superintendent Paul Padalino Seeks To Calm Fears
Kingston Daily Freeman, NY, October 22, 2012

Good teachers have nothing to fear from the state’s new evaluation system, the Kingston schools superintendent says.

Kingston High School ‘Academies’ Revamp Set For Fall Launch
Kingston Daily Freeman, NY, October 22, 2012

Kingston High School is currently organized as a traditional “comprehensive high school,” Manuel said, which is a category for high schools that serve between 1,000 and 5,000 students, offer a comprehensive array of programs, and allow students to follow many paths to graduation.

NORTH CAROLINA

CMS, Other Charlotte-Area School Districts In Race For Federal Bucks
Charlotte Observer, NC, October 20, 2012

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and other area school districts are competing against one another, and hundreds more across the country, for a piece of nearly $400 million in federal Race to the Top grants.

NORTH DAKOTA

Count On Berg For Local Control Of Schools
Grand Fork Herald, ND, October 22, 2012

I appreciate U.S. House candidate Rick Berg’s perspective on education. He has shown his support for high standards, accountability for results, local control and parental choice.

OHIO

Awash in Excellence
Akron Beacon Journal, OH, October 21, 2012

What’s all the grousing about an underperforming public school system in Ohio? Take a look at the latest state report cards, and the impression is that the public is needlessly critical of the quality of public education in Ohio. It appears school districts, by and large, are achieving at or near peak levels.

Schooling Choices Are Beneficial
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, October 21, 2012

Freedom of choice is a fundamental and vital part of our democracy. As Americans we are free to make choices ranging from our political leaders to what doctor best meets our individual and family needs.

OKLAHOMA

Some Oklahoma Schools Turn To Churches For Help Involving Parents
The Oklahoman, OK, October 22, 2012

They’re mixing church and state in Tulsa schools. That may surprise some in light of Tulsa-area schools’ past hostility to any hint of religious affiliation in learning. Jenks and Union schools sued when state scholarships were given to children with special needs to attend private schools because some had religious affiliations.

PENNSYLVANIA

State Won’t Take Over Vitalistic Charter School
The Morning Call, PA, October 21, 2012

The state Department of Education has rejected a request to take over jurisdiction of the financially troubled Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School .

Charter School Fight Rages On
Pocono Record, PA, October 21, 2012

The fight between the Pocono Mountain School District and the Pocono Mountain Charter School still burns white hot.

Advocates Fire Back After Charter School Reform Bill Stalls In House
Patriot News, PA, October 22, 2012

For charter school advocates, there’s no truth in the saying “the third time’s the charm.” Not after watching their third effort in a year’s time to get the Legislature to pass a bill that would fix some of the concerns they have with the state’s 1997 charter school law fall apart on Wednesday.

Charter-School Reform – Do It Right
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, October 22, 2012

THE DEATH OF a bad bill is just as noteworthy as the passage of a good one – and let’s face it, both seem to occur with similar frequency.

Better Oversight Still Needed For Charters
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 22, 2012

Pennsylvania House members shouldn’t have adjourned without taking up a bill to reform how charter schools operate.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Choices Charter’s Future Up In The Air
Morning News, SC, October 20, 2012

Last-chance school for Florence and Darlington students in limbo after Darlington district cuts its tie

TENNESSEE

Nashville Chamber Wants School Board To Solve Funding Cut Without Legal Fight
The Tennessean, TN, October 22, 2012

Injecting itself squarely into Metro’s ongoing fight with the state over Great Hearts Academies, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce is calling for the Metro school board to somehow resolve its loss of $3.4 million in state education funds without pursuing legal action.

Tenn. Needs Statewide Charter School Authorizer
Commercial Appeal, TN, October 20, 2012

Next week, Memphis will host one of the largest — and most important — charter school conferences in the nation: the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) Annual Conference, Monday through Thursday at The Peabody.

TEXAS

School Funding Trial Starts Today
Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX, October 21, 2012

As school districts representing more than 3 million Texas schoolchildren go to court today over school funding, they are united on one battlefield but are fighting from multiple fronts

WASHINGTON

Enrollment, Finances Create Challenges For Charter Schools
The Olympian, WA, October 21, 2012

September enrollment at Leadership and Entrepreneurship Public (LEP) Charter High School is down from 344 students at the start of the school year last September to 280 this year. No one is sure why.

Oregon Example: Charters ‘Part Of Fabric’ Of School System
The Olympian, WA, October 21, 2012

As Washington voters prepare to vote on charter schools again, advocates in Oregon wonder why their neighbors to the north are taking so long to see the merits of charters.

Education The Key Issue In Mcauliffe, McCravey Contest
Everett Herald, WA, October 22, 2012

Political stakes are high in the duel between Democratic Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe and Republican Dawn McCravey as the outcome could alter the state’s direction on education policy and the balance of power in the Senate.

Approve Initiative 1240 To Allow Public Charter Schools
Seattle Times, WA, October 21, 2012

If we stand to gain a few outstanding charter schools in Washington state, Initiative 1240 is worth approving, writes guest columnist Katie Baird.

Initiative 1240: Charting A New Course In Washington?
The Olympian, WA, October 21, 2012

I-1240: Charter school backers say they re-energize learning; foes say they benefit few and don’t have good record

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Two Funds Raise Money To Help Bay Area Schools
Contra Costa Times, CA, October 21, 2012

The Silicon Schools Fund has raised half its $25 million goal to create up to 25 technology-heavy schools in the Bay Area within five years. The schools, which could be startups or transformed campuses, would feature “blended learning,” combining traditional classrooms with computer-delivered lessons.

Virtual Academy Educates In Real Life
The Daily Tribune, News, GA, October 20, 2012

Since spring semester 2012, the Bartow Virtual Academy has provided a free virtual learning environment for 32 students in the county who, for a myriad of different reasons, take high school courses online.

8 More Cyber Charter Schools Apply To Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 22, 2012

With 16 full-time cyber charter schools, Pennsylvania already has one of the highest concentrations of such schools in the nation, but now the state has received applications for eight more for the 2013-14 school year.

Christiana Unhappy Charter/Cyber Reform Has Stalled
Beaver Times, PA, October 20, 2012

While many state legislators believe charter and cyber charter school funding must be remedied, the House of Representatives has prevented reform from advancing, according to Rep. Jim Christiana, R-15, Beaver.

DPI Planning ‘In-Depth’ Study Of Virtual Schools
Herald Times Reporter, WI, October 20, 2012

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction plans to conduct an “in-depth review” of Wisconsin virtual schools during the 2012-13 school year, fulfilling a recommendation made two and a half years ago following a nonpartisan audit.

Virtual School Enrollment Up 38%
Wausau Daily Herald, WI, October 21, 2012

Enrollment in Wisconsin’s virtual schools soared 38 percent this year, boosted by changes to state law that removed an enrollment cap and substantially expanded the time students have to sign up.

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