FROM THE STATES
ALABAMA
Parents Get More Insight Of State’s Takeover
Alabama’s 13, AL, October 30, 2012
Birmingham City School parents said they want to make sure everything is transparent when it comes to the state’s takeover of the district.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
D.C. State Board Of Education Candidates Face Challenge: What Does The Board Do?
Washington Post, DC, October 30, 2012
Candidates for the District’s State Board of Education face a key challenge this election season: Five years after the board was created, many voters still aren’t sure exactly what it is or what it does.
Charter Schools Still Treated Like Second-Class
Washington Examiner, DC, October 30, 2012
Of all the statistics cited by Examiner reporter Lisa Gartner to document the increase in student enrollment in the Washington region’s public schools for the 2012-2013 school year, one stands out. While 1.4 percent more students enrolled in DC Public Schools, 11 percent more students signed up for the city’s public charter schools — the largest enrollment surge of any system in the metropolitan area.
FLORIDA
Board Of Education To Decide Fate Of Charter School
Gainesville Sun, FL, October 30, 2012
The fate of an Alachua County charter school that has received F’s in its two years of existence lies in the hands of the State Board of Education as it meets Tuesday.
Charter School Given Ultimatum By School District
WFTV Orlando, FL, October 30, 2012
An Orange County charter school that received taxpayer dollars is faced with a tough decision. Pinecrest High School was given an ultimatum by the Orange County School District: voluntarily close or be closed.
Pasco Charter School For Students With Autism Heading Toward Approval
Tampa Bay Times, FL, October 31, 2012
The Pasco County School Board is preparing to approve its second new charter school application in as many meetings.
Religious Schools Shouldn’t Get Public Money
Hernando Today, FL, October 31, 2012
Several ill-advised proposals to amend the state constitution are on the ballot next week, and one of them would do away with Florida’s so-called Blaine Amendment that forbids state money from being used for “sectarian” purposes.
GEORGIA
State Superintendent John Barge Says Georgia Schools Improving
Augusta Chronicle, GA, October 30, 2012
While there is always need for improvement, Georgia is making more progress toward raising academic performance and closing achievement gaps between students than it might seem, state Superintendent John Barge told Richmond County educators Tuesday.
Two File Complaint Against Charter Group
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 31, 2012
Two Cherokee County residents have filed Open Meetings Act complaints against Georgia Charter Educational Foundation, the governing board of Cherokee Charter Academy .
New CCA Petition Includes High School
Cherokee Ledger, News, GA, October 31, 2012
Officials at Cherokee Charter Academy (CCA) currently are preparing a five-year petition renewal that includes a new high school, Georgia Charter Educational Foundation (GCEF) Chairwoman Lyn Carden confirmed Oct. 25. That petition must be submitted to the Georgia Department of Education, and Carden estimated a decision on the proposal is expected in February 2013.
Barge, Deal At Odds Over Key Race to the Top Appointment
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, October 30, 2012
Gov. Nathan Deal and state School Superintendent John Barge aren’t just butting heads over the charter schools constitutional amendment.
IDAHO
Luna Stumps For Education Reform
Bonner County Daily Bee, ID, October 31, 2012
Community Hall filled up fast Tuesday night to check out Idaho Superintendent Tom Luna’s presentation on Idaho education reform laws up for voter approval.
ILLINOIS
School Achievement Scores Little Changed From Last Year
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 31, 2012
Scores on state achievement tests barely budged in 2012, with results still troubling for Illinois high school students.
School Report Cards Show Stubborn Achievement Gaps
WBEZ, IL, October 31, 2012
State education officials are releasing the annual report cards for all of Illinois’ public schools today. Slightly more students are meeting state academic standards—increasing from 82 percent to 82.1 percent.
Ousted Chicago Schools CEO To Collect $250,000, Glowing Recommendation
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 31, 2012
When former Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard officially leaves the school system Jan. 1, he’ll take more with him than one year of his $250,000 salary.
How Teachers Get ‘Graded’
Southtown Star, IL, October 30, 2012
Each year, much attention is paid to student test scores and school report cards. But what about how teachers are “graded”? What makes one teacher excellent and another unsatisfactory? Who decides, and how does the outcome affect a teacher’s employment?
INDIANA
Election Will Be A Referendum On Education Reforms
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel , IN, October 31, 2012
Will voters want to press on or back off from all the changes?
The contest over who should be the Indiana superintendent of public instruction is usually one of those ballot entries voters barely pay attention to.
KENTUCKY
Continue To Support Tougher Learning Standards
Louisville Courier-Journal , KY, October 31, 2012
Kentuckians will soon be seeing the first results from the state tests on our new, more challenging academic standards. Educators across the commonwealth are in their second school year of helping students master the standards as they focus on preparing every student to succeed in college, career training or the workplace.
LOUISIANA
John White Outlines Plans For Louisiana’s Pre-K Programs
Times-Picayune, LA, October 30, 2012
State Superintendent John White laid out plans Tuesday for bringing all of Louisiana’s publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs under a new accountability system over the next three years, hoping to ensure that tax dollars go to programs that give students a leg up once they enter primary school.
MASSACHUSETTS
New Bedford Welcomes Model School
South Coast Today, MA, October 31, 2012
City on a Hill Charter School in Roxbury seems to have found a system that, though it may not be perfect, is working. I am glad to see New Bedford taking advantage of this opportunity by allowing this school into the district.
MICHIGAN
New Innocademy Charter School In Zeeland Puts Focus On Small Class Sizes
Holland Sentinel, MI, October 31, 2012
Tucked away behind McDonald’s and just off Chicago Drive near the 196 ramp, stands Innocademy, a new high school option in Zeeland.
NEVADA
Teachers Union Refuses To Support School District’s Race To The Top Bid
Las Vegas Sun, NV, October 30, 2012
The Clark County School District’s bid for $40 million in federal funding may fall apart after the local teachers union declined to support its grant application.
NORTH CAROLINA
More Parents, Mentors And Teachers Needed In Fight To Raise Test Scores
Winston-Salem Journal, NC, October 31, 2012
The ACT test scores of juniors in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system made one thing clear: Much more work needs to be done to raise the academic performance at schools with high levels of student poverty.
OHIO
Academy Earns ‘Effective’ Rating
Youngstown Vindicator, OH, October 31, 2012
Horizon Science Academy celebrated its effective rating on the latest state report card.
Top Mark For Local Charter School A Rarity
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, October 30, 2012
Hamilton County Math & Science Academy, a K-8 charter school in Colerain Township , is among only four charter schools to receive the state’s top rating of Excellent with Distinction on the 2011-12 Ohio Report Card.
OKLAHOMA
Audit Reflects Poorly On Oklahoma State Superintendent
The Oklahoman, OK, October 31, 2012
Janet Barresi’s sometimes-bumpy ride as Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction hit another pothole Monday with the release of an investigative report by Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones.
PENNSYLVANIA
Turning Education Around
News & Observer, NC, October 30, 2012
For once, a general election in North Carolina really will be about education, and not just because of candidates’ rhetoric or policy proposals. This election will affect education because the State Board of Education may well be in line for a major philosophical overhaul.
Practical Hurdles at Play in Pa. Charter-Law Stumble
Education Week, October 31, 2012
A recent effort by Pennsylvania officials to re-examine the state’s charter school laws highlights the challenges states may face as they try to change the policy and political environment for charters.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Law Creates More Bureaucracy
Rapid City Journal, SD, October 30, 2012
Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s signature piece of legislation during the 2012 Legislature was his education reform law, HB 1234. A year after cutting education spending by $77 million in his first year in office, he proposed returning some of that funding in a merit pay plan that would reward the best teachers in the state with a performance-based bonus.
TENNESSEE
School Board To Meet On Merger Recommendations Next Month
Memphis Daily News, TN, October 31, 2012
Countywide school board members will begin what several described as the “dirty work” of the schools merger to come at a special meeting Nov. 15.
TEXAS
Critics: Teachers Deserve Louder Voice As Schools Seek Federal Funds
The Monitor, TX, October 30, 2012
School districts this week will wrap up their submissions for federal Race to the Top funds, which could potentially provide millions to implement improvements in teacher development and student evaluations.
UTAH
A Better Way To Grade Teachers: Grading On How Teachers Promote Student Learning Rather Than Test Scores
Desert News, UT, October 30, 2012
Nikhil Goyal says the learning stopped in third grade when his class began to prepare for state-mandated math and English tests.
WASHINGTON
What Charter Schools Mean for Yakima
KIMATV, WA, October 30, 2012
We’re still covering Campaign 2012 as Election Day moves closer. Some think this could be the year charter schools get the OK in Washington . Voters rejected them in the past despite 41other states having them. We wanted to know how Yakima would be affected if charter schools were allowed.
Digging Deeper into the Possibility of Charter Schools in the Tri-Cities
KEPR 19, WA, October 30, 2012
Many suspect this is the year charter schools will be approved for Washington . Voters have rejected them in the past, despite 41other states using the system. KEPR wanted to know how the Tri-Cities would be affected if charter schools were allowed in.
Why Parents Will Love Charter Schools
Snohomish Times, WA, October 30, 2012
Many parents hope voters will pass Initiative 1240, the ballot measure to allow charter schools in Washington. This is especially true of parents whose children are trapped in failing inner-city schools. Earlier this year Representative Eric Pettigrew, speaking for many low-income families in his South Seattle district, put it this way.
Another Week, Another Million For Charter School Initiative
Seattle Times Blog, WA, October 30, 2012
As the election nears, the campaign to bring charter schools to Washington state reported another $1.5 million in donations from Paul Allen, founder of Vulcan, Inc. and co-founder of Microsoft. Allen has been a major supporter of past charter-school campaigns, too, along with his fellow Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
WEST VIRGINIA
Kids Succeed When Teachers Succeed
Charleston Gazette, WV, October 30, 2012
Patrick Lane is correct in stating the children of West Virginia are behind and that we must properly educate them (“Educate students to succeed,” in the Oct. 25 Gazette). Also, children should be the focus of our schools so they will “be part of a well-educated work force tomorrow.”
WISCONSIN
Teachers Unions Talk Merger After Membership Drops 30 Percent
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, October 31, 2012
The state’s two largest teachers unions are contemplating a merger after losing about 30 percent of their members in the wake of new collective bargaining rules and cuts in education funding.
ONLINE SCHOOLS
To Empower Students, Let’s Bring Interactive Learning Tools Into The Classroom
Venture Beat, October 30, 2012
The past five years have seen a tremendous boom in education technology (“ed-tech”) startups that are pushing the boundaries of online and hybrid content delivery and learning experiences.