When ‘Grading’ Is Degrading
New York Times, NY, November 23, 2012
IN his speech on the night of his re-election, President Obama promised to find common ground with opposition leaders in Congress. Yet when it comes to education reform, it’s the common ground between Democrats and Republicans that has been the problem.
Charter School Corruption
Washington Post Blog, DC, November 23, 2012
No, this is not an indictment of all charter schools. Some do great things for kids. It is, however, the tip of an iceberg that is repeatedly ignored by school reformers who are insistent on opening more and more charters without sufficient oversight, all along saying it is “for the kids.” Funny so many adults apparently think it is more about their wallets.
Feds: Teachers Embroiled In Test-Taking Fraud
Associated Press, November 25, 2012
It was a brazen and surprisingly long-lived scheme, authorities said, to help aspiring public school teachers cheat on the tests they must pass to prove they are qualified to lead their classrooms.
FROM THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
Charter Schools Making Headway In Communities
San Diego Union Tribune, CA, November 23, 2012
It was 20 years ago that Gov. Pete Wilson signed the California Charter Schools Act into law, and California became the second state, after Minnesota, to approve charter schools. With the governor’s signature, the door in the Golden State was opened, creating an innovative educational laboratory.
For Two L.A. Schools, Sharing A Campus Is Starting To Chafe
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 25, 2012
Logan Elementary in Echo Park hosts Gabriella Charter School. That seemed good when enrollment was lower. But both schools are growing, and the campus is not.
Give Charter Schools Their Due
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 25, 2012
By now, it should be apparent that charter schools have been the spark to the education reform flame in the Los Angeles Unified School District .
Lessons From A Disadvantaged Children’s Charter School
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 23, 2012
Para Los Niños Charter School in an industrial part of downtown Los Angeles turns out to be a model for what upscale parents say they want for their children.
L.A.’s Revamped Teacher Evaluation System Getting Mixed Grades
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 25, 2012
Teachers are finding value in the new evaluation system as it rolls out, but administrators doing the reviews complain about how time-consuming they are.
Upcoming Battles In California Legislature Pit Education Reformers Against Teacher Unions And Their Backers
The San Jose Mercury News, CA, November 22, 2012
A nearly $6 billion infusion from Proposition 30 and a Democratic supermajority in the Legislature are a welcome pre-holiday gift to public education from voters, but it also could set the stage for battles between those laboring for education reform and suddenly fortified unions protecting teacher interests.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Kaya Henderson Wants Better Relationship Between Charter Schools And DCPS
WAMU, DC, November 25, 2012
Charter schools currently educate more than 40 percent of the District’s children. Now, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson says she wants the ability to authorize charter schools within the traditional public school system.
D.C. School Boundaries Fight Looms
Washington Post, DC, November 25, 2012
As District parents and activists organize to oppose Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s proposal to close 20 city schools, a potentially larger and more divisive fight looms.
FLORIDA
Florida Already Funnels Millions In Tax Dollars To Religious Schools
Orlando Sentinel, FL, November 24, 2012
On Election Day, voters turned down a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution that critics said could have cleared the way for taxpayer-funded vouchers for religious schools.
Confused, Discouraged Teachers File Complaints Over New Reviews
Orlando Sentinel, FL, November 22, 2012
When Central Florida teachers got their final job evaluations this month, many were puzzled or discouraged by how student test-score data affected their reviews.
With This Evaluation System, Florida Teachers Have No Shot
Palm Beach Post, FL, November 26, 2012
In 1999 the Florida Legislature and then-Gov. Jeb Bush enacted a law that said the state will assign valid grades to every public school.
Next Education Commissioner Will Tell Us A Lot About Florida’s Commitment To Reform
Orlando Sentinel, FL, November 24, 2012
With any luck, this week will bring a stop to the revolving door in the office of Florida’s education commissioner.
Public Schools Outperform Charter Schools
St. Augustine Record, FL, November 25, 2012
Here’s what the state Board of Education writes about charter schools:
They “are created through an agreement or ‘charter’ between the school and the local school board or a state university. This agreement gives the charter school a measure of expanded freedom relative to traditional public schools in return for a commitment to higher standards of accountability.”
West Boynton Charter School Was A ‘Want,’ Not A ‘Need.’
Palm Beach Post, FL, November 23, 2012
The “Canyon Angels” worked persistently and effectively to bring a charter school to their neighborhoods west of Boynton Beach. But one story line — that the parents had to overcome an obstructionist Palm Beach County school board and county commission — is inaccurate.
GEORGIA
No Easy Explanation For Charter School Amendment Vote
Athens Banner-Herald , GA, November 24, 2012
Predictably, the punditry’s instant analyses came out immediately upon the closing of the polls a couple of weeks ago, if not before, even though all of the electoral dust had yet to settle.
ILLINOIS
For Some, Entering A City Elite High School Gets A Little More Difficult
Chicago Tribune, IL, November 24, 2012
Demographic tweaks to a complex enrollment system intended to ensure diversity at Chicago’s best public high schools have created added anxiety for many parents who suddenly face tougher odds of getting their children into the elite schools.
Consistently Mediocre
Chicago Tribune, IL, November 24, 2012
Any kid trudging home to deliver a lackluster report card knows the first question from a parent: How will you do better next time? That’s the question every teacher, principal and administrator in this state needs to answer.
INDIANA
School Voucher Program Should Be Here To Stay
Star Press, IN, November 23, 2012
Indiana Supreme Court justices heard arguments last week over the state’s school voucher program, also known as Choice Scholarships Program.
New Indiana Schools Chief Says GOP Approval Not Needed
Journal Gazette, IN, November 26, 2012
Indiana’s new superintendent of public instruction, Democrat Glenda Ritz, said she can make some policy changes for the state’s schools without needing the approval of the Republican-controlled General Assembly and governor’s office, but that she welcomes input, no matter where it comes from.
KANSAS
Kansas Charting A Course For Teacher Evaluations
Topeka Capital Journal, KS, November 25, 2012
Sitting in her office at Chase Middle School, Teresa Songs places two red folders and a three-ring binder on her desk. The folders contain snapshots of her work as the school’s principal: an email she has sent with feedback to a teacher, information on recent staff training and a list of lessons on social skills that the children are learning.
Hope For Charter School In Town Is High
Hutchinson News, KS, November 24, 2012
This community of less than a thousand residents lost its only school when the elementary school closed in 2011. But the building could reopen in August 2013 as a K-12 public charter school.
MAINE
Public School District Budgets Take Cash Hit For Charter School Tuition
Kennebec Journal, ME, November 25, 2012
The creation of a new charter school and expansion of two existing ones in central Maine have some public school officials worried about the effect on their district budgets.
Cornville Charter School Settles Into Steady Groove, Hopeful For Future Growth
Morning Sentinel, ME, November 25, 2012
Students at Cornville are not separated by age. There is a combined kindergarten to second-grade classroom, a third- and fourth-grade classroom and a fifth- and sixth-grade classroom.
MARYLAND
Baltimore Charters Looking To The Next Decade
Baltimore Sun, MD, November 25, 2012
Eighteen charter schools seeking contract renewals to continue operating in Baltimore are undergoing a rigorous review process that will uniformly evaluate them for the first time since they began populating the district 10 years ago.
MASSACHUSETTS
Former Mayor Leads Effort To Open Charter School In Brockton
Enterprise News, MA, November 24, 2012
A group led by former Mayor John T. Yunits is trying to open the first charter school in the city, an effort that is likely to meet with opposition from public school officials and unions alike.
Charter School Review Has Context
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, November 25, 2012
There is no question that the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School, as noted by state Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester, still “faces substantial challenges to its ability to implement a viable and effective school program.”
MICHIGAN
Fight Over Detroit Education Achievement Authority Control Comes To Head
Detroit News, MI, November 26, 2012
Officials with the Education Achievement Authority say they’re transforming chaotic, underperforming Detroit schools into orderly buildings, where students are learning at their own pace using individualized education plans instead of standard grade-level curricula.
When It Comes To School Choice, Most Families Can Figure Out What’s Best For Their Children
Detroit News, MI, November 26, 2012
A new report on the prevalence of charter schools nationwide places Detroit in the No. 2 spot for the percentage of students in these alternative public schools. That’s cause for celebration for proponents of the movement but cause for alarm for those who believe charters are spreading too fast in Michigan .
MINNESOTA
Former State Senator Heads Back To Capitol To Push School Reform
Star Tribune, MN, November 23, 2012
Kathy Saltzman heads StudentsFirst, which champions reforms against the headwinds of Education Minnesota, the teachers’ union.
New Teacher Test Gauges Work In Front Of Classroom
Pioneer Press, MN, November 24, 2012
Starting next year, student results on the edTPA will count toward state approval of Minnesota’s teacher education programs. Down the road, the exam could replace a multiple-choice test on the science of teaching as a requirement to get a teaching license.
MISSISSIPPI
Forum To Focus On Charter Schools
The Meridian Star, MS, November 25, 2012
Organizers of a forum that will highlight statewide school reform initiatives expected to be addressed in the 2013 session of the Mississippi Legislature are encouraging residents of all East Central Mississippi counties to attend.
MISSOURI
Teachers Skeptical of Federal Education Efforts
Columbia Tribune, MO, November 24, 2012
A recent Gallup poll found that 68 percent of Americans think education will improve during President Barack Obama’s second term.
NEVADA
Education Reform
Las Vegas Review Journal, NV, November 23, 2012
This year’s state and local campaigns focused on education issues. Funding dominated election conversations about how to improve Nevada’s public schools.
NEW JERSEY
Teacher Seniority Still a Four-Letter Word to Administration — ‘LIFO’
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, November 26, 2012
For all its celebration of New Jersey’s new teacher tenure law, the Christie administration hasn’t hidden its lament for the one provision it couldn’t change: seniority protection for tenured teachers in the case of layoffs.
Bonus Time
The Economist, November 24, 2012
NEWARK’S public schools are dreadful. Although they have been under the supervision of New Jersey ’s state government since 1995, there has been little improvement since then.
NEW MEXICO
3-Tiered Teacher System Never Tied to Students
Albuquerque Journal, NM, November 26, 2012
I would like to comment on two recent Journal articles that addressed two important issues in K-12 public education that are currently being discussed and debated in New Mexico and beyond.
NEW YORK
Teacher Evaluation Systems Proving Costly
Newsday, NY, November 22, 2012
The newly mandated teacher and principal evaluation system is costing Long Island school districts tens of thousands of dollars per year in training, testing and materials, even as they struggle with effects of the property-tax cap and putting in place other required education reforms.
New Options Weighed for School Diplomas
Wall Street Journal, November 24, 2012
With New York state education officials expected to act early next year to give high-school students more career-specific pathways toward graduation and the working world, the idea is being endorsed as a way to improve graduation rates and fulfill demand for skilled workers in emerging industries.
OHIO
Cleveland-Area School Districts Must Work Harder To Keep Children Who Move Frequently From Falling Through The Cracks
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, November 24, 2012
Students who often change schools — making them hard to track and harder to teach — have long been a problem in many Ohio school systems, particularly Cleveland’s.
OKLAHOMA
As Study Shows, Money Alone Not To Blame For Oklahoma Schools’ Performances
The Oklahoman, OK, November 26, 2012
JENKS schools Superintendent Kirby Lehman recently said Oklahoma schools’ academic performance doesn’t rank nationally in the 40s, saying it was actually “in the 20s.” Only school funding ranks so poorly, he said.
PENNSYLVANIA
School Days Are Too Short
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, November 23, 2012
The Cherry Hill Board of Education and its teachers agreed to a new contract this week that extends the school day for middle and high school students.
Saugus To Hold Public Hearing On Charter School Proposal
The Daily Item, PA, November 26, 2012
A new charter school may be coming to Saugus next year, and the Department of Elementary and Second Eduction is holding a public hearing for input from residents.
Fair Standard For Charters
Scranton Times-Tribune, PA, November 25, 2012
Much as the state Department of Education caught several Pennsylvania school districts cheating on student achievement tests, the U.S. Department of Education has caught the state education agency fudging on behalf of charter schools.
TENNESSEE
TN School Vouchers Could Include Public, Private School Choices
The Tennessean, TN, November 26, 2012
As state lawmakers and members of a Gov. Bill Haslam-appointed task force consider the scope of a possible school voucher program in Tennessee, talks aren’t limited to using public dollars for private schooling.
School Closure Not Easy, But Best For The Students
The Tennessean, TN, November 25, 2012
The Metro School Board voted to close Smithson-Craighead Middle School after three consecutive years of lousy test scores. They weren’t picking on the school: All Nashville charter schools are given three years — and no more — to bring student test scores up to snuff or they’ll be shut down.
Charter Schools Are Succeeding
The Tennessean, TN, November 24, 2012
When school reform advocates gained state approval for charter schools in 2002, it was on the basis that charters would accept a high standard of accountability for their new responsibility of educating public school students. In effect, charters must deliver on what they promise — strong academic progress and performance — or face closure for chronically poor performance.
WASHINGTON
As Charter Schools Get Going Here, Best-Known Charter Chains May Stay Away
Seattle Times, WA, November 24, 2012
The first charter schools in Washington probably will be kitchen-table charters, started by a teacher or principal or two. Many of the nation’s best-known charter chains are already committed elsewhere or want to wait and see how the first charters fare.
Education Chairs Must Lead Washington State Forward
Seattle Times, WA, November 25, 2012
Washington state faces a daunting but critical challenge with a state Supreme Court ruling saying education is underfunded. Key to success is more constructive legislative leaders on education committees.
WEST VIRGINIA
Real School Reform Near
Wheeling Intelligencer, WV, November 26, 2012
At long last, Ohio seems on the brink of simple, common-sense school reforms.
Most States Now Allow Charter Schools
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, November 22, 2012
Opponents of charter schools – publicly financed, privately operated – paint them as demon spawn that sap resources from public schools.
WISCONSIN
Districts Combine Resources For Alternative Charter High School
Journal Sentinel, WI, November 25, 2012
Bob Kazmierski once struggled in a traditional high school classroom setting where he couldn’t get enough individualized attention, so he turned to Connects Learning Center , an alternative high school program in Cudahy.
ONLINE LEARNING
School Lockdown: PA Cyber Charter Owes The Public Some Answers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, November 25, 2012
Just because one facet of a public school is under investigation doesn’t mean its officials are off the hook on answering questions about other operations.
Bartow Virtual Academy Meets State Standards
Daily Tribune, GA, November 25, 2012
While State Department of Education officials have said they will begin shutting down the Georgia Cyber Academy in April if it fails to address concerns over how to handle special education curriculum, the Bartow County Virtual Academy is safe, says Bartow County Learning Center Director Larry Parker.
Lake Co. Faces Tough Questions On Growing Virtual School
WFTV, FL, November 23, 2012
The Lake County School District is facing tough questions about its growing virtual school.
Michigan Takes Big Step Forward In Online Testing Of Students
Detroit Free Press, MI, November 26, 2012
They ditched their No. 2 pencils in favor of a mouse and a keyboard to take the MEAP social studies exam — and in the process became part of a crucial project that will give state officials a glimpse into the future of online testing in Michigan .
Idaho’s Online Education Needs To Be Fixed, Not Abandoned
Idaho Statesman, ID, November 25, 2012
Online learning must be a component in an evolving Idaho classroom.But teachers and school districts also must have a real say in developing an online learning component that makes sense for today’s students — and tomorrow’s employees.
Carbon Co. School Provides Virtual School Option
Billings Gazette, WY, November 22, 2012
A Carbon County school has been working to bring the school to one family that live too far away for their two sons to make the daily trek to class.