NEWSWIRE IS BACK! Click here for the latest weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else, spiced with a dash of irreverence, from the nation’s leading voice in school reform.
5 States To Increase Class Time In Some Schools
Associated Press, December 3, 2012
Open your notebooks and sharpen your pencils. School for thousands of public school students is about to get quite a bit longer.
Schools Ring Closing Bell
Wall Street Journal, December 3, 2012
At Davis Elementary in this city’s mostly poor southeast section, 178 students are spread out in a 69-year-old building meant to hold 450.
Union Proposes ‘Bar Exam’ For Teachers
Washington Post, DC, December 1, 2012
A major teachers union wants to create a rigorous professional exam for K-12 teachers that would serve the same function as the bar exam for lawyers and board certification for doctors.
American Education — Wrong Questions, Wrong Answers
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, December 2, 2012
In the past decade, we have seen a growing litany of assertions proclaiming the belief that the system of American public education injures and/or ill-equips massive numbers of children. It is this belief that has spawned a Race to the Top to standardized curricula for our students and evaluation systems for our educators.
FROM THE STATES
ARIZONA
Charter Purchasing Practices Under Scrutiny
Arizona Republic, AZ, December 2, 2012
The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools is considering possible changes to school procurement policies after an Arizona Republic investigation detailed how school-board members and administrators are profiting by doing business with their own schools.
Crane Charter School To Offer New Approach
Yuma Sun, AZ, December 2, 2012
The Crane School District is embarking on a new approach to learning with the school board’s approval last week of a new charter school that will put emphasis on science, technology and mathematics.
TUSD Has 13k More Seats Than Students
Arizona Daily Star, AZ, December 2, 2012
The Tucson Unified School District has about 13,000 empty seats – that’s more than the entire enrollment of most every other local district.
ARKANSAS
Debate Over Charter Schools To Continue In Ark. Legislature
KUAR, AR, December 1, 2012
With Republican majorities in the Arkansas House and Senate, some expect a surge of legislation during the coming session further expanding public charter schools in the state.
CALIFORNIA
Oakland County Education Leaders Lobby Against Legislation They Fear Would Create Statewide System Of Privately Run Charters
Oakland Press, CA, December 2, 2012
Oakland County education leaders have initiated a movement to fight the passage of proposed state legislation that they say would change how school districts operate.
Student Scores May Be Used In LAUSD Teacher Ratings
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 30, 2012
Union leaders and LAUSD officials agree to make testing data part of evaluations. But some hurdles remain.
COLORADO
New Adams 50 STEM School Will Let Students See Science Everywhere
Denver Post, CO, December 3, 2012
When he was growing up, Colorado native Anthony Matthews had to put in effort — often outside of school — to pursue his interest in science and engineering.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
D.C. Paid $3 Million To Send Nonresidents To Private Schools
Washington Examiner, DC, December 2, 2012
The District spent about $3 million to send 47 special education students who were not D.C. residents to private schools last year, school officials told The Washington Examiner.
FLORIDA
Charter Schools Complicate Effort To Reduce Crowding
Palm Beach Post, FL, December 1, 2012
In simpler days, Palm Beach County, developers and the school district thought they had the solution to school crowding: Build schools where students are.
Fairness Of Teacher Evaluation System Debated
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL, December 2, 2012
Palmetto Elementary School teacher Sarah Winn was rated a highly effective teacher for 2011-12.
Florida’s Education Reform Model Can Unite Us
USA Today, December 1, 2012
In the wake of one of our most divisive elections, Americans are looking to our leaders to bring the country back together. No issue has greater potential to unite the country than improving the way we educate our children.
IDAHO
Charter School Boosts Scores
Bonner County Daily Bee, ID, December 2, 2012
The Forrest Bird Charter School is moving into the holidays after charting some improved standardized test scores in 2012.
Xavier to Stay Open this Year, Future Uncertain
Magic Valley Times News, ID, December 2, 2012
Xavier Charter School will remain open this school year, but the school board is working to find a longer-term solution to financial issues.
LOUISIANA
Lost in Louisiana
Wall Street Journal, December 2, 2012
Louisiana Judge Timothy Kelley sure is a fast writer. Only hours after the end of a two-day trial, the Balzac of the judiciary rolled out a 39-page opinion striking down the state’s pioneering voucher program as unconstitutional. Could it be that he knew how he was going to rule before the trial?
Judge Blocks Gov. Bobby Jindal’s Signature School Voucher Program
Christian Science Monitor, LA, December 1, 2012
The nation’s boldest school voucher program made nearly half of Louisiana ‘s students eligible for taxpayer-funded vouchers to attend private schools. A state judge ruled the plan unconstitutional, setting up a funding fight in an age of austerity.
White: LFT, LAE in Way of Student Achievement
The Advocate, LA, December 3, 2012
Louisiana’s two teacher unions are hindering efforts to improve student achievement in public schools, state Superintendent of Education John White said.
Two St. Landry Schools May Be Affected By Ruling
Opelousas Daily World, LA, December 2, 2012
A ruling by a Louisiana State Judge that Gov. Bobby Jindal’s private school voucher program is unconstitutional may affect two St. Landry Parish schools.
MASSACHUSETTS
Worcester to Foot Bill for Millions in State Aid Cuts
Go Local Worcester, MA, December 3, 2012
state revenues in the gutter so far this year, Worcester is bracing for reductions to charter school funding and a $2.5 million cut in state aid, a gap the City will have to fill from its own coffers.
Record Crowd At Mystic Valley Admissions Lottery
Malden Observer, MA, December 2, 2012
The Mystic Valley Regional Charter School held its annual Admissions Lottery on Nov. 14.
MICHIGAN
Keith Johnson Wins Detroit Teachers Union Election
Detroit News, MI, December 2, 2012
Keith Johnson was re-elected Saturday as president of the DFT, his third two-year term, the union announced.
MINNESOTA
St. Paul District: ‘High-Need’ Areas Among Changes Planned To School Choice
Pioneer Press, MN, December 2, 2012
St. Paul hopes to steer more students from neighborhoods facing the steepest challenges to its most popular elementary schools.
Twin Cities: Bringing Method To Our Achievement-Gap Madness
Pioneer Press, MN, December 1, 2012
When it comes to efforts to narrow the achievement gap, the Twin Cities are “program-rich, but system-poor.”
MISSISSIPPI
Discourse About Charter Schools Should Be Based On The Truth
Clarion Ledger, MS, December 3, 2012
Individuals who appreciate facts and thoughtful discourse have always welcomed Charlie Mitchell’s columns.
Visits Precede Charter School Push
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, MS, December 2, 2012
Mississippi legislators have toured charter schools in Florida, New Orleans and Arkansas as they prepare to tackle the controversial issue again during the upcoming 2013 session.
Response to Bryant’s Reform Plans Positive
Clarion Ledger, MS, December 1, 2012
If she could, Mary Bishop of Raymond would send her three children to Clinton High School. She’s willing to provide the transportation and already travels about that far to send her children to a private school.
NEVADA
New Ratings Leave No School Behind, Push Many To Top
Las Vegas Review, NV, December 2, 2012
On paper, Booker Elementary School is exceptional, exceeding standards with four out of five stars, according to the district’s assessment.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Nashua Teacher’s Union Gives Blessing to Race to the Top Grant
Nashua Telegraph, NH, December 2, 2012
When the state tried to get millions in federal funding through the Race to the Top education grant two years ago, the application went nowhere.
NEW JERSEY
N.J. Charter School Study Shows Success, But Need For Close Monitoring
Star-Ledger, NJ, December 2, 2012
The latest study on charter schools shows promising results, especially in Newark.
Fine Print: Newark’s Race to the Top Application
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, December 3, 2012
Ambitious and expensive, the proposal from the state’s largest district wants almost $30 million to put “personalized learning” in the schools.
NEW YORK
State Deadline For Teacher Evaluations Looms
Buffalo News, NY, December 3, 2012
More than 90 percent of the school districts in New York State had submitted teacher evaluation plans to Albany as of Friday – the soft deadline that state Education Department officials had set if schools did not want to jeopardize any of their state aid.
City’s Own ‘Fi-School’ Cliff
New York Post, NY, December 3, 2012
It’s crunch time. The city and its teachers union have just six weeks to reach a deal on a new teacher-evaluation system — or else forgo nearly $300 million in public-school funds.
OHIO
Group Calls For Charter Crackdown
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, December 2, 2012
Charter schools are public schools operated by independent organizations. About 105,000 students statewide, or 6.5 percent of public school kids in the state, attend a charter school. There are 34 in Greater Cincinnati.
OKLAHOMA
With The Most Failing Schools, Tulsa Leaders Suspect Methods
The Oklahoman, OK, December 2, 2012
Of the 10 schools that received F’s in the entire state one was in Oklahoma City, one in Atoka and the other eight were in Tulsa .
PENNSYLVANIA
Feds’ Denial Of Charter AYP Rule Change Will Allow Closer Comparisons
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, December 3, 2012
Bache-Martin is a K-8 District-run public school in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia with about 400 students. People for People is a K-8 charter school with just over 500 students not too far away in lower North Philadelphia.
No Child Left Behind Bears Unrealistic Expectations
Patriot News, PA, December 3, 2012
The No Child Left Behind Act is ideal for everyone except the thousands of children being left behind. The contentious law offers incentives that it fails to deliver and does not fund schools with the necessary means to accomplish the goals it has established. The government’s promised funding has fallen short by billions, and many schools are entering a state of financial decay because of the deficit.
Charter School Funding Reform Must Address Pension
Delaware Count Daily Times, PA, December 2, 2012
There are several reasons why laws regulating charter schools should be examined and addressed by Pennsylvania lawmakers after they failed to accomplish that task this legislative session.
TENNESSEE
Nashville Charter School Fair Will Let Parents Compare Options
The Tennessean, TN, December 3, 2012
First, Nashville families got a look at all their choices in Metro schools. Now, they’ll get a look at something different: charter schools that promise to do more, thanks to freedom to deliver the curriculum they choose, the way they choose.
McIntyre To Urge School Board To Vote Against Charter Application
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, December 3, 2012
Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre has recommended the school board reject the latest application that proposes converting the facilities at Vine Middle Performing Arts and Sciences Magnet School into a charter school.
More Questions Than Answers With School Vouchers
The Tennessean, TN, December 3, 2012
A task force of nine people met numerous times over the course of a year, did massive research, wrote a 94-page report, and still couldn’t reach a consensus on how a school voucher system would work in Tennessee.
Good Judgment Can Be Tough
Commercial Appeal, TN, December 2, 2012
The scenario: A charter school for poor kids is up for review. A judgment has to be made in the next few days on whether the school is failing or succeeding.
Gov. Bill Haslam Expects Voucher Bill Legislation
Commercial Appeal, TN, December 3, 2012
Tennessee lawmakers will almost certainly approve some kind of voucher bill in the upcoming legislative season. And while Gov. Bill Haslam doesn’t know how broad it will be, he is not interested in a trial run.
WASHINGTON
We Must Continue to Race to the Top
Seattle Times, WA, December 2, 2012
Let’s hear it for the seven King County school districts in the running for up to $40 million in federal Race to the Top grant. Public-school students are the winners in this competition.
As We Keep Students From Dropping Out …
Seattle Times, WA, December 2, 2012
Washington must tackle its pernicious dropout rate. Getting young people into college or careers means first keeping them in high school.
WEST VIRGINIA
Don’t Postpone School Reform
The Intelligencer, WV, December 1, 2012
There seems to be general agreement major reforms are needed in West Virginia ‘s public schools. But getting everyone “on the same page” about what to do is another story.
WISCONSIN
State’s Largest Teachers’ Unions Agree To Enter Merger Talks
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, December 2, 2012
The state’s two largest teachers unions will formally discuss a merger after the Wisconsin Education Association Council voted to do so at a special assembly in Madison over the weekend.
Education Reform Talks On Tap
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, December 3, 2012
It’s a big week ahead, and the start of a big month, for potentially reshaping the future of our public schools.
Beware Charter School Initiatives That Are A Trojan Horse For Dismantling Public Education
Journal Gazette, WI, December 1, 2012
Many urban educators have long warned that charter schools, along with vouchers, are being used to dismantle public education.
Scores Show Voucher Schools Need Accountability
Journal Gazette, WI, December 2, 2012
Ceria M. Travis Academy is a private school that had 486 kindergarten through 12th-grade students as of September in two buildings, one on the west side, one on the north side. Its partner school, Travis Technology High School on the far northwest side, had 214 students.
ONLINE LEARNING
17 NY Districts Get Virtual Learning Grants
Wall Street Journal, December 1, 2012
New York high school students in several poor districts will have better access to advanced placement courses under a program featuring virtual classrooms.
Digital Age Is Testing North Jersey Teachers
The Record, NJ, December 2, 2012
Spend a while at Pascack Hills High School in Montvale, one of the first in New Jersey to hand every student a laptop, and you’ll likely hear a teacher tell students to “forty-five it.”
E-Schools: Innovative Niche Or Educational Bust?
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, December 1, 2012
The Hingsbergen family of Fairfield Township is an e-school family. Four of the five Hingsbergen children went to high school at Ohio Connections Academy, a statewide online charter school.