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.
NATIONAL COVERAGE
Grants Back Public-Charter Cooperation
New York Times, NY, December 5, 2012
In an effort to encourage collaboration between charter schools and traditional neighborhood schools, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded $25 million in grants to seven cities.
Transformed Teachers Unions Are Putting Focus of Quality
News Tribune, WA, December 5, 2012
We have all heard about the dramatic changes in the American electorate and how, because he spoke to the concerns of the growing numbers of Hispanic, black, female and younger voters, President Barack Obama was re-elected despite adverse economic conditions.
Raising The Bar For New Teachers
Washington Post, DC, December 4, 2012
Regarding the Dec. 2 news article “ Union to propose ‘bar exam’ for teachers”: I changed careers 13 years ago to become a teacher.
FROM THE STATES
ALABAMA
Whittington Wants Back On Committee
WJTV, AL, December 4, 2012
A state lawmaker at the center of a political fight over charter schools speaks out.
CALIFORNIA
Charter School Chosen By Parents To Take Over Failing Adelanto School Makes Pitch To Board
Contra Costa Times, CA, December 5, 2012
The charter school chosen by a group of parents under California’s “parent trigger” law finally got their chance to present how they’d remake a failing High Desert elementary school Tuesday night.
L.A. Unified Says Deal On Evaluations Meets Court Order
Los Angeles Times, CA, December 4, 2012
District files brief by judge’s deadline, but details remain unresolved in agreement with union on using student test scores to assess teachers.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Is Big Disruption Good For Urban School Districts?
Washington Post Blog, DC, December 4, 2012
My colleague Emma Brown has been looking closely at Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s plans to close one of every six traditional D.C. public schools.
FLORIDA
Three Finalists Are In The Running To Lead Education
Tallahassee Democrat, FL, December 5, 2012
The former head of two national school choice organizations, the outgoing education chief from Indiana and the president of a Kentucky university are the three candidates on the short list to be Florida’s next Commissioner of Education.
Charters Chart Big-Growth Course
Fort Myers Florida Weekly, FL, December 5, 2012
Charter schools — tuition-free schools funded by taxpayers, reviewed for quality by a nonprofit oversight board and often managed by a for-profit business or a public agency — have exploded with growth in Southwest Florida.
Wild Spending At Charter School Warrants Probe
Orlando Sentinel, FL, December 5, 2012
In June, NorthStar High closed after a sorry, years-long stretch of poor performance. During its pathetic run, the Orange County charter school rarely spent its taxpayer dollars on luxuries. Like computers. Or a school library. Or quality instructional resources.
Duval Board OKs 12 Charters, Suspension For Principal
Florida Times-Union, FL, December 4, 2012
Duval County will see 12 new charter schools in coming months.
The School Board approved the new schools Tuesday night during its monthly meeting. During the meeting, board members also denied two other charter school applications.
Forty Percent of School-Age Kids Enrolled In Ed Choice Programs
WFSU, FL, December 4, 2012
The number of children enrolled in Florida’s publicly funded school choice options has grown exponentially over the last decade. That’s according to state education officials giving updates to lawmakers in a House Education Sub-Committee.
GEORGIA
Charter School Contract Approved
Cherokee Ledger, GA, December 5, 2012
Cherokee Charter Academy’s funding arm unanimously approved on Nov. 28 a renewed management contract with Charter Schools USA , which was negotiated behind closed doors and voted on, without comment, in a public meeting. That contract was one of the documents presented to the state Department of Education as it heard the academy’s petition renewal request Nov. 29.
Charter Schools, Vouchers In BOE Legislative Goals
Douglas County Sentinel, GA, December 5, 2012
The Douglas County Board of Education (BOE) has introduced two legislative priorities or the 2013 session dealing with funding issues and the power of local school boards to manage schools in their system.
ILLINOIS
CPS Releases List of Underused Schools for 2012-13
Chicago Tribune, IL, December 5, 2012
Chicago Public Schools on Tuesday released a list of schools that are underenrolled according to this year’s attendance figures, providing additional data for a commission that is studying school closings but may not weigh in on which buildings should be shuttered.
INDIANA
Charter Schools a Great Education Option
Frost Illustrated, IN, December 5, 2012
Research suggests that neighborhood schools are valued highly by urban residents and represent an important part of neighborhood identity. Thurgood Marshall Leadership Academy is a neighborhood school right here in our community building a new sense of pride, culture and identity.
Teacher License Changes Under Review By Indiana Board
Indianapolis Star, IN, December 5, 2012
Republican state schools superintendent Tony Bennett will get the chance to sign off on changes to Indiana’s teacher certification and licensing process before leaving office.
LOUISIANA
School Voucher Decision Threatens Course Choice Initiative
Times-Picayune, LA, December 4, 2012
A recent ruling declaring Gov. Bobby Jindal’s school voucher program unconstitutional threatens another component of his administration’s education reform agenda: allowing students to take courses from non-traditional sources on the taxpayer’s dime.
Voucher Lawsuit Decisions Get Mixed Reactions
St. Tammany News, LA, December 5, 2012
“We strongly disagree with the ruling. We are optimistic this decision will be reversed on appeal.”— State Superintendent of Education John White.
New School Plan Advances
The Advocate, LA, December 5, 2012
A state panel Tuesday endorsed a new way to offer classes to public school students even though a district judge struck down the funding mechanism last week.
BESE Voting On Recommendation To End Charter Contracts With 4 New Orleans Schools
Times-Picayune, LA, December 4, 2012
It could be a rough holiday for students and teachers at four New Orleans elementary charter schools. The Louisiana Department of Education has recommended that Benjamin E. Mays Preparatory School, Pride College Preparatory Academy , Crocker Arts and Technology School and the Intercultural Charter School lose their charters at the end of the 2012-13 academic year.
MARYLAND
A New School Of Thought
The Diamondback, MD, December 4, 2012
There is a clear need for what the charter school offers — collectively, the Prince George’s County Public Schools Science and Tech high schools have just 500 spots for the 3,000 applicants they receive annually, and the charter school can help fill that niche. Most importantly, offering students the opportunity to gain college credit with a personalized and blended curriculum will help the city continue distinguish itself as a “smart place to live.”
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston Schools Win Gates Foundation Grant
Boston Globe, MA, December 5, 2012
Boston will receive a $3.25 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to foster collaboration among the city’s school system, charter schools, and parochial schools, the foundation plans to ¬announce Wednesday.
Raise The Charter-School Cap Again
Boston Globe, MA, December 5, 2012
IT WAS very good news for some families in Fall River and Lawrence, but Monday’s front-page Globe story also underscored an important reality about improving urban education. Although that reality will make teachers’ unions and their allies uncomfortable, it’s one policymakers will soon have to reckon with.
MICHIGAN
Island City Academy Showing Great Academic Success
Lansing State Journal, MI, December 5, 2012
Today, when you walk through the halls of Island City Academy with School Administrator Aaron Warren one thing is clear – a parent’s motivation can make things happen.
MINNESOTA
We Must All Fight To Close The Achievement Gap
Minnesota Daily, MN, December 5, 2012
The Dec. 3 article, “University aims to close K-12 achievement gap in Minnesota,” brought up a couple of things people must know.
Appeals Court Rejects Charter Lease Appeal
Star Tribune Blog, MN, December 4, 2012
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has quashed on a technicality an appeal by the Minneapolis school district in a dispute involving $960,000 in charter school rent, ruling that the district’s appeal of that action was too late.
MISSISSIPPI
Charters Could Affect Public Schools Pt. 2
WHLT, MS, December 4, 2012
Governor Phil Bryant and republicans are pushing for charter schools in Mississippi.
Charters are public schools that receive local, state and federal funding. However, those schools aren’t required to follow regulations like public schools. Superintendent of Hattiesburg Public Schools, James Baachus, explains.
NEW YORK
Plan To Push School For At-Risk Kids Out, To Move Well-Connected Charter In
New York Daily News, NY, December 4, 2012
The city is planning to create more space for the Moskowitz charter school by moving the Innovation Diploma Plus school to a Washington Heights building that lacks science labs and a gym.
Two Futures for NYC’S Schools
New York Post, NY, December 5, 2012
Where will the next mayor take the city’s public schools? The candidates have said as little as possible on the subject. But recent news in two other cities reveals the possibilities.
NORTH CAROLINA
Wake School Board Heeds Parents In Changes To Assignment Plan
News & Observer, NC, December 5, 2012
Amid a constant refrain of providing stability to families, Wake County school leaders backed off Tuesday on some proposed student-assignment changes and on moving the day of the week when students will have half days off for teacher training.
OHIO
Cleveland Schools CEO Eric Gordon Rolls Out Draft Plan Aimed At Lifting District’s Performance
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, December 4, 2012
Six failing schools in the Cleveland school district could be overhauled in the fall.
Education Reform Bills Moving This Way
Canton Repository, OH, December 4, 2012
Two bills making their way through the Ohio legislature will bring a number of changes to the way schools operate.
PENNSYLVANIA
Parents Groups, NAACP To File Ethics Complaint Over School District Consultant
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 5, 2012
Members of two parent groups and the city’s NAACP chapter plan to file a city ethics complaint Wednesday alleging that William Penn Foundation-funded work that a consulting firm did for the Philadelphia School District this year constituted lobbying.
Only the Bureaucrats
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 5, 2012
For the more than 34,000 Philadelphia children on waiting lists for charter schools, the School Reform Commission’s recent decision to restrict charter enrollment is one less thing to be thankful for this holiday season.
I-LEAD Seeks Charter Middle School In City
Reading Eagle, PA, December 5, 2012
After deeming their initial endeavor a success, operators of Berks County’s first charter school are eyeing an expansion.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Unfair Evaluation Format Can Give Good Teachers Bad Marks
Charleston Post Courier, SC, December 5, 2012
State Superintendent Mick Zals and his advisors at the South Carolina Department of Education want to give teachers letter grades of A, B, C, D or F based on their effectiveness, tied mostly to student performance on state and national test scores.
TENNESSEE
Nashville Schools Face Sweeping Changes
The Tennessean, TN, December 5, 2012
Four out of five lessons given in Metro Nashville classrooms aren’t good enough to keep students engaged.
Reform Can Make A Difference
The Tennessean, TN, December 5, 2012
Over the past several months in Nashville, the term “charter school” has been synonymous with discord and controversy. What has been lost in the chatter is the emergence of several great charter schools, where student gains have been occurring at a stunning rate. With data for 2011-2012 now available, those schools deserve accolades for their wonderful work.
Mississippi Leaders Get Close-Up Look At Helena KIPP School
Commercial Appeal, TN, December 4, 2012
Mississippi’s lieutenant governor, some legislators and the state education superintendent traveled just across the Mississippi River Tuesday to look at a successful charter school that they’d like to see replicated in their home state.
TEXAS
New Austin School Trustees Flex Muscle In Reconsidering Charter Contract, All-Boys School
Austin American Statesman, TX, December 4, 2012
Three months after the Austin district launched its first charter school partnership with IDEA Public Schools, school board members are now considering revamping the contract to keep IDEA from expanding into a second East Austin school.
Texas Education Commissioner Urges Charter Schools To Tout Work To Legislators
Dallas Morning News, TX, December 4, 2012
Charter school leaders should work to inform legislators about the education they provide and be better mentors for low-performing schools in their field, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams told charter advocates Tuesday.
TLCA Pushes For Funding
San Angelo Standard-Times, TX, December 4, 2012
Texas Leadership Charter Academy directors are among the hundreds of charter school advocates in Austin this week planning legislative strategies and taking part in education workshops.
Teacher Pay Threatens Student Achievement, Expert Testifies
Houston Chronicle, TX, December 4, 2012
Texas teacher salaries are not competitive, and teaching quality has declined, which threatens student achievement, a Harvard-trained economist testified Tuesday in an ongoing school funding lawsuit trial.
UTAH
Rating Schools
Salt Lake Tribune, UT, December 5, 2012
A new school assessment system designed to replace the federal No Child Left Behind eliminates some of the onerous weaknesses of the Bush-era NCLB. But Utah ’s education officials must be careful that it does not also throw out the federal program’s strength — forcing schools to focus on underachieving students.
WASHINGTON
Constitutional Charters?
Seattle Weekly, WA, December 5, 2012
If charter schools have a roadblock to starting up locally, it’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn. After voters narrowly approved a charter-school initiative, Dorn announced that he was likely to sue over a provision in the measure that would establish a commission to oversee the new schools. His beef: The initiative puts the commission in the governor’s office rather than his.
ONLINE LEARNING
Challenge Heard To Oklahoma Virtual Charter School Law
The Oklahoman, OK, December 5, 2012
State Supreme Court referee hears arguments that the measure should be struck down because it violates a constitutional prohibition on placing multiple subjects into a single bill. An attorney for the state says the measure is legal because both fall under the same subject of education.
Future Of State’s Largest School May Be In Question
9NEWS, CO, December 4, 2012
For years, the Colorado Virtual Academy has been a part of the Adams 12 Five Star School District. The K-12 online school has about 4,400 students around the state. But, now Adams 12 leaders are wondering if the district should continue to authorize COVA’s charter.