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
How Could a Sweet Third-Grader Just Cheat on That School Exam?
Wall Street Journal, May 15, 2013
The line between right and wrong in the classroom is often hazy for young children, and shaping the moral compass of children whose brains are still developing can be one of the trickiest jobs a parent faces.
STATE COVERAGE
CALIFORNIA
Charter School Gives Second Chance At Success
Hanford Sentinel, CA, May 14, 2013
Students who need to make up for missed or incomplete courses have a new resource available in Hanford.
Parent Trigger Group Gets Thumbs-Up From LAUSD
Mercury News, CA, May 14, 2013
A group of Watts parents have successfully ousted an elementary school principal.On Tuesday, the Weigand Parents Union, representing some of the parents of students attending Weigand Elementary School, became the third group in California to successfully use the state’s parent trigger law.
COLORADO
Core Standards Are Education’s Best Hope
Denver Post, CO, May 15, 2013
Today’s workplace demands highly educated employees who can succeed in an increasingly complex and global economy. As a business leader and parent, I am impressed with the hard work and innovative strategies educators engage in daily to meet the needs of students.
Colorado Springs Joins The Waldorf-Charter Wave
Colorado Springs Independent, CO, May 15, 2013
The charter school movement was supposed to bring a sense of experimentation into education, a chance to throw new ideas at the wall and see what stuck. In reality, however, most Colorado charters have followed the same principle: “back to basics.”
CONNECTICUT
(Some) Charter School Applications Released
CT Mirror blog, CT, May 14, 2013
Looks like officials at the State Department of Education have changed their minds about not releasing the applications of those seeking to open new charter schools in the state.
Minority Teachers Key to Closing Achievement Gap
New America Media, May 15, 2013
In Connecticut, where Gov. Dannel Malloy has taken a leadership role in transforming urban education, diversity is the missing ingredient that has likely resulted in the tepid result unveiled at Hartford Public School’s 2013 State of the Schools symposium at the Bushnell Theater earlier this month.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
This D.C. Schools Proposal Deserves A Chance
Washington Post, DC, May 14, 2013
Many who have admired D.C. Council member David Catania’s (I-At Large) interest in charter schools and education policy will be surprised if he proves unwilling to entertain Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s proposal to merge a charter school and a traditional public school.
D.C. Mayor Still Discriminating Against Charter School Students
Washington Examiner, DC, May 14, 2013
D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray pledged throughout his 2010 mayoral campaign to end years of systematic city underfunding of the District’s public charter school students compared to their peers in the city’s traditional public school system. Yet, after three budgets, he has failed to deliver on his promise.
FLORIDA
Superintendent Wants More Choices For Students
Tampa Tribune, FL, May 15, 2013
The Pasco County school district, though, has come up woefully short in offering options for parents shopping for the best opportunities for their children, and that needs to change, Superintendent Kurt Browning said.
IOWA
No Good Reason To Hold School Reform
Des Moines Register, IA, May 15, 2013
Another proposal would allow home-school parents to teach up to four unrelated children. That raises all kinds of questions …
LOUISIANA
Breakaway EBR School District Bills Pass Committee
The Advocate, LA, May 14, 2013
A plan to set up a new school district in southeast Baton Rouge edged closer to a late-session showdown Tuesday when a Louisiana House panel approved the package.
Full Speed Ahead: Despite Court Ruling, Cenla Schools Prepare To Accept Voucher Students
Alexandria Town Talk, LA, May 14, 2013
The funding source of the state voucher system was declared unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court, but local private schools are not worried about the program’s future.
MAINE
Democrats Move Maine Teacher Evaluation Rules Forward After Scolding From Bowen
Bangor Daily News, ME, May 13, 2013
A dust-up around the introduction of new teacher and principal evaluation rules appeared to calm Tuesday with Democrats vowing to pull the measure into the process within a week.
MARYLAND
Pr. George’s Official Tapped As Chief Of Staff For Montgomery Schools Superintendent
Washington Post, DC, May 14, 2013
Andrew Zuckerman will serve as Montgomery County Schools Superintendent Joshua P. Starr’s new chief of staff starting June 17.
Montgomery Announces ‘Innovation Schools’ Pilot Program For Improving Achievement
Washington Post, DC, May 14, 2013
Schools Superintendent Joshua P. Starr on Tuesday announced the first Montgomery County “Innovation Schools,” a list of 10 schools that will work with central office administrators to develop customized plans for improvement.
City School System Receives Seven Charter Applications
The Baltimore Sun, MD, May 14, 2013
The city school board is considering proposals for seven charter schools that include two named for female trailblazers, another attempt at an all-male, college-preparatory program in East Baltimore, and an elementary school for at-risk youths.
MASSACHUSETTS
Bellingham Teachers Union Declares No Confidence In Super, Chairman
Milford Daily News, MA, May 15, 2013
The Bellingham Teachers Association has voted “no confidence” in Superintendent Edward Fleury and School Committee Chairman Daniel Ranieri, citing increasingly hostile contract negotiations and recent job cuts.
Hudson High School Starting New Programs To Curb Dropouts
MetroWest Daily, MA, May 15, 2013
With a nearly 3 percent dropout rate at the high school, the administration has created new programs and allocated resources to help students earn their diplomas.
NEW YORK
50,000 Families Are On Waiting Lists For New York City Charter Schools
New York Daily News, NY, May 15, 2013
Parents are learning a tough lesson about the city’s school system: There aren’t enough charter school seats to meet demand.
City Classrooms At The Crossroads
New York Daily News, NY, May 15, 2013
Why it is absolutely crucial to get a strong teacher evaluation system, whether by negotiation or imposition
NORTH CAROLINA
Big Voucher Bill Postponed, Little Voucher Bill Moves
News & Observer, NC, May 14, 2013
A hearing on a broad voucher bill was pushed to after crossover, but a bill offering vouchers for disabled students to attend private schools continued its march to the House floor.
OHIO
Cleveland Parents Must Invest In School Reform
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, May 15, 2013
The discouraging parental turnout was troubling. It was also business as usual in a district where a handful of parents are active in the schools while others are no-shows.
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma School Districts Could Opt Out Of State Mandates Under Bill Sent To Governor
Tulsa World, OK, May 15, 2013
All public school districts would have the same ability as charter schools to opt out of state mandates under legislation sent to the governor Tuesday by the House of Representatives.
PENNSYLVANIA
Extra Students May Put Discovery Charter In Jeopardy
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 15, 2013
Discovery Charter School in Parkside says it is fighting for its life. In anticipation of having its charter renewed and opening a new building, the academically successful elementary school added 73 students beyond the 620 maximum in its current charter.
Pa. Official: Charter Schools Flout Public-Records Law
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 14, 2013
Pennsylvania’s 180 charter schools routinely ignore the state’s Right-To-Know Law even though as publicly funded institutions they are bound to comply with it, the chief of the state’s Office of Open Records told a Senate committee on Monday.
UTAH
Utah Charter School Nurtures Entrepreneurial Spirit
NPR, May 15, 2013
A new charter school in Utah wants to equip students in kindergarten through ninth grade with a solid foundation in business.
WISCONSIN
GOP Considers Statewide School Vouchers
Wisconsin Public Radio, WI, May 14, 2013
GOP lawmakers are pushing for school vouchers to expand statewide — further than an expansion plan fellow Republican Governor Scott Walker recommends.
Vouchers Won’t Improve Education
Dunn County News, WI, May 14, 2013
There are many reasons why we are opposed to the expansion of private voucher schools in Wisconsin, but our main concern could be boiled down to equality and accountability.
ONLINE LEARNING
Virtual Charter School Off Of Legislative Radar … For The Moment
Progressive Pulse, NC, May 14, 2013
K12, Inc. bumped into another stumbling block in its attempt to break into North Carolina’s public education market, with a state legislator saying he will forgo legislation to put an online charter school’s application back in front of the State Board of Education.
Legislation Further Undermines Florida’s Public School System
Bradenton Herald, FL, May 15, 2013
Florida’s relentless drive to privatize public education scored another victory on the final day of the Legislature’s session when Republicans approved the expenditure of public school funds on classes offered by online learning companies. While applauding the measure as a win for school choice, GOP lawmakers conveniently ignored troublesome aspects to privatization.
Virtual School’s Students Got The Raw Deal
Roanoke Times, VA, May 15, 2013
I was highly disappointed in the one-sided May 3 editorial on closing the virtual school in Carroll County (“A raw deal on virtual schools”). The real raw deal here is the more than 400 children (including my son) who just found out they have no school to attend next year. How would your children feel if their school was closed with no warning or good explanation?
EdisonLearning, K12 Inc. Among National Companies Looking To Open New Online Charter Schools In Ohio
StateImpact, OH, May 15, 2013
David Vasconez is running radio ads in Ohio for his company’s new online charter school. He’s working on a sponsorship deal with a minor league sports team. And there’s a grassroots student recruitment plan in the works.
D300 Hears Bid For Local Charter Online Expansion
Courier News, IL, May 15, 2013
The proposal that Northern Kane Educational Corp. CEO Larry Fuhrer presented Monday night to District 300 school board members was different from “other experiences you have had lately,” he said.