Click here for Newswire, 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
Latest voucher bill draws opposition
Beloit Daily News, WI, January 22, 2014
Republican state lawmakers are making another push to extend taxpayer subsidies to help students with special needs attend private schools, unveiling a bill Tuesday that they said would help families trapped in public schools that can’t meet their children’s needs.
Teacher’s Column On Education Reform Goes Viral
Hartford Courant, CT, January 22, 2014
When Elizabeth Natale wrote an opinion piece for the Courant last Sunday venting her frustrations with education reform, she didn’t expect it to go viral, resulting in emails of support from teachers and parents across Connecticut and the country.
STATE COVERAGE
ALASKA
Parnell State of the State calls for ‘education session’ of Alaska Legislature
Alaska Dispatch, AK, January 22, 2014
Saying he wants lawmakers to come together to make 2014 the “education session,” Gov. Sean Parnell, delivering his 2014 State of the State Address in Juneau on Wednesday night, proposed raising the base student allocation for the first time in three years, an idea that would increase the main source of funding for schools.
COLORADO
House Republicans Introduce Three Education Reform Bills
KREX-TV, CO, January 22, 2014
House Republicans have introduced three education bills they hope will spur the discussion of education reform in the state. The Charter School Capital Construction Funding Bill would provide equity for charter schools from the capital construction fund.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
D.C. officials in talks to operate Options public charter
Washington Post, DC, January 22, 2014
The District’s traditional public school system is in negotiations to run Options Public Charter, a school for at-risk youth that faces possible closure in the wake of allegations that its former managers diverted millions of tax dollars meant for students.
FLORIDA
Pasco school board considers new policy for charter school application review
Tampa Bay Times Blog, FL, January 22, 2014
The Pasco County School Board is considering a change to the way district staff reviews charter school proposals.
Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines in legal battle over charter school
Sun Sentinel, FL, January 23, 2014
Plans for a 2,600-student charter school in Pembroke Pines could be put on hold, thanks to a brewing legal battle between the city and neighboring Southwest Ranches.
GEORGIA
It’s time to sign up for Georgia’s private school tax credit
Savannah Morning News, GA, January 22, 2014
The Georgia qualified education expense tax credit — sometimes referred to as the private school tax credit law — allows individuals, trusts, C corporations and owners of pass-through entities such as S corps and partnerships to receive tax credits for donations to student scholarship organizations that provide scholarships to eligible students to attend private schools.
ILLINOIS
Charter critics still not pleased
Chicago Tribune, IL, January 23, 2014
The Chicago Board of Education’s decision Wednesday to scale back the number of new charter school approvals may have tempered the tone of some of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s school policy critics, but the political dynamic of the issue remains the same.
CPS right to keep lid on charter-school expansion
Editorial, Chicago Sun-Times, IL, January 22, 2014
One month ago we urged the Chicago Board of Education to tread lightly with charter schools.
MAINE
Portland mayor calls for citywide minimum wage, moratorium on charter schools during annual address
Bangor Daily News, ME, January 23, 2014
Portland Mayor Michael Brennan said Monday night he plans to pursue a citywide minimum wage as part of a wide-ranging slate of initiatives aimed at growing the economy, increasing educational opportunities, driving down substance abuse and creating more housing.
MICHIGAN
Teacher evaluation changes could cost Michigan school districts up to $42 million
The Ann Arbor News, MI, January 22, 2014
Proposed changes to Michigan’s teacher evaluation system could cost local school districts and intermediate school districts as much as $42 million, but the sponsors of the proposed changes say most of the expenses are one-time costs the state could reimburse through the budget surplus.
MISSISSIPPI
30 hopefuls file papers to operate charter schools
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, January 23, 2014
Just days before the Wednesday deadline, only two educational organizations had filed letters of intent to open the state’s first public charter schools. But by the final bell, the number stood at 30, including plans for eight in the Jackson school district and others scattered statewide.
Raising teacher pay just one part of improving education
Column, Clarion Leger, MS, January 23, 2014
The topic was Mississippi’s largest (and perhaps only) multi-year package of increases in compensation for the state’s public school teachers.
MISSOURI
Fix, don’t abandon, our neighborhood public schools
Column, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, January 23, 2014
Every child deserves a great, well-resourced, safe neighborhood public school. That’s what parents say they want, and that’s what experience tells us works to prepare all children, not just some, for the next grade and for college, career and life.
Local education leaders say transfer debate could affect Springfield area in future
New-Leader, MO, January 23, 2014
Changing Missouri’s school transfer law — one of the top priorities for lawmakers this year — will not immediately affect Springfield, but local educational leaders say the law has the potential to have a future impact.
NEW JERSEY
N.J. lawmakers discuss school choice bills during education summit
Star-Ledger, NJ, January 22, 2014
Discussing school choice options at the New Jersey School Choice Summit this morning, Democratic state Sen. Raymond Lesniak and Republican colleagues Sen. Tom Kean and Steven Oroho found common ground on several fronts, including the need to revise the current charter school law.
No time for nostalgia: Cami Anderson’s Newark school reforms should go foward
Editorial, Star-Ledger, NJ, January 22, 2014
Newark’s student population is only a fraction of its former self — shrinking from 80,000 in 1970 to fewer than 40,000 in public schools today. Yet the number of schools in the city has hardly changed, meaning many buildings sit half-empty.
NEW YORK
Explaining New Roots Graduation Rates
Opinion, Ithaca Times, NY, January 22, 2014
According to recent articles in the Ithaca Journal, a few members of the Ithaca City Schools Board of Education say they have serious concerns about the integrity of New Roots Charter School’s graduation data and the ethical standards of our board and administration. They suggest that we are purposefully inflating our graduation rates and percentages of students who have passed required Regents exams.
NORTH CAROLINA
Charter school moves forward
Lexington Dispatch, NC, January 22, 2104
What would be Davidson County’s first charter school progressed through an initial review and will now be scrutinized by a new state board comprised of charter school proponents.
SOUTH DAKOTA
SD lawmakers approve more Common Core bills
Capital Journal, SD, January 22, 2014
South Dakota lawmakers took another step Wednesday to prevent further expansion of Common Core standards while a study is done to determine whether the state’s schools should continue using the academic benchmarks that establish what students should know in each grade level.
TENNESSEE
Education Committee Chairs Carrying For-Profit Charter Bill
Nashville Scene, TN, January 22, 2014
The chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee is sponsoring bill allowing charter schools to hire for-profit operators.
Parents camp out to save spot in optional program
Memphis Commercial Appeal, TN, January 22, 2014
Despite bitter cold temperatures expected through Friday, parents began setting up camp at the Shelby County Board of Education to insure their place at the front of the queue for cherished places in some of the county’s top optional school programs.
Tennessee senators Gresham, Kelsey offer alternative voucher bill
Memphis Commercial Appeal, TN, January 22, 2014
Senate Education Committee Chairman Dolores Gresham and Sen. Brian Kelsey Thursday will introduce a compromise to Gov. Bill Haslam’s plan for vouchers that would allow income-eligible students from the bottom 10 percent of schools to get taxpayer help to attend private schools.
TEXAS
Strange bedfellows to unite at school choice event
Houston Chronicle Blog, TX, January 22, 2014
Who said Republicans and Democrats can’t come together? Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, of Houston, both are scheduled to speak Saturday at a rally for school
choice at Minute Maid Park.
VIRGINIA
Homeschool sports bill moves forward in Va. House
The Virginian-Pilot, VA, January 23, 2014
Maybe the sixth time’s the charm. Del. Rob Bell, an Albemarle Republican, is trying once more for legislation allowing homeschooled students to participate in interscholastic sports and activities. The bill cleared its first hurdle Wednesday, making it out of a House subcommittee.
WASHINGTON
Officials hear pros, cons of charter schools in Tacoma
News Tribune, WA, January 22, 2014
Supporters and opponents of charter schools spoke to members of the state Charter School Commission in Tacoma on Wednesday night, offering their visions for what the independently operated public schools could mean in Washington state.
Spokane school board approves first charter application
Spokesman Review, WA, January 23, 2014
Spokane will be home to Washington’s first charter school. The state’s second-largest school district made the leap Wednesday in a historic school board vote to unanimously approve one of three charter school applicants: Pride Prep, a grass-roots effort led by former Garry Middle School Principal Brenda McDonald.
WISCONSIN
School voucher program has outlived its promises and potential
Opinion, On Milwaukee, WI, January 23, 2014
The latest disclosure of what looks like a rip-off of Wisconsin taxpayer money used for the school voucher system has got to be another nail in the coffin of the entire system.
ONLINE LEARNING
Adequate technology lacking in schools as online tests loom
Chillicothe Gazette, OH, January 23, 2014
With impending new state tests planned for the next school year, some Ohio districts are concerned their students — and their classrooms — won’t be ready for the technology-centered exams.
Arkansas Virtual Academy offers students, parents more control over education
Log Cabin Democrat, AR, January 22, 2014
Seven-year-old William Boucher enjoys reading from his big book of Dr. Seuss at his Nana’s house. He can sound out the words and read the stories, which is a change from how things were going a year ago.
Former NC Gov. Bev Perdue launches digital learning nonprofit
Charlotte Observer, NC, January 22, 2014
Former Democrat Gov. Bev Perdue had a few kind words for the GOP-led state legislature and her successor Wednesday as she launched DigiLEARN, a nonprofit that wants to enhance education through digital learning.
Franklin Regional, union agree to start online learning academy
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA, January 23, 2014
Starting this fall, students can earn a Franklin Regional diploma online. On Monday, officials of the district and its teachers union reached an agreement to form the Franklin Regional Online Learning Academy.
GUHSD’s online learning academy near going up
Glendale Star, AZ, January 23, 2014
Glendale Union High School District has begun construction on the expansion of its online learning academy at Apollo High School.
Online charter school continues fight for release of A-F report Card
Tulsa World, OK, January 23, 2014
Epic One on One, an online charter school, is still fighting to get the Oklahoma State Department of Education to release its A-F report card.