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
Killing the golden goose
The Economist, February 13, 2014
OF THE 658 schools in Chicago, only 126 are charter schools—publicly funded but independently run and largely free of union rules. Fifteen more are due to open this year. More notable, though, is that four of the most recently-approved charters are in areas where the city recently decided to close 49 public schools—the largest round of such closures in America’s history.
Response: Defending Teach For America
Binghamton University Pipe Dream, NY, February 14, 2014
While I applaud columnist Julianne Cuba for taking on topics that get our campus talking, I disagree with her criticism of Teach For America (TFA). In her article from Feb. 4, she barely scrapes the surface when it comes to the vast and complicated issues with education in America.
STATE COVERAGE
ARKANSAS
4 districts get state OK for new charter schools
Arkansas Democrat –Gazette, AR, February 14, 2014
The Arkansas Board of Education on Thursday gave final approval to plans for four new conversion charter schools to be opened in the 2014-15 school year in the West Memphis, Pea Ridge, Warren and Fountain Lake school districts.
CALIFORNIA
District Staff, Once Supportive, Now Trying to Kill Thrive Charter
Voice of San Diego, CA, February 13, 2014
Last month, the San Diego Unified school board voted down Thrive, a proposed charter school, despite the fact district staff had recommended its approval.
COLORADO
Bill to slow Colorado’s adoption of Common Core dies in committee
Denver Post, CO, February 13, 2014
The Senate education committee on Thursday night rejected a bill that would slam the brakes on the Colorado Academic Standards, including the Common Core and the testing adopted with it, after six hours of passionate pleas from both sides to do right by students.
IDAHO
Idaho Republican resurrects religious school tax credit bill
The Coeur d’ Alene Press, ID, February 14, 2014
A Republican resurrected last year’s failed measure seeking to grant tax credits to people who donate to scholarships meant to defray tuition at private or religious schools.
LOUISIANA
Private school enrollment falls 5% in Louisiana, even more in New Orleans, Baton Rouge areas
Times-Picayune, LA, February 14, 2014
Louisiana parents have a national reputation for favoring private schools. In 2000, the state led the country with the highest percentage of students enrolled in private schools, and Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. John the Baptist parishes were among the Top 10 counties.
MARYLAND
Chesapeake Science Point cleared to move ahead with high school program
The Baltimore Sun, MD, February 13, 2014
Officials from the Chesapeake Science Point Public Charter School in Hanover came to a school board meeting this month eager to discover whether their fledgling high school program would be allowed to continue.
Education rotten to ‘Core’ in Maryland
Letter, Washington Times, DC, February 13, 2014
Marylanders should demand to keep the public education of our children controlled and regulated by the parents, teachers and local and state educational authorities. The federal government is too far removed from our local needs and requirements.
MISSISSIPPI
Legislation for special needs students passed
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, MS, February 14, 2014
Parents of children with various special education designations, ranging from autism to a speech impediment to perhaps obesity, could receive $6,000 per year from the state to be spent on their education under legislation that passed the House and Senate on Thursday.
Scott County schools superintendent, board members resign
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, February 14, 2014
A week after state education leaders recommended the immediate takeover of Scott County’s schools, the superintendent and school board have submitted their resignations on condition the governor not sign the declaration.
MISSOURI
House Budget Director offers school transfer law fix
Missournet, MO, February 14, 2014
The House Budget Director has filed his version of a bill to fix issues with the state’s school transfer law.
NEVADA
Plan for school intervention teams advances
Omaha World-Herald, NE, February 13, 2014
State intervention teams would be called in to help turn around struggling schools under a bill advanced Thursday in the Nebraska Legislature.
NEW JERSEY
Chris Cerf’s solid record as NJ education guru
Editorial, Star-Ledger, NJ, February 14, 2013
Cerf has been by far the most effective member of Christie’s cabinet, and his departure is a blow. He understood that New Jersey really has two public school systems — one in the suburbs where students consistently rank among the nation’s best, and another in the poor cities with shocking rates of failure.
NEW YORK
A Progressive Education
Review & Outlook, Wall Street Journal, February 14, 2014
New York City is worth watching these days as Mayor Bill de Blasio begins his new “progressive” government. His first priority seems to be a political and economic assault on charter schools.
Not enough seats at charter
Riverdale Press, NY, February 13, 2014
Northwest Bronx parents are finding it ever more difficult to find places for their children in charter schools, a recent study shows, with applications citywide increasing by more than 64 percent.
NORTH CAROLINA
Only in NC could a possible pay raise become a nightmare for a teacher
Opinion, News & Observer, NC, February 13, 2014
Taking a $2,000 raise and giving up tenure is nothing to worry about? This four-year plan to increase the salary of the ’25 percenters’ is funded for one year. What happens when the money isn’t there to fund this all the way through?
Show the details of state teacher-pay plan
Editorial, Fayette Observer, NC, February 14, 2014
It’s a good start. But it’s only a start. The real story will be in the follow-up.Gov. Pat McCrory and legislative leaders propose spending $200 million in the next two years to raise teachers’ starting pay from $30,800 to $35,000.
PENNSYLVANIA
Bid for charter school in Nippenose Valley off table
Williamsport Sun-Gazette, PA, February 14, 2014
Jersey Shore Area School District Superintendent Dorothy Chappel received a letter from the NVCS Founding Members rescinding their application for a charter school in Nippenose Valley. The board held a hearing Thursday night to enter letter announcing the decision to rescind the application into public record.
Lawmakers need to send charter school bill to Gov. Corbett’s desk
Op-Ed, Patriot News, PA, February 13, 2014
Members of the General Assembly are charged with being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. It is our responsibility to treat this money as an investment by doing all we can to ensure the highest possible “return.”
WASHINGTON
Charter school process proves educational to friends and foes
Opinion, Yakima Herald, WA, February 14, 2014
Charter schools aren’t coming to the Yakima Valley soon, but the process and its outcome should prove edifying to both supporters and proponents of the concept.
Consider test scores in teacher evaluations
Opinion, Seattle Times, WA, February 13, 2014
If Washington does not require schools to consider test scores in teacher evaluations, the state could lose $38 million in federal funding, writes guest columnist Randy Dorn.
WEST VIRGINIA
Senate panel changes teacher pay bill
Charleston Gazette, WV, February 13, 2014
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s bill to give pay raises to public school teachers and school service personnel advanced Thursday out of the Senate Education Committee — with a change intended to give more bang for the buck to newer teachers.
ONLINE LEARNING
Bonner-Prendie High holds virtual school day
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, February 14, 2014
Principal Bill Brannick and the school’s academic board yesterday rolled out Cyber Snow Days, a pilot program aimed at offsetting missed instruction days by having students complete assignments electronically at home.
Charter school operator buys building
The Advocate, LA, February 14, 2014
The board of Louisiana Connections Academy, an online charter school, has purchased an office building at 4664 Jamestown Ave. and plans to move its operations there.
Reps consider paying for schools’ Internet bills
Juneau Empire, AK, February 14, 2014
The House Finance Committee took up a bill Thursday that would mandate the state payi for faster Internet speeds at every school in Alaska.
Snow day’s virtual classroom: Are lessons at home the ‘next logical step’?
The Record, NJ, February 13, 2014
Pascack Valley Regional High School District on Thursday pioneered the virtual snow day in New Jersey, but similar experiments are under way across the country as this year’s extreme winter weather wreaks havoc with traditional school schedules.
Snow Day? That’s Great. Now Log In. Get to Class.
New York Times, NY, February 14, 2014
As classrooms become more electronically connected, public schools around the country are exploring whether they can use virtual learning as a practical solution to unpredictable weather, effectively transforming the traditional snow day into a day of instruction.