Daily Headlines for January 7, 2013
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12 States Get Failing Grades on Public School Policies From Advocacy Group
New York Times, NY, January 7, 2013
In just a few short years, state legislatures and education agencies across the country have sought to transform American public education by passing a series of laws and policies overhauling teacher tenure, introducing the use of standardized test scores in performance evaluations and expanding charter schools.
Catholic Education, in Need of Salvation
New York Times, NY, January 7, 2013
CATHOLIC parochial education is in crisis. More than a third of parochial schools in the United States closed between 1965 and 1990, and enrollment fell by more than half. After stabilizing in the 1990s, enrollment has plunged despite strong demand from students and families.
Public or Private: Charter Schools Can’t Have It Both Ways
GoLocalPro, RI, January 5, 2013
Are charter schools public? Are they private? Are they somewhere in between?
There is a lively debate in the education community over these questions
FROM THE STATES
ARIZONA
Common Core Funds Lacking
Arizona Republic, AZ, January 6, 2013
Arizona leaders have called for tougher new education standards, but the cost to implement them in classrooms has fallen primarily to school districts, which have seen state funding drop by about 15 percent since 2008.
CALIFORNIA
Hats Off To Brown On School Reform
The Monterey County Herald, CA, January 6, 2013
We must give Gov. Jerry Brown credit, he does not run from difficult subjects. Witness his decision to dive headfirst into reforming the bizarre and dysfunctional labyrinth that is California’s system for parsing out dollars to its schools.
COLORADO
Boulder Valley Sees Net Gain Through Out-Of-District Enrollment
Daily Camera, CO, January 5, 2013
Students who live in the Boulder Valley School District are enrolled in districts as far-flung as tiny Julesburg at the northeastern tip of the state, Denver and Douglas County.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Thousands Attend D.C. Charter School Expo
Washington Post, DC, January 5, 2013
Thousands of parents streamed into the Washington Convention Center Saturday for the District’s annual charter-school expo, eager to find a way to navigate the city’s large — and increasingly popular — universe of public charter schools.
D.C. School Closings Push Parents To Charter Schools
Washington Examiner, DC, January 5, 2013
The announcement that Francis-Stevens Education Campus in D.C.’s West End neighborhood could close caused Sarah Reece to start looking at the city’s public charter schools for her two sons.
D.C. Charter Schools Expel Students At Far Higher Rates Than Traditional Public Schools
Washington Post, DC, January 5, 2013
The District’s public charter schools have expelled students at a far higher rate than the city’s traditional public schools in recent years, according to school data, highlighting a key difference between two sectors that compete for the District’s students and taxpayer dollars.
FLORIDA
Florida School Enrollment Gets Best Boost Since Bubble, But It Could Mean A Good Sign Or A Bad Sign For State Economy
Palm Beach Post, FL, January 6, 2013
Herzog said the economy plays a role. But also, he said, the expansion of public charter schools makes many parents think twice about paying for private education.
GEORGIA
New Evaluation Pilot ‘Skewed,’ With Too Few Unsatisfactory Teachers, Officials Say
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, January 7, 2013
The state’s new teacher evaluation system needs some work. That’s the lesson Georgia education leaders are drawing from a pilot study that unexpectedly showed only a tiny fraction of the state’s teachers are ineffective.
Parent-Trigger Charter Bill Could Renew Intense Political Battle
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, January 5, 2013
The push to change Georgia’s constitution to make it easier to approve charter schools was a bruising political scrap that featured sharp elbows and plenty of haymakers.
INDIANA
Indiana Legislature To Look At Expanding Voucher Program
Courier Press, IN, January 7, 2013
Indiana lawmakers will look at expanding what is already the nation’s largest school voucher program when the General Assembly gets to work Monday despite concerns that the program is hurting public schools in big cities.
Education Reform Post-Bennett?
South Bend Tribune, IN, January 6, 2013
As Indiana lawmakers return for a busy 2013 session on Monday, a big question mark is, will momentum for sweeping school reform initiatives continue?
Up For Renewal, 8 Local Charter Schools Wait For Ball State Decision
Post Tribune, IN, January 6, 2013
Eight Northwest Indiana charter schools are up for renewal this spring — and tougher standards mean some of those schools could be closed.
The Stress Of A New Teacher Evaluation
Journal and Courier, IN, January 5, 2013
What he’s uncovered, in many ways, could have been predicted — teachers and principals, alike, reporting the added stress of the system. The stress, though, doesn’t seem to be coming as much from the increased scrutiny in the classroom, as it is from the paperwork, tracking and the metrics involved.
LOUISIANA
School Voucher Case Moves To Louisiana Supreme Court
Times Picayune, LA, January 5, 2013
Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration is taking its fight for private school vouchers to the Louisiana Supreme Court, after a district court judge ruled that the way the state is financing the program is illegal.
MAINE
Lepage Charter School Proposal To Re-Ignite Legislative Debate Over School Funding
Bangor Daily News, ME, January 6, 2013
Gov. Paul LePage is preparing legislation that would eliminate the cap on the number of charter schools allowed in Maine, an initiative that is sure to cause significant debate among incoming lawmakers who already face a weighty agenda and difficult funding issues in the education sector.
Cornville Charter School Accepting Applications For 28 New Student Slots
Morning Sentinel, ME, January 5, 2013
Students will be chosen via lottery from all applicants; enrollment expanding from 60 to 90 for upcoming term
MARYLAND
Washington County Parents Submit Proposal For Charter School With Environmental Focus
Herald Mail, MD, January 6, 2013
A small group of Washington County parents has submitted to Washington County Public Schools a concept proposal for a charter school with an environmental focus and a strong emphasis on hands-on learning.
MASSACHUSETTS
New Option Lets Boston Pick School For Child
Boston Globe, MA, January 6, 2013
Boston parents who do not get their choices of kindergartens for their children in the first round of the lottery now have the option of letting the School Department pick a school for them under a change that went into effect last week.
Adults Deal Charter Kids Harsh Civics Lesson
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, January 7, 2013
Today marks the start of the final week for the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School.
MINNESOTA
Achievement Gaps, Early Education, And Minnesota’s Changing Demographics
Twin City Daily Planet, MN, January 6, 2013
Education achievement gaps across races and economic strata are a problem throughout the country and, despite a high overall education ranking, Minnesota is no exception.
MISSISSIPPI
Any Charter School Legislation Should Include Basic Principles
Clarion Ledger, MS, January 7, 2013
Mississippi’s state leaders are determined to pass charter school legislation this legislative session. Charter schools are being promoted as a panacea for K-12 education in Mississippi — a “game changer” that will unleash Mississippi students’ ability to perform at the highest academic levels.
Miss. Legislature Puts Charter Schools Back On Agenda
Clarion Ledger, MS, January 6, 2013,
A year ago, even some opponents of charter schools expected a bill to pass. But some majority Republicans balked, killing the bill in the House.
MISSOURI
Move For Teacher Tenure Reform Draws Mixed Reviews
Columbia Daily Tribune, MO, January 4, 2013
Efforts to change teacher tenure rules failed at the end of the Missouri General Assembly’s session last year, but with the start of the 2013 session just around the corner, tenure reform appears to be back on the table again.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Charter School Bill Aims To Fix Funding Problems
Nashua Telegraph, NH, January 6, 2013
It has been nearly a year since Karin Cevasco and the other founders of Gate City Charter School for the Arts applied for school approval with the Department of Education.
NEW JERSEY
Paterson School Offers Signs Of Hope In Urban School Reform
The Record, NJ, January 6, 2013
Rosalie Bespalko, a blunt-spoken principal from Carlstadt charged with the daunting mission of turning around one of the lowest-performing schools in New Jersey, was alone in her motel room last July when she opened her laptop to check the latest results from her students’ state tests.
N.J. Public Officials Involved In Education Must Aggressively Transform Failing School Districts
Times of Trenton, NJ, January 5, 2013
The New Jersey and United States constitutions require public officials to assure a thorough and efficient system of education and equal protection, respectively. If officials honored their oath of office, there would be significantly less unemployment, crime and segregation.
NEW MEXICO
Charter Schools To Get New Vote
Albuquerque Journal, NM, January 6, 2013
The state Public Education Commission is planning to re-do its votes on two charter school renewals, after the votes were held one day early without public notice.
NEW YORK
School Bus Strike Is Feared
Wall Street Journal, January 7, 2013
New York City officials on Sunday braced for the possibility that 152,000 children soon could be left without their usual ride to classes as hundreds of school bus drivers marched to City Hall Park and chanted for a strike.
Talks on Teacher Evaluations Disintegrate as Deadline Looms
New York Times, NY, January 7, 2013
New York City and its teachers union are stuck in their negotiations over a new teacher evaluation system, jeopardizing $450 million in state aid if they have not reached a deal in less than two weeks.
Teachers Irate as Bloomberg Likens Union to the N.R.A.
New York Times, NY, January 7, 2013
Of all the polarizing things Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has said and done over the years, from banning large sugary drinks to supporting congestion pricing, few have generated the sort of viral backlash that has unexpectedly mounted after his weekly radio show on Friday.
The Schoolyard Bully
New York Post, NY, January 7, 2013
The United Federation of Teachers is ringing in the new year with an artful lie of the first order: A TV ad campaign designed to convince New Yorkers that Mike Bloomberg, and not the union itself, is responsible for the imminent loss of $450 million in extra state school aid.
School Reform Panel Gets An ‘Incomplete’
Newsday, NY, January 5, 2013
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his New York Education Reform Commission ought to be commended for their initial efforts to improve public schools throughout the state. The commission’s preliminary report, published Wednesday, makes some sound suggestions to tackle problems so daunting and complex it’s tempting to close the book on them altogether.
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia’s Schools Superintendent Lays Out A “Call To Action”
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, January 7, 2013
It is William R. Hite Jr.’s “call to action,” a 25-page document that maps out strategy for the future of the Philadelphia School District.
‘Onerous’ Process for Opportunity Scholarship in Pennsylvania May Deter Donors
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, January 6, 2013
Education groups promoting a new tax credit for businesses funding scholarships are reporting confusion with an electronic application process that they fear could dissuade potential donors.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Renovated Rivers Middle School Campus Opens To Charter School, Plans To Start New Lowcountry Tech Program Later This Month
Charleston Post Courier, SC, January 7, 2013
Use of the Rivers building has become one of the district’s most controversial and volatile issues. Although the school board agreed in 2007 for the charter school to share the space with a new program, Lowcountry Tech Academy, the school board talked as recently as November about that agreement and whether it should be changed.
TENNESSEE
Nashville Parents Press Fight On Vouchers, Charter Authorizer
The Tennessean, TN, January 7, 2013
Tennessee lawmakers are just now making their way back to Nashville. And bills for school vouchers and a statewide charter authorizer, though certainly in the works, still aren’t on the table for inspection.
VIRGINIA
Governor’s Mere Suggestion Of A Charter School Spurs Improvement In Va. District
Richmond Register, KY, January 7, 2013
Petersburg, Virginia is not unlike a lot of small towns in rural Kentucky. Its 30,000 or so residents are predominantly Baptist, proud of their city’s rich heritage and enjoy the economic benefits of being nestled near a major waterway.
Va. Gov. McDonnell: Consider Letters To Grade Schools
Washington Times, DC, January 6, 2013
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is pushing for a letter-grading system to evaluate the quality of the state’s schools, echoing an approach that has been enacted by Republican leaders in other states.
ONLINE LEARNING
Patrick Signs Legislation Paving Way For More Virtual Education Opportunities
South Coast Today, MA, January 5, 2013
Students across SouthCoast and the state could have more access to so-called “virtual” schools under legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Deval Patrick that establishes a clear framework for the establishment of those schools.
Low Enrollment To Shut Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s Online School After 1 Year
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, January 5, 2013
A cyber charter school founded by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and touted to provide a cutting-edge combination of online and on-site learning will close as of June 30 because of foundering enrollment.
The Dangers Of ‘Outsourcing’ Public Education
Washington Post Blog, DC, January 5, 2013
The privatization of public education is becoming perhaps the biggest controversy in public education. Here’s a different look at the subject from Larry Cuban, a former superintendent of Arlington Public Schools.
S.C. Teacher Certification Extends To Those Online
Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC, January 6, 2013
The S.C. Department of Education is beginning to apply the state’s certification regulations to teachers of online courses, raising questions about future course offerings for school districts that rely on outside providers.
Online Aid Picks Lessons Best-Suited To Each Student
Columbus Dispatch, OH, January 5, 2013
Many Ohio teachers soon will have access to an online system in which they can quickly analyze students’ progress and pick the most appropriate curriculum or lesson plan for them.
Catching Up: McFarland School District Renegotiating Contract With Wisconsin Virtual Academy
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, January 6, 2013
The McFarland School District is renegotiating its contract with the Wisconsin Virtual Academy after a district review found the online charter school wasn’t meeting some of its performance goals.