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
Teachers and Policy Makers: Troubling Disconnect
New York Times Blog, NY, January 31, 2013
Can the school reform movement accept constructive criticism? Gary Rubinstein hopes so. Mr. Rubinstein joined Teach for America in 1991, the program’s second year, and has now been teaching math for 15 years, five of them in some of the nation’s neediest public schools and 10 more at the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan.
Race to the Top: D.C., Maryland and Georgia Way Back in the Field
Washington Post, DC, February 1, 2013
In the second year of Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s signature effort to improve public schools, nine of 12 jurisdictions that received $4 billion in federal grants made good progress. But three — the District, Maryland and Georgia — have stumbled, federal officials said.
Growing Number Of Educators Boycott Standardized Tests
USA Today, January 1, 2013
The decision by a group of Seattle teachers to boycott a standardized test this winter could spill out to other cities as a decade of frustration over testing simmers.
Charter Schools That Start Bad Stay Bad, Study Finds
Washington Post Blog, DC, January 31, 2013
Charter schools that start out doing poorly aren’t likely to improve, and charters that are successful from the beginning most often stay that way, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University.
Democrats Launch Speakers Bureau To Hold Obama’s Feet To Fire On Education Reform
Forbes, January 31, 2013
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), in conjunction with Education Reform Now (ERN), launched today their “I’m A DFER” Speakers Bureau of former Democratic state legislators, according to a press release obtained by Crotty on Education.
FROM THE STATES
New Legislation May Change Charter School Authorization Process
Alaska Public Radio Network, AK, January 31, 2013
Right now, if you and a group of like-minded individuals want to set up a charter school in your community, you need to petition your local school board to get your plan approved. A new bill could change that and open authorization up to universities, other government agencies, and nonprofits.
ARIZONA
Bill Would Mandate School-Choice Guide
Arizona Republic, AZ, January 31, 2013
A bill in the state Legislature would require the Arizona Department of Education to mail a “how-to” guide of educational options each year to the parents of 1 million children.
COLORADO
Parent Trigger Bill Pops Up
Education News Colorado, CO, January 31, 2013
A group of 10 Republican lawmakers has introduced a measure that would allow parents to petition the State Board of Education for conversion of struggling schools.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
School Choice Pays Off, Literally
National Review Online, February 1, 2013
The District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) produced $2.62 in benefits for every dollar spent on it. In other words, the return on public investment for the private-school voucher program during its early years was 162 percent.
FLORIDA
Fla. Back on Track with Race to the Top
St. Augustine Record, FL, February 1, 2013
Top grant projects, U.S. Department of Education officials say the state has regained its momentum.
GEORGIA
Charter Students, Lawmakers Mark School Choice Week
Cherokee Tribune, GA, February 1, 2013
Cherokee Charter Academy students visited the state Capitol on Friday to meet with local legislators and participate in a rally to celebrate National School Choice Week.
ILLINOIS
The Ins And Outs Of Chicago’s Charter Network Expansion: What’s Working, What’s Not – And Why
Medill Reports: Chicago, IL, January 31, 2013
Don’t let the name fool you. This is not a school with selective enrollment. This is not a private school. It’s a charter school. It’s also a public school, according to Angela Montagna, director of external affairs for the Noble charter network, who is quick to correct anyone who says otherwise.
INDIANA
Parents Faced With More School Choices
Muncie Star Press, IN, February 1, 2013
As one local charter school prepares to close its doors, another one is planning its grand opening. Hoosier Academies, a tuition-free public charter school, will shut down its brick-and-mortar Muncie location in June.
Ball State Puts More Rigor Into Charter Renewal Process
Northwest Times, IN, February 1, 2013
Tabitha and Eliseo Velez, who have six children enrolled at Charter School of the Dunes in Gary, are among parents and community members advocating the school remain open.
Mayor Greg Ballard Seeks Authority To Take Over IPS Schools Taken Over By State
Indianapolis Star, IN, January 31, 2013
Mayor Greg Ballard will ask the State Board of Education next week to give him authority over four former Indianapolis Public Schools taken over by the state.
IOWA
Report: Iowa Teacher Evaluations Fail To Identify Top Educators
Des Moines Register, IA, February 1, 2013
The first statewide review of teacher evaluations revealed a patchwork system in which the majority of teachers aren’t rated in a way that identifies the best performers, according to an annual state education report released Thursday.
MAINE
Reactions to Charter School Cuts
WLBZ-TV, ME, January 31, 2013
Republicans are reacting with anger at the Education Committee’s vote to cut funding from Charter Schools along with Public Schools.
MARYLAND
Charter School Students, Parents, Teachers Lobby Lawmakers
WBAL, MD, January 31, 2013
Ten years after Maryland’s charter school law was enacted, more than 200 student, parents and teachers from charter schools around the state were in Annapolis today to urge lawmakers to make changes to the charter school law.
Johns Hopkins Hoping To Revive East Baltimore Neighborhood On Its Border
Washington Post, DC, January 31, 2013
The renowned Johns Hopkins University medical campus looms over East Baltimore like a fortress on a hill. On its northern edge lies a humble neighborhood of rowhouses weathered by decades of crime, poverty and decay.
MICHIGAN
Detroit Area’s Catholic Schools Shrink, But Tradition Endures
Detroit Free Press, MI, February 1, 2013
More than 13,000 “Mercy girls” have received a Catholic education from Mercy High School, founded in Detroit in 1945, when the city’s population was heavily Catholic.
NEVADA
Success-Induced Environment
Daily Sparks Tribune, NV, January 31, 2013
Parents and families came out in hoards Thursday night at Alpine Academy Charter School in Sparks. The school celebrated National School Choice Week, a nationally recognized program, advocating for parents’ choice to send their children to the school of their choice.
Empowering Parents To Choose Best School
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV, February 1, 2013
Failure can be one of the best things in life. In the short term, failure doesn’t seem attractive, because it involves … well … failing. In the longer term, however, failure motivates us to either try a different method and succeed or find a different path entirely.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Charter Schools Group Drops State’s Rank Due To Moratorium
Union Leader, NH, January 31, 2013
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools has dropped New Hampshire’s ranking from one of the most friendly states for charter schools to one of the most hostile, citing a State Board of Education moratorium on the approval of any new state-authorized charters. In its 2013 assessment of state charter school laws, New Hampshire dropped from No. 11 in 2012 to No. 30.
NEW JERSEY
Two Camden Charter Schools Scramble To Restore Tax-Exempt Status
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 1, 2013
Charter schools across New Jersey leverage their federal tax-exempt status to enhance their classrooms and expand their facilities.
NEW YORK
Teach-Eval Talks Thaw
New York Post, NY, February 1, 2013
Gov. Cuomo’s threat to have Albany impose a new teacher-evaluation system if the city and UFT can’t agree to one on their own is working.
The Plan to Save Catholic Schools
Wall Street Journal, February 1, 2013
This is Catholic Schools Week, when dioceses across the country celebrate the great gifts that are our Catholic schools.
Democracy Prep Founder Seth Andrew Unveils Ambitious Plan To Help Grads Hit The Ground Running In College
New York Daily News, NY, January 31, 2013
Call it the gift that keeps on giving. A highly touted charter school has already helped students from Harlem’s poorest families nail down a spot in a college next fall.
Plan for Older Students Faces Obstacles
New York Times, NY, February 1, 2013
With that in mind, Goodwill wants to expand its services by opening a charter school that focuses on awarding high school diplomas to older students, instead of the G.E.D.’s that adult education programs traditionally offer. The charter application will be filed in February.
NORTH CAROLINA
School Districts And Charters
Burlington Times News, NC, February 1, 2013
We have long supported charter schools in North Carolina. We favored lifting the state’s 100-school cap in 2011 because we think charter schools encourage innovation, give parents a choice, and put needed competitive pressure on the public schools to do a better job.
OHIO
Gov. John Kasich’s School Plan Would Dramatically Overhaul Ohio’s Funding Formula
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, January 31, 2013
Gov. John Kasich wants a major overhaul of Ohio school funding that focuses on bridging the wide gaps in income and property values among districts, while also giving charter schools the same level of state money that traditional districts get.
Kasich School Plan Prompts Optimism For Area Educators
Toledo Blade, OH, February 1, 2013
Ohio school superintendents reacted with guarded optimism Thursday to Gov. John Kasich’s school funding proposal, as they hailed a guarantee that no school districts will receive less money under the plan than they currently do, but must wait for details on how the formula would affect individual districts.
PENNSYLVANIA
No Cheating On Charters: We Must Be Honest About The Performance Of Our Schools
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, February 1, 2013
Wouldn’t we all love to respond to a disappointing performance review by changing the measuring tool to give us a better result? Many of us would joyfully toss the bathroom scale out the window in favor of one that knocked off 10 pounds. How about moving the end zone five yards closer so our favorite wide receiver could catch the game-winning throw?
SOUTH CAROLINA
Teacher Grading Plan Draws Fire From Greenville County School Board
Greenville News, SC, January 31, 2013
Their progress is her progress. And it gets measured in many ways, including with a test three times a year in math and reading called Measuring Academic Progress.
Zais: Choice Funds Students, Not Schools
SCNow, SC, January 31, 2013
South Carolina Superintendent of Education Mick Zais said he has high hopes a school choice bill will be passed in the General Assembly this year.
TENNESSEE
Tennessee Voucher Debate: The Chance, And Price, of ‘School Choice’
WRCBTV, TN, January 31, 2013
His second graders have reached the point that Daris Waters calls “show what you know.” “What’s my first step,” he asks. “You want to borrow a ten so the two becomes a 12,” a young man answers softly but confidently.
TN Teachers Not Told of Bad Evaluations
The Tennessean, TN, February 1, 2013
The number of Tennessee teachers apparently not told how poorly they scored on a teacher evaluation is worrisome to Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman, who questions how they can improve without feedback.
TEXAS
AISD School Board Joins Anti-Voucher Resolution
KFDA, TX, January 31, 2013
Amarillo schools are jumping on board the growing resistance toward the controversial school voucher program.
‘Choice’ Schools OK Testing, Not Open Enrollment
Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX, January 31, 2013
Between now and the Legislature’s scheduled May 27 adjournment, Texas will almost surely see its most extensive push ever for sending students to private schools with state-arranged financing.
VIRGINIA
Va. Senate Panel OKs Grading Schools
Washington Times, DC, January 31, 2013
Two major components of Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell’s education reform agenda won a Senate committee’s endorsement Thursday on the narrowest of party-line votes.
WASHINGTON
Bills To Grade Schools, Hold Back Third-Graders Well-Meaning But Problematic
Seattle Times, WA, January 31, 2013
The State Senate Education Committee falls short in efforts to rate schools and ensure all third-graders can read.
WISCONSIN
School Vouchers Harm Public Education
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, January 31, 2013
With voucher advocates this week trumpeting National School Choice Week, it is a fitting time to examine some Milwaukee choice schools and the proposed expansion of private school vouchers in Wisconsin. Some politicians are intent on slowly doing away with our public education system in favor of privatized education that is paid for with taxpayers’ money.
ONLINE LEARNING
School in Thumb Takes Online Learning To The Max
Bridge Magazine, MI, January 31, 2013
Allison Ruiz was attending the Thanksgiving parade in downtown Detroit two months ago when she got a call from a student with a homework question.
Lakeville Looks At Doing More With Online Learning
Star Tribune, MN, January 31, 2013
The district wants to tap into a growing, and potentially lucrative, market of students working via the Internet.
Skandera OK’s Virtual School
Albuquerque Journal, NM, February 1, 2013
State education chief Hanna Skandera overruled the Public Education Commission this week, opting to allow a new all-online charter school to open in the fall.