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NATIONAL COVERAGE
Florida Education Chief Resigns Amid Indiana Controversy
Wall Street Journal, August 2, 2013
Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett abruptly resigned Thursday amid a school-grading controversy tied to his tenure as Indiana’s top education chief, dealing a blow to Gov. Rick Scott’s efforts to transform Florida’s public schools.
Florida education chief Tony Bennett resigns over how a C became an A
Christian Science Monitor, August 1, 2013
Tony Bennett stepped down after reports that, while directing Indiana schools, he upped the grade of a charter school reportedly run by a major GOP donor. It’s a blow to attempts to grade schools.
Florida’s Education Chief Quits Amid Report That He Changed a School’s Rating
New York Times, August 2, 2013
Florida’s commissioner of education, a rising star in a national movement pushing for test-based accountability in public schools, resigned on Thursday after just seven months in office, after news reports surfaced that he had changed the grade of an Indiana charter school founded by a prominent campaign donor while he was the superintendent of schools there.
Jeb’s Education Racket
National Review Online, August 2, 2013
The resignation of Florida education commissioner Tony Bennett couldn’t have come at a better time. His disgraceful grade-fixing scandal is the perfect symbol of all that’s wrong with the federal education schemes peddled by Bennett and his mentor, former GOP governor Jeb Bush: phony academic standards, crony contracts, and big-government and big-business collusion masquerading as “reform.”
Are Charter Schools Public Schools?
Opinion
City Watch, August 2, 2013
It depends on what you mean by “public”.
The term doesn’t seem to have a well-nailed-down meaning. As befits an emotionally-freighted term, there are many components of its definition. Where you happen to invest your personal priorities, governs how this word — which is essentially an avatar, a placeholder for a whole host of ideas and representations — is defined.
FROM THE STATES
ARIZONA
4 Tucson-area schools earn enough D’s for ‘failing’ label
Arizona Daily Star, August 2, 2013
Four Tucson-area schools received their third successive D grades and are in danger of being labeled failing.
COLORADO
Colo. begins controversial teacher-grading system
Denver Post, August 1, 2013
Colorado adopted a statewide teacher-grading system three years ago, a rating that sorts educators from “highly effective” to “ineffective.” Teachers with too many consecutive low ratings could lose tenure, while new teachers and those on probationary status will need passing marks before achieving tenure, or non-probationary status.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Escaping the flaws of public schools
Letter
Washington Post, August 1, 2013
The Post’s July 29 front-page article “Of school choice and accountability,” on Virginia’s law allowing a religious exemption from public schooling, missed a fundamental aspect of the debate. The options for policymakers are not limited to allowing or preventing religious exemptions but rather include doing away with public school altogether.
FLORIDA
Turnover may make Florida’s education chief job a tough sell
Miami Herald, August 1, 2013
Despite its national reputation in school reform circles, Florida hasn’t found it easy to attract — or keep — a leader since Gov. Rick Scott took office. Three commissioners and two interim commissioners have gone through the state Department of Education in Scott’s 31 months.
Parents cheer as Florida schools chief resigns
Sun Sentinel, August 2, 2013
Parents and education activists across South Florida hailed the departure of Florida’s Education Commissioner Tony Bennett, saying they strongly disagreed with his emphasis on high-stakes testing and data driven reforms.
Rowlett, two other schools apply for charter status
Bradenton Herald, August 2, 2013
Manatee County could have three new charter schools by the 2014-15 school year. The school district received applications from Rowlett Elementary, iGeneration Empowerment Academy and the Manatee Y Technological High School by Thursday’s deadline. The school board has 60 days to review the applications and vote on whether to accept the charters.
IDAHO
Idaho schools improve in Star Rating
Idaho Press Tribune, ID
August 2, 2013
More than half of Idaho’s schools were rated as “top-performing” schools by the state’s Five-Star Rating System.
ILLINOIS
Parents rail at CPS cuts
Chicago Tribune, August 2, 2013
Parents and education advocates voiced anger and frustration over spending cuts affecting their children’s schools during one of two public hearings Thursday on the Chicago Public Schools’ $5.58 billion budget.
D-300 charter school clarifies fees after state intervenes
Northwest Herald, August 1, 2013
Officials from a District 300 charter school will remove language from an enrollment form that asked parents to pay corporate membership fees, after a state agency received complaints that the fees were mandatory.
INDIANA
Break given to Christel House could have spared two IPS schools from state takeover
Indianapolis Star, August 1, 2013
Two Indianapolis Public Schools might never have been taken over by the state if then-Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett had offered the district the same flexibility he granted a year later to the Christel House Academy charter school.
KANSAS
Georgia lawmaker urges Kansans to seek more school choice
The Wichita Eagle, August 1, 2013
Warning supporters that they would be “fighting a Goliath” if they push for charter schools or similar measures, a Georgia lawmaker urged people at a former Wichita elementary school Thursday to press ahead for legislation that would enable and encourage more school choice.
LOUISIANA
12 EBR schools improve performance
The Advocate, August 2, 2013
Twelve Baton Rouge public schools learned Thursday they have earned passing grades and no longer have Fs under Louisiana’s letter grade-based school accountability system.
There should be a Plan B
Editorial
Monroe News Star, August 2, 2013
We have high hopes that Excellence Academy will provide great opportunities for the students it enrolls.
$2 million coming for charter, low-performing schools in Jefferson Parish, New Orleans
Times-Picayune, August 1, 2013
The state is granting about $2 million to open new charter schools and improve low-performing conventional schools in Jefferson Parish and New Orleans, the Department of Education said Thursday. The money comes from a $5.8 million pool that the department is distributing to to 21 educators and organizations around Louisiana.
MAINE
Maine charter school helps turn a life around
Portland Press Herald, August 2, 2013
Among the 10 students in Friday’s first group of graduates is a young Maine man who had struggled at a traditional school.
Bowen defends Maine school grading system in wake of Florida colleague’s ouster
Bangor Daily News, August 2, 2013
The resignation in Florida of a close ally of Maine Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen and Gov. Paul LePage has prompted a new round of criticism of some of the administration’s initiatives, including a controversial A-through-F grading system for Maine’s public schools.
MASSACHUSETTS
Hundreds help reinvent Dorchester school
Boston Globe, August 2, 2013
Drew Gallagher said he was so excited to start at UP Academy Charter School of Dorchester that he could not fall asleep Wednesday night because of “the first-day jitters.”
MISSOURI
School transfer deadline leaves families waiting
St. Louis Post Dispatch, August 2, 2013
A deadline for participating in an unprecedented student transfer effort came and went Thursday, but not without leaving some parents in tears outside a Riverview Gardens School District community center.
NEW JERSEY
New look for old home in Clifton
Clifton Journal, August 2, 2013
One of North Jersey’s first charter schools, located in one of Clifton’s oldest buildings, will finally receive some much-needed renovations and updates to its worn down edifice.
Cory Booker Accused of Mismanaging $100 Million Zuckerberg School Donation
US News & World Report Blog, August 1, 2013
Newark Mayor and U.S. Senate candidate Cory Booker is accused of mismanaging a large grant to his New Jersey city’s school system in an ad released Thursday by a conservative political group. The charge is vigorously denied by Booker’s staff.
NEW YORK
More than 2,200 seek Buffalo school transfers
Wall Street Journal, August 2, 2013
The Buffalo School District says more than 2,200 students have asked to be transferred from low-performing schools for the fall.
NORTH CAROLINA
McCrory proposes stipends for master teachers, calls for reduction in testing
New & Observer, August 1, 2013
CHAPEL HILL Gov. Pat McCrory outlined his plans for education Thursday, including a proposed $30 million innovation fund that would reward 1,000 top teachers with $10,000 stipends.
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma state schools superintendent challenger outraises incumbent
The Oklahoman, August 2,2 013
Joy Hofmeister, a Republican from Tulsa, reports raising $166,056 since late April. State schools Superintendent Janet Barresi reports raising $101,100 during the past quarter. That amount includes a $100,000 loan the GOP incumbent gave to her campaign.
PENNSYLVANIA
Appeals panel backs Coatesville in closing charter
Philadelphia Inquirer, August 2, 2013
The state Charter Appeals Board has upheld the Coatesville Area School District’s decision to close Graystone Academy – a 200-student charter school that has had an acrimonious relationship with the district.
Pocono Mountain Charter School students, teachers in limbo
Pocono Record, August 2, 2013
Pocono Mountain Charter School teachers were devastated by news that the embattled school could be shutting its doors, but remained hopeful at a staff meeting Thursday afternoon.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Superintendent’s remarks about S.C. school’s grades draw ire
The State, August 2, 2013
State superintendent of education Mick Zais says parents should get their children out of failing schools or get involved to make them better.
TENNESSEE
Kids should not be ‘monetized’
Letter
The Tennessean, August 2, 2013
After leading a recent “talk” about charter schools here in Nashville, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul enthused that, “As I listen to this conversation, you don’t really hear any downsides about charter schools. It seems to be all good.”
TEXAS
Dallas ISD seeks PR help with duties including selling new teacher pay-for-performance system
Dallas Morning News, August 2, 2013
The district recently opened a request for proposals for a communications consultant. It wants someone to help Superintendent Mike Miles and other administrators sell the upcoming and probably controversial teacher pay-for-performance system, manage crisis communication and develop a strategic communications plan.
ONLINE LEARNING
District hires digital learning chief
Greenwich Times, August 1, 2013
The Greenwich school district has hired Phillip Dunn, most recently the Stamford public school system’s chief information officer, as its first director of digital learning and technology — a move crucial to implementation of its new Digital Learning Plan.
Virtual, summer school graduates succeed despite struggles
Frederick News Post, August 2, 2013
The final graduates in the Class of 2013 celebrated their accomplishments Thursday at a commencement ceremony for Frederick County Public Schools’ virtual and summer programs.
College Park Academy’s first principal has blazed academic trails in Hawaii
Washington Post, August 1, 2013
The public charter school will begin its academic year Aug. 19. Ortiz-Brewster said the academy will have a rigorous curriculum, using on-site teachers as well as customized online courses. It also will have a Web portal, an online site that will promote collaboration among students, parents and faculty.
Online options for students
Times Daily, August 1, 2013
When school starts back in a couple of weeks, 100 Florence High School students will be the district’s first Florence Virtual School participants.
Summer school is still about learning, catching up
Bremerton Patriot, August 1, 2013
The online option allowed high school students to work ahead for more credits toward graduation. Students who want to take a class that isn’t normally available during the school year can do so for $160 throughout the summer. Students taking online classes had live one-on-one instruction 24 hours a day.
Online education doesn’t work for every student
Editorial
Daily Bulletin, August 1, 2013
Online education is a nominally good idea that is fast proving itself as problematic as … well, most other supposed revolutions in pedagogy.