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
How big can Teach For America get?
Washington Post Blog, DC, September 10, 2013
Even in school districts where teachers have been laid off because of budget cuts, Teach For America manages to keep expanding.
Last Chance on School Reform?
US News & World Report Blog, September 9, 2013
The start of the school year also marks the end of the congressional recess. And this fall, Congress’s education “to do” list includes updating the federal statute governing America’s public schools.
STATE COVERAGE
CALIFORNIA
Lennox academy makes hasty attempt to secede from district as charter
Daily Breeze, CA, September 10, 2013
The Lennox Math, Science and Technology Academy is a perennial presence on the U.S. News and World Report’s annual list of best American high schools and, by many accounts, the crown jewel of the Lennox School District.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
GED will soon have online guide for high school dropouts
Washington Post, DC, September 9, 2012
Dropouts who want to take the GED high school equivalency test will soon have an online guide to walk them through their preparation, registration, and college and career planning.
FLORIDA
At charter school, enrollment drop follows campus drama
Herald Tribune, FL, September 9, 2013
After a School Board meeting packed with supporters carrying signs, contentious court hearings and the uncertainty of who would lead Imagine School at North Port, Chrissy Bynum decided she had had enough.
Rowlett becomes Manatee’s first conversion charter
Bradenton Herald, FL, September 10, 2013
The room burst into applause, with some scattered squeals, when the Manatee County School Board swiftly and unanimously approved Rowlett Elementary’s bid to become the county’s first conversion charter school Monday night.
IDAHO
Idaho schools chief Luna admits to missteps in education reform plan
Idaho Statesman, ID, September 10, 2013
Nearly a year after voters trounced Tom Luna’s Students Come First proposals in a referendum, the state schools superintendent acknowledged he did not do enough to make the plan transparent or to involve Idahoans.
IOWA
Homeschool advocates score major victory in Iowa
Quad City Times, IA, September 10, 2013
Branstad’s education reform bill had just been through its initial run in the Legislature, and lawmakers were trying to attach amendments for everything from raising starting teacher pay to $45,000 a year to giving local school boards more authority over their operations.
KENTUCKY
KY Legislators Hold Charter School Public Hearing
WKMS, KY, September 9, 2013
A Kentucky legislative education committee will hold a public hearing on charter schools this week. The request came from the Kentucky Charter Schools Association, which was created by its chairman, Hal Heiner, this year.
LOUISIANA
Teacher reviews spark new argument
The Advocate, September 9, 2013
The first snapshot of how public school teachers fared under Louisiana’s new job reviews has reignited arguments over the value of the revamped evaluations.
MAINE
Core rift confronts Gov. LePage
Morning Sentinel, ME, September 10, 2013
Two key Republican constituencies – the tea party and business – are on opposite sides.
MICHIGAN
Port Huron teachers sue over evaluations
Port Huron Times Herald, September 9, 2013
The Port Huron Education Association is suing the district over its teacher evaluations.
a href=”http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130910/OPINION01/309100004/1008/OPINION01/State-takeover-hurt-DPS”target=”_blank”>State takeover hurt DPS
Letter, Detroit News, MI, September 10, 2013
Now that the Detroit mayoral primary is over and the inadequately-funded candidates — including me — were soundly defeated by the two lavishly-financed and media-anointed frontrunners, I will offer fresh ideas for the sorely-needed revitalization of Detroit and its traditional public schools.
MISSOURI
With a summer of drama over, Gordon Parks charter school works to secure its future
Kansas City Star, September 9, 2013
As the school started its third full week of the fall term Monday, the state of Missouri announced that it will not appeal a recent court decision, ending any speculation that it might try again to compel the struggling charter school to shut down.
NEW JERSEY
Justice tough on both sides in appeal of Montclair charter bid
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ
September 10, 2013
Some on NJ’s highest court cite state’s decision-making flexibility but others wonder why education officials didn’t back up verdict.
NEW MEXICO
Voters split on teacher evaluation system
Albuquerque Journal, September 10, 2013
Slightly more Albuquerque voters oppose basing half of teacher evaluations on students’ academic performance than support it, according to a new Journal Poll.
NEW YORK
Bloomberg Heads Back to School, for Final Time
Wall Street Journal Blog, DC, September 9, 2013
Monday was the start of school for most of New York City’s more than 1 million schoolchildren, the last in the waning days of the three-term Bloomberg administration. Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott made his traditional five-borough tour, where he stopped at one school per borough.
City teachers learn how to appeal evaluation
WHAM13, NY, September 9, 2013
The union that represents Rochester teachers put together sessions at which teachers could learn how to appeal the grade associated with new evaluations.
Merit must matter
Editorial, New York Daily News, NY, September 9, 2013
The failure of the public schools to raise the educational levels of black and Hispanic students is shamefully obvious in the small numbers of students from both backgrounds who win places in New York City’s nine specialized high schools.
OHIO
4 charters springs up in Toledo
Toledo Blade, OH, September 10, 2013
This year’s crop of charter schools in Toledo has strong religious connections.
Strongsville schools believe charter-school deduction in state aid is unfair; North Royalton and Brecksville-Broadview Heights don’t feel the pain
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, September 10, 2013
State funding to the Strongsville City Schools will decrease by .49 percent this year due to a rising number of students attending charter schools.
OKLAHOMA
Tulsa charter school’s board votes to rescind controversial hairstyle rule
Tulsa World, OK, September 10, 2013
The independent governing board for the Deborah Brown Community School voted 4-0 Monday night to rescind a controversial policy banning dreadlocks, afros and other “faddish styles” of hair.
PENNSYLVANIA
Philly schools open with fewer counselors and many concerns
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, September 10, 2013
PHILADELPHIA schools opened yesterday amid the district’s well-documented fiscal woes and drastically reduced staffing levels.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Anthony, candidate for schools’ chief, would fight vouchers
Spartanburg Herald-Journal, SC, September 9, 2013
Mike Anthony became so popular in Union after successfully coaching three teams to state championships that he says he only invested $800 for a few campaign signs to win his first run for state office.
Charter school’s use of former Schroder Middle building in Hollywood stirs debate, anger among some
Post & Courier, SC, September 9, 2013
The politics and controversy that often come with the charter school territory were distractions. Lowcountry Leadership Charter School organizers took deliberate steps to avoid.
TENNESSEE
Charter, traditional schools both play key role
Opinion, The Tennessean, TN, September 10, 2013
The organization I lead, the United Negro College Fund, the nation’s largest minority education organization, and Metro Nashville Public Schools share a critical mission: We are dedicated to making sure our children get the education they need to compete in the 21st-century economy.
Option: Pay for Charters by Closing Low-Performing Schools at MNPS?
Nashville Scene, TN, September 10, 2013
When Metro Schools board members begin considering “high leverage” parts of the budget to cut so they can afford charter schools, closing underperforming schools will be one of their options, board member Will Pinkston tells the Scene in advance of today’s Budget and Finance Committee meeting.
TN attorney general says charter schools law constitutional
The Tennessean, TN, September 10, 2013
In what’s now a case of dueling legal opinions, Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper says the state law that allows charter schools to operate here doesn’t impose financial burdens on local school districts in violation of the state constitution.
TEXAS
State closes Dallas charter school, pending staff background checks
Dallas Morning News, TX, September 10, 2013
A Dallas charter school was ordered closed Monday because of violations that threaten the health and safety of students, state officials said.
VIRGINIA
Teachers’ lobby begins pro-McAuliffe ad push
The Virginian-Pilot, VA, September 10, 2013
More third-party money is flowing into the race for governor courtesy of a new ad push the national teachers’ lobby hopes will earn Democrat Terry McAuliffe some extra credit with voters who have school age children in Virginia.
WASHINGTON
Education board to address charter schools at Yakima session
Yakima Herald-Republic, WA, September 10, 2013
Spokane public schools may become the first district in the state granted authorization to set up charter schools if the state Board of Education approves its proposal Wednesday.
State wants more details on Seattle’s special-ed plan
Seattle Times, WA, September 9, 2013
The state is asking for more details before approving Seattle Public Schools’ plan for fixing its special-education program. Federal money could be delayed if Seattle doesn’t respond swiftly.
WISCONSIN
Choice is positive in teacher evaluations
Opinion, The Northwestern, September 10, 2013
A new state law says school districts must evaluate the effectiveness of teachers and other educators, beginning in the 2014-15 school year. Most districts, however, will conduct pilot runs this year using one of two evaluation models.
Walker’s voucher program undermines education
Op-Ed, Badger Herald, WI, September 10, 2013
The recently signed 2013-2015 budget, which expands Wisconsin’s school voucher program in an attempt to further privatize public education, will not improve the state’s school system. Instead of embracing policies that slowly privatize and weaken education, Walker and the Legislature need to enact policies that preserve and improve our public educational system, like Oregon’s recently enacted plan for a graduate tax.
ONLINE LEARNING
$2 million grant competition promotes blended-learning schools in D.C.
Washington Post, DC, September 9, 2013
A group of local and national organizations on Monday announced a $2 million grant competition meant to spur the creation of District schools that combine online and face-to-face instruction.
Pender County piloting virtual school program
Star News, NC, September 9, 2013
Starting next semester, high schoolers in Pender County will get the best of both worlds: virtual classes with a teacher they can meet in person.
Seneca Valley cyber and performing arts school ads increase site traffic
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, September 10, 2013
Efforts to market the Seneca Valley Academy of Choice, the school district’s cyber and performing arts school, through television advertisements are paying off.
Sylvania immersing in laptop-based learning
Toledo Blade, OH, September 9, 2013
Using pen and paper in Sylvania school rooms may soon be a thing of the past as the administration begins a laptop based Digital Learning Initiative.