Evaluating Teachers
New York Times, NY, January 20, 2012
It goes without saying, as Nicholas D. Kristof makes clear in “The Value of Teachers” (column, Jan. 12), that good teachers make a lasting difference in the lives of students. And there is no question that education and the economy are intertwined; one can’t be strong if the other is weak. But it is not the case, despite what he asserts, that teachers’ unions resist a focus on teacher quality.
School Choice Reforms Are More Vital Than Ever
Los Angeles Daily News, CA, January 19, 2012
AS we honor National School Choice week beginning Sunday, one fact stands out: 2012 marks the year when there can be no turning back in school choice reforms.
Government Seeks Help To Stop Teacher-Led Cheating
USA Today, January 19, 2012
The Obama administration is creating a manual showing how schools can fight teacher-led cheating on standardized tests, asking educators to help stomp out “testing irregularities.”
STATE COVERAGE
Parents Demand Choice In Schools
Modesto Bee, CA, January 19, 2012
On Tuesday, the Modesto City Schools board, in a divided vote, said “no” to another charter school that wanted to open within the district’s attendance boundaries.
State Supreme Court Upholds Appellate Ruling In Favor Of Charter School in Los Altos
Mecury News, CA, January 19, 2012
Appearing to end years of lawsuits, the California Supreme Court let stand an appellate court ruling that Bullis Charter School in Los Altos has not been offered an adequate campus.
Brown Sharply Differs From Obama On Education Policy
Los Angeles Times, CA, January 20, 2012
In his State of the State address, Brown calls for limits on standardized tests and wants reduced roles for the U.S. and state in local schools.
Don’t Skimp on School Tests
Los Angeles Times, CA, January 20, 2012
Cutting back on such tests, as Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed, will not improve education. The tests remain key yardsticks of achievement.
Pasco School District Mulls A Charter School
Tampa Tribune, FL, January 20, 2012
The Pasco County School District could become a player in the charter school movement. The school district is considering starting a charter school, with the possibility of opening one or more in 2013, district Superintendent Heather Fiorentino said Thursday.
State Says Fulton Science Academy Is Violating Rules
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, January 19, 2012
Fulton Science Academy Middle School has been notified it is in violation of state education rules by beginning construction on a new campus without first getting state approval of its plans.
Tax Credit Elevates Iowa’s Standing For School Choice
Iowa Politics Blog, IA, January 18, 2012
Despite having no school voucher program and only seven charter schools, Iowa fares well nationally as a state giving parents options of how to educate their children.
Otter, Luna Split Over $19.7 Million For Teacher Pay
Idaho Statesman, ID, January 20, 2012
Four days before the Legislature convened, Gov. Butch Otter offered a cryptic answer when I asked if his vow to restore school funding still stood.
Recovery School District Has Become Entrenched in New Orleans Education Landscape
The Times-Picayune, LA, January 19, 2012
Six years after a sweeping act of the Louisiana Legislature put most New Orleans schools in state hands, the question of who will ultimately govern the city’s public education system is still totally unresolved.
Coalition Says Process For Charter School Operators Is Flawed
FOX 8, LA, January 19, 2012
A coalition of local groups that want to operate charter schools in the city is calling on state education leaders to halt the process of approving applications from organizations seeking to operate charter schools.
Is Gov. Lepage Preparing To Propose School Choice?
Bangor Daily News, ME, January 19, 2012
Gov. Paul LePage is among 17 governors who recently signed proclamations declaring next week as National School Choice Week, a sign that Maine’s governor could be ready to announce an initiative that would expand school choice in this state.
School Funding Mandate Hurts Counties
Baltimore Sun, MD, January 19, 2012
Anne Arundel executive says his county has given plenty to education but is being forced to curtail other vital services
New Education Advocacy Groups Seeks New Charter School Law
Maryland Gazette, MD, January 20, 2012
A new education advocacy group is calling for a loosening of Maryland’s charter school law to allow for more school choice and to close achievement gaps.
Fitchburg Charter School ‘Blindsided’ By State Warning
Sentinel and Enterprise, MA, January 20, 2012
North Central Charter Essential School administrators were “blindsided” this week upon learning that state Commissioner of Education Mitchell Chester will recommend that the school be placed on probation as part of its five-year charter-renewal process.
Snyder’s Right: More Money Not Best Answer For Education
Detroit News, MI, January 20, 2012
But some glaring failures remain, and Snyder is proposing bold changes to correct them, using his now-familiar online dashboards and recommending funding based on student outcomes rather than head counts.
False Choices: The Economic Argument Against Market-Driven Education Reform
Twin City Daily Planet, MN, January 19, 2012
After experimenting with market-based, competitive education initiatives for 20 years with little statewide education improvement, it’s time Minnesota returns to what works best: proper education investment and supporting our students and teachers.
Teacher Tenure Is Under Increased Attack
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, January 20, 2012
Efforts to abolish or chip away at teacher tenure and erode collective bargaining have been popping up across the country, most recently with the filing this week of an initiative petition that would eliminate tenure for new teachers in Missouri .
The Pros and Cons of Teacher Tenure
KMOX, MO, January 19, 2012
One of the more divisive issues in Missouri this year is teacher tenure. It’s under attack, and it’s being vigorously defended.
We Need More Voices For More School Choices
Nevada Appeal, NV, January 20, 2012
The purpose of National School Choice Week, Jan. 22-28, is “to shine a spotlight on the need for effective education options for all children.” And nowhere is such exposure needed more than right here in Nevada.
Teachers Union Boots City From Evaluation Training Sessions
New York Daily News, NY, January 19, 2012
This latest wrinkle in the worsening brawl between the teachers union and the city stalls the reform efforts trumpeted last week by the mayor, officials said.
Do Not Blame the Teachers
Times Leader, NY, January 20, 2012
In his State of the City address, Mayor Michael Bloomberg made education reform the cornerstone of his administration’s final two years. The 12th-richest person in the United States continues to believe the take-no-prisoners approach that made him a success on Wall Street will work well in the public school system.
Asheville Schools Ordered To Pay $791,900 To Charter Schools
Ashville Citizen-Times, NC, January 20, 2012
A judge ordered Asheville City Schools to pay nearly $791,900 to three charter schools that sued, saying they were underfunded by the city system.
Possible Conversion of Greeley Elementary To Charter School Sparks TPS Forums
Tulsa World, OK, January 20, 2012
Because Greeley Elementary School could soon close to make way for a new charter school, officials have begun a series of forums to address the questions and concerns of parents of current students.
SRC Revamps School Leadership As Fund Crisis Worsens
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, January 20, 2012
Facing a fiscal crisis of previously unimagined proportions – it must cut $61 million by June and isn’t sure how to get there – the Philadelphia School District’s governing body on Thursday tore up its leadership structure and named a “chief recovery officer” to get the battered organization through the next six months.
School Will Defend Itself Against Charges
The Morning Call, PA, January 19, 2012
Pocono Mountain Charter School will continue to defend itself against charges that aim to tarnish the school’s reputation. But, it is time the school district moves on from this costly legal battle.
Crisis In Chester Upland: Putting Private Profits Above Student Success
Huffington Post, January 19, 2012
Over the past week, an almost unthinkable series of events unfolded in the Chester Upland School District near Philadelphia.
Charter Schools Are Failing The York Community
York Daily Record, PA, January 19, 2012
As we move from Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday towards Black History Month, the state of public education and its impact on our children’s futures should be at the forefront of our discussions and actions.
Educational Choice In Pa. Expands, But Vouchers Remain Out Of Reach
Delaware County Times, PA, January 19, 2012
School choice is advancing in Pennsylvania, even as a public school voucher plan remains stuck in legislative limbo.
Two New Nashville Charter Schools To Be Proposed
The Tennessean, TN, January 20, 2012
At least two charter school applicants will seek approval from the Metro Nashville school board to open in August 2013.
$5 Million Gift Funds Inner-City Catholic Schools in Houston
Houston Chronicle, TX, January 19, 2012
Even though Houston’s home to pioneering charter school programs and plenty of Teach for America staffers in traditional public schools, philanthropists Rich and Nancy Kinder believe Catholic schools may be the best investment for reaching underserved children and communities.
Walker Gives Details to School Reform; Incoming Kindergarteners to Be Screened
Green Bay Press Gazette, WI, January 19, 2012
The two bills would set up a state accountability system to get around parts of the federal No Child Left Behind law, a system to evaluate teachers and principals, a statewide screening of incoming kindergartners, and requirements for elementary school teachers to take a more rigorous licensing exam.
VIRTUAL EDUCATION
Why States Should Require Online Learning
Huffington Post, January 20, 2012
All high school students should take at least one course online while in high school, according to Digital Learning Now!, the state policy project co-chaired by former governors Jeb Bush and Bob Wise. This recommendation, and all 10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning, resulted from the vigorous discourse of 100 experts.
RI Lawmaker Promoting Virtual Education
WPRI, RI, January 19, 2012
Rep. Joseph McNamara (D – Warwick, Cranston ) plans to introduce new legislation to establish the “Statewide Virtual Education Act,” aimed at promoting the use of virtual courses as part of public education.
Blairsville-Saltsburg School District Touts New Virtual Academy
Blairsville Dispatch, PA, January 20, 2012
Blairsville-Saltsburg school officials say the district has saved $202,500 this year by enticing 19 students to enroll in the district’s new virtual academy rather than seeing those pupils depart for outside cyber schools.
Teachable Moments: Gary Avery and His Virtual Classroom
Florida Times Union, FL, January 19, 2012
The Duval County teacher is part of a program that helps students from kindergarten through 12th grade to succeed in the virtual classroom
Coming Fall 2013 … The Coronado Digital Academy?
Coronado Eagle & Journal, CO, January 19, 2012
Thursday, January 5, the Coronado Unified School District conducted a public hearing to determine the viability of establishing a charter school for the city, to be called Coronado Digital Academy . CUSD Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Felix sees several positive elements from establishing the academy, including achieving school board goals of further integrating critical thinking and making all students 21st century learners.
Twin Falls Schools Offering Online Classes Ahead of Online Learning Mandate
Magic Valley Times-News, ID, January 20, 2012
Idaho public schools’ shift toward providing more online classes is a learning experience for students and school administrators alike.
New iPad App for Digital Textbooks Excites Clark County Schools
Las Vegas Sun, NV, January 19, 2012
As Apple Inc. poises to reinvent the textbook market — as it did with the personal computer, music and telecommunications industries — the Clark County School District is looking within its own ranks of digitally pioneering schools to navigate the new classrooms of the 21st century.
SF High School Embraces Digital Learning
ABC7, CA, January 19, 2012
One school is using an innovative approach to teaching using several electronic devices. At International High School in San Francisco, nearly 20 percent of lessons are delivered not in the classroom, but via podcasts by the teacher. The program is called iTunes University; it’s used by many colleges.