Obama Administration Must Retool No Child Left Behind Law
Seattle Times, WA, July 7, 2011
A showdown over the No Child Left Behind federal education law can be avoided if the Obama administration spells out how it plans to give states relief from key provisions of the law.
Arne Duncan: How Dream Act Can Cut Deficit
National Public Radio, July 7, 2011
During Obama’s Twitter Town Hall meeting Wednesday, several questions focused on U.S. schools’ needs and budgets. Host Michel Martin and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan discuss No Child Left Behind, the plan aimed to improve failing public schools; as well as the Dream Act, which would create a path to citizenship for some undocumented youth.
FROM THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
Stealth Attack on California’s Schools
Los Angeles Times, CA, July 8, 2011
AB 114 was passed to appease the California Teachers Assn., to the detriment of school districts, which are already in serious financial straits.
Teachers From Low-Performing Schools Face Stigma On Job Search
Los Angeles Times, CA, July 8, 2011
In a bizarre game of musical chairs, nearly 1,000 Los Angeles teachers – who are guaranteed jobs somewhere in the school system – have been hunting for a school that wants them. And hundreds of them have to counter a stigma that they are undesirable castoffs, because they previously worked at low-performing schools that are being restructured.
Manteca Unified, Great Valley & Public Education
Manteca Bulletin, CA, July 7, 2011
Competition in public education is about to arrive in Manteca. Some two decades after the concept of charter schools was first rolled out in Sacramento, Great Valley Academy is preparing to open next month.
INDIANA
School Takeover Hearings Leave A Lot To Think About
Indianapolis Star, IN, July 8, 2011
The Indiana Department of Education recently finished the last of the local hearings on the possibility of state intervention at up to seven IPS schools. Here are several thoughts I had while sitting through most of the hearings:
Vouchers Offer Great Deal For All Taxpayers
Indianapolis Star, IN, July 8, 2011
Contrary to the constant drivel from teacher unions and pundits like Dan Carpenter, school vouchers will partially remedy the historic inequitable distribution of tax revenues at the expense of those who chose to educate their children in private schools.
LOUISIANA
New Orleans Catholic School Chief OK With Voucher Standards
Times Picayune, LA, July 7, 2011
The new head of New Orleans area Catholic schools predicts significant improvements next year at Catholic schools accepting students whose tuition is paid with government vouchers. And she says the Catholic schools would not object to the state imposing performance standards on those schools.
MARYLAND
First Charter School Eyed For Montgomery County
Washington Times, DC, July 7, 2011
Montgomery County school officials appear poised to approve the county’s first charter school, but want more time before reaching a final decision.
MICHIGAN
Lansing School Board Will Give Parents Voice In Restructuring
Lansing State Journal, MI, July 8, 2011
Lansing school board members are not sure yet what the process will look like, but they promise district families they will get an opportunity this summer and fall to help shape the district’s future.
NEVADA
Model for Nevada
Las Vegas Sun, NV, July 8, 2011
After much drama and litigation, those reforms finally took effect last week. So are Wisconsin school districts collapsing on top of defenseless kids? Not yet. In fact, Gov. Walker’s law is giving some districts the fiscal and operational flexibility to benefit students and teachers.
OHIO
School Rankings Rate Low With Educators
Columbus Dispatch, OH, July 8, 2011
Starting next year, Ohio’s 3,500 public schools will be ranked best to worst in annual reports issued by the state.
Margaretta: Charter Schools Will Help At-Risk Students
Sandusky Register, OH, July 8, 2011
The Margaretta Board of Education approved establishing an independent charter school at an emergency meeting Thursday.
OKLAHOMA
State Superintendent Met Cautious Support From Local Leaders At OKC Meeting
Oklahoman, OK, July 8, 2011
Oklahoma state schools Superintendent Janet Barresi delivered her first state of education address Thursday at the Cox Convention Center to a mixed-house of supporters and protesters.
PENNSYLVANIA
Bad Teacher:” Evaluations Aim To Find Them
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, July 8, 2011
So although a proposal by Gov. Corbett, backed by a bill from Sen. Jeffrey Piccola to include student test scores in the factors that go into evaluating a teacher has many merits, we are cautious about endorsing such a plan without some caveats.
RHODE ISLAND
Plan For 5 Charters Up To R.I. Regents
Providence Journal, RI, July 7, 2011
For months, a plan to open as many as five charter schools in Cranston and Providence under the control of the cities’ mayors has stirred up a storm of debate over who controls local schools and the taxpayer money that pays for them.
TENNESSEE
Charter Schools Have A Place
Commercial Appeal, TN, July 8, 2011
KIPP expands: KIPP Memphis’ expansion plans will give under- performing students more options to succeed academically.
TEXAS
Texas Bill Gives Charter Schools Momentum in Financing Growth: Muni Credit
Bloomberg, July 8, 2011
Texas will join Colorado in providing state backing for charter-school bond offerings, a move that may spur debt sales while reducing some issuers’ borrowing costs in a growing part of the municipal market.
KIPP Helps Grow College Funds
Houston Chronicle, TX, July 7, 2011
With her youngest about to start his senior year in high school, the 49-year-old is finally about to open her family’s first college savings account. She plans to scrape together $20 a week, money that will be matched by an ambitious program being piloted by the KIPP charter school giant, the Corporation for Enterprise Development and the United Negro College Fund, now called UNCF.
VIRTUAL LEARNING
A Different Kind Of Education
Indianapolis Star, IN, July 8, 2011
Welcome to online high school, where students read, take tests and talk to teachers without a classroom. Lawalin teaches summer school now, but come fall, she will join about 20 other teachers to launch Achieve Virtual Education Academy — Indiana’s first statewide online-only public high school.
Cambridge Lakes Rolling Out New Virtual School
Northwest Herald, IL, July 8, 2011
The Cambridge Academy is set to roll out its virtual learning curriculum this fall. The Illinois Board of Education recently approved the Cambridge Lakes Charter School ‘s academic software for kindergarten through 12th-grade students.
Bluesky School May Join Regular District
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN, July 7, 2011
Officials in the West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan district have been discussing a deal that could allow much of BlueSky’s program to survive while helping the traditional district branch out into online education.
Enrollment Booms At Virtual School
The Press-Enterprise, CA, July 7, 2011
Taylion Virtual Academy began a new year and a summer school session on Tuesday with a significantly higher enrollment than it had during the 2010-11 academic year.