Daily Headlines for July 28, 2011
States Brace For Grad Rate Dips As Formula Changes
Associated Press, July 27, 2011
States are bracing for plummeting high school graduation rates as districts nationwide dump flawed measurement formulas that often undercounted dropouts and produced inflated results.
Teachers Set To Rally In D.C. For Education Reforms
Palm Beach Post, FL, July 28, 2011
A Palm Beach County face will share the stage with actor Matt Damon and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch during an education march this weekend in Washington, D.C.
School Vouchers: No Clear Advantage in Academic Achievement
Huffington Post, NY, July 27, 2011
In the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s, private school advocates tried to build support for tuition vouchers, payments of public tax funds for private school tuition. President Richard Nixon most notably endorsed this idea.
The No Child Left Behind Act’s Fatal Flaw
Baltimore Sun, MD, July 28, 2011
Thank you for drawing attention to the flaws of the No Child Left Behind Act (“A failing law,” July 19). After years of reading about the inadequacies of the public school system, it was refreshing to read an editorial that acknowledged “the faulty way the law was constructed” as a significant factor in how many schools are now labeled failing.
FROM THE STATES
ARIZONA
Committee Exploring Union Of Arizona School Districts
Arizona Republic, AZ, July 28, 2011
State-mandated unification and consolidation of school districts in the past has not fared well with wary Arizona voters.
CALIFORNIA
Protesters Upset Over Changes At 2 South L.A. Middle Schools
Los Angeles Times Blog, CA, July 27, 2011
About 75 demonstrators gathered Wednesday afternoon to protest the removal of a Los Angeles middle school principal and the conversion of another South L.A. campus to a charter school.
Two Bills Would Put Pressure On Charter Schools
Fresno Bee, CA, July 27, 2011
Two new bills in Sacramento could put more pressure on charter schools to scrap their alternative curriculums and improve standardized test scores.
CONNECTICUT
Charter School Students Closing Achievement Gap
Hartford Courant, CT, July 27, 2011
Students at charter schools are making significant strides narrowing academic achievement gaps – between poor and affluent students, between urban and suburban schools and between minority and white students – according to a new analysis of the 2011 Connecticut Mastery Test released Wednesday.
FLORIDA
New Law Boosts Enrollment in Tax Credit Voucher
Sunshine State News, FL, July 28, 2011
Thanks to tinkering from the Florida Legislature, enrollment in Florida’s corporate tax credit vouchers soared last year, with a 20 percent increase in students.
Charter, Private Schools Siphon Hillsborough Enrollment Growth
Tampa Tribune, FL, July 28, 2011
Hillsborough County’s public school enrollment is projected to shrink so much the district plans to build only one school in the next five years.
GEORGIA
New Jumps in Test Scores Put Some Atlanta Schools on the Radar
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, July 28, 2011
The odds that these improvements were obtained by honest means aren’t as long as the AJC has found in the past, but they are still statistically unusual. Principals and parents say the improvements were due to exceptional efforts, but others say the scores deserve a closer look.
IDAHO
Schools Rush to Prepare for Merit Pay Law
Magic Valley Times-News, ID, July 28, 2011
Educators are working on customized plans that will set the stage for future decisions about which teachers are awarded bonuses based on student performance. With the Legislature’s approval of a package of education reform bills, districts are now tasked with crafting plans that reflect the needs and priorities of their schools.
ILLINOIS
Charter Schools Press CPS For More Money
Chicago Tribune, IL, July 27, 2011
Charter school advocates are asking Chicago Public Schools to give more money to charter schools in the upcoming school year.
IOWA
Tall Order For Education Reform
The Gazette, IA, July 28, 2011
Now that the state education summit is over, Iowa Department of Education Director Jason Glass and other members of Gov. Terry Branstad’s staff are charged with sifting through the sometimes-conflicting opinions, philosophies and interpretations of data presented by the summit’s distinguished guests.
LOUISIANA
RSD Develops Contingency To Operate Abramson If School’s Charter Is Revoked
Times Picayune, LA, July 27, 2011
The head of the state’s Recovery School District laid out contingency plans Wednesday for operating a charter school in eastern New Orleans that has come under state investigation.
MASSACHUSETTS
Trial Date Set For Charter School Case
Boston Globe, MA, July 28, 2011
The short, turbulent history of the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School moved to the courts again last week, when an Essex County judge denied a bid by 15 Gloucester parents to shut down the school while also allowing the suit to continue, setting a January trial date to determine the future of the school.
NEW JERSEY
Teacher Swap Quashed
Wall Street Journal, July 28, 2011
When Newark’s public school system accepted $5 million from the federal government last year to turn around the
poorly performing Malcolm X. Shabazz High School, it agreed to replace at least half of the school’s teachers, under the belief that principals could then hire better ones.
Nine N.J. Schools To Share $55M In Federal Grant Money To Boost Academic Performance
Star-Ledger, NJ, July 28, 2011
Nine of the state’s most troubled schools will share $55 million in federal grant money to boost their academic performance using bold approaches, which could include firing half of a school’s teaching staff or principal, the state Department of Education said today.
N.J. Must Address Problems At Failing Urban Schools
Times of Trenton , NJ, July 28, 2011
In just a few short weeks, students across New Jersey will begin a new school year. For most, there will be a sense of anticipation and promise as they enter schools that have high standards and highly motivated teachers and classmates.
NEW YORK
Tenure Gets Tougher
Wall Street Journal, July 28, 2011
Two of every five of New York City’s newest teachers will have to wait another year to find out if they will get tenure, as city officials put the brakes on awarding what they see as a lifetime job protection.
Once Nearly 100%, Teacher Tenure Rate Drops to 58% as Rules Tighten
New York Times, NY, July 28, 2011
The era of automatic tenure for teachers in New York City is over, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said on Wednesday.
Plans Gel For Charter School
Albany Times Union, NY, July 28, 2011
The city may once again have a charter school in time for the 2012-13 school year.
RHODE ISLAND
Cranston City Council Seeks Answers On Proposed Charter School
Providence Journal, RI, July 27, 2011
The City Council has given 14 days for Mayor Allan W. Fung to show the financial impact a proposed charter public school district led by him would have on taxpayers and the running of the city-run school district.
TENNESSEE
Shelby County School Board Approves Contract For Charter School In Bartlett
Commercial Appeal, TN, July 27, 2011
Before the Shelby County school board approved its first contract with a charter school, board members peppered an official for an hour Wednesday with nonstop questions about his operations.
New Teacher Evaluations Lauded
The Tennessean, TN, July 28, 2011
Tennessee’s new teacher evaluation system will give educators frequent feedback on their performance and will dismiss those whose failings can’t be fixed with training, state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman told House lawmakers Wednesday.
UTAH
Utah Lawmaker Pitches New Vision For Tuition Tax Credits
Salt Lake Tribune, UT, July 27, 2011
A Utah lawmaker said Wednesday his hope to create tuition tax credits for private schools doesn’t equal another attempt to implement school vouchers.
WYOMING
Education Accountability System Moves Forward
Billings Gazette, WY, July 27, 2011
Work to create a state education accountability system began last month but has a long way to go before the Legislature convenes in February.
VIRTUAL EDUCATION
Clayton Alternative Students to Attend ‘Virtual Academy’
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, July 27, 2011
Students in the county’s alternative programs and those who aren’t performing well in a traditional classroom will attend a ” Virtual Academy ,” said school board chairwoman Pam Adamson.
Virtual Charter School in Oklahoma Hits Snag for Physical Locations
The Oklahoman, OK, July 28, 2011
The state Education Department sent a letter to Epic One on One Charter Schools requesting they cease enrollment at three physical locations that may be in violation of state law.
‘Virtual’ Public Schools May Be Wave of the Future
WOAI, TX, July 27, 2011
It may just be the wave of the future, and it will allow your child to attend school without having to get out of their PJs.
Online School Provides
Lahontan Valley News, NV, July 27, 2011
The Chapman children attend public school, but not the kind where they take a bus every morning to school and sit among dozens of students throughout the day fighting for the individual attention each needs.
Leggett Valley Unified Enters The Virtual World; School District Offers Online K-12 School
The Times-Standard, CA, July 27, 2011
Parents and students looking to break out of the traditional classroom setting can now attend school online through Leggett Valley Unified School District.