States Face Delays in Implementing Race to the Top
Associated Press, January 10, 2012
Several states that won a slice of the U.S. Department of Education’s $4.3 billion Race to the Top competition have had to delay plans to implement ambitious reforms and two could possibly lose money if they don’t get back on track.
NCLB’s Lesson in Reality
Charleston Post Courier, SC, January 10, 2012
The No Child Left Behind Act has predictably fallen short of its lofty aims. But it did teach a refresher course in the validity of this maxim: Beware of promises that sound too good to be true.
Three Steps To Fix Our Schools
Baltimore Sun, MD, January 9, 2012
The nation’s public schools have been battered by a continuing stream of bad news in the past few years, challenging what at one time was considered one of the world’s leading education systems. In 2010, the results of international testing comparing students in 34 developed countries showed a stunning decline in U.S. test scores.
Teacher Training Should Be Focus – Ahead Of Evaluations
Orlando Sentinel, FL, January 10, 2012
There is much talk around the country about how teachers should be evaluated, paid and hired. It is surprising that so few address how teachers are trained in the first place.
New Study Offers Room To Negotiate On Valuing Good Teachers
St. Louis Post Dispatch, MO, January 10, 2012
Good teachers make a difference. That hardly qualifies as news. But combined with a serious statistical analysis of how much difference the best teachers can make in the future earnings capacity of their students, that simple declarative sentence gains a certain gravitas.
Governors Association Examines Teacher Merit Pay
US News & World Report Blog, January 9, 2012
Many pro-reform education experts, including U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, will tell you that one of the most important factors in a child’s education is the quality of the teacher—and the way to retain the best teachers is to pay them more. But states and teachers unions nationwide are having trouble agreeing on how their salaries should be determined.
STATE COVERAGE
ARIZONA
Education Gets Needed Focus
Arizona Republic, AZ, January 10, 2012
The centennial played a starring role in Gov. Jan Brewer’s annual State of the State address Monday. As she told the tale of the past 100 years and looked ahead to the future, one priority stood out: education.
ARKANSAS
Ed Board Oks Four Charter Schools
Arkansas News, AR, January 9, 2012
Superintendents and other officials of the districts said the charter schools would offer project-based learning. The applications included waivers from certain requirements which would allow innovation, the officials said.
CALIFORNIA
Families Protest Hennessy School Proposals
The Union of Grass Valley, CA, January 10, 2012
As many as 20 parents, former students and children protested Monday night outside Hennessy School against a couple facility-consolidating proposals Grass Valley School District administrators are considering.
LAUSD to Consider Wider Options for School Choice
Daily Breeze, CA, January 9, 2012
Faced with increasing competition for district students, the Los Angeles Unified school board will consider proposals that would dismantle the tradition of neighborhood schools and let parents send children to the campus of their choice.
Parents Catching Up Under No Child Left Behind
Modesto Bee, CA, January 9, 2012
Parents were supposed to get power under the No Child Left Behind Act to recognize failing schools and choose to leave them or help fix them.
COLORADO
CO’s Teacher Tenure Rules Go To Lawmakers Early
Denver Post, CO, January 10, 2012
A new statewide teacher rating system in Colorado could be among the first measures awaiting state lawmakers Wednesday.
CONNECTICUT
State Ed Chief Seeks To Avoid Charter School Bias Questions
Westport News, CT, January 9, 2012
Gary Peluchette worries new state Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor’s extensive background as founder of an influential charter school organization gives those institutions an advantage as the state pursues education reforms.
DELAWARE
Culture Change Urged in Schools
New Journal, DE, January 10, 2012
In a speech to the state’s business and political leaders Monday night, Marvin N. Schoenhals, leader of the Vision 2015 school reform project, outlined his vision for Delaware’s public schools, called on the teachers union to make changes and challenged those in attendance to get involved in education reform.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
D.C. Behind Schedule in Meeting Race to the Top Promises
Washington Post, DC, January 10, 2012
In the first year of Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s signature effort to reform education, Maryland met its obligations, but the District has fallen behind schedule because of leadership turnover within its school administration, according to a report card to be released Tuesday by federal officials.
GOP Bills Press the Case for School Reform
Washington Times, DC, January 9, 2012
Despite signs that federal school reform legislation is all but dead until at least next year, House Republicans have released the final two pieces of their proposed replacement for the decade-old No Child Left Behind law.
FLORIDA
Another Fla. School Voucher Expansion Planned
Miami Herald, FL, January 9, 2012
A bill that would again expand tax-credit vouchers that let low-income children attend private schools at taxpayer expense is advancing in the Florida Legislature.
GEORGIA
Bill to Tie Teacher Performance to Layoffs Clears Senate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, January 9, 2012
The state Senate voted Monday to ban local school boards from considering only a teacher’s hiring date when deciding whether to lay off him or her — or risk losing state funding if they don’t comply.
Waiver Ties Teacher Evals, Test Scores
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, January 10, 2012
Georgia’s 180 school districts soon may have no choice but to evaluate teachers largely on their students’ progress and test scores.
ILLINOIS
Parent Group, Union Question Push For Longer School Day
Chicago Tribune, IL, January 10, 2012
While the mayor on Monday defended his choice of lengthening the school day to 71/2 hours, saying the number was “not arbitrary,” the teachers union and a parent group maintained that research does not support such a long day.
KENTUCKY
Board Approves Merit Pay At Four Schools
WLKY Louisville, KY, January 10, 2012
Jefferson County School Board members made an unprecedented move, choosing to overhaul four failing schools by installing a form of merit pay for teachers there.
LOUISIANA
Gov. Rightfully Makes Education A Priority
Shreveport Times, LA, January 10, 2012
As for Gov. Bobby Jindal’s second inaugural we’ll note that the second term incumbent made his theme for the next four years as crystal clear as the BCS trophy: education. Indeed, it is the hinge for any future success.
NEW JERSEY
Education Reform Bills Approved
Asbury Park Press, NJ, January 10, 2012
The second measure, called the Urban Hope Act, allows for up to four privately operated public schools to be authorized and built each in Newark, Trenton and Camden. In Camden officials are specifically targeting the new Lanning Square School , to fall under the program.
The State of the Governor’s Education Agenda
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, January 10, 2012
On the last day of its session yesterday, New Jersey’s state legislature passed one pilot bill to open up a dozen “renaissance schools” and another to allow districts to move school elections to November.
NEW YORK
State Warned on Race to Top
Wall Street Journal, January 10, 2012
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan warned New York state on Monday to deliver its promise to overhaul teacher evaluations and develop a comprehensive student data-tracking system or risk losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants.
City Seeks to Close Two Charter Schools
New York Times, NY, January 9, 2012
New York City’s Department of Education announced plans on Monday to close two long-troubled charter schools in Brooklyn and Queens at the end of this school year.
Teacher Evaluations Benefit Students and Instructors
Buffalo News, NY, January 10, 2012
New York State Education Commissioner John B. King Jr. recently notified the Buffalo Public Schools that the state would be suspending School Improvement Grant funding to the district due to the failure of the unions and district to come to a sufficient agreement on how to implement a new teacher evaluation plan.
NORTH CAROLINA
Chapel Hill Charter School Proposal To Be Reviewed Today
Daily Tar Heel, NC, January 10, 2012
The application for a new charter school in Chapel Hill — a source of worry for some school officials and community members — could move forward in the approval process today.
OHIO
Norton Officials State Concerns About Proposed Charter School
Akron Beacon Journal, OH, January 10, 2012
A City Council hearing over whether to allow a Wayne County charter school to open in the city drew opponents Monday night.
PENNSYLVANIA
State Helped Make This Mess
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, January 10, 2012
In its treatment of the district, not only has the state seemingly lost sight of its role as the ultimate provider of a thorough and efficient education for every Pennsylvania child, it has also made the woefully mismanaged Chester Upland district a poster child for much of what’s wrong in urban public education today.
Some Moving Out of Troubled Chester Upland School District
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, January 10, 2012
With Delaware County ‘s beleaguered Chester Upland School District nearing insolvency, some parents are moving out of the city or placing their children in other schools.
Charter Schools Under Microscope
The Morning Call, PA, January 9, 2012
The Bethlehem Area District plans to watch the academic and financial performances of local charter schools through a newly created evaluation tool.
TENNESSEE
Tennessee Praised for Race to the Top Progress
Commercial Appeal, TN, January 10, 2012
In its first report on the $4.35 billion in Race to the Top funds, the U.S. Department of Education Monday issued mostly glowing reviews of first-year progress in nine states, including Tennessee , while reserving judgment on Hawaii , Florida and New York , where progress is less sure.
VIRGINIA
Virginia Governor Highlights Education Initiatives
Washington Times, DC, January 9, 2012
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s education initiatives for kindergarten though 12th grade are likely to draw some bipartisan support in the coming General Assembly session — but they also have given out-of-power Democrats a toehold for their new role as the effective minority party.
Charter School Can’t Get Out From Under Controversy
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, January 10, 2012
The founding board members of Richmond’s first charter school just can’t get out of its way and let it succeed or fail on its own merits.
Regional School Leaders Endorse Overhaul Plan
Roanoke Times, VA, January 10, 2012
Officials from eight public school divisions in the Roanoke region gathered Monday morning to endorse a proposal to overhaul the state’s kindergarten through 12th grade education system, including moving away from standardized multiple choice tests and toward merit pay for teachers.
VIRTUAL EDUCATION
Tigard-Tualatin’s Online School Will Launch With Temporary Home
The Oregonian, OR, January 9, 2012
Tigard-Tualatin’s online school will launch in time for spring semester, although its newly-leased home base in Tualatin won’t be ready yet.