Vol. 17, No. 46 In the spirit of Thanksgiving, this week’s Newswire showcases just a few things we’re thankful for here at The Center for Education Reform: ALLOWING TEACHERS TO BE REWARDED FOR WORK WELL DONE. In cities that boldly advanced performance pay, some teachers are making as much as $100K. We are grateful for…

Vol. 17, No. 45 WORK BY RULE? Unions are at it again, this time in Maryland’s Anne Arundel County, where teachers are being asked to stick to the bare minimum of their contract. The union even has a playbook to push their adult-centric agenda. Just another reason why CER continues to fight for changes to…

Vol. 17, No. 34 IF NOT HERE, WHERE? That was the slogan on CICS Larry Hawkins charter school students’ shirts yesterday at a press conference called by the school to protest its slated closure by Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The school improved from a Level 3 to a Level 2 in just one year, but in…

Vol. 17, No. 43 VOICES OF EDREFORM. Can you hear them? Thousands are advocating for school choice and accountability daily and CER’s You Tube channel has access to many of the leaders who have made edreform happen nationwide. When you need a quick pick me up or want to convince another to come along, have…

Vol. 17, No. 42 VICTORY IN TN. Last Friday, the Tennessee State Board of Education made its first-ever binding charter school appeal, approving two KIPP schools for Nashville. Thanks to an update to The Volunteer State’s charter school law in 2014 making the appeal process binding, districts like Nashville can no longer unfairly deny much-needed…

Vol. 17, No. 41 CERBERUS IN MOTOR CITY? Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s latest plan announced yesterday to fix the woes of Detroit Public Schools is more akin to Greek mythology’s three-headed beast Cerberus, charged with guarding Hades against the strength and will of proven Herculean efforts that would actually bring about substantive change. Based on the…

Vol. 14, No. 40 #DEMDEBATE. Last night’s Democratic presidential debate was pretty disappointing for all interested in K-12 education, as talk of the cost of higher education overshadowed ensuring kids are actually armed with an excellent education before they get there. Perhaps not surprising though, after Democratic candidates were invited to attend a summit on K-12…

Vol. 17, No. 39 NEW SHERIFF AT 400 MARYLAND AVE. Last week, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced his resignation. A thank you for his service and well wishes to him and his family are in order. While Duncan has been fairly supportive of charter schools, he hasn’t been so supportive of other forms of…

Vol. 17, No. 38 MORATORIUM MADNESS. Nearly all Chicago aldermen (42 out of 50) have signed a resolution seeking a moratorium on new charter schools in the Windy City and across the state. The Illinois Network of Charter Schools says it best, writing the proposed moratorium is misguided and fails to acknowledge the reality that…

Vol. 17, No. 37 CATHOLIC SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT. In honor of the Pope coming to town, we’re highlighting a few facts about Catholic schools, a rich tradition in U.S. education that has provided an alternative education to many families. Catholic schools’ academic and community benefits are many, and while Catholic schools have struggled to survive, a…