Vol. 17, No. 36 NO SPECIAL SESSION. Seattle teachers are still striking, while charter school students are still in school as the September 24 deadline for a reconsideration of the State Supreme Court ruling declaring charter schools unconstitutional draws nearer.  Supporters called on Governor Jay Inslee to call a special session to #SaveWAcharterschools, but on…

Vol. 17 No. 35 #SAVEWACHARTERSCHOOLS. As Americans were getting ready to enjoy Labor Day weekend late Friday afternoon, the Washington State Supreme Court handed down a ruling that deemed the state’s newly opened public charter schools – which were filled to capacity – unconstitutional. Rick Hess calls this move “especially gutless,” and we have to…

Vol. 17 No. 34 PROFESSIONALISM PREVAILS. Teachers are growing increasingly dissatisfied having to join a group that doesn’t always align with their personal beliefs, particularly when it comes to the workplace and reform, according to the Association of American Educators’ (AAE) latest survey about the workplace and pension policies. Representing views from teachers in every…

Vol. 17, No. 33 BACK TO SCHOOL. As many students and teachers – and undoubtedly parents! – celebrated the #FirstDayofSchool yesterday, we can’t help but think about the number of parents and students who still don't have access to excellent schools. With just six percent of the total K-12 school-aged population taking advantage of choice…

Vol. 17, No. 32 INFORMATION IS POWER. Everyone knows that parents can make great choices when they have good information and an opportunity to use it. That opportunity is only available in states and communities that permit a wide variety of options to parents. Since 1993 CER has been advocating for increased Parent Power!, and…

Vol. 17, No. 31 CATHOLIC SCHOOL COMEBACK. According to a new report from Faith in the Future, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will have happy news to share with Pope Francis when he comes to visit in September. Philadelphia Catholic schools are projecting a growth in the number of students they serve, and the high school…

Vol. 17, No. 30 KATRINA LESSONS. “New Orleans isn’t perfect, but there are lessons that can be learned from its education reforms,” writes Jason Russell in a Washington Examiner piece detailing a dysfunctional education system in the Big Easy, and how charter schools have helped turn it around since Hurricane Katrina. Stories of schools going above…

Vol. 17, No. 29 STUDENT RIGHTS, ROUND 2. A second lawsuit in defense of student rights is underway in California, this time under the name Jane Doe, et al. v. Antioch Unified School District, et al. Just as the Vergara v. California suit sought to uphold the constitutional rights of students by reversing unproductive teacher…

Vol. 17, No. 28 DANGEROUS AMENDMENT. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act is still being debated this week in Congress, and CER got wind of an amendment that’s a veiled attempt at destroying charter schools. Under the guise of accountability, union-backed Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has introduced an amendment that would force states to comply…

Vol. 17, No. 27 ESEA. The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) has gotten as far as it ever has, and the debate about what role the federal government should play in education continues today at 2:30pm on the Senate floor. It’s been stressed that civil rights is the education issue of…