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Daily Headlines for December 27, 2011

Teacher Evaluation Reform Spreading Across The Nation
The Oklahoman, OK, December 25, 2011

Oklahoma is not the first state to adopt a teacher evaluation system based in part on student test results, but is part of a growing trend across states and schools to move to the growth or value added evaluation models.

STATE COVERAGE

Charter School Becomes A Success Story
Anchorage Daily News, AK, December 26, 2011

Turning berry picking into a math lesson is one example of an approach that is helping students at the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School make remarkable gains in achievement scores.

Arizona School System Braces For Biggest Shake-Up In Decades
Tucson Citizen, AZ, December 24, 2011

Arizona is putting in place some of the biggest changes in public schools in two decades. Over the next three years, the reforms will shake up what students learn and when they are promoted, as well as how teachers are evaluated and schools are graded.

Charter School Plans Filed With City
North County Times, CA, December 26, 2011

Santa Rosa Academy in the last few weeks has taken another step toward building its new school in the heart of Menifee.

Teachers Union Sues Sacramento City Schools Over Seniority Rights In Layoffs
Sacramento Bee, CA, December 25, 2011

The Sacramento City Unified School District is fighting a civil lawsuit filed by its teachers union over teacher seniority rights in rehiring after layoffs.

STEM Charter High School Planned at DSU
News Journal, DE, December 26, 2011

The model they saw in action on their visits is known as “Early College High School .” And if the state approves its charter school application, DSU will open the first school of that type in Delaware on its Dover campus by the fall of 2013.

Keep a Watchful Eye on High Cost of School Reform
Washington Times, DC, December 25, 2011

There’s a nasty little

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Daily Headlines: December 23, 2011

Charter Schools: The Debate Continues
CNN Blog, December 22, 2011

With recent statistics indicating that more students than ever are enrolled in charter schools, there’s no end in sight to the ongoing debate over which is more effective in educating our kids: Traditional public or charter schools. A newly released report offers potential talking points for both sides.

After Missing Out Last Year, 7 States to Share Almost $200 Million in Education Grants
New York Times, NY, December 23, 2011

Seven states that narrowly lost out in last year’s Race to the Top school improvement competition will share nearly $200 million in the latest round of winners announced Thursday by federal education officials.

Schools Look to Donors
Wall Street Journal, December 23, 2011

Wealthy donors have created a fund to pay the salary of a new Bridgeport school superintendent, ushering in hopes of a new era of private money for reform efforts in Connecticut’s most troubled school system.

STATE COVERAGE

Is Menino The Education Mayor Or Not?
Boston Globe, MA, December 23, 2011

IF MAYOR Menino passes over an educator like Meg Campbell for an open seat on the Boston School Committee, he should turn in his credentials as the education mayor.

Eva Moskowitz vs. Cobble Hill
Amsterdam News, NY, December 23, 2011

It looks like controversial charter school operator Eva Moskowitz is moving into one of the more posh New York City neighborhoods, with the aid of the New York City Board of Education.

In D.C. Charter Schools, A Wide Variety Of Challenges
Washington Post, DC, December 22, 2011

At D.C. Prep Edgewood Middle School, one of the city’s top-ranked charter schools, showing up without a belt as part of your uniform gets you a half-hour detention at the end of the day. So does getting to your seat a minute late, at 8:01 a.m.

Two Charter Schools Recommended For

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Daily Headlines: December 22, 2011

Charter Schools Must Succeed Or Close
Washington Times, DC, December 21, 2011

Unlike their traditional counterparts, charter schools aren’t guaranteed an endless existence. And that, supporters say, is a good thing.

Charter Schools Rarely Closed For Academic Performance: Report
Huffington Post, December 21, 2011

In nearly two decades, only 3 percent of charter schools have ever been closed for underperforming, according to a new report released Tuesday.

Reducing Inequality in Our Schools
New York Times, NY, December, 22, 2011

Helen F. Ladd and Edward B. Fiske are right to remind us of the disadvantages faced by poor children in our high-stakes educational system (“Class Matters. Why Won’t We Admit It?,” Op-Ed, Dec. 12).

Gingrich, Romney, Obama — Education Triplets
Washington Post, DC, December 21, 2011

The battle for the White House 2012 has little to do with selecting an education president. That issue is almost never mentioned on the campaign trail. Some candidates don’t even bother to include it on their Web sites.

States Expand ‘Disadvantaged’ Category To Address Racial Gap
Washington Times, DC, December 21, 2011

A number of states struggling with vast racial achievement gaps in schools may have found a way around the problem: Lump blacks and Hispanics with handicapped and poor children.

Segregated Charter Schools Evoke Separate But Equal Era in U.S.
Bloomberg, December 22, 2011

Six decades after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down “separate but equal” schools for blacks and whites; segregation is growing because of charter schools, privately run public schools that educate 1.8 million U.S. children. While charter-school leaders say programs targeting ethnic groups enrich education, they are isolating low-achievers and damaging diversity, said Myron Orfield, a lawyer and demographer.

The Paradox of Merit Pay
American Thinker, December 22, 2011

A recent study from The American Enterprise Institute and The Heritage Foundation compared teacher salaries to their counterparts in the private sector and concluded

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Daily Headlines: December 21, 2011

Charter School Proponents Focus On Accountability In Word If Not In Deed
Huffington Post, December 20, 2011

The most recent call to close underperforming charter schools came not from a teachers’ union or a school district, but from a charter-school trade association.

In Education, Focus On What We Can Control
Indianapolis Star, IN, December 21, 2011

When I’m asked about the issue of neglectful parenting and the impact it has on schools, I often offer a confession: While I don’t want to diminish the problem, I have no clue as to how to address it. I don’t see how a new law or policy would improve the situation.

STATE COVERAGE

Can Clergy Run Charter Schools?
Orange County Register, CA, December 21, 2011

A decision by school officials in Compton to deny a charter school application filed by a Christian pastor inspired the first California lawsuit filed by a new Orange County-based legal activist group that focuses on economic and individual liberty.

Chino Valley Board To Decide Whether To Renew Charter For County’s Top Performing School
Contra Costa Times, CA, December 20, 2011

A vote next week by the Chino Valley Unified School Board could determine whether San Bernardino County ‘s highest-performing school remains open past the end of the school year.

Why Rocketship Will, Must Work
San Jose Inside, CA, December 20, 2011

In my 38 years in public education, I never witnessed as consequential a vote as was taken on Dec. 14 and the early morning hours of Dec. 15. The Santa Clara County Office of Education Board, on a very controversial 5-2 and 4-3 vote, approved 20 new Rocketship Education charter schools in Silicon Valley .

Malloy Maps Education Push for Connecticut
Wall Street Journal Blog, December 20, 2011

Spurred by a second loss of federal education grant money and a so far unfulfilled campaign promise to reform Connecticut’s

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Daily Headlines: December 20, 2011

STEM and Urban Schools: Opportunities to Escape Poverty’s Cycle
US News & World Report Blog, December 19, 2011

Despite your problems–too many low income residents, too much crime–it is possible to help children in your communities break the cycle of poverty.

Teacher Tenure At Issue In Improving Education
Deseret News, UT, December 20, 2011

Now, more than four years later, the idea that firing bad teachers will make schools better is catching on. States like Idaho , Tennessee and Florida are all in the process of implementing reforms that would make public school employment contingent on some measure of teacher effectiveness.

STATE COVERAGE

Lodi’s Rio Valley Charter School Might Be A ‘Strange Bird’ — But Students Are Flocking To It
Lodi News-Sentinel, CA, December 20, 2011

Rio Valley began with 125 students on Lower Sacramento Road as a satellite of Heritage Peak Charter School in Sacramento four years ago. But in 2009, school staff wanted to expand their program and become their own school.

Up Next — Education Unions’ Plans To Reform Schools
Connecticut Mirror, CT, December 19, 2011

What students and parents didn’t know was that things were about to change. The teachers’ union had a plan, and the University of Connecticut’s highly regarded education college was there to help. That plan called for the school’s teachers and parents to vote to make the management decisions themselves so initiatives would no longer be stalled at the central office.

State’s Educators Are At The Forefront Of School Improvement
News Journal, DE, December 20, 2011

No community decision is more important than how we will educate our children. And the Delaware State Education Association practices the Delaware Way as we engage in the public arena on behalf of education and educators.

Emulate These Schools
Miami Herald, FL, December 19, 2011

Charter schools give parents another choice beyond public and private. Some of

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Daily Headlines: December 19, 2011

Schools Race Teaches States A Hard Lesson
Washington Times, DC, December 18, 2011

Every race has losers, and the Obama administration’s Race to the Top education grant competition is proving to be no exception.

Education’s Coconut Cake Problem
Boston Globe, MA, December 18, 2011

There are public schools that are performing near miracles in deeply troubled urban districts, but nobody, not even those who run these schools, can say for sure what makes them work. Everyone has their theory – a longer school day, a little more discipline – but nobody knows the actual recipe.

STATE COVERAGE

Charting a Course for Charter Schools
Dothan Eagle, AL, December 18, 2011

Pataula is located in Calhoun County, Ga. , and enrolls students from a five-county area. The school is 75 percent white and 25 percent minority, and accepts students for empty spots via a lottery. Students at the school must abide by a behavior contract to continue attending the school.

Year In Review: 5 Most Disappointing Moments In Public Education
Los Angeles Times, CA, December 17, 2011

There were hopeful signs this year in public education. Test scores continued to rise in California and in the Los Angeles Unified School District , especially among younger students.

Gateway Would Link Its Teachers’ Pay, Performance
Redding Record Spotlight, CA, December 18, 2011

In the unionized public schools, however, the phrase “merit pay” constitutes fighting words. Most teachers’ contracts offer raises on a rigid schedule that rewards experience — a sensible enough principle — without regard to whether the students are actually enjoying the benefits of a particular teacher’s years in the classroom. Let’s face it: Burnout happens.

Report On “Innovation” Status In Denver Shows Mostly Positive School Cultures
Denver Post, CO, December 19, 2011

The first report from a three-year study of Denver’s innovation schools could lead to more in-depth research and more pointed work

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Daily Headlines: December 16, 2011

Closing The Achievement Gap, But At Gifted Students’ Expense
Washington Post, DC, December 15, 2011

President Obama’s remarks on inequality, stoking populist anger at “the rich,” suggest that the theme for his reelection bid will be not hope and change but focus on reducing class disparity with government help. But this effort isn’t limited to economics; it is playing out in our nation’s schools as well.

Teachers Union Leads Effort That Aims To Turn Around West Virginia School System
Washington Post, DC, December 15, 2011

The American Federation of Teachers, vilified by critics as an obstacle to school reform, is leading an unusual effort to turn around a floundering school system in a place where deprivation is layered on heartache.

Charter Schools: Wave of the Future?
CNN Blog, December 15, 2011

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools recently released a report saying that more than 2 million children are enrolled in public charter schools this year. The nonprofit resource for charter schools said that more than 500 charter schools opened their doors across the country in the 2011-12 school year.

Focus on Producing Best Teachers
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, December 15, 2011

The United States ranks between the middle and bottom on international assessments of student achievement. On a per-capita basis, the U.S. spends more than any other country except the tiny principality of Luxembourg. And, as the years go by, one country after another surpasses us in the proportion of the workforce that has a high school diploma or a four-year college degree.

9 States To Win Early Learning Grant
Associated Press, December 16, 2011

Nine states will share $500 million in grant money won in a high-profile competition intended to jump-start improvements in often-overlooked early childhood programs, The Associated Press has learned

STATE COVERAGE

Strange Wants To Focus On Charter-School Legislation, Believe It Campaign
Montgomery Advertiser, AL,

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Daily Headlines: December 15, 2011

Failure Rate of Schools Overstated, Study Says
New York Times, NY, December 15, 2011

When the Obama administration was seeking to drum up support for its education initiatives last spring, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told Congress that the federal law known as No Child Left Behind would label 82 percent of all the nation’s public schools as failing this year. Skeptics questioned that projection, but Mr. Duncan insisted it was based on careful analysis.

Record Numbers Fail To Clear No Child Bar
Washington Times, DC, December 14, 2011

The numbers keep getting worse for the nation’s education system. In the 2010-11 academic year, 48 percent of public schools – a record high – failed to meet the “adequate yearly progress” benchmarks established by the No Child Left Behind act, according to a new study by the Center on Education Policy, a nonpartisan think tank.

STATE COVERAGE

Charter Network Wins Approval To Expand By 20 Schools In San Jose Area
Peninsula Press, CA, December 15, 2011

A Palo Alto-based charter school network recognized for its innovative teaching of low-income students won approval late tonight to open 20 additional K-5 schools in the San Jose area within five years.

Fairfax’s ‘Priority Schools Initiative’ Provokes Debate, Shows Mixed Results
Washington Post Blog, DC, December 14, 2011

Fairfax schools officials last week offered a first look at how 30 struggling schools have fared under a new program called the “priority schools initiative.”

Nationally-Recognized Charter School Hopes To Open In Cutler Bay
Miami Herald, FL, December 14, 2011

A boarding school for underprivileged kids wants to open in Cutler Bay . But a land-use dispute will have to be settled first.

Miami-Dade School Board Delays Charter School Vote
Miami Herald, FL, December 14, 2011

The board voted to move to next month a vote on approving applications for 14 new charters, in light of a

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Daily Headlines: December 14, 2001

More School Hours Don’t Guarantee Better Test Scores
Washington Times, DC, December 13, 2011
Time isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Students who spend more hours in the classroom aren’t guaranteed higher test scores, and many nations that outpace the U.S. on standardized reading and math assessments keep their children in school for much less time, according to a report from the National School Boards Association.

STATE COVERAGE

Arizona Non-Profit Schools’ Ties To For-Profits Raise Flags
Arizona Republic, AZ, December 13, 2011
Damian and Vanessa Creamer run the largest online public school in Arizona , Primavera Online High School . The charter school is a non-profit, but it pays a for-profit company for help.

L.A. Unified’s Grade-School Game
Los Angeles Times, CA, December 14, 2011
Getting your child into the L.A. Unified elementary school of your choice involves a lot of planning, patience — and luck.

L.A. School Board Ends Preference Practice At Charter Schools
Los Angeles Times, CA, December 14, 2011
Campuses will no longer be allowed to offer admission in exchange for volunteer work or other services.

Rocketship Charter’s 20-School Plan Is An Exciting Opportunity
San Jose Mercury News, CA, December 13, 2011
The battle over Rocketship charter schools at Wednesday’s Santa Clara County Board of Education meeting will be mainly about money and control.

D.C. Explores Using Grants To Create ‘Community Schools’
Washington Examiner, DC, December 13, 2011
The D.C. Council is moving forward with legislation to transform at least five at-risk public schools into “community schools,” providing adult-education classes and hosting health clinics on evenings and weekends.

Florida’s Richest Charter School Management Firm
Miami Herald, FL, December 14, 2011
Academica has become Florida’s largest and richest charter-school management company, running more than 60 schools just in Miami-Dade and Broward counties

Hillsborough School Board Approves 10 Charter School Plans
St. Petersburg Times, FL, December 14, 2011
As

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Daily Headlines: December 13, 2011

Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools
New York Times, NY, December 13, 2011
By almost every educational measure, the Agora Cyber Charter School is failing. Nearly 60 percent of its students are behind grade level in math. Nearly 50 percent trail in reading.

From Finland, an Intriguing School-Reform Model
New York Times, NY, December 13, 2011
Dr. Sahlberg puts high-quality teachers at the heart of Finland’s education success story — which, as it happens, has become a personal success story of sorts, part of an American obsession with all things Finnish when it comes to schools.

STATE COVERAGE

2 Charter Schools Allowed Some Families To Bypass Lotteries
Los Angeles Times, CA, December 13, 2011
L.A. Unified will weigh a ban on preferences like those at Larchmont and Los Feliz, which admitted some students in return for special services or volunteering by parents.

SD Unified Ranks High In School Choice
San Diego Times-Union, CA, December 12, 2011
Hers is an extreme commute, one that illustrates the lengths some students will go to attend a school that boasts better tests scores or more innovative programs than those offered at their neighborhood campus.

Community Group Sets Up Goals For Education Reform
Denver Post, CO, December 13, 2011
The Denver education compact, a group of community leaders focused on reforming education, settled on three initial goals Monday.

Treat D.C.’s Charter School Students Fairly
Washington Times, DC, December 12, 2011
A critical component of Mr. Gray’s “One City ” campaign was for the District’s publicly funded charter schools, which are independent of D.C. Public Schools (DCPS), to receive the same amount of public funds per student as the traditional public school system

Hebrew Language Charter Proposal In The Works
Washington Post Blog, DC, December 12, 2011
A local group is preparing an application to open the District’s first Hebrew immersion charter school in 2013.

D.C. Charter Schools

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