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Daily Headlines for September 1, 2011

Are We Leaving Gifted Students Behind?
Christian Science Monitor, MA, August 31, 2011
Gifted students in US public schools can be overlooked and unappreciated. Parents, looking for better options, have begun to find some.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

New Reform Rule Giving Teachers The Inside Track On New Schools A Gamble
Los Angeles Daily News, CA, August 31, 2011
THE leaders of Los Angeles’ schools are gambling with the district’s future. Hopefully, they are playing the odds, because there’s a lot at stake for the future of education reform in Los Angeles.

At His Charter School, Ex-UTLA Head Would Target Tenure
Los Angeles Times, CA, September 1, 2011
Once an anti-charter crusader, A.J. Duffy wants to make it harder for teachers to obtain protections at the campus he hopes to open next year.

Temecula: Context Charter School Opens
Press Enterprise, CA, August 31, 2011
Context’s curriculum is designed to provide opportunities for students to develop skills that apply to real-world settings and is committed to, among other things, technology and the arts. The nonprofit Collaborative Community Education will manage day-to-day operations of the charter school.

DELAWARE

Six More Partnership Zone Schools To Be Announced Today
News Journal, DE, September 1, 2011
A year ago, the Positive Outcomes Charter School community was despondent.
The Camden-based school was named one of four schools that were required to undergo intensive reforms as part of a new program to restructure schools with low student test scores.

FLORIDA

Cape Charter Schools Earn High Marks from DOE
Cape Coral Daily Breeze, FL, August 31, 2011
Three of Cape Coral’s charter schools recently received high performing charter school status from the Department of Education.

ILLINOIS

CPS Sued Over Teachers Pension Shortfall
Chicago Tribune, IL, September 1, 2011
The board that oversees the Chicago Public Schools’ teachers pension fund filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court on Wednesday alleging that the Chicago Board of Education owes the fund about $32.5 million.

D118 Looks At Charter Schools
Danville Commercial News, IL, August 31, 2011
In light of District 118’s lacking Adequate Yearly Progress scores released last week, one school board member said he would like the board to consider creating charter schools.

Idolizing Indiana
Chicago Tribune, IL, September 1, 2011
Illinois lawmakers, look at all those kids, leaping at the chance for a better education.

MARYLAND

Alonso First-Day School Tour Sets Tone For Year Of Academic Focus
Baltimore Sun, MD, August 31, 2011
Schools chief welcomes back staff, students in visits to schools undergoing transformations this year.

Loh’s Education Task Force Seeks To Launch Public Charter School In City
The Diamondback, MD, September 1, 2011
Opening a charter school for community children has long been a dream for several state and university officials, but thanks to support from university President Wallace Loh, it may become a reality sooner than they thought.

MICHIGAN

Choosing a School Not So Simple
Detroit News, MI, September 1, 2011
Attention shoppers! Even the highly rated University Prep Middle School – a charter school in Detroit – will air radio ads this week to woo last-minute students.

A School Reform Recap
The Detroit News, MI, September 1, 2011
It’s already been quite a year for education reform in Michigan. A new governor and Legislature have succeeded in creating laws and policies that should help propel the state as an education leader in both academics and school governance.

Advocate Sets Road Map For School Reform
Daily Press & Argus, MI, September 1, 2011
Livingston County educators, parents and community members concerned about public education were part of “The Great Conversation” Wednesday at Brighton High School, taking the first of what many in the audience hoped would be many steps toward education reform.

MISSOURI

Barat Academy Starts Classes At New Location
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, September 1, 2011
A devoted group of about 175 students started classes in Barat Academy’s new home Wednesday.

NEW YORK

Blockage on Teacher Evaluations
New York Times, NY, September 1, 2011
New York and its teachers’ unions acted in the best interest of the state’s children last year when they agreed to replace a useless teacher evaluation system with a rigorous process that takes student achievement into account and provides clear sanctions for ineffective teachers. But a dispute over regulatory language has landed the two sides in court.

Drop the Objections
Buffalo News, NY, August 31, 2011
The recent New York court ruling that a new teacher evaluation process relies too heavily on student test scores and that most of the benchmarks used in the evaluation process will have to be approved by local teacher unions is just plain wrong.

PENNSYLVANIA