Daily Headlines for October 14, 2011
Most States To Seek Exception To Education Law
Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2011
A majority of states intend to take President Barack Obama up on his offer to let them get around unpopular requirements in the “No Child Left Behind” education law, the Education Department said Thursday.
FROM THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
California’s School-Choice Law
National Review Online, October 14, 2011
California has produced some interesting laws over the years, many of them by referendum; but it is still surprising that, last year, the state legislature passed America ’s most powerful school-choice law, giving parents the ability to seize control of schools from teachers’ unions.
Teachers Protest Using Test Scores In Evaluations
Bakersfield Californian, CA, October 13, 2011
Teachers in the Oildale-area Standard School District are upset about a proposed policy to use test scores in evaluating teachers.
COLORADO
Sen. Michael Bennet Instrumental In Reforms To No Child Left Behind
Denver Post, CO, October 14, 2011
That more than a half-dozen ideas from Sen. Michael Bennet got into behemoth legislation to overhaul No Child Left Behind is perhaps a testament to all the flaws he saw in the law when he was Denver schools chief.
DPS Strides Called Uneven: A-Plus Denver Sees Problems Amid Gains
Denver Post, CO, October 14, 2011
Students in Denver Public Schools are moving fast to catch the rising bar for academic achievement, but the progress could still be quicker.
Rocky Meeting For Proposed Berthoud Charter School
Reporter-Herald, CO, October 13, 2011
At the bidding of Berthoud resident Christine Torres, the majority of the 300 people attending a charter school community forum Thursday night held up paper signs stating “NO!” in block letters.
FLORIDA
Charters Not A Choice in Many Florida Counties
StateImpact NPR, October 13, 2011
In Clay County, high school students can study aerospace, information or agricultural technology at one of twelve specialized academies.
Board, KIPP to talk Performance in Jacksonville School
Florida Times Union, FL, October 14, 2011
KIPP wants to open more charter schools in Jacksonville, but Duval County School Board is going to do something state law does not: consider KIPP’s current performance before giving the OK.
GEORGIA
Georgia Takes Tough Stance On Cheating Cases
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, October 13, 2011
Eleven Atlanta educators accused of cheating lost their teaching certification Thursday, a swift and severe punishment that indicates how the state might deal with similar cases moving forward.
ILLINOIS
Schools CEO Pressing For Meeting With Teachers Union
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 14, 2011
Since the Chicago Teachers Union asked to reschedule a much-anticipated meeting earlier this week with Chicago Public Schools leadership regarding the longer school day, district officials say they have yet to hear back from the union.
Charter School Offers Dropouts Second Chance
WLS-TV Chicago, IL, October 13, 2011
House of Chicago is a non-for-profit community organization that has served the city for 111 years. The association has opened charter high schools specifically for student dropouts several years ago. The schools have a great graduation record and some amazing student stories.
LOUISIANA
Louisiana House 57th District Candidates Put Education High On Their Agenda
Times Picayune, LA, October 13, 2011
Improving education is the common theme among candidates for the Louisiana House of Representatives 57th District, two of whom are St. John the Baptist Parish School Boardmembers. Shane Bailey, O.J. Breech, Albert “Ali” Burl III, Randal Gaines and Russ Wise will face off for the seat on Oct. 22. The district includes parts of St. John and St. Charles parishes.
MAINE
Applicants Sought to Serve on State Charter School Commission
The Free Press, ME, October 13, 2011
The Maine State Board of Education took the first steps toward creating a State Charter School Commission, as called for in the public charter school law that passed the Legislature earlier this year.
MARYLAND
Md. Declines to File in First Round of No Child Left Behind Waivers
Baltimore Sun, MD, October 13, 2011
Maryland will not be one of the first states to apply for a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act, state education officials said Thursday.
MASSACHUSETTS
After-School Policy A Collaborative Step Long Overdue
Gloucester Times, MA, October 14, 2011
So, in the “all’s-well-that-ends-well” spirit, the Gloucester School Committee’s vote Wednesday night to finally back off its embarrassing policy to ban students from Gloucester Community Arts, St. Ann and other non-district schools from participating in the city school district’s after-school programs indeed looms as a very positive step.
NEVADA
New Teacher Union Hire An Embarrassment
Las Vegas Review-Journal , NV, October 14, 2011
The Clark County Education Association should be ashamed of what it is doing.
The union hires John Vellardita as its executive director, even after this guy and 16 other defendants have been ordered to pay $1.5 million in damages to a parent union for conspiracy to make the union ungovernable.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Let’s Send Every Child to a Good School
Fosters Daily Democrat, NH, October 14, 2011
Clearly, parents want to be involved in the selection of the school for their children. In fact, there is a growing percentage of families that choose to relocate to a new neighborhood or town so their child can attend a particular school. If parents are willing to pick up and move for a better school, then clearly our system of rigid geographic school districts is failing and a new system based on school choice needs to be implemented.
NEW JERSEY
N.J. Senator Wants To Update State Laws To Make Charter Schools More Accountable
Star-Ledger, NJ, October 13, 2011
The state law governing the approval and operation of charter schools is more than 15 years old, and state Sen. Teresa Ruiz said today she is determined to update the outdated legislation.
Charter Anxiety: A Suburban Malady?
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, October 14, 2011
A Senate hearing yesterday on charter schools brought out many of the same familiar faces, led by a growing cadre of parents from suburban communities like Princeton, Highland Park, East Brunswick, and a new one to the list, Cherry Hill.
NORTH CAROLINA
Eastern Wake Ignored In School Politics
News Observer, NC, October 14, 2011
Cross the Neuse River anywhere east of Raleigh in Wake County , and you’ve entered the land of the ignored when it comes to school-board politics.
OHIO
Surprise! Charter Schools are Public Entities
StateImpact NPR, OH, October 13, 2011
The definition of a charter school just got a little bit clearer, at least by Franklin County Judge John Bender’s latest summary judgment..
OREGON
Loss of Grant Funding Hits Oregon Charter Schools Hard
The Oregonian, OR, October 13, 2011
Charter schools across Oregon learned three weeks before school started that they would not receive up to $225,000 each in grants from the state.
PENNSYLVANIA
Legislators Balk at Voucher Plan
Standard Speaker, PA, October 14, 2011
Several local legislators believe a proposed school voucher system is unconstitutional and unaffordable to Pennsylvania.
RHODE ISLAND
Providence Youth Leadership Academy Graduates First Class
Providence Journal, RI, October 13, 2011
The graduates, nearly all of them teenagers drawn from the Manton Heights, Hartford Park and Chad Brown developments, are the first to graduate from the academy, which was created to develop young people’s leadership skills and to help them become positive role models in the community.
TENNESSEE
NCLB – A Choice For Parents And A Chance For Student Achievement
Tri-State Defender, TN, October 13, 2011
Monica Robinson didn’t waver with her answer: “I absolutely love it.” The question was about her thoughts on the charter school – The New Consortium of Law and Business School (NCLB) – that her daughter, Mariah, attends. Mariah, who is now in the eighth grade, was one of the first students to walk through the doors after NCLB opened in 2010 with a group of 35 seventh graders.
VIRTUAL LEARNING
Online Educators Gaining Both Classes and Critics
New York Times, NY, October 14, 2011
Public schools are grappling with how to most effectively integrate virtual education into their classrooms. It threatens many concepts that are fundamental to the identity of public education: districts defined by geographic boundaries and brick-and-mortar buildings.
The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School Has Introduced Its Own App.
Beaver County Times, PA, October 13, 2011
PA Cyber HD, a free iPad app, provides information on the Midland-based cyberschool, the nation’s largest online school for kindergarten to grade 12.
Tech Funding Hits Schools — Now How to Use It?
Magic Valley Times News, ID, October 14, 2011
Magic Valley school districts and charter schools recently received the first round of state funding to help improve classroom technology.
Charter School Uses Technology of the Future
Lahontan Valley News, NV, October 13, 2011
Oasis Academy Charter School leased 125 Google Chromebooks for its students and staff that Oasis Academy School Board member Michael O’Neill said is technology of the future.