Daily Headlines: February 27, 2012
Amid a Federal Education Inquiry, an Unsettling Sight
New York Times, NY, February 27, 2012
Since last summer, the Office of the Inspector General in Mr. Duncan’s department has been investigating whether Washington school officials cheated to raise test scores during Ms. Rhee’s tenure.
FROM THE STATES
Triggering School Reform—and Union Dirty Tricks
Wall Street Journal, February 25, 2012
In California, parent power brings out the worst in the education establishment.
California’s Parent Trigger Law Meets New Tests in Adelanto
Los Angeles Times, CA, February 27, 2012
The Adelanto school board rejects parents’ petition for change, saying signatures to overhaul Desert Trails Elementary were rescinded. Now a controversy that mirrors one in Compton is simmering.
Should Funds Be Diverted To Charter Schools?
The Union , CA, February 25, 2012
As school districts struggle to support local schools that provide a broader education base, why should the tax dollars that should be used for that purpose be redirected to the schools that limit their enrollment and focus on special areas? My parents and I paid dearly to give our children that same advantage. We received no tax benefits and no tax deductions for paying those tuition bills.
District Will Help Aspen Community School Shoot For $4.6M State Grant
Aspen Times, CO, February 27, 2012
The Aspen Board of Education once again will contribute half of its land-dedication fees for the year to the Aspen Community School’s effort to secure a multimillion-dollar BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) grant from the Colorado Department of Education.
Teachers Unions Renege On Reforms, Attack Pact They Endorsed
New Haven Register, CT, February 25, 2012
It has taken the state teachers unions less than a month to disown the plan they supported for sweeping public school reform. They now counsel delay and warn of putting the cart before the horse. It may have been a predictable switch, but it is a regrettable one.
Tenure Reform, Better Teaching Key To Better Schools
Hartford Courant , CT, February 25, 2012
When New Haven instituted a new teacher evaluation system last year, more than 60 teachers were told they needed to improve. They were given help and put on improvement plans.
D.C.’s Charter Schools Deserve Fairer Funding
Washington Post, DC, February 25, 2012
THE SPECIAL commission charged by the D.C. Council with examining funding for the city’s traditional and charter public schools released its report late on a Friday afternoon before the start of a three-day weekend. Little wonder the group didn’t want to call attention to its work: It essentially punted on all the core issues of school funding.
These Bills Are Detrimental To Public Schools
Miami Herald, FL, February 26, 2012
The diversion of public funds from public schools to charter schools as outlined in SB 1852 and an earlier version of HB 903 has the potential to cripple school district capital programs statewide, including Miami-Dade’s.
Charter Schools Could Gain Power To Take Over Public Schools
Gainesville Sun, FL, February 26, 2012
Charter schools would receive more construction money, greater freedom to expand and the ability to take over struggling public schools at the request of parents under two bills still in play as the legislative session winds down.
New Formula For Grading Schools Criticized
Miami Herald, FL, February 25, 2012
Teachers, superintendents and parents of special needs students urge the state Board of Education to reconsider a proposed grading formula, which is set for a vote Tuesday.
Controversy Over Scientology Influence Clouds Future of Pinellas Charter School
Tampa Bay Times, FL, February 26, 2012
One Friday afternoon in December, leaders of a tax-funded elementary school called Life Force Arts and Technology Academy shepherded students into a Scientology church in Tampa’s Ybor Square .
Some Bibb Parents Weighing Private Schools As An Option
Macon Telegraph, GA, February 27, 2012
With so much debate over how the Bibb County school system’s new strategic plan will play out, many parents are taking the initiative by examining other schooling options for their children.
Charter School Bill Crosses Party Lines
GPB News, GA, February 27, 2012
State lawmakers passed a bill last week that would let Georgians decide whether the state should approve charter schools. It now heads to the Senate where support is mixed. But the GOP-backed measure had rare bi-partisan backing in the House.
CPS Chief Defends Move Closing, Reorganizing Schools
Chicago Tribune, IL, February 26, 2012
At the end of a tumultuous week, Chicago Public Schools chief Jean-Claude Brizard took to the pulpit at a storied South Side church on Sunday to defend the controversial decision to close or turnaround struggling schools.
Teachers Union, Community Groups Want Elected School Board
Chicago Tribune, IL, February 26, 2012
Stung by another round of school closings and turnarounds, some community leaders are looking at how Chicago can return to publicly electing its school board.
School Reform: Reality Vs. Distortion
Chicago Sun Times, IL, February 25, 2012
The Chicago Teachers Union is for smaller classes and a massive pay raise. They are against closing or overhauling struggling schools, and their union bosses this week advised teachers to play hooky from school so they could help block Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s controversial reform plan.
Don’t Believe Disinformation About Charter Schools
Lexington Herald Leader, KY, February 27, 2012
Those hoping to block charter schools in Kentucky have used intense rhetoric, propaganda and, at times, blatant lies to mislead the public.
Keep Children First In Review of Louisiana School Chartering Process
Times Picayune, LA, February 26, 2012
Some education advocates and community groups seeking to open charter schools in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish have criticized the process used to evaluate and approve charter proposals. They said it favors national organizations at the expense of local proposals, and they have asked officials for more input in the process.
School Choice Part of Bill Has Potential Flaws
Morning Sentinel, ME, February 25, 2012
We agree with Gov. Paul LePage that education systems should be focused on students and their success. We also agree with state Education Commissioner Steven Bowen that 200-year-old town lines should not be the sole determining factor in deciding where a child should go to school.
Md. Expected To Apply For NCLB Waiver Monday
Baltimore Sun, MD, February 26, 2012
State education leaders expect to apply Monday for a waiver from some of the most rigid requirements of a federal law widely viewed as flawed because it has labeled so many schools as failing.
Somerville Charter Backers Ready To Regroup, Try Again
Boston Globe, MA, February 26, 2012
A founder of the group proposing an English language learners school in Somerville said Wednesday that it will reapply until the charter is approved.
Parents Weigh Leaving Highland Park Schools
Detroit News, MI, February 25, 2012
Doris Harris said she was emotionally drained trying to decide whether to have her daughter finish the year at Highland Park Community High School or move to another district or charter school.
Twin Cities Charter Schools Fail To Deliver Promised Gains, Study Claims
Twin City Daily Planet, MN, February 26, 2012
Once again researchers at the Institute on Race and Poverty at the University of Minnesota have crunched data showing that charter schools as a whole underperform comparable traditional public schools and are more segregated.
Counterpoint: No Union Represents Children
Star Tribune, MN, February 25, 2012
If you listen to Tom Dooher, president of Education Minnesota (“Few want teacher seniority scrapped,” Feb. 19) you will conclude that using teacher evaluations in times of layoff to determine which teachers should continue teaching is unnecessary, unfair, un-Minnesotan.
Charter Schools Not ‘Slam-Dunk’ Answer
Clarion Ledger, MS, February 25, 2012
For Grant Callen (“All children in Mississippi should have choice in education,” Feb. 12 letter) and, apparently, his Republican cronies in the Legislature, the charter school is a slam-dunk solution to our education problems. But I have several questions.
Missouri Needs to Make Education Its Top Priority
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, February 27, 2012
For far too long, Missouri’s top elected officials have been ignoring six of the most important words in the state constitution. They are in Article III, Section 36: “For the purpose of public education.”
GOP-Backed School Bills Counter Will of The People
Portsmouth Herald, NH, February 27, 2012
If the number of flaws in the Republican-backed Education Tax Credit (school voucher) bills (Senate Bill 372 and its companion piece, House Bill 1607) were fleas on a dog, the poor creature would be frantically scratching from dawn to dusk.
A New Direction For Learning
Daily Journal, NJ, February 27, 2012
A new charter school aimed to cater to each student’s learning style is set to open this fall on Landis Avenue .
Teacher Ratings Aired in New York
Wall Street Journal, February 25, 2012
The release of a trove of data evaluating New York City teachers on their ability to boost student test scores represents a potentially powerful new tool for parents to assess their children’s public schools.
With Release of Teacher Data, Setback for Union Turns Into a Rallying Cry
New York Times, NY, February 27, 2012
In the days leading up to the release of ratings for thousands of New York City public-school teachers on Friday, hundreds of e-mails poured into the in-box of Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers.
In Teacher Ratings, Good Test Scores Are Sometimes Not Good Enough
New York Times, NY, February 26, 2012
But even with those caveats, the scores still provide the first glimpse to the public of what is going on within individual classrooms in schools. And one of the most striking findings is how much variation there can be even within what are widely considered the city’s best schools, the ones that each September face a crush of eager parents.
Charter School Boss Eva Moskowitz’s Husband’s Group Seeks To Open Charters In Same Neighborhood She’s Eying
New York Daily News, NY, February 27, 2012
Success Charter Network head Eva Moskowitz isn’t the only one eyeing Williamsburg for a new charter school – her husband has also set his sights on the neighborhood.
State to Decide Fate of Proposed Orange Charter School
News & Observer, NC, February 26, 2012
The state will decide Thursday whether to allow a new charter school to be built in Chapel Hill . The Howard and Lillian Lee Scholars Charter school would target black and minority students, many of whom still lag behind white students in test scores in both Orange County districts and throughout the Triangle.
Cincinnati Public Schools Expands Choices Again
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, February 26, 2012
Cincinnati Public Schools, the state’s third-largest district, will open two new autism units next year to better serve its special-needs population. The district is also being courted by two charter schools seeking partnerships with the district. It’s evaluating their applications to see whether they would be good fits.
Cleveland Kids’ Fate Rests In Legislators’ Shaky Hands: Brent Larkin
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, February 25, 2012
But problems loom in Columbus. Democrats fear the political clout of teachers unions. And for some Republicans, anything that demands positive results from their deep-pocketed contributors in the charter school crowd makes them skittish.
Greater Involvement by Community and Staff Fills Gaps at Phila. School
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 27, 2012
The secret? Robust community partnerships. A dedicated staff that helps make decisions about how the school runs. A principal who’s overseeing a turnaround, who feels that he can’t let a lack of money strip Tilden of needed resources.
Charter School Can Appeal Rejection by Hamburg School Board
Reading Eagle, PA, February 27, 2012
Despite a rejection from the Hamburg School Board, the Medical Academy Charter School can still appeal to open in the borough.
Fears Raised About Growth of Charter School
Reading Eagle, PA, February 26, 2012
Reading School Districts officials are concerned about the rapid growth of the new I-LEAD Charter School and the financial impact it’s having on the district.
Nashville Charter Schools Blasted Over Racial Imbalance
The Tennessean, TN, February 26, 2012
The racial imbalance in Nashville’s charter schools is the newest issue in a federal lawsuit against the school district.
Efforts To Boost Seattle Public Schools Students’ Attendance Is Paying Off
Seattle Times, WA, February 26, 2012
School attendance is a key indicator of academic success. A partnership between the city of Seattle and the Seattle Public Schools rightly emphasizes getting kids to go to school.
Groups Consider Trying to Put Charter-School Initiative on Ballot
Seattle Times, WA , February 26, 2012
As prospects for a bill allowing charter schools dims in the Washington Legislature, some in the so-called “education reform” movement are considering compromise options or again asking the voters about it.
Top Donors Criticize Democrats Over Schools Reform
Bellingham Herald, WA, February 27, 2012
Several well-heeled Democratic donors have openly split with the state party and legislative leaders over education reform, arguing Washington is falling behind because lawmakers are afraid to buck the teachers union.
Wisconsin School Aid Up In The Air Under Voucher Program
Appleton Post-Crescent, WI, February 27, 2012
Parents in 37 school districts across Wisconsin could become eligible for a program that would let them use state aid to offset the tuition costs of private schools.
Voucher Students Improve On Reading, Study Finds
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, February 26, 2012
A sample of students in Milwaukee’s private voucher schools made gains in reading in 2010-’11 that were significantly higher than those of a matched sample of peers in Milwaukee Public Schools, but math achievement remained the same last school year, according to the results of a multiyear study tracking students in both sectors.
Public Schools Seek Savings By Privatizing Services
Greene Bay Gazette, WI, February 26, 2012
In tight budget times, school districts are looking to trim costs by hiring private companies to do everything from serving meals to driving buses to cleaning floors, services traditionally provided by school workers.
VIRTUAL LEARNING
Bill Would Require Georgia Students Take at Least 1 Online Class to Graduate
Gainesville Times, GA, February 25, 2012
Most colleges offer classes on the Web, but Georgia’s high school students could be required to take online courses.
Cyber Schools: Savior or Satan?
Herald Palladium, MI, February 26, 2012
Are full-time cyber schools an electronic superhighway for students, or just a cash cow worth millions to private companies? Michigan legislators, through Senate Bill 619, are poised to lift the cap on the number of online schools and the number of students they can enroll. These schools would receive the same per-pupil state funding as traditional public schools.
Waukesha Virtual School Gets New Name
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, February 27, 2012
Waukesha School District’s virtual school, eAchieve Academy, is making a new name for itself while working to recruit students from across the state for the 2012-’13 school year.
State Blocked Online School For Dropouts; Backers Wonder Why
Des Moines Register, IA, February 27, 2012
Educators hoping to start an online education program targeted at dropouts are questioning why Iowa Department of Education officials blocked their efforts yet helped two Iowa school districts contract with out-of-state online companies.
Bill To Rewrite Controversial Online Education Law Advances
Salt Lake Tribune, UT, February 24, 2012
A bill that would rewrite a new, controversial online education law advanced out of committee Friday evening.