Daily Headlines: May 10, 2012
Majority of Moms Vouch for Vouchers
Washington Times, DC, May 9, 2012
Seventy-one percent of mothers support school vouchers, which gives parents the option of choosing where their children go to school, and moms want those vouchers available to all families, according to the poll, which was commissioned by the nonpartisan Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and compiled by the Braun Research Inc.
The Ironies of Teacher Appreciation Week
Washington Post Blog, May 10, 2012
Last Friday, the Friday before the start of Teacher Appreciation Week and two business days before National Teacher Day, D.C. Public Schools officials sent out notices to 333 teachers saying that their jobs had effectively been eliminated. This should be considered better form than last year, when they sent out “excessing” notices on the last day of Teacher Appreciation Week.
FROM THE STATES
Less Than Five Months Into The Job, The New State Superintendent Is Doing A Fine Job Filling His Predecessor’s Shoes
Birmingham News, AL, May 10, 2012
When state schools Superintendent Joe Morton announced in June 2011 that he would retire last August, we praised his tenure as the state’s top school official and said it would be “a huge challenge for the state school board to find someone who can fill his shoes.”
Crane District Exploring Interest In Public Charter School
Yuma Sun, AZ, May 9, 2012
The Crane Elementary School District governing board unanimously approved a request made by Superintendent Cindy Didway to survey the community about the idea of opening a public K-12 charter school in 2013.
Egan PTA Shares Concerns About Facilities Issues
Los Altos Town Crier, CA, May 9, 2012
Claiming that the Los Altos School District’s final facilities offer to Bullis Charter School substantially encroaches on Egan Junior High School space, an Egan PTA co-president wrote a letter to district officials outlining the group’s objections.
Charters Make Their Play
Sacramento News & Review , CA, May 10, 2012
The Sacramento County Office of Education isn’t in the news all that much. But there have been a run of stories in The Sacramento Bee lately setting the stage for SCOE board elections in June.
Education Reform Now Begins
The Day, CT, May 10, 2012
The education reform package approved by the legislature holds out the potential to improve performance in the state’s public schools and narrow Connecticut ‘s largest-in-the-nation achievement gap between students in its poor urban schools and affluent suburbs. But to achieve that potential will require persistence, additional reforms and significantly more money.
Murphy Takes Reins of Del.’s School System
News Journal, DE, May 10, 2012
Just two weeks after Mark Murphy’s nomination, the Delaware Senate moved quickly on Wednesday, confirming him as the next head of Delaware’s public schools.
BASIS High School Places in U.S. News & World Report’s Top 10
Washington Post Blog, DC, May 9, 2012
The Arizona-based charter network that will open a D.C. campus this summer has one of its high schools listed in the top ten in the latest U.S. News & World Report national high school rankings.
State Overrides Districts On Charter Schools
Orlando Sentinel, FL, May 9, 2012
The Florida State Board of Education on Wednesday overruled the decisions of local school boards in deciding that five charter schools rejected by Central Florida districts should be allowed to open.
LHS and Harrison Teachers Voting Today on Charter Conversion Application
The Ledger, FL, May 9, 2012
Teachers at Lakeland High School and Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts vote today on an application to combine both schools into a conversion charter school.
Fulton County Schools Could Soon Join Elite Group of System Charters
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, May 9, 2012
Fulton’s application to give its schools flexibility from state laws and more creative authority to boost student achievement will be voted on Thursday by the state Board of Education.
Council Unveils Plan For New Charter School
Cherokee Tribune, GA, May 10, 2012
A plan to bring another charter school to Cherokee County by 2014 was unveiled publicly at the Holly Springs City Council meeting this week.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment Stance Prompts Charter School Association to Form New Partnership
WABE, GA, May 9, 2012
The Georgia Charter Schools Association is entering into a partnership with the Association of American Educators. The Charter Schools Association says the new relationship is due to opposition by two other education associations to a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the state to create charter schools over the objections of local school boards.
Neighborhood Schools: An Answer to Chicago ‘s Supply and Demand Problem
Huffington Post, May 9, 2012
This year, Chicago Public Schools received over30,000 applications for 4,200 seats at the city’s top schools. Some families I know have received what has been called a “golden ticket” for one of those seats while others are contemplating a move to the suburbs after learning their child has not been admitted.
Urban League Faced With Finding Another Location For Charter School
WANE, IN, May 9, 2012
The Urban League has learned it won’t be able to open its charter school this fall in the former Village Woods Middle School building on Fort Wayne’s southeast side. As a result of that, they’re going to have to cut their student population in half.
No Supporters Spoke For Proposed Charter During Public Hearing
News Sentinel, IN, May 10, 2012
Less than 10 people spoke during a public hearing of the Indiana Charter School Board Wednesday evening at the Shawnee Branch of the Allen County Public Library, but all of them expressed opposition to the proposed charter school to be housed on the former Taylor University campus.
Concerns Voiced Over Bilingual-Charter Plan
The Journal Gazette, IN, May 10, 2012
The Indiana Charter Schools Board heard nothing but negative feedback Wednesday during a public hearing for the Sun Academy , a proposed charter school on Fort Wayne ’s south side.
Landrieu Praises Charter Schools
The Advocate, LA, May 10, 2012
Sen. Mary Landrieu on Wednesday celebrated National Charter Schools Week by linking up online with students from Baton Rouge ’s young Mentorship Academy charter school.
RSD Releases First Stats On New Enrollment Process For New Orleans Public Schools
Times Picayune, LA, May 9, 2012
More than three quarters of the students who applied this spring for a kindergarten or ninth-grade seat in New Orleans public schools overseen by the state-run Recovery School District got into their No. 1 choice, state officials said Wednesday. About 84 percent got into one of their top three choices.
Why Does The Board Oppose Our Charter School?
Maryland Community Gazette, MD, May 10, 2012
As a parent and founder of the Frederick Classical Charter School, I have a vested interest in seeing this school open — not only for my daughter’s benefit, but the benefit of hundreds and even thousands of Frederick County children who could thrive from this approach to education.
Boston Charter School Looks to Expand in New Bedford
South Coast Today, MA, May 10, 2012
A Boston charter school that helps prepare struggling teenagers for college is looking to open a similar high school in New Bedford.
State Is Making Changes To Add Clarity To School Ratings System
Detroit Free Press, MI, May 10, 2012
Parents would get clearer information about the quality of schools under a change state officials are making to revamp the school report card system.
Accountability Key for ‘No Child’ Waiver
Detroit News, MI, May 10, 2012
As it seeks more flexibility from federal standards, the state should ensure school performance is transparent
Funny Way of Showing ‘Appreciation’
St. Louis America, MO, May 10, 2012
Yep all the privateers – excuse me, all the extremely, well-funded, school “choice” advocates – are blowing sulfur and brimstone around the state capitol building. Of course when they say school “choice” they mean they mean what schools the “privateers” choose. And they choose to ignore the steady progress St. Louis is making in general including the fact that all high schools in the city have gained accredited status.
Developing System To Rate Teachers Proves Challenging
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV, May 10, 2012
Creating an objective system for evaluating Nevada teachers has proven to be a “gargantuan challenge” because 70 percent of teachers don’t administer standardized tests to their students.
Uniforms, Longer School Day Cause Debate
Eagle Tribune, NH, May 10, 2012
Tonight, parents and School Committee members will review a proposal to give the city’s largest elementary school longer days, stricter discipline — and even uniforms, which is causing a debate among officials.
State: 26 Charter Schools Apply
Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ, May 10, 2012
State education officials have announced 26 qualified charter school applicants for 2012, including five candidates in Camden.
Evaluating the Evaluating
Santa Fe Reporter, NM, May 9, 2012
Is New Mexico s teacher evaluation system fair? Joe Teacher investigates
Public Forum Held For Charter School
YNN Hudson Valley, NY, May 9, 2012
The Hudson Valley isn’t home to a single charter school. However, backers of bringing such a school to the City of Newburgh say their idea continues to move forward.
Test Errors Draw New Criticism
Wall Street Journal, May 9, 2012
A top New York state education official acknowledged Wednesday that the mounting number of errors found on this year’s math and English tests has eroded public trust in the statewide exams.
Do Charter Schools Improve Public Education Or Drain The Budget?
WFMY News2, NC, May 9, 2012
We all want our kids to get a great education, But how many parents can afford a high-end private school?
State Will Get East Side Church’s Charter-School Application Again
Columbus Dispatch, OH, May 10, 2012
The Ohio Department of Education must reconsider a Columbus church’s application to sponsor charter schools but not before adopting a rule to help guide the decision, a Franklin County judge has ruled.
Ohio Sen. Nina Turner at Odds With State Teachers Union
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, May 10, 2012
In a matter of six months, state Sen. Nina Turner has evolved from a heroine of organized labor in Ohio to becoming embroiled in a bitter fight with the state’s largest teachers union.
Chester Upland Pleads Case In Federal Court
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 10, 2012
Chester Upland School District officials, in federal court Wednesday hoping to receive assurances that they will have enough money to educate 700 special-education students this fall, painted a grim picture of the district’s finances.
Unions, Parents Blast School Austerity Plans
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 9, 2012
A coalition led by parent groups and Philadelphia school employee unions Wednesday blasted the district’s proposal to make drastic cuts and structural changes to balance its budget, saying they were shortsighted financial decisions that would ultimately hurt students.
Barred for Life
Philadelphia City Paper, PA, May 10, 2012
A state law banning people with records from working in schools is sending shock waves through Philly neighborhoods, and enforcement has only begun.
‘School Choice’ Bill Survives, Faces Tough Battle in S.C. Senate
The Herald, SC, May 10, 2012
A bill that would give tax deductions to parents of private and home-school students made it out of a Senate subcommittee Wednesday, but the panel did not recommend its passage, meaning it faces a steep uphill battle.
Nashville’s LEAD Charter Group Awarded $3.25M to Support Growth
Nashville City Paper, TN, May 10, 2012
Nashville’s LEAD Public Schools, a Metro charter organization, is set to receive $3.25 million from the Charter School Growth Fund-Tennessee to support LEAD’s planned growth and future expansion in Davidson County.
VIRTUAL EDUCATION
K12 Inc., Virginia-Based Virtual Schools Operator, Reports Third Quarter Growth
Washington Post Blog, DC, May 9, 2012
Herndon-based K12 Inc., the nation’s largest operator of public virtual schools, continues to grow despite questions about whether its full-time online education is effective for students and taxpayers.
Frederick County Schools Offer Summer Learning Options
Maryland Gazette, MD, May 10, 2012
From partially online classes to traditional courses, Frederick County high school students will have plenty of summer school opportunities this year.
Board of Education Vacates Stay of Two Virtual Charter Schools’ Appeals
The Florida Current, FL, May 9, 2012
The state Board of Education on Wednesday took the unprecedented step of approving two charter schools despite ongoing challenges from their counties’ school boards, which had originally refused to approve the charter schools.
Online Schools Alternative For Some Students
West Linn Tidings, OR, May 10, 2012
They go unseen part of the time; their studies are not done in a traditional classroom. But in recent years the online classroom has grown in popularity.
Board Approves Online Learning Option
Lebanon Express, OR, May 9, 2012
The Lebanon Community School Board unanimously approved providing online classes in conjunction with K12 Inc., an online education provider, at the May 3 board meeting.