Daily Headlines for June 21, 2012
A Deal On School Vouchers That Helps D.C. Families
Washington Post, DC, June 20, 2012
THE AGREEMENT reached between President Obama and congressional supporters of the District’s federally funded ¬private-school vouchers is pretty modest; disappointing even, to some. But don’t tell that to the parents of new students who will be allowed into the program.
Notes From the Education Underground
Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2012
The U.S. is stress-testing Herbert Stein’s law like never before, but maybe the economist’s famous dictum—trends that can’t continue won’t—is being vindicated in education. Witness the support of America’s mayors for “parent trigger,” the public school reform that was denounced as radical only a few years ago but now is spreading across the country.
FROM THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
Preuss School: The Best There Is
San Diego Union-Tribune, CA, June 20, 2012
If it seems like only a few weeks ago that this editorial page had high praise for the Preuss School UCSD, well, that’s because it was. But, darn it, we can’t help ourselves: This charter school just keeps winning recognition as one of the best there is.
Somis Parents, Teachers Hope To Revive Closed Charter School
Ventura County Star, CA, June 20, 2012
A group of teachers and parents is trying to save Somis Academy, a charter school that was closed this month by the governing district.
Two Charter Schools Proposed for Redwood City
San Jose Mercury News, CA, June 20, 2012
Redwood City could get two new charter schools by the fall of 2013, one for elementary and middle school grades that focuses on students’ social and emotional development, and a high school that strives to customize academic study.
COLORADO
Douglas County Schools Says Spring Survey Inconclusive
Denver Post, CO, June 21, 2012
The Douglas County School District has deemed its spring survey of parents “inconclusive” — a poll in which a majority of responding parents saw the district’s suspended voucher program as “unfavorable” and expressed unhappiness with the district’s overall direction.
Leave Contract Dispute To DougCo Schools And Teachers Union
Denver Post, CO, June 21, 2012
There’s no compelling reason for the state to step into the district’s dispute with the teachers union.
FLORIDA
Audit: Coconut Grove Charter School Has Conflicts of Interest with Founder
Miami Herald, FL, June 21, 2012
The Academy of Arts & Mind’s conflicts with founder-landlord Manuel Alonso-Poch could threaten the school’s non-profit status, school district auditors found.
ILLINOIS
Teacher Prep
Chicago Tribune, IL, June 21, 2012
The best way to boost public education in Illinois is to make sure only the best teachers lead classrooms. Two years ago, Illinois took a huge stride toward that goal: The Illinois State Board of Education dramatically lifted standards for college students who want to become teachers.
LOUISIANA
School Systems Joining In Lawsuit Challenging Education Reform Law
Monroe News Star, LA, June 21, 2012
Local school boards are joining the Louisiana School Boards Association in a lawsuit against the state challenging the implementation of Act 2, one of the state’s education reform laws approved in the last legislative session. The suit is expected to be filed within the next two weeks.
MARYLAND
P.G. County School Board Approves University Charter School
Diamond Back Online, MD, June 21, 2012
Education majors and county middle schoolers will soon practice blended learning through a city- and university-run College Park charter school, which the Prince George’s County school board approved last week.
Frederick Charter School Principal Search Complicated By Requirements
Maryland Gazette, MD, June 21, 2012
Although building plans and a new opening date were approved last week by the Frederick County Board of Education, school officials denied a request to allow charter advocates to use requirements for hiring a principal that differ from what the school system uses.
MASSACHUSETTS
Unions Won’t Oppose Teacher-Seniority Measure
Boston Globe, MA, June 21, 2012
The American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts scrapped plans to fight legislation that would reduce the role of seniority in teacher staffing decisions and instead will remain neutral on the issue, the state’s second-largest teachers union announced Wednesday.
Teacher Evaluation Plan Is A Just Compromise
Patriot News, MA, June 20, 2012
When it comes to settling complicated public policy questions, ballot initiatives are usually the wrong tool for the task.
Pioneer Graduating Its First Class
Boston Globe, MA, June 21, 2012
In a windowless basement classroom, a dozen teens sat in groups of two and three around a large table, quietly consulting one another over laptops. They wore scarlet polo shirts, black pants, shoes, and might have been mistaken for high-tech workers if a visitor didn’t know they were part of the first class to graduate from the Pioneer Charter School of Science in Everett.
MICHIGAN
Shrinking DPS Will Cut 1,889 More Jobs
Detroit Free Press, MI, June 21, 2012
Changes under way in Detroit Public Schools means the state’s largest school district will be about a third the size it was a decade ago, when it had more than 160,000 students. And the district no longer will operate a comprehensive high school in more than half of the geographic area of the city.
MISSISSIPPI
Charter Schools Not The Solution
Clarion Ledger, MS, June 21, 2012
In response to the article “Politics trumped parents in charter school fight” (June 6): It is disheartening to hear yet another voice calling for improving education for some of the thousands of Mississippi children who are trapped in schools that are not meeting their needs.
MISSOURI
Illinois to Rule on Takeover of East St. Louis School Board
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, June 21, 2012
Supporters of East St. Louis ‘ embattled School Board argued for the board’s life Wednesday, telling state education officials that a proposed state takeover is unnecessary and insulting.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Lynch Defends His Decision On School Choice
Union Leader, NH, June 21, 2012
Gov. John Lynch has defended his veto of legislation that would establish a scholarship program for students to attend private or religious schools, as well as other public schools.
NEW JERSEY
Christie Tries for Tenure Compromise
Wall Street Journal, June 21, 2012
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has dropped his insistence on ending seniority-based layoffs for public schoolteachers as he negotiates a compromise that would overhaul the state’s century-old tenure system, said three people familiar with the talks.
Charter-School Issues Get A Closer Look
Newark Post, NJ, June 20, 2012
State representative Earl G. Jaques (D-Glasgow) sponsored legislation in the beginning of June to establish a new review for creating charter schools and eliminate the five-mile radius standard.
School Voucher Loss Is Gain For Equality
Star-Ledger Blog, NJ, June 20, 2012
If there is anything good in the bad New Jersey fiscal situation, with its revenue shortfall of almost $700 million to $1.4 billion, it’s the fact that this lamentable condition should constitute the last nail in the coffin bearing a horrible educational idea: vouchers.
NEW YORK
Stalled Push to Close Charter’s Disabled-Student Gap
Wall Street Journal Blog, June 20, 2012
As a new federal report found that charter schools aren’t enrolling as many special-education students as traditional public schools, legislation designed to address that imbalance in New York remains stalled.
Gov’s Teacher Evaluation Plan Needs To Be Approved This Week, Regents Chief Says
New York Daily News, NY, June 21, 2012
Merryl Tisch backs Andrew Cuomo’s pitch to restrict the release of educators’ grades and says “it’s urgent” to pass it in State Senate.
Teacher Eval Bill Incomplete
Newsday, NY, June 20, 2012
The bill proposed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to make the state’s new teacher evaluation system a valuable tool for parents and the public is almost good enough to support. But a better deal can be had.
NORTH CAROLINA
State Charter Council Considers Recommendations
Herald Sun, NC, June 20, 2012
The state Public Charter School Advisory Council on Wednesday approved three proposed projects in the region to move forward to the interview phase in July.
Thoughts On Pay, Performance Issues
Ashville Citizen Times, NC, June 21, 2012
Chairman Gantt reported that “longevity pay recognizes that an employee has done a good job and avoided be fired. Merit pay is pretty subjective, and he is not sure it is evenly applied.”
State Legislators Give Teachers Raises But Little Else To Public Schools
News Observer, NC, June 20, 2012
Legislators are expected to vote Thursday on a $20.2 billion budget that gives state employees and teachers raises and shrinks the amount that school systems would have to cut from their budgets next year.
OHIO
Reynoldsburg May Shut Charter School
Columbus Dispatch, OH, June 21, 2012
A local charter school could be suspended next week for suspected nepotism and a poor financial outlook.
Probe Might Hinder Columbus Schools’ Levy
Columbus Dispatch, OH, June 21, 2012
A citizens committee is leaning toward recommending that Columbus City Schools place no levy on the ballot in November, saying that voters might not see past the cloud created by an investigation into why district employees changed thousands of student-attendance records.
$2M Debt To Close Charter School
Dayton Daily News, OH, June 20, 2012
ISUS, an award-winning charter school, will suspend its operations for the 2012-13 school year to address its business plan and a $2 million debt.
PENNSYLVANIA
Penn’s Graduate School of Education and the Milken Family Foundation Select 2012 Education Business Plan Competition Winners
Penn News, PA, June 20, 2012
The University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) and the Milken Family Foundation have announced the winners of the 2012 Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition (EBPC) – with five winners earning a total of $120,000 in prize funding.
Charter School Proposal Again Denied in North Hills
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, June 21, 2012
North Hills school directors Monday night denied a revised application of Provident Charter School to establish a school at 173 Cemetary Lane for children in grades 2-8 who have dyslexia.
Ambridge Area Drops Challenge of Baden Academy, Approves New Budget
Beaver County Times, PA, June 20, 2012
The Ambridge Area School Board chose to drop its Commonwealth Court challenge of Baden Academy Charter School and approved a 2012-13 budget that raises taxes to accommodate anticipated charter school tuition.
PA Auditor General: Taxpayers Overcharged $365 Million Annually For Charter Schools
Morning Call, PA, June 20, 2012
Pennsylvania taxpayers could save $365 million a year if state officials fixed a charter school funding formula that is the most costly in the nation, Auditor General Jack Wagner said Wednesday.
TEXAS
Bright Ideas Shows Lowest STAAR Scores
Times Record, TX, June 21, 2012
Wichita Falls’ only charter school turned in the lowest STAAR End of Course achievement results of the area schools.
TENNESSEE
Charter School Studies Find Good, Bad Results
The Tennessean, TN, June 21, 2012
Last month, the Metro Nashville Public Schools board approved two new charter schools while turning down eight other charter school applications. Nashville charters educate approximately 3,000 local students.
VIRGINIA
Hampton Board Approves New Teacher Evaluation System
Hampton Roads Daily Press, VA, June 20, 2012
The Hampton School Board approved a new teacher evaluation system at Wednesday’s meeting that takes effect July 1.
WASHINGTON
Charter Schools Add Choice
The Spokesman Review, WA, June 21, 2012
We were astonished to read the comparison of charter schools and alternative schools by Mike Page in the June 10 paper. Yes, alternative schools have been around for many years for those students dropping out of traditional schools. These students do receive one-on-one teaching and are given another way of getting their high school diploma. Many of those attending the alternative schools have had learning and/or behavior problems.
ONLINE SCHOOLS
Pa. Auditor Again Blasts Funding Formula For Cyber And Charter Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, June 21, 2012
Wagner released a report saying the state has spent “substantially more” than the national average on the charter and cyber charter schools that educate more than 100,000 students.
Cyber Schools Fill An Important Need, Even If Not A Cure-All
Lehigh Valley Express Times, PA, June 21, 2012
Education reform advocates have long argued that if given the choice to explore alternatives from the conventional public school format, many parents will embrace that opportunity.
Online School Saves Conemaugh Township Money
Daily American, PA, June 20, 2012
Private cyber charter enrollment within the Conemaugh Township school district has been halved since the district opened its own online academy a year ago.