Daily Headlines for July 27, 2012
States With Education Waivers Offer Varied Goals
New York Times, NY, July 27, 2012
In excusing more than half of the states from meeting crucial requirements of the No Child Left Behind education law, the Obama administration sought to require states to develop more realistic tools to improve and measure the progress of schools and teachers.
FROM THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
Planners OK Site For School Downtown
Stockton Record, CA, July 27, 2012
After listening to an overflow crowd’s overwhelming support for a plan to move a charter school downtown in September, the city’s Planning Commission unanimously rejected former Mayor Jimmie Rishwain’s objection to the school Thursday night.
State To Fight For Oversight Of 6 Aspire Charter Schools
ABC7, CA, July 26, 2012
The California Board of Education will contest a recent court order that terminated its oversight of six schools owned by one of the largest charter school companies in the state.
Sac City Needs New Teacher Evaluation System
Sacramento Bee, CA, July 27, 2012
In June, the Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education celebrated the top two teachers in our district for the 2011-12 school year. These teachers were acknowledged as outstanding classroom educators, excellent collaborators and unrivaled school leaders while working with an unmatched passion and dedication.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Mayor, D.C. School Officials Cheer Rise In Test Scores
Washington Times, DC, July 26, 2012
D.C. school officials on Thursday praised overall gains in 2012 test scores as another baby step toward the ambitious, long-term goals for school reform — although less than half of the city’s students were proficient in math and reading.
FLORIDA
Official: Proof of Interest in Charter Schools Needed
The Ledger, FL, July 26, 2012
Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said he doesn’t have enough information to make a decision on whether to allow the Polk County School District to open its at-risk charter schools.
New Charter School in Royal Palm Beach Takes Step Closer to Reality
Palm Beach Post, FL, July 26, 2012
Efforts to transform an old Albertsons grocery store on the northwest corner of Southern and Crestwood boulevards into a new charter school inched further this week when Royal Palm Beach’s Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously voted to allow Charter Schools USA to install new windows, doors and signs on the 60,000-square-foot property.
INDIANA
Parents Lobby For Project School
RTV6, IN, July 26, 2012
Parents of Indianapolis ‘ Project School are in limbo, with the future of the charter school undecided and the start of classes just two weeks away.
LOUISIANA
Number of Voucher Participants To Shrink Further Locally
Houma Today, LA, July 26, 2012
Despite high-profile battles on the state level, the new accountability system for schools taking vouchers is unlikely to affect participating local schools, which will be taking even fewer public students than originally planned.
On Vouchers, Accountability And A Chance For More Louisiana Students To Succeed
Alexandria Town Talk, LA, July 27, 2012
Less than a month before the new school year starts, Louisiana taxpayers have not wrapped their minds around the fact that they are now required to pay for some children to go to private schools instead of public schools. This is the central requirement of the K-12 education changes passed by the state Legislature in April.
LAE Threatens Voucher Schools With Lawsuits
The Advocate, LA, July 27, 2012
Attorneys for a teachers’ union Thursday threatened lawsuits against individual private and parochial schools that accept voucher payments.
MAINE
Lepage, MEA Both Miss Point On Ed Reform Study
Portland Press Herald, ME, July 27, 2012
Things aren’t as good as the union suggests, but not nearly as bad as the governor insists.
MARYLAND
New School Year To Bring New Teacher Evaluations
Dispatch, MD, July 27, 2012
Coming into the new school year, evaluations for teachers and schools are changing at the state level. However, Worcester County Board of Education officials promised that no matter how they are measured by the state county schools will strive for the same goals that they always have
MASSACHUSETTS
Proposed Schools Would Seek Local Pupils
Salem News, MA, July 27, 2012
Two groups have filed proposals with state officials for new charter schools that could draw students from Peabody, with one taking kids from Danvers and Salem, as well.
Proposal Submitted to Create Argosy Collegiate Charter School in Fall River
Herald News, MA, July 26, 2012
A new charter school is being proposed to serve city students. On Thursday, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced that 22 groups statewide have submitted new charter school prospectuses. One group’s plan is to form the Argosy Collegiate Charter School , which could serve up to 459 students in grades 5 through 12.
Charter School Chief Threatens Legal Action
Gloucester Times, MA, July 26, 2012
The charter school’s executive director has threatened legal action against a group of parents if its does not retract or provide documentation of several allegations it made against him in a petition filed more than two weeks ago with the school’s Board of Trustees.
State Receives 22 Proposals To Open New Charter Schools, Including 5 in Boston
Boston Globe, MA, July 26, 2012
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education received 22 proposals to open new charter schools across the state, including five in Boston , education officials announced today.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Insuring A Quality Education
Fosters Daily Democrat, NH, July 27, 2012
Now that more than half of the states have been granted waivers by the Obama administration from the No Child Left Behind Act, it is time to renew local discussions of how individual states and school districts can improve educational quality.
NEW YORK
New York’s Charter Schools Get an A+
Wall Street Journal, July 27, 2012
The Success schools are performing at the same level as NYC’s gifted and talented schools that select kids based solely on rigorous tests.
Two Sides To Charters: Showcase Or Stacked Deck?
New York Post, NY, July 27, 2012
Why doesn’t Eva Moskowitz ever debate the real issue — that her schools contain only a minute percentage of English language learning students new to the United States and students with special needs (“Charter School Envy,” PostOpinion, July 23)?
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma Education Department Slammed Over Withholding School Funds
Tulsa World, OK, July 27, 2012
Oklahoma State Department of Education on Thursday drew new criticism for withholding a record amount of state aid for anticipated growth, namely at virtual and charter schools.
PENNSYLVANIA
Defending Charters
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, July 27, 2012
Once again, cyber schools are under attack by their opponents over funding. While their arguments and attacks never get old to me, they do hit a nerve with me sometimes. They keep complaining that if one keeps taking money away from the public schools, they will not succeed. But they keep failing to address certain issues.
TENNESSEE
Nashville Schools Director Says Great Hearts Appeal Should Be Rejected On Technical Grounds
The Tennessean, TN, July 27, 2012
In a letter to the state Board of Education on Thursday, Metro Nashville Public Schools Director of Schools Jesse Register argued that Great Hearts Academy ’s appeal to bring a new charter school to Nashville should be rejected because of a technicality.
City, County Schools’ TCAP Scores Up
Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN, July 27, 2012
Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, is asking state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman to conduct an independent review of the operations of a for-profit virtual school operating under contract with the Union County school system.
VIRGINIA
Va. Board Approves Charter School Application
Washington Post Blog, DC, July 26, 2012
The Virginia Board of Education on Thursday unanimously endorsed an application for a math- and science-focused charter school in Loudoun County , a move that means the proposal will now go to the local school board for final approval.
ONLINE SCHOOLS
This Cyber School Study Ignored Key Details
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, July 27, 2012
Eleanor Chute’s July 19 story “Report Criticizes Progress at Cyber Charter Schools” cites a new University of Colorado study showing that students in public cyber schools using education provider K12 Inc. programs are “falling behind.” However, the article and study neglect important facts on Pennsylvania performance and funding.
Beyond The Bell: OKC’s First Online Learning Academy
News 9, OK, July 26, 2012
Oklahoma City Public Schools will launch their first-ever online learning school this year.