Daily Headlines for August 20, 2012
Extreme Couponing
The Economist, August 18, 2012
The voucher scheme, potentially the biggest in America, was set up a year ago as part of a big package of educational reforms led by Indiana ’s governor, Mitch Daniels, and his superintendent of schools.
Debate Grows Around Charter School Closure
Education Week, August 17, 2012
One of the most vexing questions about charter schools—when low-performing ones should be shut down—is receiving new attention, amid concerns that lax and inconsistent standards for closing them will undermine the public’s confidence in the sector.
Obama Must Support School Choice
Washington Times, DC, August 17, 2012
Long time Washington residents no doubt are familiar with the constant stream of task forces, initiatives and other important-sounding enterprises that pledge to tackle a certain issue and give it the attention it deserves. The problem, longtime Washington residents also know, is that the most effective outcomes often arise from actual, concrete policies instead of the formation of more committees to talk about the problems.
School in August Gets Low Grades
Wall Street Journal, August 19, 2012
Ryan is one of hundreds of thousands of students whose summer breaks ended early this year as schools from Toppenish, Wash., to Kettering, Ohio, to Harrisburg, Pa., have bucked a long—but waning—tradition of starting classes after Labor Day.
Teachers on the Defensive
New York Times, NY, August 19, 2012
And it actually takes pains to portray many teachers as impassioned do-gooders who are as exasperated as parents are by the education system’s failures — and by uncaring colleagues in their midst. But I understand Weingarten’s upset.
Special Needs Kids Staying In Traditional Schools
Associated Press, August 18, 2012
The high cost of educating students with special needs is disproportionately falling on traditional public schools as other students increasingly opt for alternatives that aren’t always readily open to those requiring special education.
Obama: Republican Approach To Education Funding Is Backward
Reuters, August 18, 2012
President Barack Obama accused Republicans on Saturday of a backward approach to education funding that would mean further teacher layoffs, in a veiled swipe at Republican vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan, who has led a drive for domestic-spending cuts.
FROM THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
As School Starts, New Questions In Adelanto Charter Fight
Los Angeles Times, CA, August 20, 2012
Adelanto school board approves an overhaul of failing school but rejects a charter, opening a new legal chapter in the ongoing controversy.
Charter School Group’s Chief Blamed For 2010 Cheating Scandal
Los Angeles Times, CA, August 20, 2012
Educators say John Allen asked Crescendo principals to show teachers the state standardized test. L.A. Unified was going to suspend him, but the board voted to fire him and close the campuses.
Charter Schools Fighting For Survival
Contra Costa Times, CA, August 18, 2012
For Long Beach mom Madeline Holler, sending her two young children to a charter school was one of the best decisions she’s ever made.
At New City K-8 School, Holler said, her children learn valuable life skills that can’t be measured by state standardized tests.
A Good Teacher Is Hard To Keep
Los Angels Times, CA, August 19, 2012
Too often, teachers who are consistently successful with students are not given leadership roles that would allow them to reach students beyond their own classrooms.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Close Look At KIPP Charter School Challenges
Washington Post Blog, DC, August 19, 2012
I have been following the progress of KIPP public charter schools since 2001. Initially this charter network was just one story out of many. But when its first school here, the KIPP DC: KEY Academy , began performing better than Northwest Washington schools with many middle class children, I made it a regular stop.
FLORIDA
Scrutinize Charter Schools; It’s The Public’s Money
Palm Beach Post, FL, August 20, 2012
As the number of charter schools increases, the Palm Beach County School District is right to be a stickler on applications. The state also should demand stricter compliance with application procedures.
Charter School Is Young Circle’s First Sign Of Development
Miami Herald, FL, August 19, 2012
Just steps away from Young Circle — home to the city’s newly renovated ArtsPark — a four-story, 105,000-square-foot school will open its doors Monday as the new home of the Hollywood Academy of Arts and Science.
GEORGIA
Dad Says Lax Notification For School Choice Leads Him To Pursue Legal Advice
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, August 20, 2012
One Cobb parent is seeking advice from an attorney because he feels cheated by the school district for not giving him ample notification about the deadline to apply for school choice.
Georgia Failed To Count Thousands of High School Dropouts
Atlanta Journal-Constitution , GA, August 19, 2012
Georgia’s dropout problem is twice as bad as school officials previously calculated, an analysis by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows.
Readers Give Opinions On Barge, Charter School Amendment
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, August 20, 2012
Readers respond to the column endorsing Superintendent John Barge’s opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment that would empower the state to override local school boards’ rejection of charter school applications.
ILLINOIS
When a School Year Fizzles
Chicago Tribune, IL, August 19, 2012
Across Chicago and its suburbs, the first day of school looms as a Big Event. New clothes, fresh supplies, a new set of teachers, classmates, academic hurdles and social opportunities. Whether a child anticipates that day with enthusiasm or, sadly, dreads it, the first day, the first weeks, set the tone for a year of achievement … or failure.
INDIANA
Evaluations Helping Teachers Grow
Indianapolis Star, IN, August 20, 2012
When teachers succeed, our students succeed. Research tells us that an effective teacher is the most important school-based factor in a student’s academic success. Knowing this, Indiana set out to find a system that supports our teachers.
Our Children, Our City: Culture Change Is First Lesson Arlington Students – And Teachers – Need To Embrace
Indianapolis Star, IN, August 19, 2012
State takeover is rare on a national level and typically takes place only in instances of dire financial trouble. But in Indiana , Arlington is one of five schools — four that are now former Indianapolis Public Schools — taken over by the state this year for academic failure. The state has hired new management.
LOUISIANA
State-Run Schools Likened To Separate District
The Advocate, LA, August 19, 2012
The state’s push to revive troubled public schools in north Baton Rouge amounts to forming a breakaway school district that is likely to grow, a report says.
Too Soon To Claim Voucher Victory
Opelousas Daily World, LA, August 20, 2012
The Jindal administration’s claim of a major victory in the battle to establish a state voucher program was totally misplaced.
White Sets Rules For Private Schools
Monroe Star News, LA, August 20, 2012
The Department of Education is taking a closer look at applications of private and parochial schools seeking first-time state certification that would qualify them to participate in the state’s new voucher program.
Trust Public And Release Info
The Advocate, LA, August 19, 2012
Champions of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s new voucher program, which uses public tax dollars to send students to private and parochial schools, say that it will empower parents with more choices for their children’s education.
Policy Debate On Vouchers Late, But Needed: Stephanie Grace
Times-Picayune, LA, August 19, 2012
Don’t look now, but Louisiana may finally be getting the policy debate it deserves over which private K-12 schools should be able to tap into taxpayer money, and under what conditions. As with so much else about the state’s vast, quick and pretty much unquestioning expansion of vouchers — all at the behest of Gov. Bobby Jindal — the conversation is coming too late. Still, it’s a pleasant surprise that it’s happening at all.
MAINE
‘We’ve Got More Kids Than We Have Slots,’ Says Cornville Charter School Director
Morning Sentinel, ME, August 20, 2012
The board of the Cornville Regional Charter School will conduct a bingo-style lottery to select the students will be eligible to attend classes when the school opens Oct. 1.
MASSACHUSETTS
Menino Gets Tough
Boston Herald, MA, August 20, 2012
The start of the school year is just around the corner — a fact apparently lost on the leaders of the Boston Teachers Union who somehow think that delay in their now more than two-year-long contract talks is a winning strategy.
MICHIGAN
DPS Board Wreaks Havoc
Detroit News, MI, August 20, 2012
In a short time, the decisions made by school board underline need for strong emergency manager law
MISSISSIPPI
Parent Trigger Law
WTOK, MS, August 19, 2012
With recent arguments for and against charter schools in Mississippi , something that never really became a part of the debate was the state’s current law. It’s known as the parent trigger law, giving parents the chance to pull the trigger on a consistently failing school and take it over.
MISSOURI
St. Louis Charter Schools Get Wide Range Of Results
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, August 20, 2012
Christie Huck not long ago was a mother trying to find a school for her 4-year-old. Today, she leads the top-performing charter school in the city, with results in some areas on this year’s state tests rivaling that of suburban districts.
NEW JERSEY
Charter Schools Offer Students Expanded Options
New Jersey Herald, NJ, August 18, 2012
At first glance, charter schools might seem neither fish nor fowl, neither public schools in the traditional sense nor private.
More Schools Join Choice Program
New Jersey Herald, NJ, August 18, 2012
It used to be that public school students were limited to attending whatever school happened to fall within the geographic area denoted by their neighborhood, ZIP code or school district. But no longer.
NEW YORK
To Survive, a Catholic School Retools for a Wealthier Market
New York Times, NY, August 20, 2012
Catholic schools have been bleeding enrollment and money for years, and many have been forced to close. But some, like St. Stephen of Hungary , on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, have found a way to thrive — attracting a more affluent clientele by offering services and classes more commonly found in expensive private schools.
Rochester-Area Student Enrollment Numbers In Midst Of Free Fall
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY, August 19, 2012
The common perception of public school enrollment trends in Monroe County , to the extent there is one, seems to be one of flight from the city to the suburbs.
Many New York City Teachers Denied Tenure in Policy Shift
New York Times, NY, August 18, 2012
Nearly half of New York City teachers reaching the end of their probations were denied tenure this year, the Education Department said on Friday, marking the culmination of years of efforts toward Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s goal to end “tenure as we know it.”
WHEDco Bard Academy Charter School To Share Space In Bronx With Affordable Housing And Music Center In 2013
New York Daily News, NY, August 20, 2012
The City Council has appropriated $2.5 million towards building the South Bronx complex, which is slated to offer 290 units of low-income housing and a grades 6-12 school
Teacher Tenure Must Be Earned By Quality Educators
New York Daily News, NY, August 18, 2012
The good news: Just 55% of eligible teachers were granted tenure this year, meaning principals have gotten far tougher in demanding proof of proficiency in the classroom before awarding what amounts to a lifetime job guarantee.
NORTH CAROLINA
Failure of Voucher Good
The Daily Reflector, NC, August 19, 2012
Legislative leaders decided in the waning days of this year’s session not to include a voucher/tax credit education privatization scheme in the final budget agreement or in the last-minute budget adjustment bills hastily thrown together before legislators left town.
OKLAHOMA
Tulsa Lighthouse Charter School Marks First Week
Tulsa World, OK, August 18, 2012
Tulsa’s newest charter school finished its first week of operation with parents and school leaders alike excited about the educational opportunities it offers.
Continued Engagement Needed Between OKC School Policymakers, Patrons
The Oklahoman, OK, August 20, 2012
LAST week’s joint meeting between the Oklahoma City Council and the Oklahoma City Public Schools’ board of education was billed as historic. It was.
PENNSYLVANIA
2 Pittsburgh-Area Charter Schools To Move Forward On Own
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, August 20, 2012
Two charter schools have parted ways this summer with management companies that have been part of the schools since their founding.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Teacher Evaluations Shouldn’t Be A Threat
Aberdeen News, SD, August 19, 2012
It’s no secret that it is difficult to measure the success of teachers, because they can inspire and mold students in so many ways.
Examine Lower Graduation Rate
Sioux Falls Argus Leader, SD, August 18, 2012
Sioux Falls’ public high schools saw a significant drop in its overall graduation rate last spring, yet so far the district hasn’t offered suggestions on how to safeguard against low numbers in the future.
TENNESSEE
Nashville Charter School Dispute Opens Wounds
The Tennessean, TN, August 19, 2012
The possibility of locating a charter school on Nashville’s affluent west side has emotional hooks that reopen old wounds while creating new ones.
TEXAS
Trustees Should Act To Restore Accountability To Voters
Austin American-Statesman, TX, August 19, 2012
The current system — put in place to stabilize the board, ironically enough — is now eroding public trust. We urge trustees Lori Moya, Annette LoVoi and Cheryl Bradley, members of the Austin school board’s policy committee, to craft a recommendation that restores accountability to all voters.
Can Traditional Schools Learn A Lesson From Charters’ Efficiency?
Austin American-Statesman, TX, August 18, 2012
Advocates for charters seek to raise the issue in school funding lawsuit
Comparing Texas School District Expenses Has Challenges
Texas Tribune, TX, August 19, 2012
The way the state distributes money to school districts, and how much, will be center stage when a trial begins this fall involving more than half of the state’s districts serving the majority of its students, along with Texas charter schools and a group of parents and business leaders asking for a more efficient system.
UTAH
What We’ve Learned From Our Charter Schools
St. George Daily Spectrum, UT, August 19, 2012
Another way public education has approached the need to innovate and serve a diverse student population is the introduction of charter schools.
VIRGINIA
VA: McDonald’s Vs. Wendy’s: State’s Charter School Law Flunks National Test
Virginia Watchdog, VA, August 16, 2012
A perennial leader in many education indexes, Virginia received an F from a national charter school group for restricting the publicly funded, locally operated campuses.
Education: Redeeming Work
Richmond Times -Dispatch, VA, August 20, 2012
On Thursday, Richmond’s spotlight fell on education. Gov. Bob McDonnell’s K-12 Education Reform Summit drew about 400 people to the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
WASHINGTON
State PTA Should Rethink Opposition To Charter-School Initiative
Seattle Times, WA, August 20, 2012
The Washington state PTA’s opposition to Initiative 1240, the charter-school initiative, is ambivalent enough to warrant rethinking the decision.
Kelso Helping To Mold State’s New Evaluation System
Longview Daily News, WA, August 20, 2012
There’s anticipation in the Kelso School District beyond the usual buildup to a new school year. It’s the zing that comes with being part of something new.
WISCONSIN
Officials Struggle To Explain Decline Of Private Schools
Green Bay Gazette, WI, August 19, 2012
It could be the economy. It could be smaller family sizes. It could be the growth of charter schools.
School Districts Explore Performance-Based Pay Models
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, August 19, 2012
Before this summer, tramping around the woods near Chippewa Falls at an environmental science camp would have earned Alicia Moore personal fulfillment and knowledge to share with her students in the fall.
ONLINE SCHOOLS
Teachers Learn To Integrate Technology Into Curriculum
Washington Post, DC, August 19, 2012
With iPads in hand, the math and science teachers walked around Charles Carroll Middle School recently snapping pictures of images that illustrated the school’s motto — Pride. When they returned to the the media center, they used an iPad application that creates videos, then they chose a style and music and uploaded the video to a Web site.
‘ Virtual Academy ’ Set to Debut in Norristown Area School District
The Times Herald, PA, August 18, 2012
With August winding down, locals have begun preparing for the upcoming school year. Stores across the country are advertising back-to-school sales on everything from clothes and shoes to notebooks and pencils.
Education’s Digital Divide More About Bandwidth Than Computer Hardware
Denver Post, CO, August 20, 2012
On Colorado’s education landscape, the “digital divide” looks something like this: While one classroom streams online coursework to students, others log off the Internet so a school’s meager bandwidth can handle the load.