Daily Headlines for October 2, 2012
More Students Enrolling In AP Math, Science
USA Today, October 1, 2012
Woodside, a large arts magnet school in this industry-rich peninsula an hour’s drive southeast of Richmond, is among a group of schools nationwide that is pushing to expand access to advanced math and science courses to match those of more affluent suburban schools.
If Chicago Took On Teachers Unions . . .
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, October 2, 2012
It is hard for education reformers to be too optimistic about the post-strike prospects for Chicago schools. The resulting contract significantly boosts teacher pay in exchange for some modest changes such as a lengthened school day and improved teacher testing.
Study: Obama Turnaround Plans Force ‘Schools To Run Like Corporations’
Grand Rapid Press, MI, October 1, 2012
President Obama’s School Improvement Grant program should be overhauled because it works on the assumption that educational improvement can come from market-based reforms, “forcing schools to run like corporations,” according to a new report from a union-backed think tank.
No Child Left Behind A Key Issue As Voters Weigh Obama’s And Romney’s Plans
Hattiesburg American, MS, October 2, 2012
No Child Left Behind a key issue as voters weigh Obama’s and Romney’s plans to help improve country’s educational system
Faith Leaders Sound Off On Role Of Church In Public Education
CNN Blog, October 2, 2012
Dozens of faith leaders from across the country recently gathered to attend The Stand Up Education Policy Summit in Atlanta, Georgia , to talk education reform. The daylong conference was hosted by education organizations Students First, founded by Michelle Rhee and Stand Up, led by her husband, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. The purpose of the event was a call for action for clergy to take part in the national movement to transform public education.
FROM THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
Jerry Brown’s School Bailout
Wall Street Journal, October 2, 2012
Democrats howl about bank bailouts, but then they also treat public schools as if they’re too big to fail. As a case in point, California Governor Jerry Brown is throwing the Inglewood school district in Los Angeles’s South Bay a $55 million lifeline in the name of “saving” 14,000 kids. But as with most government bailouts, the real intended beneficiaries are the unions.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Charter Schools’ Role In Serving Neighborhoods To Be Examined
Washington Examiner, DC, October 1, 2012
D.C. schools officials are set to discuss Tuesday whether charter schools should give preference to children who live nearby, as DC Public Schools prepares to close some neighborhood schools.
FLORIDA
Sarasota School Board To Weigh In On Amendment 8
Herald Tribune, FL, October 1, 2012
Sarasota County public schools could join the ranks of several districts across Florida opposing a controversial state amendment on the Nov. 6 ballot.
GEORGIA
BOE Opposes Charter Amendment
Douglas County Sentinel, GA, October 1, 2012
As expected, the Douglas County Board of Education (BOE) voted to officially oppose a Nov. 6 amendment to the Georgia Constitution underlining the state’s authority to approve charter schools.
Out-Of-State Donors Active In Georgia Charter School Campaign
Augusta Chronicle, GA, October 1, 2012
Out-of-state donations and business groups continue to fuel much of the campaign for changing the Georgia constitution so a panel of state appointees could issue operating charters to schools over the objections of local school boards.
Geiser: Charter Vote About Educational Choice
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, October 1, 2012
On Nov. 6, Georgia voters will be asked to decide on the following question: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?”
ILLINIOS
Teachers Poised To Vote On New Contract
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 2, 2012
Chicago teachers Tuesday will vote on whether to accept a contract agreement and end a contentious labor battle that culminated in a seven-day strike last month.
INDIANA
Charter School Switching Gears
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN, October 2, 2012
The founding board of the Thurgood Marshall Leadership Academy believes its work starting a new charter school is done and hopes to bring a new 11-member governing board to handle oversight.
Crowd Supports Charter Proposal
Palladium-Item, IN, October 1, 2012
A larger crowd than expected — about 70 people — attended Monday an Indiana Charter School Board public hearing on a proposed high school for adults in Richmond .
IOWA
Urbandale Modifies Teacher Evaluation Process
Des Moines Register, IA, October 1, 2012
The superintendent of the Urbandale Community School District is seeking to improve the quality and performance of staff by creating a new evaluation process — and the idea has the support of the Iowa Department of Education.
Iowa City Schools Failing To Meet Targets
Iowa City Press-Citizen, IA, October 2, 2012
A new report from the Iowa Department of Education highlights concerns about the way the federal government measures classroom progress.
KANSAS
Kansas Schools’ Achievement Gap Widening, But Less Than Originally Thought
Wichita Eagle, KS, October 1, 2012
The achievement gap between minority and non-minority students in Kansas schools is widening, but not as dramatically as state education officials thought.
LOUISIANA
State to Overhaul pre-K
The Advocate, LA, October 2, 2012
State education leaders are about to announce plans to revamp Louisiana’s sprawling pre-kindergarten programs.
MAINE
A Maine First: 60-Student Cornville Charter School Opens
Kennebec Journal, ME, October 1, 2012
An American flag from the closed Cornville Elementary School was raised and then lowered Monday morning in a ceremony marking the opening of the new Cornville Regional Charter School .
MARYLAND
Teachers, Principals Volunteer For Evaluation Pilot
Baltimore Sun, MD, October 1, 2012
New teacher and principal evaluation systems mandated by the state don’t take effect until next year, but 129 Howard County teachers and 23 principals have volunteered to participate in a pilot evaluation: a test run that places more emphasis than ever on student achievement.
MASSACHUSETTS
Proposal for New Fall River Charter School Advances
Herald News, MA, October 2, 2012
A charter school proposed to serve secondary education students in the city will take its next step toward becoming a reality.
Blackman’s Drastic Cut Shows Need For Charter Reforms
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, October 1, 2012
The drastic step by Gloucester Community Arts Charter School Executive Director Tony Blackman to cut his own job to save the school some $80,000 toward a $550,000 budget deficit indeed shows his commitment to the school, which never could have opened without his efforts and those of several parents in the late summer and fall of 2010.
Community Charter School of Cambridge Celebrates MCAS Scores
Boston Globe, MA, October 1, 2012
Students and faculty at the Community Charter School of Cambridge took a short break from classes Monday to celebrate MCAS scores that placed the school at the top of public school systems and charter schools throughout the state this year.
MICHIGAN
Student Count Will Go Beyond Count Day
Detroit News, MI, October 2, 2012
School districts across Michigan are gearing up for Count Day on Wednesday, when students in seats equal dollars for the year.
NEW JERSEY
State Gives Preliminary Go-Ahead to Two New Charter Schools
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, October 2, 2012
The Christie administration continues to be picky about new charter schools, with just two applications approved in the latest round announced yesterday — one in Newark and one in Camden .
Newark Parochial School Is First To Use N.J. Law To Become Charter School
Star-Ledger, NJ, October 1, 2012
An Episcopal day school serving students in Newark will become the first in New Jersey to take advantage of a law allowing parochial schools to convert to charter schools, officials from the state Department of Education announced today.
Charter School Advocates Speak Up
Cherry Hill Courier-Post, NJ, October 2, 2012
Advocates for Hope Act schools stepped up the pressure on the city’s school board Monday, with Mayor Dana Redd saying board members “missed a chance” to help local youngsters when they rejected all Hope School applicants last week.
NEW YORK
Schools’ Failure to Improve May Lead to More Closings
New York Times, NY, October 2, 2012
New York City’s Education Department may step up its efforts to close schools after more than 150 of them posted a third straight year of mediocre results on their annual progress reports.
Schools Flunk Out
New York Post, NY, October 2, 2012
Posted: 2:16 AM, October 2, 2012
The number of public elementary and middle schools that could face closure or other major overhauls has nearly doubled since last year, to 217, based on A-through-F letter grades released by the city yesterday.
NORTH CAROLINA
Pender Board of Education Settles Lawsuit
Star News, NC, October 1, 2012
The Pender County Board of Education settled a lawsuit brought against it by a local charter school, board members announced at their Tuesday meeting.
Charter School Tentatively Agrees To Repay Federal Money For Lunch Program
Winston-Salem Journal, NC, October 1, 2012
Quality Education Academy, a Winston-Salem charter school, has tentatively agreed to pay back $52,000 in federal money after the N.C. Department of Public Instruction accused the school of mishandling its federal child-nutrition program last year.
OKLAHOMA
Triggering The Necessary Change In Schools
Edmond Sun, OK, October 1, 2012
I saw a special preview of the movie “Won’t Back Down” last week. It’s a powerful movie with a powerful message. Based on true events, the movie details the fight of one parent, mired in poverty, who wants a better learning environment for her academically struggling daughter. She finds an ally in a teacher, who is also the parent of a struggling student. The two fight through incredible adversity at many levels to open a school. It was inspiring.
OREGON
Portland School Board To Hold Public Hearings For Two Charter Schools
The Oregonian, OR, October 1, 2012
The Portland School Board tonight will have a hearing on two charter schools vying for approval to open within the district in 2013.
PENNSYLVANIA
Penn Gets $2.5M Boost For Charter School Partnership
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 2, 2012
The University of Pennsylvania’s partnership with the national network of KIPP charter schools is getting a big financial boost.
Head Of National Teachers Union: Touring Philadelphia Schools, Assessing Political Obstacles
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 2, 2012
Walking and driving around Philadelphia on Monday, Randi Weingarten was struck by the vibrant, dynamic city she saw.
Propel Looks Into Charter School In Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood Section
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 2, 2012
Since 2006, Hazelwood has been without a public school, but Propel Schools wants to change that by starting a K-8 charter school next fall.
Court Says Charter School Signatures Are Legit
Courier Times, PA, October 1, 2012
The group that proposed a twice-denied charter school for the Bensalem School District can move forward to the Pennsylvania Charter School Appeal Board following a recent decision in Bucks County Court.
Pa. Must Pull Parent Trigger To Save Education
Pottstown Mercury, PA, October 2, 2012
But what happens when parents don’t get the final word, what then of their reality? Sadly, in the case of their children’s education, thousands of Pennsylvania parents have been held hostage by economic and political realities undergirded by poor, unimaginative policies yielding negative or negligible returns.
TENNESSEE
Parents, Students Must Be Empowered To Aid Schools
The Tennessean, TN, October 2, 2012
Parent trigger laws are heavily backed by a powerful and well-funded network of education reform advocacy organizations (ERAOs) that support more school choice, charter schools, test-based accountability and aggressive interventions such as school closings. None of these strategies has any demonstrated record of effectiveness, and yet they represent the narrow menu of options to which parent decision-making is limited under such laws.
Most In Tennessee Races Say Keep Charter School Decisions In ‘Local Hands’
Times Free Press, TN, October 2, 2012
Most Southeast Tennessee legislative candidates are giving a thumbs down to the possibility of cutting local school boards out of the decision-making process when it comes to approving public charter school applications.
Charter Schools Pressing For Free Space In Memphis
Commercial Appeal, TN, October 2, 2012
Two kinds of charter schools exist in Memphis. One gets free rent and one does not. The schools that don’t have 15 to 30 percent less money to spend on students and teachers, creating a new layer of haves and have nots in public education.
Accelerated Students Already Have Options
The Tennessean, TN, October 2, 2012
She said that includes students from both public and private schools; those who were home schooled; and those who excel in art, math, science or the humanities.
TEXAS
19 Kids Move To Schools Meeting Federal Marks
Times Record, TX, October 2, 2012
Nineteen elementary students in the Wichita Falls Independent School District began classes at a different school Monday than the one where they began the school year, and most of them will require district-provided transportation.
WASHINGTON
I-1240 Gives Parents More Options On Education
Bellingham Herald, WA, October 2, 2012
Owing to this record of success, I am voting yes on Initiative 1240 this November to bring charter schools to our state.
WISCONSIN
Tougher Report Cards Set To Debut In Eau Claire School District
Leader-Telegram, WI, October 2, 2012
Eau Claire school officials say they’re anxiously awaiting Monday, when Wisconsin schools will receive new, tougher report cards from the state.
ONLINE SCHOOLS
Yuma School Illustrates How To Seize The Day
Arizona Republic, AZ, October 2, 2012
We’ve all heard bad things about Arizona’s education system. But Yuma’s Carpe Diem High School is being held up as a national model for integrating technology into the classroom.