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2013 Charter Law Ranking Chart
January 15, 2013 By
Click on a state name to get detailed information about the charter school law and the rating.
Press Release
Download or print your PDF copy of 2013 Charter School Law Ranking & Scorecard
Newswire: January 15, 2013
January 15, 2013 By
Vol. 15, No. 2
OHIO’S ON IT. Thanks to Governor John Kasich and his state board of education, the Buckeye state is moving on substantive education reform, including a teacher evaluation program that ties performance to clear state standards. While it remains to be seen whether the implementation will be as strong as the policy adopted (an issue we’ve seen elsewhere), according to news reports, “by next school year, each teacher will be rated based on students’ academic growth, usually measured on standardized tests, and on how teachers do in the classroom observations.” Accountability for schools being measured on an A-F scale so it’s clear to parents, money being driven to the school level, and a focus on making sure the performance evaluations result in consequences are on policymakers’ agenda.
Additional states are considering making more substantive changes in evaluation for all school players — from students to adults — including North Carolina and Tennessee. Who else is taking a serious look at real accountability? Tell us here.
HELP DC STUDENTS. Only 17 shopping days left to get a DC Opportunity Scholarship! One of the many choices available to students in the District that are most in need and whose families might be considering a private school choice, the DC OSP has helped thousands get out of their failed schools, achieve in school and improve their lives. Politics, as usual, has plagued the program since it’s inception, which has resulted in many people in the community not knowing whether or not the program is even available to them! The organizers are now trying hard to reach out to the community to notify people that this scholarship exists. Help people you may reach in your work or community learn about this great opportunity.
MICHIGAN SUCCESS. A new study finds that Michigan Charter Schools Outperform Traditional Public School Students. This is from CREDO, and we’ve been very critical before about their data. After close analysis of their work in New Jersey and Michigan, CER concludes that the state level reports more closely approximate ‘good research’ and employ better use and understanding of data than their flawed national study. As we say in our statement today, “Where the approach and data used in CREDO’s national study remains flawed, we believe that the current methodology used in the Michigan and New Jersey studies is more sound, and more closely approximates the level of research expertise we should be using to judge charter school achievement. In these studies, it appears that more and better demographic and school level data were used to identify and compare individual students to their ‘traditional public school’ counterparts, providing a more realistic view of students, and therefore, more credible results.” Read the report here. Read the debate over the methodology here and here.
ADVOCACY DAY, 2013. If you’re in New York and support charter schools, you can do more than honk; you can join the literally tens of thousands of happy parents and successful students who the Charter Parents Action Network are taking to Albany to tell legislators what they need to know — the truth, not the bloggers fantasies — about having the power to transform their own children’s lives. To RSVP or to follow up with questions, call 212-437-8394 or go to nyccharterschools.org/advocacyday. If you’re not in New York, you may want to learn how they do this, and take it to your own capital, or find out who already does. Get active!
HELP A LEGISLATOR. Or help thousands. This month new and veteran lawmakers started getting organized for the annual rite of legislative passage — the legislative session. Most of these people are just like you and me — they live in homes or apartments, sleep in beds, drive cars, have kids or dogs or cats or problems or debts, and they have a few ideas and they decided to run for office, and won. So they now have a vote, and guess what? Most of them don’t know where to start to learn about how – and why — to make education reform part of their program this year. Let’s all help out a legislator. First, make sure they know how their states actually work with regard to online learning, school choice, charters, teacher evaluations etc. Their state is ranked on these and other measures. Help them get into the top ten! They may need model legislation or talking points. Use these here, or create your own. But call, visit, educate and push. You know the Blob is.
LOOKING GOOD FOR LOUISIANA. A preliminary review of the state’s voucher program looks good for parents and children who most need options. While the full court hearing has yet to occur, this week an “appellate court panel ruled that the state has a ‘strong likelihood’ of winning its appeal on those grounds and granted a stay of [the court’s initial] ruling, pending a final determination in the case.” The program has continued to operate and that the unions may suffer another blow to their well-funded, but poorly-contrived challenge to school choice. Let’s hope.
Michigan Charter Schools Outperform Traditional Public School Students
January 15, 2013 By
New state-level studies demonstrate more rigorous standard of research than national study
CER Press Release
Washington, D.C.
January 15, 2013
A recent report by CREDO, a Stanford University based organization, finds that Michigan charter school students are seeing two-month gains in learning over traditional schools in one year. The study also found that 35 percent of charters in Michigan have significantly more positive gains in reading and 42 percent of charters have more gains in math than their traditional school counterparts. Continuing a trend CREDO has found in other states in which they’ve conducted studies of state-level public school student achievement data.
The Center for Education Reform has been critical of the work CREDO performed in the past, specifically in its first, national study, which used incongruous state data about students to make conclusions about charter school performance in selected states. This national “study” on 16 states resulted in an inaccurate but often quoted characterization among lawmakers and in the press that charter schools in general are not performing as well as other public schools when in reality, that report did not make meaningful comparisons on students within states or nationally.
A review of CREDO’s recent state level reports shows an improved approach to handling data.
According to CER President, Jeanne Allen: “Where the approach and data used in CREDO’s national study remains flawed, we believe that the current methodology used in the Michigan and New Jersey studies is more sound, and more closely approximates the level of research expertise we should be using to judge charter school achievement. In these studies, it appears that more and better demographic and school level data were used to identify and compare individual students to their ‘traditional public school’ counterparts, providing a more realistic view of students, and therefore, more credible results.”
Many researchers, including Stanford Economist Caroline Hoxby, argued about the original CREDO study that because of flawed methodology in analyzing student achievement, there was a bias against charter schools, one that the press and opponents immediately seized upon to suggest that fewer charters are making the grade. As Hoxby points out in her analysis of that 2009 study:
“The achievement of charter school students is measured with much more error than the achievement of the controls, which are not individual students but are group averages of students in the traditional public schools. By using the achievement data as both the dependent variable and (lagged) an independent variable, the CREDO study forces the estimated effect of charter schools to be biased, and the bias is negative …This paper also notes that the CREDO study violates four rules for the empirically sound use of matching methods to evaluate charter schools’ effects.”
Among the flaws in the original study:
“The CREDO study does not match individual charter school students to individual traditional public school (TPS) students with similar demographic characteristics. Instead, it matches each charter school student to a group of students in traditional public schools. A charter school student can potentially be matched to a group that contains many students. The study then computes average achievement and other average characteristics of each group. Thereafter, the study treats these group
averages as though they were students.1 The group for each charter school student is selected according to the following procedure. Each charter school is associated with a set of traditional public schools based on which schools their students attended before they applied to the charter school. Naturally, this information is not available for many
charter school students because they applied as kindergarteners, previously attended a school outside the local area, previously attended a private school, or simply do not have this information recorded. Nevertheless, a set of traditional public schools is picked for each charter school.” In short, matching methods involve substantial judgment, and the judgments focus on unobserved variables.
Says Allen: “We have known from multiple measures over the years that the majority of charter schools, particularly those serving children least likely to succeed, outperform, on average their traditional public school counterparts. The gold standard to which researchers aspire requires that we utilize real, individual, data over time, to ensure we are making accurate judgments about their progress in their respective schools. Until then we believe that attempts to make conclusions about the effects of charter schools must be cautiously viewed We welcome any new research that uses accurate data to make its conclusions and to that, believe that the CREDO reports on charter school achievement in New Jersey and Michigan provide a strong case that most charter schools are fulfilling their intended mission.”
Daily Headlines for January 15, 2013
January 15, 2013 By
NEWSWIRE IS BACK! Click here for the latest weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else, spiced with a dash of irreverence, from the nation’s leading voice in school reform.
FROM THE STATES
ARKANSAS
6 Charter Schools Approved by ADE
KARK, AR, January 14, 2013
Arkansas Education is changing with the times and ready to integrate new ways of learning. The State Board of Education approved six charter school applications, including three that will be new technology schools.
CONNECTICUT
Budget Cuts Forcing Charter Schools To Take Hard Look At Their Future
Hartford Courant, CT, January 14, 2013
Less than a year ago, the future looked bright for charter schools in Connecticut, with a promise of support from the governor and the General Assembly’s commitment of additional funding for each of the next three years.
Charter School Push Fails Math Test
Stamford Advocate, CT, January 14, 2013
Even if charter schools did a measurably better job of educating students than traditional public schools (they don’t).
Writer Exaggerates Success Rate Of Charter Schools
Waterbury Republican-American, CT, January 14, 2013
This is in response to Jennifer Alexander’s Jan. 12 letter, “School choice is solving many of state’s problems,” which was written in response to The Sunday Republican’s Jan. 6 editorial “A solution to border-jumping.” Ms. Alexander’s opening statement described public schools quite well except for of the reference to the ZIP code!
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Businesses And Charter Schools Work Together
Washington Times, DC, January 14, 2013
Public education has changed dramatically in the District of Columbia since Congress temporarily awarded responsibility for it to a federal control board 16 years ago.
Report Says D.C. School Closures Unlikely To Save Much Money In 2013-14 School Year
Washington Post, DC, January 15, 2013
D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s proposal to close 20 underenrolled schools appears unlikely to produce substantial savings next year, according to a report scheduled for release Tuesday by the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization.
FLORIDA
Pines Parents Voice Concern Over Charter Schools’ Finances
Sun Sentinel, FL, January 14, 2013
Sun Sentinel — Pembroke Pines charter school parents showed up in full force Monday night to voice their concerns about the financial instability of the city-run charter system.
ILLINOIS
Patriots Charter Eager For Space At Jackson School In Rockford
Rockford Register Star, IL, January 15, 2013
Next year, she hopes to have her own classroom space. And she will if the charter school finalizes a deal with the Rockford School District to buy Jackson Elementary School, which closed after the 2010-11 school year.
IOWA
NCLB Requirements Costing Sioux City School District $300K Per Year
Sioux City Journal, IA, January 14, 2013
The Sioux City school district could free up more than $300,000 in funding if students can meet No Child Left Behind proficiency requirements for the second year in a row.
$187 Million Education Reform Plan Focuses On Teacher Career Paths
Des Moines Register, IA, January 15, 2013
Resistance to the use of student achievement data in teacher evaluations and concerns that new career pathways could mean higher numbers of students in classrooms are among the hurdles facing Gov. Terry Branstad’s education proposal, which will cost $187 million annually within five years.
KANSAS
Charter-School Prospect Advances
The Hutchinson News, KS, January 14, 2013
The odds the now-closed Mount Hope school building could reopen this fall as a K-though-12 charter school rose Monday, but officials made no commitment.
LOUISIANA
Lycée Français Parents Express Concerns Amid Continuing Reports Of Mismanagement
Times-Picayune, LA, January 14, 2013
State-appointed consultants to the French charter school Lycée Français listened to the concerns of parents and teachers Monday night out of the hearing of the charter school’s board, which has come under fire for micromanagement and mismanagement.
White Proposes Teacher Evaluation Changes
Monroe News Star, LA, January 14, 2013
Louisiana’s new teacher evaluation system is designed to be tough, says Superintendent of Education John White, but it needs a little tweaking so a few more teachers can make it into the “Highly Effective” category.
Panel: State Likely To Win Appeal
The Advocate, LA, January 15, 2013
The Louisiana Department of Education’s claim that a federal judge lacked authority to halt the state’s voucher program in Tangipahoa Parish is likely to succeed on appeal, a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday.
MAINE
Better No Charter Schools Than Poor Ones
Kennebec Journal, ME, January 15, 2013
Charter school proponents, including this newspaper, always make the point that charter schools are public schools. When they work best, they are places that can strike a spark with students who are not learning in a traditional environment.
MARYLAND
Teachers Get Bonuses In Some Schools With Lower Suspension Rates
Baltimore Sun. MD, January 14, 2013
The Baltimore school system is paying bonuses to teachers and administrators at struggling schools that reduce suspensions, drawing criticism from union leaders who say the program could provide a financial incentive to ignore problems and jeopardize school safety.
MASSACHUSETTS
New Bedford Mayor Urges State To Reject Charter School Application
South Coast Today, MA, January 15, 2013
Mayor Jon Mitchell is urging the state to turn down the application of a Roxbury-based charter school seeking to open a similar high school in New Bedford, arguing that the new school’s costs far outweigh its benefits.
MICHIGAN
Edge Given To Charter Students
Detroit News, MI, January 15, 2013
A report released Monday by an independent analyst of charter schools shows charter school students in Michigan and Detroit are out-learning their public school counterparts.
Jackson Community College Trustees Told Proposed Charter School Would Be Separatist And Divisive
Jackson City Patriot, MI, January 15, 2013
A majority of those who spoke to Jackson Community College trustees on Monday said a new charter school JCC is being asked to authorize would be separatist and divisive.
NEVADA
State Board Of Education Sworn In, Begins Work On Reforms
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV, January 14, 2013
Nevada’s newly constituted State Board of Education, including Elaine Wynn, director of Wynn Resorts since 2000, was sworn into office Monday and immediately got down to work on Gov. Brian Sandoval’s ambitious education reform agenda.
NEW YORK
Catholic Schools Await More Closing Bells
New York Times, NY, January 15, 2013
But now, Holy Cross is one of 28 elementary schools being considered for closing this year by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.
Catholic Schools Await More Closing Bells
New York Times, NY, January 15, 2013
But now, Holy Cross is one of 28 elementary schools being considered for closing this year by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.
NORTH CAROLINA
Durham School Board Seeks Understanding With Charter Schools
Durham News, NC, January 15, 2013
With up to 11 new charter schools possibly coming to Durham County in the next two years, the school board wants to improve cooperation between charter schools and traditional public schools.
MCA High School Approved By State Board Of Education
Mount Airy News, NC, January 15, 2013
The North Carolina State Board of Education has approved Millennium Charter Academy’s application to expand its charter to include grades 9-12. A little more than three months ago, MCA’s Board of Directors approved the application to expand the academy to teach grades K-12.
OHIO
Teachers’ Pay Might Be Linked To Quality, Kasich Says
Columbus Dispatch, OH, January 15, 2013
Schools could tie teachers’ pay incentives to their performance as part of Gov. John Kasich’s yet-to-be-unveiled funding formula, the Republican governor said yesterday.
Law Allows Principals To Skip Being Teachers
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, January 14, 2013
When Gilbert A. Dater High School teacher Terri Wessel heard the school’s new assistant principal didn’t have a traditional license, she was nervous.
PENNSYLVANIA
Bethlehem Area School District Facing $8.19 Million Preliminary Budget Deficit In 2013-14
Lehigh Express Times, PA, January 14, 2013
Faccinetto emphasized that charter schools are offering services the district itself cannot afford, such as full-day kindergarten for all, and using tax dollars to advertise on televisions and billboards.
Pain For Gain In School Plan
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, January 15, 2013
After hearing from students, parents, teachers, and community leaders during an extensive listening tour, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. released a detailed plan for the future of Philadelphia’s schools last week. The plan sets out the goal of improving academic results for all students while emphasizing that making the district financially stable is a necessary step on the path to accomplishing that goal.
SOUTH CAROLINA
SC Charter School District Seeking More Money
The State, SC, January 15, 2013
The superintendent of the statewide charter school district says he needs at least $12 million just to keep up with the system’s growing student population.
TENNESSEE
Charter Schools Face Backlash In Inner Cities For Trying To Change Culture
Commercial Appeal, TN, January 14, 2013
Cornerstone Preparatory School, a startup charter school chosen to turn around low-performing Lester School, a semester later sits in an uneasy alliance with the Binghamton families it serves.
Gov. Haslam Will Push Education Vouchers For Tennessee
Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN, January 14, 2013
Gov. Bill Haslam said today he plans to push a limited education voucher bill this year that would apply to the state’s poorest children in Tennessee’s worst-performing schools.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush In Nashville To Push School Choice
The Tennessean, TN, January 15, 2013
Former Florida governor speaks at education forum in Nashville; Gov. Haslam promises change on teacher pay, voucher plan
VIRGINIA
Virginia Superintendents Want More Say In Education
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, January 15, 2013
Virginia’s school superintendents have issued a challenge to state politicians and educational leaders that they promise will lead to better-educated students: Ask them what works.
WEST VIRGINIA
School Reform Is a Necessity
The Intelligencer, WV, January 15, 2013
But on another pressing issue, education reform, money is not the challenge. We’re already spending plenty on public schools.
Tomblin Targets Education In Address
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, January 15, 2013
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin made public his thoughts on education reform during his Monday inaugural address. The address – otherwise thin on policy – hit several themes that could form the core of an education package the governor is expected to present to the Legislature next month.
WYOMING
Wyoming Senate Passes Education Reform Bill
WNCT, WY, January 14, 2013
The full Wyoming Senate on Monday gave preliminary approval to a sweeping education reform bill that would drastically reduce the administrative role of state’s top public schools official.
ONLINE LEARNING
DV Board Concerned With Cyber School
News Eagle, PA, January 14, 2013
The Delaware Valley School District held their board meeting on Thursday January 10th in the Administrative Offices. One of the topics discussed, funding the PA Cyber Charter School and other for-profit organizations, became well heated as Jack Fisher, along with a few other board members, shared their concerns.
Daily Headlines for January 14, 2013
January 14, 2013 By
NEWSWIRE IS BACK! Click here for the latest weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else, spiced with a dash of irreverence, from the nation’s leading voice in school reform.
Michelle Rhee, the Education Celebrity Who Rocketed From Obscurity to Oprah
Washington Post, DC, January 12, 2013
Rhee has created a political organization, StudentsFirst, that gives her a national platform. In just six years, she has rocketed from obscurity to the kind of fame that turns heads at the airport.
Can the Catholic Schools Be Saved?
New York Times, NY, January 14, 2013
Re “Catholic Education, in Need of Salvation” (Op-Ed, Jan. 7): Patrick J. McCloskey and Joseph Claude Harris are of course right that finances and personnel are two troubling challenges that confront Catholic education today.
No Child Left Behind, Act II
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, January 14, 2013
ELEVEN YEARS have passed since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 – popularly known as NCLB – was signed into law. NCLB mandates increased accountability for school performance, gives states and communities freedom in the use of Title I funding, targets federal funds to proven education programs and methods, and provides options to parents when schools do not meet standards.
FROM THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
Grading Teachers: Accountability Needed
San Diego Union Tribune, CA, January 12, 2013
Year after year, San Diego’s students are failing to learn and San Diego’s teachers are not being held accountable.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Charter Schools And Their Expulsion Policies
Washington Post, DC, January 11, 2013
Regarding the Jan. 6 front-page article “Expulsion rate higher for charter students”: Discipline policies must be reexamined and overhauled. Charter schools don’t expel too many students; public schools expel too few.
FLORIDA
Ease Charter-School Push
Palm Beach Post, FL, January 12, 2013
After making a big deal of lending his ears to a “listening tour” on education Gov. Rick Scott is giving lip service to seeking more money next year for Florida’s public schools. Doing so will be even more important — and more expensive. As The Post’s John Kennedy reported, public school enrollment is up nearly 30,000 and is projected to rise more than 20,000 next year.
GEORGIA
If The Numbers Really Could Be This Good …
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA, January 13, 2013
Good teachers are probably the most valuable public asset in any culture, especially this one. We insist on believing that for the most part, our pool of public school educators consists of dedicated, hard-working professionals.
Race To Top Education Funds Used To Give Teachers Easier Access To Student Data
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, January 13, 2013
Georgia is using part of its federal Race to the Top education grant to expand a statewide computer system that gives teachers years worth of information about their students at the click of a button.
State Board Considers Fate Of School Board Thursday
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, January 13, 2013
The state Board of Education will hold a hearing Thursday on the fate of the fractious DeKalb school board, which was the subject of a devastating critique by the district’s accreditation agency.
HAWAII
Teachers To Rally For Bill Their Union Doesn’t Support
Hawaii News Now, HI, January 13, 2013
Teachers who organized the so-called “work to the rule” protests that spread to schools statewide are planning a rally at the State Capitol this week for legislation that the teachers’ union says it does not support.
IDAHO
A Framework At Last For Collaboration For Education Reform
Idaho Statesman, ID, January 13, 2013
Gov. Butch Otter set the stage for a new-and-improved process for education reform in his State of the State address last week. But there’s something that he didn’t mention: Tom Luna’s name — the person who is supposed to be the guiding light for public education in Idaho.
ILLINOIS
No More Don’ts
Chicago Tribune, IL, January 14, 2013
The blue ribbon commission that’s supposed to help Chicago Public Schools decide how and where to close underused schools produced a long list of “don’ts” last week.
INDIANA
Ball State Reviews Charter Schools, Some Could Close
Northwest Times, IN, January 14, 2013
As Ball State University reviews the charters of 20 schools across the state, including eight local charter schools, some are concerned how many of them might close.
Bill On Teachers’ Union Dues Another Attack
Journal Gazette, IN, January 14, 2013
After the results of the November election, teachers across the state came to me to express their hope that members of the General Assembly would move forward and focus on bringing jobs to our state and improving our economy.
IOWA
Groups Looking At Iowa’s Education System Are Tasked With Change
Muscatine Journal, IA, January 13, 2013
Gov. Terry Branstad will again attempt to push a wide-ranging education reform package through a politically divided Statehouse, this time offering higher pay and different career paths for teachers.
KANSAS
Wasserstrom Award Honors Founder of Alta Vista Charter School
Kansas City Star, KS, January 13, 2013
Surgery kept Gilbert Guerrero from personally receiving the 23rd Evelyn Wasserstrom Award on Sunday afternoon. It did not stop others from praising his work.
LOUISIANA
BESE To Look At Changes For Evaluating Teachers
The Advocate, LA, January 14, 2013
Louisiana’s top school board is about to consider several changes in the state’s new method for evaluating public school teachers, including one that would make it easier for new teachers to land job security.
MAINE
Lepage’s Anti-Public School Bias Is Showing
Press Herald, ME, January 14, 2013
The governor continues to berate work done in Maine’s schools, but claims he’s pro-student.
MICHIGAN
Discussions for Charter School That Would Give High School Diploma and Associates Degree
Fox 47, MI, January 13, 2013
A school that would put others to shame; the Jackson Community College is discussing starting a charter school that would increase the quality of education in the area. Students would graduate with not only a high school diploma, but an associates degree as well.
MISSISSIPPI
Is Florida The Model? Mississippi’s Leaders Take A Cue From The Sunshine State
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, MS, January 13, 2013
Today’s stories examine education reform in Florida, which Mississippi political leaders are citing as a model for this state to emulate. Next month’s installment will look at efforts to improve literacy in Mississippi.
NEBRASKA
Teacher Candidates In Nebraska Face New Test
Omaha World-Herald, NE, January 12, 2013
The Omaha North High School graduate will attempt to pass a test of basic skills this month to enter the teacher preparation program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
NEW JERSEY
Kids Should Grade Teachers As Part Of Evaluations
Star Ledger, NJ, January 13, 2013
Nobody knows a teacher better than the students in his class. They see him every day. But should their opinions be included as part of his evaluation?
NEW MEXICO
Call for School Reform Gets Louder, Broader
Albuquerque Journal, NM, January 12, 2013
That dismal prognosis comes from someone who might be expected to defend the status quo of our education system — the woman in charge of the state’s largest institution of higher learning, the more than 30,000-student Central New Mexico Community College.
NEW YORK
New Success Academy Charter School Headed By Eva Moskowitz To Open In The Bronx With Little Parent Say
New York Daily News, NY, January 14, 2013
A controversial charter school network aggressively expanding under founder Eva Moskowitz is slated to add a third school in the Bronx this September with little parent feedback.
Gifted, Talented and Separated
New York Times, NY, January 13, 2013
IT is just a metal door with three windows, the kind meant to keep the clamor of an elementary school hallway from piercing a classroom’s quiet. Other than paint the color of bubble gum, it is unremarkable.
Most Local Districts Get OK On Teacher-Evaluation Plan
Times Herald Record, NY, January 14, 2013
Only two mid-Hudson school districts have yet to get state approval of their teacher evaluation system before the deadline Thursday.
NORTH CAROLINA
Charter School Not Needed For Tech Training
Daily Advance, NC, January 13, 2013
Not everyone can or wants to attend a four-year university. In addition, business and industry have changing needs that increasingly are not being met by the graduates of four-year colleges and universities. For those reasons, it’s critical that state policymakers ensure strong educational opportunities are available for students pursuing careers requiring a trade or skill.
OHIO
Students Lost To Charters Cost Canton Schools $7.25 Million A Year
Canton Repository, OH, January 13, 2013
As cuts in state education funds and lower property taxes result in less money for school budgets, Canton City Schools administrators would like to see fewer dollars leaving with students from their schools and ending up in the hands of private charter schools.
Ohio Students Brace For Perfect Storm Of Reform
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, January 14, 2013
This year marks the beginning of sweeping changes in the way Ohio students learn.
Kasich’s Turn For School Reform
Columbus Dispatch, OH, January 13, 2013
Gov. John Kasich soon will become the fourth-straight Ohio governor to propose sweeping changes for financing public schools and improving student performance.
Teacher Evaluations To Be More Detailed Under New Standards
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, January 12, 2013
It’s a dramatic departure for the state from a culture of having virtually all teachers receiving a good rating almost by default and with little commentary. By next school year, each teacher will be rated based on students’ academic growth, usually measured on standardized tests, and on how teachers do in the classroom observations.
OKLAHOMA
School Seeks To Save Cherokee Language
Muskogee Daily Phoenix, OK, January 14, 2013
Cherokee is spoken, heard, written and read in each classroom of this school which goes from pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade. Charts show South American countries, planets, parts of the body and the Pledge of Allegiance in letters from the Cherokee syllabary.
Oklahoma City School District Should Consider Union Head’s Critique
The Oklahoman, OK, January 14, 2013
FOR the past several years, state policymakers have made education a major focus. In Oklahoma City, officials have worked to improve the local district for far longer, including initiatives such as MAPS For Kids.
PENNSYLVANIA
Catasauqua Board Says Medical Academy Doesn’t Deliver, But Charter School Says Give Us Time
Allentown Morning Call, PA, January 12, 2013
Now, Catasauqua Area School District, which granted the charter in February, is worried the school that opened in the fall is more placebo than miracle pill.
TENNESSEE
State, Not School Boards May Soon Approve Charter Schools In Tennessee
The Commercial Appeal, TN, January 14, 2013
Local school boards in Tennessee decide which charter schools will open and close. That could all change this year with an effort taking shape in Nashville to give the power to an independent group, with state jurisdiction.
Vouchers Will Hurt Public Schools
The Tennessean, TN, January 13, 2013
The Tennessee legislature opened a new session this past week amid intense speculation over possible legislative initiatives. Many challenges are facing our legislators in this coming session, but none is more important than continuing to improve our children’s education by supporting our local public schools.
TEXAS
Lawmaker Seeks Charter School Reform
Reporter News, TX, January 14, 2013
The new head of the Texas Senate’s education committee said it’s too difficult for the state to close down poorly performing charter schools, but more charter schools should be allowed to open.
Educators Propose New ‘School Choice’ Plan
Longview News Journal, TX, January 14, 2013
The idea of school choice, wrapped up as it is in debate over a plan for private-school vouchers and a trial over how Texas finances its public schools, has become an emotional one in the months leading up to the 83rd Legislature that convened a week ago.
Waco Charter School To Expand Programs, Enrollment With Federal Award
Waco Tribune, TX, January 14, 2013
Harmony Science Academy-Waco is poised to grow in programs and enrollment because of a federal award and general support from the community.
Wall Street Gang Now Offer Education Choices
Austin American-Statesman, TX, January 13, 2013
About a quarter of the kids in the San Antonio Independent School District attend charter schools. Most are the low-income, minority students we think about when we imagine providing innovative opportunities for kids stuck in failing public schools in bad neighborhoods. For a long time, school reform has targeted only kids from poor families. You know, the lucky ones who get those free lunches.
VIRGINIA
Teach for Virginia
Washington Post, DC, January 13, 2013
MORE THAN 300 of Virginia’s best and brightest college graduates are on today’s front lines of bringing quality education to disadvantaged students, teaching in hard-to-staff schools as part of the innovative Teach for America (TFA) program.
Charter Schools Are Not The Answer
News Leader, VA, January 12, 2013
Gov. Bob McDonnell needs to go back to school. His ever-present partiality for pushing charter schools is in overdrive in his last year in office, and his plans to improve Virginia schools actually stand a very good chance of pushing them even further back.
Educators Struggle To Combat Dropout Rate Disparities
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, January 14, 2013
Black students account for a disproportionate percentage of dropouts in the Henrico County school system.
WASHINGTON
Let Charter Schools Start Without Court Fights
Spokesman Review, WA, January 12, 2013
Charter school proponents were turned back by voters in 1996, 2000 and 2004, but they finally reached the summit in November. Initiative 1240 clears the way for up to 40 charter schools to be established in the next five years.
Washington State Teachers Union Should Not Sue Over New Charter-School Law
Seattle Times, WA, January 11, 2013
Contrary to The Seattle Times editorial [“Union should drop suit to block charters,” Opinion, Jan. 9], I support the Washington Education Association and any organization that challenges the constitutionality of the charter-school initiative recently adopted by Washington citizens.
WEST VIRGINIA
Statehouse Beat: Education Reform May Take Shape
Charleston Gazette, WV, January 13, 2013
If there was any doubt about Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin pursuing significant public education reform during the upcoming regular session — which we should hear a good bit about in his inaugural address Monday — House Speaker Rick Thompson’s reference to public education being “on the brink of an overhaul” should have removed all doubt.
WISCONSIN
Performance, Competition Driving Factors In Future Teacher Pay
The Oshkosh Northwestern, WI, January 12, 2013
Emerging performance-based pay scales and competition for skilled teachers could drive educators’ salaries upward, especially for those in highly specialized programs.
ONLINE LEARNING
Backer Of Virtual Charter Schools Defends Independence
Portland Press Herald, ME, January 12, 2013
But the leader of the Charter School Commission says doubts about oversight led to rejections of two applications this week.
Virtual School Principal Logs In
The Recorder, MA, January 14, 2013
From his desk at the Massachusetts Virtual Academy office on Davis Street, Carl Tillona looked out across the large room at four teachers, each of whom wore headphones and spread out at tables with laptops, communicating lesson plans virtually with students and parents.
Parents Choose Cyber Schools Because They Are Filling Needs
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, January 13, 2013
The Jan. 8 Perspectives piece by Adam Schott (“Time Out on Cyber Charters”) highlights an important issue in public education but is an incomplete and misleading summary of Pennsylvania cyber education.
Families Try Out ‘Virtual’ Public Schools
San Antonio Express, TX, January 11, 2013
Worried about exposure to foul language, immodest dress, peer pressure and other inappropriate behavior, Susan Brown didn’t want her two daughters attending public schools — even though she’s a substitute teacher in a public school in Minnesota.
@School, @Home: Waterloo Students Go Online To Get An Education At Home
Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA, January 13, 2013
Katlyn Lawless has a dedicated space in her bedroom for school work.
The 17-year-old sits at a desk in a corner, working through online lessons on a computer. The self-paced curriculum allows Lawless to decide when and how long to study — as well as the environment in which she works. “Sometimes I’ll have the TV on, or I’ll play music on my iPad, or I’ll lay on my bed,” she said.
Springfield’s Online Course Offerings Win Back Students
Register-Guard, OR, January 14, 2013
Mason, who is a quick study, gets to set his own pace because he’s studying online, taking advantage of the opportunity for virtual education, thanks to a new program offered by the Springfield School District.
Daily Headlines for January 11, 2013
January 11, 2013 By
NEWSWIRE IS BACK! Click here for the latest weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else, spiced with a dash of irreverence, from the nation’s leading voice in school reform.
NATIONAL COVERAGE
Op-Ed: To Close The Achievement Gap, Don’t Lower The Bar
NPR, January 11, 2013
Florida and Virginia adopted new academic standards for students based on race and ability — refocusing attention on the U.S. achievement gap. In a piece in the Miami Herald, syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts argues that lowering the bar is not the way to fix the education system.
Who Teaches Matters
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, January 11, 2013
A new study by the Gates Foundation merely confirms what was already known: Good teachers make a difference.
Teacher Test
Chicago Tribune, IL, January 11, 2013
For years, educators have argued about the best ways to grade teachers’ performance in the classroom. Some skeptics doubted it was possible to fairly evaluate teachers, partly because some teachers had brighter students while others faced classes filled with struggling kids.
Researcher Tears Apart Gates Foundation Teacher Evaluation Study
StateImpact Florida, FL, January 10, 2013
Greene says the foundation’s conclusions were based on the politics of convincing teachers and school districts of the merits of evaluations, and not data. He takes particular aim at classroom observations, which he says the Gates data shows do not improve evaluations:
Taking Stock on the Anniversary of ‘No Child Left Behind’
Huffington Post, January 10, 2013
This week marks the 11th anniversary of the signing of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001 — the “No Child Left Behind” Act. The legislation is due to be reauthorized, although there is little movement on Capitol Hill toward making this happen any time soon.
The Case for a Teacher Bar Exam
The Atlantic, January 10, 2013
Like law and medical schools, education schools shouldn’t be able to survive if fewer than half their students can pass a rigorous professional exam.
FROM THE STATES
ARIZONA
More Regulations On Purchasing Opposed By State Charter Schools
Arizona Daily Star, AZ, January 11, 2013
Arizona charter school officials say they don’t want the state to impose more regulations on how the mostly privately operated schools buy goods and services with taxpayer dollars, and the state board says no changes are in the works.
East Valley Families Seek School Options Through Open Enrollment
East Valley Tribune, AZ, January 10, 2013
Rachel Cesta spent part of this week turning in charter school applications for her children.
CALIFORNIA
Gov. Brown Joins School Reform Debate – Finally
San Diego Union Tribune, CA, January 11, 2013
For two years, Gov. Jerry Brown has ducked the school reform debate. Yes, in 2011, he got headlines after mocking the trendiness of some reformers. But even as President Barack Obama urged Democratic governors to adopt policies that focused on teacher quality, Brown has stayed mum beyond espousing a vague belief that local control is better than dictates handed down from afar.
FLORIDA
Lee County Is The No. 1 Place In The State For Charter Schools
News Press, FL, January 11, 2013
That’s according to the Washington D.C.-based Center for School Options, which rated Lee County as the top school district for charter school access compared to the state’s 10 largest counties in 2011.
District Audit Panel Suggests Tighter Controls On Charter Schools’ Student Attendance Reporting
Palm Beach Post, FL, January 10, 2013
The Palm Beach County School District needs to develop better controls over how charter schools take and report student attendance, district audit committee members said Thursday.
Hofman Leaves University To Help Start Miami Charter School
Miami Herald, FL, January 11, 2013
Rich Hofman, the first baseball coach in Florida prep history to win 1,000 games, said Thursday he has left Broward County’s University School to help start a new co-educational charter school in Miami.
Pines To Hold Charter School Town Hall
Sun Sentinel, FL, January 11, 2013
Stakeholders in the city’s charter school system are rallying together Monday to beg the state Legislature for money.
INDIANA
Proposed Bill Cuts Wait To Buy Vacant Schools
The Journal Gazette, IN, January 10, 2013
Legislators on Wednesday considered lessening the effect of a law that has stymied the sale of several area school buildings.
KENTUCKY
Lawmakers Not Optimistic About Charter School Bill
Tri State, KY, January 10, 2013
A scaled-down version of a controversial bill to allow charter schools in Kentucky is returning to the General Assembly this year, but supporters and opponents say it has little chance of winning approval.
LOUISIANA
Study Gives State F For Achievement
The Advocate, LA, January 11, 2013
Louisiana got an F for public education achievement Thursday for the third consecutive year in an annual study done by Education Week magazine.
MAINE
LePage’s Charges On Charters Off The Charts
Portland Press Herald, ME, January 11, 2013
He loves to rant and rant and rant about what’s wrong with Maine schools.
If only Gov. Paul LePage would put the same energy into doing his homework.
MARYLAND
City Recommends Severing Ties With Operators Of Six Schools
The Baltimore Sun, MD, January 10, 2013
Baltimore school officials recommended Thursday severing ties with independent operators of six schools after a months-long review of more than two dozen diverse programs.
MASSACHUSETTS
South Boston Charter School Proud Of Its Record
Boston Globe, MA, January 11, 2013
A MORE accurate headline for the Jan. 3 Metro article “Departures at South Boston charter school raise concerns” would have been “Former Gavin Middle School students excel at new in-district charter school.”
MICHIGAN
Judge To Decide If 7 DPS At-Large Members Should Be Removed
Detroit News, MI, January 11, 2013
A judge said Thursday he will issue a decision by mail on whether seven members of the Detroit school board are holding office illegally and should be removed.
Michigan Scores Sixth In Studentsfirst Report Cards
Detroit News, MI, January 11, 2013
StudentsFirst released our inaugural state policy report cards this week that provide a snapshot of where each state stands on important education reform issues that put the needs of students first.
MISSOURI
New Missouri System Raises The Bar For School District Performance
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, January 11, 2013
A new rating system for Missouri’s school districts will intensify pressure on low-performing school districts to improve, while exposing even the best schools to new scrutiny from parents and the public.
NEW MEXICO
Candidates Debate Achievement Gap
Albuquerque Journal, NM, January 11, 2013
The achievement gap and charter schools were flash points Thursday at a forum for candidates running for the school board.
NEW YORK
Report Links Poor Schools, Teachers
Wall Street Journal, January 11, 2013
Poor and minority students in New York City are more likely to be taught by failing teachers than other students, an analysis by an education advocacy group found.
Cuomo’s School Reforms Lauded, But Funding Source Questioned
Journal News, NY, January 11, 2013
Few education officials and advocates object to the sweeping schools agenda Gov. Andrew Cuomo presented Wednesday in his State of the State address — but many wonder how he’ll pay for it.
NORTH CAROLINA
Wake Schools Criticize State GOP Education Measures
News & Observer, NC, January 10, 2013
Education reforms passed last year by the Republican-led state legislature that would issue a letter grade to every school and end social promotion are drawing complaints from the state’s largest school system.
OHIO
Ohio’s Public Schools Rate 12th In U.S. With B- Grade
Columbus Dispatch, OH, January 11, 2013
Ohio’s public school system earned a better grade on the nation’s report card this year, but the state’s rank — fifth in the nation three years ago — fell to 12th.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Fair Evaluation Of Teachers A Clear And Present Educational Need
Charleston Post Courier, SC, January 11, 2013
You don’t need an education degree to know that the better a teacher, the better the classroom results. And you don’t need to be an avid observer of modern educational controversies to know that the ongoing push for broader “teacher evaluation” is generating resistance from many of those who would be judged — and possibly fired — on that basis.
TENNESSEE
Vouchers Don’t Get To Root Of Problem
Daily News Journal, TN, January 10, 2013
The concept of education vouchers in Tennessee seems quite simple on the face. Take children out of failing schools and send them somewhere else, either to a private school or better public school.
Rose Park Rises As Popular School Choice Heading Into Lottery
The Tennessean, TN, January 10, 2013
Almost every part of the Metro Nashville school choice lottery is different this year, including the addition of a new magnet school to the list of students’ favorites.
VIRGINIA
Superintendent Hopes Charter Schools Wouldn’t Take Funding from Public Schools
WHSV, VA, January 10, 2013
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said he’d like to bring more charter schools to the state and those schools would help educate low-income children.
WISCONSIN
Invest in MPS, Not Voucher and Charter
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, January 10, 2013
In his Jan. 6 column, Alan J. Borsuk says that a new vision for education in Milwaukee is needed to get beyond the stale and failed answers of the past. He is right.
Ex-Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald To Lobby For School Choice Group
Journal Sentinel Blog, WI, January 10, 2013
Then-Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald was coy about his plans when asked last summer what he would do if he lost his bid for the U.S. Senate.
ONLINE LEARNING
‘Facebook Meets The Classroom’
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, January 11, 2013
North College Hill, a district of mostly low-income students, is wading into a national educational trend called blended learning, which marries traditional classroom instruction with online learning and assignments.
Lakeview Learning Goes Virtual
Battle Creek Enquirer, MI, January 10, 2013
That somewhat annoying little tool is but one feature of edmodo, a website some Lakeview High School teachers have integrated into their classrooms to better engage students, allow students to do more work from home, do a little college prep, encourage more collaboration and maybe even save the school some money .
Oklahoma Mid-Year Aid Allocations At For-Profit Online Schools Questioned
Tulsa World, OK, January 11, 2013
The annual process of adjusting schools’ state aid allocations mid-year has brought more disappointment than relief, even in Tulsa’s fastest-growing suburbs.
MD Schools Rank #1 in Nation
January 11, 2013 By
Fox45 Baltimore
January 10, 2013
CER President Jeanne Allen cautions against the high rating, pointing out over half of the students in the state cannot read and write at proficient levels.
Watch the video here.
Learn more about these ratings here.
Daily Headlines for January 10, 2013
January 10, 2013 By
NEWSWIRE IS BACK! Click here for the latest weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else, spiced with a dash of irreverence, from the nation’s leading voice in school reform.
NATIONAL COVERAGE
Schools Get Taste of Own Medicine
Wall Street Journal, January 10, 2013
Schools long have graded students. Now they are being graded themselves, as a growing number of states assign them A-to-F scores to evaluate their performance.
FROM THE STATES
ARIZONA
Charter Schools Want Purchasing Policies To Stand
Arizona Republic, AZ, January 10, 2013
The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools will not change its school procurement policies after school officials told the board Wednesday that they like having more flexibility than district schools when making purchases.
CALIFORNIA
Charter School Advocacy Group Endorse LAUSD School Board Candidates
KPCC, CA, January 9, 2013
The Coalition for School Reform –an advocate for charter schools– has picked its horses in the three Los Angeles Unified school board races. It’s placing its bets on Monica Garcia in District 2, Kate Anderson in District 4, and Antonio Sanchez in District 6.
CONNECTICUT
Schools Sought in Bridgeport, Stamford, Danbury
CT Post, CT, January 9, 2013
Two Bridgeport ministers, including one who serves on the city’s school board, are among two dozen people interested in running state-funded charter schools.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
D.C. Charter Board Proposes Closing Imagine Southeast For Poor Performance
Washington Post Blog, DC, January 9, 2013
The D.C. Public Charter School Board is proposing to shutter a Ward 8 school for poor performance and will vote on the measure Thursday night.
GEORGIA
Gainesville School Board Mulls Proposal To Join Charter Systems Group
Gainesville Times, GA, January 10, 2013
A group headed by a former state lawmaker is attempting to rally charter school systems throughout the state to band together under one flag to share ideas and petition legislators.
INDIANA
Bill Would Expand School Vouchers
Post Tribune, IN, January 9, 2013
A bill proposed in the state Senate would make it easier for the siblings of a student attending private school through a voucher system to be approved for a voucher as well.
Might Let The Courts Finish First On Gay Marriage, School Vouchers
Journal and Courier, IN, January 10, 2013
Some legislators seem determined to press forward on two controversial issues — a gay marriage ban and Indiana’s school voucher program — even as the high courts weigh matters that could change the landscape on both.
KANSAS
Education Deans, KSDE To Meet On Teacher Prep Programs
Kansas City Kansan, KS, January 10, 2013
Officials at the Kansas State Department of Education will meet in March with deans from various schools of education to discuss a recent report calling for big changes in the way colleges prepare new teachers for entering the profession.
KENTUCKY
Kentucky Charter School Bill Returns To Legislature, Unlikely To Pass In 2013
Louisville Courier-Journal, KY, January 10, 2013
A scaled-down version of a controversial bill to allow charter schools in Kentucky is returning to the General Assembly this year, but supporters and opponents say it has little chance of winning approval in the House.
LOUISIANA
School Choice Offers Quality Education To Poor
Opelousas Daily World, LA, January 10, 2013
Politicians are quick to talk about equal opportunity — especially when it comes to our children.
MAINE
LePage To Charter School Commission Members: ‘Please Go Away’
Bangor Daily News, ME, January 10, 2013
Gov. Paul LePage on Wednesday called on the members of Maine’s charter school commission to resign, a day after the seven-member panel rejected four out of five applications for new charter schools.
Paths Forward Tough For Both Winners And Losers In Charter School Decisions
Bangor Daily News, ME, January 10, 2013
Concerns that a state commission’s rejection of four out of five charter school applications Tuesday would have a chilling effect on future applications already has proven true for at least one would-be charter school.
MARYLAND
Maryland Schools Rank No. 1 For Fifth Year In A Row
The Baltimore Sun, MD, January 10, 2013
For the fifth year in a row, Maryland has the best public school system in America, according to rankings published Thursday by a leading education publication that gave the state high marks for post-graduation outcomes, state funding levels and overall student achievement.
St. Mary’s, Calvert School Unions Push Legislators For Answers
Southern Maryland Newspaper, MD, January 9, 2013
Top on the list of concerns from the St. Mary’s and Calvert education unions was adequate funding for schools, addressing whether to require teachers to join unions, and the impact of shifting a part of the state’s share of teacher pensions to county governments.
MASSACHUSETTS
Charter Kids, Parents Deserved Better Than Sudden Shutdown
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, January 10, 2013
Wednesday’s final collapse — and that’s just what it was — of the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School rings down a painful and shameful final curtain on a three-year venture aimed at helping many students and their families find educational success where many had not in the past.
MICHIGAN
Michigan AG Wants Detroit School Board Ouster Today
Detroit News, MI, January 10, 2013
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette is continuing his quest to unseat seven members of the Detroit Board of Education and plans to persuade a judge to order their removal today.
Jackson’s daVinci Institute Charter School Rated an Academic State Champion by Bridge Magazine
Jackson Citizen Patriot, MI, January 10, 2013
A Jackson charter school with its fair share of economically struggling students is an “Academic State Champ,” according to a study done by Bridge Magazine.
MISSISSIPPI
Fast Push Eyed For Charter Schools
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, January 10, 2013
The House Education Committee is ground zero for charter schools and other key legislation this year, and dozens of education advocates, lobbyists and lawmakers anxiously packed like sardines into a small committee room for the panel’s first meeting of 2013.
Advocate: Focus On Teacher Training
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, January 10, 2013
Despite the heavy focus on charter schools this legislative session, the head of one of the state’s largest education advocacy groups is pushing for more focused reforms that would reach more students.
NEVADA
Nevada Democrats Announce Education Agenda
Mohave Daily News, NV, January 10, 2013
Nevada Democrats unveiled their education priorities for the upcoming legislative session Wednesday, calling for early development programs for at-risk students and expansion of all-day kindergarten.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Suit Challenges School Tax Credit
Nashua Telegraph, NH, January 10, 2013
Calling it a “backdoor voucher,” three civil liberties groups claim a new education tax credit violates the state constitution and should be struck down.
NORTH CAROLINA
State Sees 154 Proposals For New Charter Schools
Huntersville Herald, NC, January 13, 2013
Mecklenburg County received more charter school requests for the 2014-15 school year than any other county in the state.
OHIO
Teacher Education Programs At Public, Private State Colleges Can Now Be Compared
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, January 9, 2013
Prospective teachers, school superintendents and parents can now judge the quality of teacher education programs in Ohio’s public and private colleges.
Some Charter Schools Dodge State’s Closure Law
Columbus Dispatch Blog, OH, January 9, 2013
A report released today found that 7 of the 20 tax-funded charter schools ordered by the state to close because their students are failing are still operating in the same location under new names and with many of the same teachers and staff.
Report: Charter Schools Evade Closure Laws
Cincinnati CityBeat, OH, January 9, 2013
When an Ohio charter school consistently fails to meet academic standards, the state automatically shuts it down. It’s an aspect of Ohio law that’s touted as one of the toughest standards for charter schools in the nation, but a report from Policy Matters Ohio found some charter schools may be evading the rule altogether.
OKLAHOMA
Education Reforms Require Adequate Funding, Activist Says In Tulsa
Tulsa World, OK, January 10, 2013
A national education activist speaking in Tulsa on Wednesday said his organization is coming to Oklahoma to lobby for adequate funding immediately for existing, research-based reforms and to systematically engage parents over the long term.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Is Deliver-Ology Coming to South Dakota Schools?
Capital Journal, SD, January 9, 2013
What is “deliver-ology”? This is the “new focus” state Education Secretary Melody Schopp said she and her staff are taking for K-12 public schools, as South Dakota moves away from No Child Left Behind. The secretary spent two hours Wednesday with the House Education Committee explaining the changes under way.
TENNESSEE
Like It Or Not, Students First Has Merit
The Tennessean, TN, January 10, 2013
“We don’t grade on a curve,” Michele Rhee said of the C-minus grade that her organization, Students First, gave Tennessee on its first State Policy Report Card.
UTAH
Charter Schools Have Some Of The Lowest, Highest Graduation Rates
The Salt Lake Tribune, UT, January 9, 2013
The high school graduation rate in charter schools improved slightly from last year, but several schools posted some of the worst rates in Utah, state officials said on Wednesday.
ONLINE LEARNING
State To Vote On Proposal For Online Charter Schools
News & Observer, NC, January 10, 2013
North Carolina children as young as 5 may soon be able to receive their public school education online from for-profit companies.
Coweta Schools To Explore Virtual Learning
Times-Herald, GA, January 10, 2013
Coweta County high-schoolers may have the option of completing some coursework online as early as next year.
Maryland Still Isn’t Number One
January 10, 2013
This year’s report from an education news publisher ranks Maryland as number one yet again , and yet again we feel like screaming at the top of our lungs “Wake Up, Maryland! Your schools aren’t No.1!”
In the “Wake Up!” piece, CER President Jeanne Allen points out how the ratings that put Maryland at No. 1 are based on inputs, like funding, and fail to consider student outputs. Last year, the Nation’s Report card “revealed that average proficiency is only 50 percent in math and reading — hardly an achievement.”
Not only that, but “even the federal government knows Maryland isn’t No. 1. Last [year], the state’s application for charter school funding was rejected because its law is not strong enough.”
Maryland’s ranking on the Parent Power Index, which rates states based on cumulative progress on all reforms and lets parents know how much power they have when it comes to their child’s education, is 38 out of the 50 states and DC — hardly near the top!
Until we start thinking in terms of outputs, as today’s Wall Street Journal piece on grading schools addresses, parents and lawmakers will continue to go on believing that their schools are just fine, when the reality is that schools and the system at large could be doing so much more for our kids.