Daily Headlines for March 4, 2013
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NATIONAL COVERAGE
An Unfortunate Class Distinction In Schools
Washington Post, DC, March 3, 2013
Regarding the Feb. 25 Metro story “D.C. school choice creates a niche”: As a retired public school educator and a parent, I was particularly troubled by two quotes.
Study Says KIPP Student Gains Substantial
Washington Post, DC, March 3, 2013
KIPP, formerly known as the Knowledge Is Power Program, has had more success than any other large educational organization in raising the achievement of low-income students, both nationally and in the District. But many good educators, burned by hopeful stories in the past, have wondered whether KIPP was for real.
Standardized Testing Becomes The Great Divide In Schools Policy
Los Angeles Times, CA, March 3, 2013
Use of standardized tests in schools is growing, but so is push-back – an issue playing out in L.A. school board elections.
Should ‘Common’ Be Education’s Goal?
Detroit News, MI, March 4, 2013
That’s a fine aim, and it began as a states-led effort. Many states, including Michigan, approved the standards early on. Yet shortly thereafter, the U.S. Department of Education embraced the initiative and soon began pushing states to adopt the Common Core as a condition for being granted a waiver from No Child Left Behind requirements.
FROM THE STATES
ALABAMA
Educators Question New Tax-Credit Bill
Tuscaloosa News, AL, March 3, 2013
Local education officials are upset and wondering about the future of their school systems following the Alabama Legislature’s sudden passage of a bill Thursday giving tax credits to parents who move their children from failing public schools to private schools.
ALASKA
Senate Education Panel Takes Up Voucher Issue
Juneau Empire, AK, March 3, 2013
A Senate panel began hearings Friday on the subject of school vouchers, less than two weeks after the committee’s chair adamantly declared on the Senate floor that the issue needs to be thoroughly vetted.
CALIFORNIA
National Attention and Cash in Los Angeles School Vote
New York Times, NY, March 4, 2013
On Tuesday, voters in Los Angeles will go to the polls for a mayoral primary. But much of the attention will also be on the three races for the school board, a battle that involves the mayor, the teachers’ union and a host of advocates from across the country — including New York City’s billionaire mayor — who have poured millions of dollars into the races.
COLORADO
Appeals Court Upholds Freedom Of Choice For Accredited Private Or Religious Schools
Colorado Springs Gazette, CO, March 4, 2013
Institutional discrimination against poor and religious families in Douglas County has ended, at least for now.
FLORIDA
Parents Have High Hopes For Spot In Viera Charter
Florida Today, FL, March 2, 2013
Today, Latonik will be among 1,200 student applicants – and their parents – who will learn whether efforts to enroll in a new 650-student charter school in Viera will be rewarded with a slot at the school.
Florida Lawmakers File Bills That Focus On Teacher Pay, Parent Triggers, More
News-Press, FL, March 4, 2013
It’s going to be another wild ride for education: New bills in Tallahassee could shake up parents, teachers and students.
ILLINOIS
CPS Applies Charter Heat
Chicago Tribune, IL, March 4, 2013
In recent days, Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett has thrown some muscle behind her pledge to hold charter schools accountable for academic performance.
INDIANA
Beware Schools’ Charter Shopping
Journal Gazette, IN, March 3, 2013
In 2011, the Indiana legislature passed important legislation to expand the number of quality charter schools and to hold charter schools more accountable for their performance. Unfortunately, that legislation also created a loophole that allows failing charter schools to avoid that stronger accountability, a loophole that some of those schools are now trying to use.
Scholarships Add Layer To Voucher Debate
Journal Gazette, IN, March 3, 2013
Controversial school reform in Indiana that produced publicly funded vouchers for private school students also includes a lesser-known private school scholarship program, which critics say is another way that public funds end up supporting private schools.
School Voucher Expansion Bill Going Through Statehouse
Shelbyville News, IN, March 4, 2013
A measure that expands the choice scholarships in Indiana has cleared the house and is on its way to the Senate. Indiana House Bill 1003 cleared the house last week by a vote of 57-36, despite the fact that the Indiana Supreme Court has not issued a decision on vouchers. The measure is designed to allow more Indiana families to become more easily qualified for the two-year-old voucher program.
KANSAS
Is It Time For A Charter School Revolution In Kansas?
Topeka Capital Journal, KS, March 3, 2013
Some lawmakers are pushing for a new charter law to potentially bring the national ‘school choice’ movement to Kansas
MARYLAND
School Boards May Have To Heed Parents’ Petitions
Cumberland Times-News, MD, March 3, 2013
National education reform advocates support a Maryland bill that would mandate reform for failing schools whenever a majority of parents petition for intervention, but the state superintendent and the state teachers union oppose the idea.
MASSACHUSETTS
More Affirmation For Charter Schools
Lowell Sun, MA, March 3, 2013
A Stanford University study released this week provides great impetus to the state’s charter-school movement and encouragement to parents who seek options for their children.
Site Location Unknown For New Charter School
Boston Globe, MA, March 2, 2013
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday granted a charter to the founders of the Pioneer Charter School of Science, but it may not be located in Saugus as expected.
MISSISSIPPI
Young Talks Charter Schools
WTOK, MS, March 3, 2013
Lawmakers in Jackson continue to debate the issue of charter schools in Mississippi.
MONTANA
Education Claims Were Misleading
Helena Independent Record, MT, March 4, 2013
Joe Balyeat’s article in the Independent Record stated that Montana ranked 51st by the Center for Education Reform in its Parent Power Index. Their website showed the ranking had nothing to do with student results; it had to do with state laws giving choices for allocation of education funds.
NEVADA
Denying An Important School Choice
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV, March 3, 2013
As written, the bill is a stunning attack on parental choice and judgment. Reducing the compulsory age has consequences beyond kindergarten.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Private Hurt N.H. Public Schools
Portsmouth Herald, NH, March 2, 2013
The voucher tax credit passed in the last Legislature would take money away from our public schools and send it to private, religious and home schools with no accountability to the public.
House Vote Could Set Stage For New Charter Schools
New Hampshire Union Leader, NH, March 4, 2013
The state House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Wednesday on charter school legislation that could set the stage for an end to a moratorium on new charters imposed in September by the Board of Education.
NEW JERSEY
Gov’s Proposed School Aid Has Officials Expressing Needs
The Trentonian, NJ, March 3, 2013
Gov. Chris Christie last week used his proposed State budget to push harder for more school choice for students in struggling districts. In his $32.9 billion spending plan Christie called for more state aid for school districts and also money for some of his favored programs that would make it easier for students to go to school elsewhere.
NEW YORK
Gifted Class Imbalance
Wall Street Journal, March 4, 2013
As New York City switches to a new test to identify children for its gifted-and-talented program, new data show that the overwhelming majority of these coveted, public-school slots still go to white and Asian students.
Inside the World of Charter Schools
New York Times, NY, March 4, 2013
Re “Better Charter Schools in New York City” (editorial, Feb. 23):
While rightly acknowledging the success of charter schools in New York City, you missed the mark in calling the national charter movement a “disappointment.”
Charter School Gearing Up For Fall Opening
Utica Observer Dispatch, NY, March 3, 2013
The Mohawk Valley’s first charter school has a home. The next step: hiring staff and enrolling students.
NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota Home Schoolers Fight Testing
Grand Forks Herald, ND, March 4, 2013
North Dakota, one of a handful of states requiring high-stakes testing for home schoolers, has long been known for having tougher requirements compared to the rest of the nation. This bill is one step toward easing its reputation and giving home-school parents more freedom, said Theresa Deckert, spokeswoman for the North Dakota Home School Association.
OHIO
Westerville Schools Losing Kids, Funding To Charters
Columbus Dispatch, OH, March 4, 2013
Students are leaving Westerville schools at a rate that has alarmed district officials, spurring them to seek ways to draw students back and retain others.
Charter School Money Is Big Question Mark In Gov. John Kasich’s Education Budget
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, March 3, 2013
Much of the debate so far on Gov. John Kasich’s education budget has focused on whether he would give enough state money to public schools and how he would distribute it between poor and rich districts.
PENNSYLVANIA
School Reform Finds A Home
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, March 3, 2013
Teach for America, on whose board Manekin once sat, will be taking 13,000 square feet for its operations, and many of those renting apartments will be TFA teachers. There will be a coffee shop, outdoor courtyards, and free parking. The nonprofits will be given conference-room space, a lunchroom, and events designed to foster collaboration among groups that share a vision but have different missions.
Question Of The Week Responses: York Charter School Conversion13
York Daily Record, PA, March 3, 2013
I do not support York County’s proposal to make more charter schools. For one thing, taxes will go up. We need more buses and school buildings. What is happening to the buildings that we have?
Charter School Friends, Foes Air Their Feelings
Intelligence Journal, PA, March 3, 2013
Onal quaffed the energy drink prior to a Feb. 19 Lancaster school board hearing on the proposed Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship Charter School. The four-hour hearing got out of hand, with Onal — president of the charter school board — accusing opponents of lying. Other confrontations between charter school backers and foes prompted school officials to call police.
RHODE ISLAND
RI Charter Schools See Huge Increase In Applications
Go Local Prov, RI, March 2, 2013
Rhode Island’s public charter schools have seen a large increase in interest from parents deciding where their children should be educated, so much so that a total of 7,900 applications were sent in for the less than 800 openings available leading up to this year’s so-called “lottery day.”
TENNESSEE
Nashville Schools’ Stakes Are High For New Academics Chief
The Tennessean, TN, March 4, 2013
From his Bransford Avenue office, Jay Steele hears the skeptics — those who question his model for high school instruction and his ability to turn around a struggling school district, and his boss for not scouring the nation to fill the position he now holds.
Transition Panel’s Plan To Merge Memphis And Shelby Schools: Path To Success Or Tortuous Route?
Commercial Appeal, TN, March 3, 2013
If the unified school board would just “implement the Transition Planning Commission plan” for merging Memphis City and Shelby County schools, a popular refrain goes, everything would be fine.
Directors Oppose Vouchers
Cleveland Daily Banner, TN, March 3, 2013
A proposed school voucher bill by Gov. Bill Haslam has heated up one of education’s hottest topics among parents, legislators and educators of Tennessee.
Ads Touting TN School Vouchers To Top $800K
WSMV, TN, March 1, 2013
A national group advocating for a wide-scale school voucher program in Tennessee is launching a massive media campaign to persuade lawmakers to expand the program proposed by Gov. Bill Haslam.
TEXAS
School Vouchers Appear Dead This Session
Corpus Christi Caller Times, TX, March 4, 2013
There is waning interest by Texas legislators to consider the faux-voucher proposal that has been advocated for months by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Senate Education Committee Chair Dan Patrick, R-Houston. In fact, with no bill yet filed, and with a March 8 deadline looming for introducing legislation, if it is to be considered before the Legislature adjourns on May 27, the voucher proposal is clearly on “life support,” at best.
Area Opinions: Bill Could Help Charter Schools
Lubbock Avalanche Journal, TX, March 3, 2013
Let’s make this clear at the outset: There’s no magic formula for raising the achievement levels of Texas’ 5 million students, but state legislators and school districts can take various steps to give young Texans greater opportunities for a better education. One way is providing enough high-performing charter schools.
WASHINGTON
Senate GOP Scales Back Education Agenda
Seattle Times, WA, March 3, 2013
The Republican wish list is having to confront issues such as cost concerns to arguments that there already have been a lot of school reforms.
WEST VIRGINIA
Debate Over Education Bill Turns To Teacher Hiring
Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV, March 4, 2013
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s bid to rewrite teacher hiring practices has sparked an early battle as the Legislature wades through his proposed overhaul of West Virginia’s public schools
WISCONSIN
Schools Need Boost, Budget Needs Balance
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, March 3, 2013
More autonomy for public charter schools. These schools are supposed to try new things. So giving them more freedom makes sense, as long as local school boards or some other public entity can stop charters if they’re not working after typically five years.
WYOMING
Teacher Evaluations: A Proposal
Casper Star-Tribune, WY, March 3, 2013
As various bills go forward restructuring Wyoming’s education system a key, if low level, issue is that of a teacher evaluation system. House Bill 72, Statewide Education Accountability – Phase II, directs development of such a system for teachers and administrators.
ONLINE LEARNING
First, Only Virtual School In Mass. Will Be Closed
Boston Globe, MA, March 4, 2013
The state’s first virtual school will shut its digital doors this summer after the Greenfield School Committee voted last week not to submit a proposal to run the Massachusetts Virtual Academy at Greenfield for another year.
Skeptics Of Online Schooling
Daily Free Press, MA, March 3, 2013
Online classes exist for a number of reasons: Nontraditional students (e.g. students who work full-time but need to complete a degree on the side), students who have trouble concentrating and thriving in traditional classroom settings, students who need to save money, students who are far away, etc. They’re a great option to have available to those students who simply cannot thrive in the standard school environment.
State Sen. Judy Schwank Introduces Bill That Would Change Rules On Cyber Charter Schools
Reading Eagle, PA, March 3, 2013
Public school districts in Pennsylvania have been complaining for years about the growing costs of cyber charter schools.
Bill Requiring Online Learning Amended Because Of Opposition
The Herald-Mail, MD, March 3, 2013
Maryland currently doesn’t have a requirement that high school students take an online class as a condition for graduation.
Tennessee Getting Schooled By K12
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, March 3, 2013
One business that’s been taking on a government job lately is K12, a publicly traded corporation that Tennessee has hired to teach more and more of our children online.
Grapevine-Colleyville District Will Offer A Fully Online School
Star-Telegram, TX, March 3, 2013
Students from across Texas could be enrolling in the Grapevine-Colleyville school district before next school year. Trustees recently approved a plan to provide $196,000 in seed money to create an open-enrollment virtual academy. The academy will serve 400 to 500 nontraditional full-time students and will boost the district’s declining enrollment.
Making Digital Leap Presents Real Challenges For Classrooms
The Oklahoman, OK, March 4, 2013
NOT so long ago, brick and mortar schools were about the only kind of schools that existed. Growing numbers of people choosing to home school have only slightly disrupted the traditional model. Even the increasing popularity of virtual schools is only slightly upending what we think of as “school.”
Online Charter School Offers Enrollment Information
Statesman Journal, OR, March 2, 2013
The Oregon Connections Academy has announced that its spring enrollment season begins Monday with a series of in-person and online information sessions.