Daily Headlines for April 24, 2013
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NATIONAL COVERAGE
‘Nation At Risk’ Warnings About Shortcomings In US Education 30 Years Ago Still Resonate Today
Washington Post, DC, April 24, 2013
But its warnings still reverberate today, with 1 in 4 Americans failing to earn a high school degree on time and the U.S. lagging other countries in the percentage of young people who complete college.
Why Are 2 of U.S. News’s Top 5 ‘Best High Schools’ Arizona Charter Schools?
The Atlantic, April 23, 2013
U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of the nation’s best high schools are out, and the results suggest students thrive when given access to curriculum and instruction that’s significantly more challenging than what a typical American student receives.
STATE COVERAGE
ALABAMA
Anniston Senator: Common Core Ban Bill On Hold
Anniston Star, AL, April 23, 2013
A bill to ban the state from using its Common Core-based academic standards is on hold in the Alabama Senate, Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said today.
CALIFORNIA
Oakland Charter School May Shut Down Due To Mismanagement
KGO-TV, CA, April 23, 2013
A high school in Oakland has been honored with national recognition for academic performance, ranking 36th in the entire country. But there is a big problem — the school, American Indian Public Charter High, may shut down soon because of alleged financial mismanagement.
CONNECTICUT
Proposed State Budget Contains Bad News For Charter Schools
The Hour, CT, April 24, 2013
There seems to be a pattern in news coming out of Hartford these days — you know, good news, bad news.
DELAWARE
Pencader And State Remain At Odds Over Possible Rescue
News Journal, DE, April 24, 2013
The relationship between Pencader Charter School and the state Department of Education appears to be deteriorating.
FLORIDA
Parent Trigger Headed To Senate Floor
Florida Current, FL, April 23, 2013
The “parent trigger” bill cleared its final committee stop Tuesday and now heads to the Senate floor. Opponents speaking at the final public hearing for SB 862 outnumbered supporters by a 3-1 margin, but members of the Senate Appropriations Committee sent it to the floor on a 12-6 vote.
Gov. Rick Scott Not Giving Up On Across-The-Board Teacher Raises
Tampa Bay Times, FL, April 23, 2013
First, Gov. Rick Scott criticized the Florida House on Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting, calling it “very disappointing” that the House is pushing a 6 percent increase in tuition at state colleges and universities.
Willfully Blind
Gainesville Sun, FL, April 24, 2013
It’s nothing new for Florida lawmakers to try to pull down the shades on the state’s Sunshine Law, creating exemptions that hide information from public view.
Stop Blaming Poor Parents, Empower Them With School Choice
Miami Herald, FL, April 24, 2013
There has long been a troubling attitude in our society about low-income parents. Put bluntly, it goes like this: Poor people make poor parents.
Former Southside Fundamental Middle School To Become Charter School
Tampa Bay Times, FL, April 23, 2013
The Pinellas County school board voted Tuesday night to sell the property to University Preparatory Academies, Inc. The $1.1 million purchase marks the first time the Pinellas school board has sold a former school site to a charter.
GEORGIA
Dark Days for DeKalb County Schools
Atlanta Daily World, GA, April 24, 2013
Over the past two years, Metropolitan Atlanta school systems have faced much scrutiny. Suspicions of manipulated students test scores, changes to attendance records and the mismanagement of county funds for personal usage have all been par for the course.
ILLINOIS
School Board To Hear Charter Proposal
Idaho Mountain Express, ID, April 24, 2013
The Blaine County School District board of trustees has scheduled a special meeting for Thursday for an update on a proposal to establish the private Mountain School near Bellevue as a state charter school.
A Bronzeville Charter School Makes Its Mark In Robotics
Chicago Tribune, IL, April 24, 2013
If their robot was ever going to fling Frisbees well enough to win a world championship, the students at Perspectives/IIT Math & Science Academy had work to do.
INDIANA
Charter School Hearing In Clark: Backers, Opponents Make Their Case
Courier Journal, IN, April 23, 2013
Clark County school officials told staff members of the Indiana Charter School Board during a hearing Tuesday that a proposed charter school locating in the county would financially devastate area districts by taking state education money that follows each student.
Data Show Voucher Students Often Opt For Schools No Better Than Public Ones
Evansville Courier & Press, IN, April 243, 2013
Students using Indiana’s voucher program to attend private schools are not necessarily attending better-quality schools when they leave public schools.
IOWA
Education Group Tries To Jumpstart Reform Debate
Des Moines Register, IA, April 24, 2013
The national education reform advocacy group StudentsFirst will start running a radio spot in the Des Moines area this week aimed at breaking a stalemate in the state’s education reform debate.
LOUISIANA
Orleans Parish School Board Takes First Step In Hiring New Superintendent
Times-Picayune, LA, April 23, 2013
The Orleans Parish School Board took the first step in hiring a new superintendent Tuesday, voting unanimously to use a professional firm to run the process. The board expects to receive some applications by its May meeting.
MAINE
Charter Schools Contribute To $500K SAD 59 Budget Squeeze
Kennebec Journal, ME, April 23, 2013
Superintendent says $300,000 of increase comes from tuition payments to charter schools; $150,000 from increased teacher retirement costs
MASSACHUSETTS
Union Says Teacher Evaluation Plan Has Race Bias
Boston Globe, MA, April 24, 2013
The Boston Teachers Union demanded Tuesday that the School Department launch an independent review of its new teacher evaluation system to determine why black and ¬Hispanic teachers are more likely to be targeted for possible dismissal.
MICHIGAN
Keep Backroom Dealings Out Of The Classroom
Detroit Free Press, MI, April 23, 2013
Gov. Rick Snyder says education in Michigan — and in the nation — is broken, and badly in need of reform. We couldn’t agree more. So, let’s talk about it.
MINNESOTA
House Education Bill About More Than Education
Bemidji Pioneer, MN, April 24, 2013
A debate about education funding goes beyond helping individual students: There is widespread agreement that a better education system would help the economy. However, there is less agreement about how to achieve those improvements.
NEW YORK
The Teacher-Rating Charade
New York Post, NY, April 23, 2013
Gov. Cuomo likes to boast that “99 percent” of state school districts struck teacher-evaluation deals with their unions, attributing it to funding he offered if they did. A report yesterday suggests a different reason: The deals are shams.
Buffalo District, Teachers Should Give Up Attempt To Weaken Evaluation System
Buffalo News, NY, April 24, 2013
Children in the Buffalo Public Schools are once again caught in the middle because self-interested adults will not follow the rules set out by state officials. At risk is millions of dollars in aid flowing to this broken school system.
NORTH CAROLINA
N.C. Lawmakers Court Black Families To Back Vouchers
News Record, NC, April 24, 2013
State lawmakers have turned to a key demographic in the state — black families — to build support for legislation that would help more students attend private schools.
School Voucher System With A Different Name
Citizen Times, NC, April 24, 2013
The legislative assault on education in North Carolina continued last week as Republican leaders in the House of Representatives have followed through on a pledge — some might characterize it as a threat — to introduce legislation that would throw an estimated $90 million in state taxpayer dollars at private institutions over the next two years.
TENNESSEE
Metro School Board Braces For Review Of 6 New Charter Schools
Nashville City Paper, TN, April 23, 2013
In light of what the school district considers a legislative victory in local control, Metro school board members are bracing to review six new charter school applications this spring.
TEXAS
House Panel Mulls Charter School Expansion Bill
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, TX, April 24, 2013
Top education leaders in the Texas House began discussing a major proposal late Tuesday to increase the number of charter schools allowed to operate statewide. The plan sailed through the Senate but may face a tougher road in the lower chamber.
Charter School Banks On Innovation For Students
Daily Cougar, TX, April 24, 2013
Sitting on the edge of the UH campus is a public charter school that admitted around 135 students from kindergarten to fifth grade.
UTAH
Valley Academy Charter School, Invitational Demonstrates First-Year Success
South George News, UT, April 23, 2013
Valley Academy Charter School hosted an Invitational Brunch on Thursday where its staff showcased their program, gave attendees a tour of the school, allowed them to observe how the teachers and students interacted, and made board members, administrators, members of the school staff, and a parent volunteer, available to answer questions.
Education Task Force All Too Familiar
Deseret News, UT, April 24, 2013
Would we think it strange, if plumbers and electricians decided to form a task force to reform the medical profession and hold physicians accountable? Why then, do we not cringe when lawyers and business executives decide to reform public education and hold teachers accountable?
VIRGINIA
Legislature’s Contentment With Status Quo Hinders Student Success
Virginia Watchdog, April 23, 2013
A culture of complacency is keeping Virginia from furthering student success, one educational expert says.
WISCONSIN
Data In Department Of Public Instruction Release Fuels Private School Voucher Debate
Daily Cardinal, WI, April 23, 2013
A Tuesday release from the Department of Public Instruction that showed Milwaukee and Racine students in the state’s school voucher program scored lower on last year’s standardized achievement test than public school students raised questions among state legislators over the necessity of private school voucher expansion.
ONLINE LEARNING
Phila. Cyber Charter Fights State Bid To Close It
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, April 24, 2013
A Philadelphia-based cyber charter school that the Pennsylvania Department of Education wants to shut down as allegedly not providing cyber education is fighting to survive.