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Daily Headlines for June 17, 2013

June 17, 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

Can School Reform Hurt Communities?
New York Times, June 16, 2013
New Orleans may be the extreme test case, but reforms like these are reshaping public education across the country. The movement is rooted in the notion that “fixing” schools is the strongest lever for lifting communities out of poverty.

More U.S. Schools Go International
Wall Street Journal, June 17, 2013
An educational curriculum that originally catered to the children of globe-trotting diplomats is making rapid inroads in K-12 public schools across the U.S., boosting test results and academic readiness even at inner-city schools.

Honest report on teacher prep got a bad rap
Journal Sentinel, June 15, 2013
As a former teacher, school administrator and a current member of the National Council on Teacher Quality advisory board, I was not surprised to see criticism arise over a new NCTQ report, rating the effectiveness of teacher preparation schools and programs across the country.

School prayer: 50 years after the ban, God and faith more present than ever
Christian Science Monitor, June 16, 2013
School prayer was banned by the US Supreme Court 50 years ago, but there is probably more presence of religion in public school environments – through club ministries, classes, after-school and interfaith programs, and faith-based services – than ever.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Modesto charter school to offer 2nd chance at diploma
Modesto Bee, June 17, 2013
A second-chance charter school will open this fall to serve young adults who dropped out and regretted it. The Come Back Kids charter got the go-ahead last week to open on the former Mildred Perkins Elementary School campus in north Modesto.

COLORADO

Growing excellent public charter schools in Colorado depends on policy
Opinion, The Coloradoan, June 16, 2013
In Colorado and across the country, students, families and communities demand excellent schools. Parents want their children to attend schools where they can learn, grow and develop skills that will help them succeed in college and the workforce. Unfortunately, the supply of high-quality public schools has not kept up with demand.

Keep big stick in Colorado’s education tool kit
Editorial, Denver Post, June 16, 2013
Those who once backed Senate Bill 163’s school interventions should not give up on its goals.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Graduates from low-performing D.C. schools face tough college road
Washington Post, June 16, 2013
Johnathon Carrington grew up on the sixth floor of a low-income D.C. apartment complex, a building most recently in the news for a drive-by shooting that injured 13.

FLORIDA

New Pinellas charter recruits students from struggling neighborhood schools
Tampa Bay Times, June 15, 2013
As the director of a new charter school aimed at low-income minority children, Cheri Shannon has made all the right moves. She lined up local leaders to recruit families.

Byron Dobson: New Steele-Collins focus will need support
Opinion, Tallahassee Democrat, June 16, 2013
When news broke that Leon County’s first charter school was changing its focus and transforming into an all-boys enrollment, I took notice, but I was not surprised.

Rowlett Elementary embarks on risky move to charter status
Brandenton Herald, June 15, 2013
Amid all the major developments in the Manatee County school district of late in the wake of a year of turmoil, one stands out if only for the fact this involves teachers and parents united in pursuit of independence and excellence.

GEORGIA

11 Charter School Petitions Filed
GPB, June 17, 2013
At least 11 petitions have been filed by charter school operators seeking to run independent public schools authorized by the state.

ILLINOIS

CPS to lay off hundreds of teachers from closing schools
Chicago Tribune, June 15, 2013
Chicago Public Schools said Friday that 663 employees at schools the district is closing, including teachers, teaching assistants and bus aides, don’t qualify to follow students to their new schools and will be laid off.

KENTUCKY

JCPS seeks to turn around academic performance through innovation
Courier Journal, June 15, 2013
The initiatives were approved earlier this month by the Kentucky Board of Education, which chose JCPS as one of four “Districts of Innovation” — through a program the General Assembly created last year to give schools flexibility to experiment.

LOUISIANA

Louisiana needs to better prepare high school graduates for college and work: John White Op-Ed
Opinion, Times-Picayune, June 16, 2013
Over the past decade alone, graduation rates in Louisiana high schools have increased by more than 11 percentage points. Today nearly three quarters of Louisiana students graduate high school in four years, an all-time high. We’re not yet where we want to be, but we should be proud of that progress.

School choices limited for children in second OneApp round
Times-Picayune, June 16, 2013
For families entering the New Orleans public school system this fall or wanting to change their child’s school, it paid to get in early.

MARYLAND

Montgomery’s public Montessori school seeks financial stability
Washington Post, June 16, 2013
Montgomery County is home to a nationally renowned education system, yet parents have been clamoring for a spot at Crossway, the county’s first and only charter school. It also is the county’s only school that provides a public Montessori education, which encourages students to learn independently in a flexible teaching environment while emphasizing development of practical skills.

Washington County teachers being held accountable for student achievement
Herald-Mail, June 16, 2013
While debate continues over whether local or state education officials should determine how teachers are evaluated, teachers in Washington County Public Schools will have a new evaluation model for the coming school year that will hold them accountable for student achievement.

MICHIGAN

Ross-led charter management group aims to improve Jalen Rose academy
Crain Detroit Business, June 16, 2013
Doug Ross, who departed as Detroit Public Schools’ chief innovation officer in February, gets back into the education restructuring business July 1, when hisAmerican Promise Schools organization assumes the management of Jalen Rose Leadership Academy in Detroit.

Fortress Grosse Pointe: In world of school choice, community says ‘stay out’
Column, The Bridge, June 16, 2013
More than 80 percent of Michigan schools have opted to become school-of-choice districts since 1996, when they were first allowed under state law. Districts may open themselves to non-resident students, who arrive with backpacks full of cash – the per-pupil allotment from the state.

A Democrat for charter schools
Detroit News Blog, June 14, 2013
“You want to create a charter school? What are you, some kind of right-wing nut?” As a Democrat who helped create Michigan’s first charter school, I’ve had to answer that question (and meaner versions) often during the past six years.

Teacher of the Year: The merit pay disconnect
Detroit News, June 16, 2013
The Michigan legislature is considering merit pay for public teachers and conservatives are attempting to convince voters that this free market idea is essential to improving educational outcomes. Unfortunately these articles tend to be heavy on opinion and light on data showing that merit pay actually improves educational outcomes.

MISSOURI

Missouri should require that parents be represented on charter school boards
Letter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 15, 2013
This letter is in reference to the well-done article “Controversy at charter school raises questions about their governance” (June 10) that referred to the recent firing of Grand Center Arts Academy Principal Lynne Glickert and the uproar from parents.

NEW JERSEY

Lawsuit: Newark charter school founder fired employees who threatened to expose illegal acts
Star-Ledger, June 16, 2013
Newark charter school founder Fredrica Bey favored employees who helped her raid the organization’s coffers and fired others who threatened to expose her wrongdoing, a former administrator and longtime friend alleges in a civil lawsuit filed in federal court.

State raises minimum GPA to 3.0 for teacher candidates
Press of Atlantic City, June 16, 2013
New regulations proposed by the state Department of Education could raise the academic bar for college students interested in becoming teachers.

NEW MEXICO

APS seeks 1-year delay on evals
Albuquerque Journal, June 15, 2013
The Albuquerque Public Schools board unanimously passed a resolution Friday, voicing concerns with the state’s new teacher evaluation system and asking for at least a one-year delay in rolling it out.

NEW YORK

Glimpse of New Teacher Ratings Is Offered
Wall Street Journal, June 17, 2013
New York City’s new system for rating teachers could be dramatically tougher on educators than the previous one, according to new data released by the city last week.

Maritime Charter School students dress — and drill, and study — for success
Buffalo News, June 16, 2013
The students are taking these diverse paths after spending their high school years in the uniform of the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps at the Western New York Maritime Charter School in Buffalo.

A Team Approach to Get Students College Ready
Opinion, New York Times, June 15, 2013
Sheffy’s school is one of three New York City public schools working with an organization called Blue Engine, which recruits and places recent college graduates as full-time teaching assistants in high schools, helps teachers shift to a small-group classroom model with a ratio of one instructor for roughly every six students…

Group plots to sway mayor’s race
Crain NY Blog, June 17, 2013
Education reformers and their financial-sector supporters are hatching a plan to dilute the power of the teachers’ union in this year’s mayoral race, according to a confidential memo obtained by Crain’s.

NORTH CAROLINA

State GOP rolls back era of Democratic laws
News & Observer, June 16, 2013
Since the 1940s, public school teachers who earn a master’s degree have earned more money as an incentive to teachers to become more expert in their fields. That is now on the legislature’s chopping block.

OHIO

White Hat Management to open new dropout recovery school in Middletown
Journal News, June 16, 2013
Following a messy divorce with its board of education, White Hat Management, the former operator of Life Skills Center of Middletown, will be opening a new charter school in the city this year at a familiar location.

Teacher pay and ‘value-added’ ratings largely unrelated
Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 17, 2013
There is little connection between how much money Ohio teachers make and how much knowledge they impart to students over the course of a single year, according to a StateImpact Ohio/Plain Dealer analysis of a new measure of teacher performance.

PENNSYLVANIA

Budget Cuts Reach Bone for Philadelphia Schools
New York Times, June 17, 2013
Under a draconian budget passed by the Philadelphia School District last month, none of these supporting players — aide, counselor, secretary, security monitor — will remain at the school by September, nor will there be money for books, paper, a nurse or the school’s locally celebrated rock band.

Karen Heller: An Academic Turnaround
Column, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 16, 2013
Seeking a respite from the relentless drumbeat of dire city school news, I headed to far South Philadelphia, in the shadow of the stadiums.

Teachers must do more than talk the talk
Editorial, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 16, 2013
Philadelphia’s teachers’ union has been a diligent participant in efforts to increase state and local funding to the city’s financially struggling public schools, but it has yet to say what it will do to help.

Teachers union president calls for state funding formula
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 17, 2013
For the second year in a row, the president of the state’s largest teachers union is calling for the Legislature to increase funding to public schools and to create alternative revenue sources to fund them.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Felton hoping STEAM ahead as charter school
Times & Democrat, June 17, 2013
Felton Laboratory School is on course to become a public charter school as early as fall 2014. Administrators say the changed status would let the school increase its enrollment, add high school grades and collect more state money while maintaining the distinctive traits that set it apart from other public schools.

TENNESSEE

Todd Dickson’s Nashville charter school plan has diversity at heart
The Tennessean, June 17, 2013
When Phoenix-based Great Hearts Academies pitched a charter school in West Nashville after a push by affluent parents, it sparked a raging debate last summer.

WASHINGTON

Seattle School Board must do better for kids
Editorial, Seattle Times June 15, 2013
The Seattle School Board is rife with infighting and mutual distrust, says an outside consultant hired by the board.

WISCONSIN

Parent demand for options drives school choice movement
Oshkosh Northwestern, June 17, 2013
A record 44,106 students attended public schools outside their home district through the state’s choice program during the school year that just ended, data from the state Department of Public Instruction shows. More than 180 students opted out of Oshkosh schools.

GOP Wisconsin Wimpout
Review & Outlook, June 15, 2013
School choice ought to be a winner for Republicans who want to appeal to minorities and speak about upward mobility, but too many suburban Republicans are still afraid to challenge the teachers unions. That includes in Wisconsin, where reform Governor Scott Walker has been forced by his own party to accept only token statewide expansion of a voucher program.

ONLINE LEARNING

Girl defends her cyber school
Lebanon Daily News, June 16, 2013
The Senate Education Committee, which I chair, recently held a public hearing on cyber charter school funding. Many of the usual parties testified, including elected officials, school leaders and education associations. A parent also offered testimony on the issue.

Changes coming for online schooling
Daily News, June 14, 2013
Online opportunities for local students are increasing as school districts adjust to yet another law changing the rules of education.

Utah students make education work with the click of a mouse
Deseret News, June 16, 2013
Each with unique needs, these three students left their traditional public schools and logged on instead, enrolling in an online charter school. They left their computers and met in downtown Salt Lake City for a graduation ceremony last week, marching as part of Utah Connections Academy’s 10-member class of 2013.

Online students meet each other at graduation
Seattle Times, June 15, 2013
Insight High graduates got their degrees on Saturday and met for the first time many of their classmates at the online school.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines, Uncategorized

Daily Headlines for June 14, 2013

June 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.

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Private Preschools See More Public Funds as Classes Grow
New York Times, June 14, 2013
According to the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University, about one-third of students enrolled in state-financed preschool programs attend classes conducted outside the public schools.

Raising the bar
The Economist, June 13, 2013
HERE’S a multiple-choice question: if the federal government penalises states where pupils do badly in school, but lets the states themselves set the pass mark, will the states a) make the tests harder; or b) dumb them down?

Assumptions of education reformers falling apart
Opinion, Connecticut Post June 13,2013
It has been five years since Bill Gates wrote to the Washington Post concerning his beliefs regarding education reform in this country. At that time, he cited how high schools needed to be improved by the utilization of standardized test scores as his version of accountability and progress.

Homeschooling and Charter Schools Growing, Give Families Options
Christian Post, June 13, 2013
Our education system is broiling with two major, conflicting trends: Centralization and school choice. The most rapidly growing trend is the explosion of growth over the past decade of enrollment in charter schools and homeschooling.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Deasy and new board member Ratliff laud teacher report
Los Angeles Times, June 13, 2013
Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy on Thursday broadly endorsed proposals from an outside group for attracting and retaining teachers, including more money for those who take on difficult assignments and deliver measurable academic gains.

State committee gives Chino charter another chance
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, June 13, 2013
A charter school that was previously denied three times may get the green light to serve students in the 2014-15 school year.

COLORADO

St. Vrain Valley School District toughens charter contracts
Longmont Weekly, June 14, 2013
The St. Vrain Valley School District is cracking down on charter schools’ financial reports.

DELAWARE

G.A. should pass H.B. 165 to reform charter school law
Letter, Delaware News Journal, June 14, 2013
As a parent of two children attending two of Delaware’s 22 charter schools, I implore our legislators to pass the charter school reform bill, House Bill 165, on Tuesday when it moves to the floor of the Delaware House of Representatives for consideration.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. teachers union president faces challenge in runoff election
Washington Post, June 13, 2013
Washington Teachers Union President Nathan Saunders will face challenger Elizabeth Davis in a runoff election for his seat, union officials said.

FLORIDA

Steele-Collins Charter academy seeks to solve ‘crisis’ among young men
Tallahassee Democrat, June 14, 2013
One of Florida’s longest-running charter schools took steps toward becoming an all-boys school on Thursday, in what its leaders described as an effort to stem a mounting “crisis” among young men.

Pasco charter school may get 15-year extension
Tampa Tribune, June 14, 2013
A charter school that has earned an A rating from the state seven years in a row could be getting a 15-year contract extension with the Pasco County School Board.

Don’t let failing schools off the hook
Editorial, Tampa Bay Times June 13, 2013
The argument that Imagine Charter School in St. Petersburg should not be closed for poor student performance because other failing public schools are doing even worse is not persuasive.

Bill to pay private school fees resurfaces
Times Union, June 14, 2013
A bill that would reimburse parents who send their special-needs children to private schools is surfacing in the Legislature, almost a year after a similar measure was vetoed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

ILLINOIS

Teachers union, charter schools rail at CPS budget cuts
Chicago Tribune, June 13, 2013
As principals got a better sense this week of their school’s budget for the coming year, officials with the Chicago Teachers Union and privately run charter schools — which rarely agree on anything — both sounded an alarm over the effects of potential funding cuts.

LOUISIANA

Supporters of breakaway school still hopeful
The Advocate, June 13, 2013
Days after falling short for the second time, supporters of creating a breakaway school district in southeast Baton Rouge asked the nearly 150 people gathered Thursday night whether to try a third time in the Legislature or work to create a new city in the area.

MARYLAND

Teacher Group Calls For End To Pay-For-Performance
WYPR, June 13, 2013
Only 11 percent of Baltimore city teachers would vote for their current contract again, according to a survey released today.

MASSACHUSETTS

Charter school’s absence at Marlborough meeting criticized
Metro West Daily News, June 14, 2013
Some city councilors on Wednesday night criticized officials from the Advanced Math and Science Academy after no one from the school showed up at an Urban Affairs Committee meeting to discuss the school’s plan to move its Marlborough facility.

MICHIGAN

House approves legislation to allow dissolving Buena Vista, Inkster school districts
Grand Rapids Press, June 14, 2013
The future of Buena Vista Schools and Inkster Public Schools became clearer minutes before midnight Thursday when the Michigan House voted largely along party lines to give the state superintendent and state treasurer the authority to dissolve the districts.

MISSOURI

Supreme Court provides hope for children in failing schools
Editorial, St. Louis Post-Dispatch June 13, 2013
In 1812, the writers of Missouri’s territorial charter, a document that would later guide statehood, wrote this: “Knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of public education shall be encouraged and provided for.”

NEVADA

New regulations for evaluating Nevada teachers win approval
Las Vegas Sun, June 14, 2013
The Nevada Board of Education unanimously adopted legislative changes to a new teacher evaluation system rolling out this fall.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Chamber honors Great Bay Charter School
Portsmouth Herald, June 14, 2013
Great Bay Charter School was awarded this year’s Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year Award for education/non-profit, a great achievement for the small school who only recently became involved with the chamber.

NEW JERSEY

Newark Proposes New Charter Admissions Policy
Wall Street Journal, June 13, 2013
Charter-school operators often have to defend themselves against accusations that they find ways to admit only the best students who apply, leading to higher test scores.

Atlantic City charter school needs to register 135 pupils
Press of Atlantic City, June 14, 2013
The new Atlantic City Community Charter School, or ACCCS, has until the end of the month to register at least 135 students in grades kindergarten through 5 for the 2013-14 school year.

NEW YORK

Charter director retires after creating ‘what a school should be’
Buffalo News, June 14, 2013
King Center Charter School on Thursday paid homage to its founding director, Claity P. Massey, by giving her a very spirited, heartfelt send-off into retirement.

Dezoning plan, blasted by upper Manhattan parents, is working great in the Bronx, officials say
New York Daily News, June 13, 2013
District 7 in the neighboring borough has had positive experiences with ‘choice’ plan. Upper Manhattan lawmakers and residents oppose it.

NORTH CAROLINA

School voucher bill included in N.C. House budget
Winston-Salem Journal, June 13, 2013
The budget proposal passed by the North Carolina House Thursday included more than some legislators bargained for. House Republicans included a controversial private school voucher proposal in what was otherwise the most public education-friendly of the state’s budget proposals.

PENNSYLVANIA

Teachers union, education official spar over funding
Reading Eagle, June 14, 2013
Public schools in Pennsylvania are facing a funding crisis, and the impact will be felt statewide, according to a report by the state teachers union.

SOUTH CAROLINA

School-choice debate looms in SC budget talks
The State, June 13, 2013
A debate over how much private school “choice” S.C. taxpayers should subsidize looms as lawmakers work to adopt a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

WISCONSIN

Wisconsin schools chief blasts voucher expansion
Journal Sentinel, June 13, 2013
State Superintendent Tony Evers and public school district leaders spoke out Thursday against the state budget proposal to expand the voucher school system statewide in the next budget, saying the expansion is costly for children and public schools across the state.

ONLINE LEARNING

Study Gauges Value of Technology in Schools
New York Times, June 14, 2013
With school districts rushing to buy computers, tablets, digital white boards and other technology, a new report questions whether the investment is worth it.

Teachers learn to integrate technology
The Ledger, June 14, 2013
“One thing that’s happening (is) it’s not a traditional classroom anymore,” Moyer said. “It’s a hybrid. Online (resources) extend the classroom.”

New blended learning charter high school graduates first senior class
Grand Rapids Press, June 13, 2013
Nexus Academy of Grand Rapids, the new blended learning charter high school launched this school year, graduated its first class of three seniors Thursday, June 19.

Nevada Virtual Academy offers an alternative, graduates 148
Reno Gazette-Journal, June 14, 2013
For the fourteen virtual students — some of which had never met their classmates before — gathered at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center with family, friends and guests to celebrate their accomplishment, the reasons for choosing a nontraditional high school education varied.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

Daily Headlines June 13, 2013

June 13, 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

Education crisis not limited to poor school district
Commentary, San Diego Union-Tribune, June 12, 2013
Much of the debate about American education reform centers on the inner city. It’s widely understood that astonishingly few students from low-income urban schools are graduating equipped with the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century economy.

Senate committee approves bill updating federal education law
Washington Post, June 12, 2013
On a party line vote, a Senate committee approved a bill Wednesday to update the country’s main federal education law by erasing some of its most punitive aspects.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Deasy and new board member Ratliff laud teacher report
Los Angeles Times, June 13, 2013
Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy on Thursday broadly endorsed proposals from an outside group for attracting and retaining teachers, including more money for those who take on difficult assignments and deliver measurable academic gains.

Schools eye smaller classes, teacher raises after California budget deal
Modesto Bee, June 13, 2013
Woodland school leaders want to shrink kindergarten class rosters now jammed with 30 students. Natomas Superintendent Chris Evans wants to add a week of school. And Washington Unified leaders will give raises to teachers in West Sacramento.

COLORADO

Boulder Valley discontinuing academic sanctions for poor attendance
Daily Camera, June 13, 2013
The Boulder Valley School District is planning to officially discontinue academic sanctions for poor attendance, relying instead on disciplinary actions for students who don’t come to class.

St. Vrain Valley’s STEM education filters down to youngest thinkers
Denver Post, June 13, 2013
He’s one of 75 students from kindergarten through second grade attending the St. Vrain Valley School District’s Innovation Academy for a Smarter Planet — a starting point for STEM emphasis (science, technology, engineering and math) that runs all the way through high school.

DELAWARE

Governor Markell signs bill to improve teacher preparation
Dover Post, June 13, 2013
Governor Jack Markell signed legislation June 12 that raises the bar for entering the teaching profession.

FLORIDA

Despite poor scores and closure, Pinellas charter school still outperforms some district schools
Tampa Bay Times, June 12, 2013
Two separate school superintendents in Pinellas County fought to close Imagine Charter School in St. Petersburg, citing chronic poor academic performance. This year, the district won.

Zephyrhills planners support charter school for autistic children
Tampa Bay Times, June 12, 2013
A planned charter school for autistic children brought elderly neighbors out in force at a planning commission meeting Tuesday night — in the name of safety.

State considers turnaround plans for two Manatee elementary schools
Bradenton Herald, June 13, 2013
The State Board if Education is considering turnaround plans for two struggling Manatee County elementary schools.

GEORGIA

Charter Schools Deadline Is Friday
GPB, June 12, 2013
Backers of would-be charter schools have until Friday to get in their petitions to a new state commission.

ILLINOIS

Parents have to be involved in their kids education
Chicago Tribune, June 13, 2013
Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett sought to swivel the spotlight this week away from the 49 underused Chicago schools that will close soon and back on the 632 that will not. Byrd-Bennett unveiled a five-year “action plan” to help kids graduate, to ready them for college, career, life.

LOUISIANA

Study: Louisiana’s teacher training redesign works
The Advertiser, June 13, 2013
Changes in the way Louisiana trains new teachers are winning praise after a study showed the students of new teachers are doing better academically.

MARYLAND

Charter school double standard
Opinion, Frederick News Post, June 12, 2013
Let’s say you were demoted at work for poor management of a project under someone else’s purview. Is that fair?
Most people would say “no,” under the premise that each person should be held accountable for the work under his or her control.

MASSACHUSETTS

Marlborough charter school faces transitions
Boston Globe, June 12, 2013
The Advanced Math & Science Academy has earned a reputation as one of the state’s most successful charter schools with soaring test scores, a waiting list of 600 students, and a nod from a national magazine as one of the best high schools in Massachusetts.

Springfield’s underperforming schools receive $4 million in state funds to accelerate improvements
The Republican, June 12, 2013
State education officials have awarded nearly $4 million for the final phase of a three-year initiative to boost performance at 10 underperforming city schools.

MICHIGAN

Long-term solutions needed for schools
Editorial, Detroit News, June 13, 2013
What is happening to Michigan schools? Why do so many seem to be imploding financially? Those questions are racing around the state, and while there are no easy answers, policymakers must address the matter before more students are locked out of their buildings.

MINNESOTA

Parents plead to keep charter school open at Minneapolis school board meeting
Twin City Daily Planet, June 23, 2013
Parents of students who attend the soon-to-be evicted Minnesota School of Science begged district school board members at Tuesday’s board meeting to allow the charter school to stay in its North Minneapolis building.

MISSOURI

Principals are unfortunate victims in charter school fiasco
Letter, St. Louis Post Dispatch, June 13, 2013
Regarding “Controversy at charter school raises questions about their governance” (June 10)

NEW YORK

The charter house rules
Editorial, New York Post, June 13, 2013
In a normal universe, snubbing nine out of 10 voters wouldn’t be a path to victory. But New York is no normal universe. It’s a place where an endorsement from the teachers union trumps the popular will — which explains why three of the five top Democratic candidates for mayor are running away from charter schools.

NORTH CAROLINA

Private school vouchers at center of budget debate
News & Observer, June 12, 2013
House lawmakers pushed forward their $20.6 billion budget after more than seven hours of debate Wednesday that was punctuated by a back-and-forth on private-school vouchers where the House speaker took the unusual step of participating.

OHIO

Coleman asks legislators for tweaks on charters
Columbus Dispatch, June 13, 2013
Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman has asked the state legislature to change a bill that would advance the recommendations of his education commission to make sure that charter schools do not automatically reap windfalls of local property-tax dollars.

PENNSYLVANIA

New Pennsylvania rules streamline teacher cuts
Morning Call, June 13, 2013
Laying off teachers just to save money is a violation of Pennsylvania School Code, but laying them off because the district is eliminating its middle school team-teaching model, for example, is fair.

Millcreek charter organizers reapply
Erie Times-News, June 13, 2013
The planned site of a proposed Millcreek Township charter school is not zoned for schools. But the organizers of the Erie Biosciences Academy have another plan: leasing or buying either Ridgefield Elementary School or Vernondale Elementary School.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Proposed charter school clears first hurdle
Island Packet, June 12, 2013
Parents and educators hoping to open a new charter school in Beaufort County received preliminary approval Tuesday from the S.C. Charter School Advisory Committee. Lowcountry Montessori School in Beaufort is one of 19 applicants for the 2014-2015 school year and would be sponsored by the S.C. Public Charter School District, not the Beaufort County School District.

TENNESSEE

Charter tenants give Memphis school surer future
Memphis Commercial Appeal, June 13, 2013
Few places in Memphis signify the change in public education as clearly as South Side Middle School. When the school year ended this spring, the post-World War II structure built for 2,000 students had fewer than 300.

TEXAS

Truancy Laws in Texas Challenged by Students
Wall Street Journal, June 13, 2013
A complaint filed Wednesday with the U.S. Justice Department on behalf of students in school districts here and in surrounding suburbs alleges that Texas laws impose “cruel and unusual punishment” for truancy, in violation of students’ constitutional rights.

No school house, no tuition: new pilot A+ middle school offers choices
The Leader, June 12, 2013
Families of sixth-graders have a new, tuition-free middle school option that offers customized learning in a Museum District setting – if they’re willing to be part of an experiment.

‘Fighting For, Not Against’ Eastside
Austin Chronicle, June 13, 2013
On June 5, Williams unexpectedly joined Eastside’s graduating class onstage at the Frank Erwin Center with the good news. After years of upheaval and disruption, and a failed attempt to hand the entire Eastside vertical team over to the IDEA Public Schools charter group, he approved the five-year partnership between AISD and Johns Hopkins.

WISCONSIN

Vouchers will be top political issue
Commentary, Herald Times Reporter, June 13, 2013
Vouchers to help pay for private, often parochial, education – financed by state tax dollars – seems headed toward being the top political issue next year in Wisconsin.

ONLINE LEARNING

School board members learn more about virtual school
Basehor Sentinel, June 12, 2013
Basehor-Linwood school board members learned a little bit more about the district’s virtual school at its meeting Monday night.

Filed Under: Newswire, Uncategorized

From Charter School Student, to College, to Veterinarian Career

June 13, 2013 By

How does your school prepare you for college? What steps does your school take to give you the experience of college? As a junior attending Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy, the school has started to get me thinking about college and career options. The Chavez Schools mission is to prepare scholars to enter and succeed in competitive colleges. As a soon-to-be senior it is almost time to start looking for colleges, but like most seniors I am confused on which school is right for me.

I have been at Cesar Chavez since 7th grade and have always had the same idea of what I was going to become after school — and that was a veterinarian. Since building a relationship with the staff at Cesar Chavez they have always been supportive of my dream. They encourage scholars to be a part of advanced placement courses, to think about a career versus a job, and to think about being the employee or the employer.

My experience at Cesar Chavez has been good so far, and since being there I have been to many colleges, met with sororities, and researched colleges that fit my career path. At charter schools, it’s about opportunity, success, and change, and attending a charter school I can see how true that is. Senior year for me will be interesting because I will be applying to different competitive colleges, receiving many opportunities for scholarship programs, and going on many more college visits.

Since enrolling in Chavez, I have taken college tours at Delaware State University, Virginia Commonwealth University, American University, University of The District of Columbia, University of Maryland, Bowie State University, and Marymount University. I have had the pleasure of meeting with members from sororities such as Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and many more. My encounters with the females in these sororities and how important it was for them to attend college and have their life path on track was interesting because they knew what they wanted to achieve and how they were going to do it. They were prepared for life after high school and they knew how important going to college was and making sure they had a successful career.

I know many people may wonder out of all the career options why choose to be a vet? I can say my dream of becoming a vet has been the same since I was 5. I have always had a passion for animals. When I was growing up I had a variety of animals such as 6 cats, 4 dogs, 2 birds, 1 iguana, and 2 lizards — if you name it I might have had it. I was never afraid of animals. Some might say I spoiled my pets and treated them like children. I have a very soft spot for animals and I think some people don’t know the importance of animals and how much they play a key role in life. My interest in being a vet came from my life experience with them. I know that finishing high school, going to college, and focusing on my career is important to my school and to me. I will be the first in my family to go to college and I will be a role model to someone else.

Sincerely, Briana McManus

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso Tagged With: , ,

Highlights From The Best Year In Reform News 2012-2013

June 12, 2013 By

Download or print your PDF copy of Highlights From The Best Year In Reform News 2012-2013

Filed Under: CER in the News

Annual Report 2012-2013

June 12, 2013 By

Download or print your PDF copy of the 2012-2013 Annual Report

 

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Daily Headlines for June 12, 2013

June 12, 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

Myths fuel attacks on ‘Common Core’ standards
Editorial, USA Today, June 11, 2013
To understand why the embattled education standards known as “Common Core” are so necessary, let’s take a trip to Tennessee.

Include parents in standards debate: Opposing view
Opinion, USA Today, June 11, 2013
Across America, moms are rising up against the Common Core, national standards for English-language arts and mathematics adopted by 45 states. As Anne Gassel, of Ellisville, Mo., said, “Parents and their legislators were cut out of the loop. Even now we can’t get straight answers.”

Democrats reject GOP No Child Left Behind option
Associated Press, June 11, 2013
The good intentions of No Child Left Behind have not yielded good policy, the Democratic chairman of the Senate education panel said Tuesday as lawmakers began to rewrite the sweeping legislation that governs all schools that receive federal tax dollars.

STATE COVERAGE

ARIZONA

New middle schools could be charters in Higley
Arizona Republic, June 11, 2013
Plans are under way to possibly designate two new Higley Unified middle schools “charter schools.”

Vail aims to change more of its schools into charters
Tucson News Now, June 12, 2013
Vail Unified School District continues to do what more districts are either considering or doing: join the charter movement. The reason is simple: a charter student brings more state funding to a school district than a traditional student.

MUSD board could vote to move forward with charting schools
In Maricopa, June 11, 2013
The MUSD school board will consider applying for charter school sponsorships in five of its six elementary schools and one of its middle schools during its 6 p.m. meeting Wednesday.

CONNECTICUT

City must pursue Briggs turnaround plan reject by state
Editorial, The Hour, June 12, 2013
We have been supportive of the role of Briggs High School as an alternative school in the Norwalk school system and are taken aback by the state Department of Education in throwing cold water on the local board’s effort to turn around the school.

A teachers union embraces reform in New Haven, creating a model for others
Hechinger Report, June 11, 2013
In the spring of 2011, David Cicarella, the teachers union president here, sat down with a tenured teacher for a difficult discussion. After a warning from his principal the previous November, as well as months of extra support, the teacher had failed to show improvement.

DELAWARE

Law ignored, critics say
News Journal, June 11, 2013
A group tasked with finding improvements to the state’s charter school system may have violated open meetings laws, according to a report from the Attorney General’s Office.

School chiefs oppose charter legislation
News Journal, June 11, 2013
Superintendents of state public schools are opposing legislation that would send more state money to charter schools, while strengthening oversight.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Small percentage of displaced students enrolling in D.C. public schools
Washington Post, June 11, 2013
Only 13 percent of students from closing D.C. schools have signed up to stay in the traditional school system next year, Chancellor Kaya Henderson said Tuesday, raising questions about whether the school closures are driving families into charter schools.

A school for tomorrow being built in today’s Ward 8
Op-Ed, Washington Examiner, June 11, 2013
Last week, the board of trustees of Friendship Public Charter School and I broke ground at the site of what will become the campus of the Friendship Technology Preparatory Academy. Construction of the academy will be complete when the new school year begins in August 2014.

FLORIDA

Two correct charter school outcomes in Palm Beach Gardens
Editorial, Palm Beach Post, June 12, 2013
One charter school is coming to Palm Beach Gardens and another isn’t. Both outcomes were for the right reasons. And neither has anything to do with education — at least as far as the city’s decisions go.

Steele-Collins Charter School going all-boys
Tallahassee Democrat, June 12, 2013
Leon County’s oldest charter school is preparing to convert to an all-male institution, starting next school year.

IDAHO

North Star Charter School gets financial footing
Idaho Statesman, June 12, 2013
North Star Charter School, which faced heavy debt earlier this year, has enough resources to pay its bills for this year and run the school in 2013-14, school officials say.

ILLONOIS

Closures signal perfect storm for public schools
CNN School of Thought Blog, June 11, 2013
When Chicago students return to school after summer break, they will do so in 48 fewer elementary schools. The city is closing a record number of schools to deal with a $1 billion budget shortfall.

INDIANNA

Trine University grants charter to Timothy L. Johnson Academy
News-Sentinel, June 11, 2013
After months of uncertainty, Timothy L. Johnson Academy will indeed remain a chartered school.

More flexibility for Hoosier education
Editorial, News Sentinel, June 12, 2013
The next phase of the education reform movement came out of the Indiana General Assembly almost unnoticed earlier this year.

LOUISIANA

When will performance of Louisiana voucher students match parental satisfaction?
Opinion, Times-Picayune, June 11, 2013
In February, the Black Alliance for Educational Options released the results of a survey showing that 93 percent of parents who responded expressed satisfaction with the school their child was attending as part of the Louisiana Scholarship Program.

BR charter school group ran up debt at Crestworth
The Advocate, June 11, 2013
The charter school group that ran Crestworth Middle School owed almost $79,000 more than it had in assets when the group handed the school back to the state Department of Education a year ago, according to an audit made public this week.

Freedom Drives Success in New Orleans Charter School Revolution
Pelican Post, June 11, 2013
Of the 126 public schools in New Orleans only 16 escaped the storm relatively unaffected. Reforms made after the storm have transformed the New Orleans public education system, with the most notable of these changes dubbed the “charter school revolution.”

MAINE

Maine Senate agrees to allow more appeals in school-choice decisions
Portland Press Herald, June 11, 2013
The buck used to stop with the state education commissioner, but the bill would allow either the student or the district to appeal that decision.

MARYLAND

City school board approves three new charters
Baltimore Sun, June 11, 2013
The Baltimore City school board approved three new charter schools to open beginning in 2014, including two schools that will be subject to heightened scrutiny throughout their contracts.

MASSACHUSETTS

Majority of city students attend sub-par schools
South Coast Today, June 12, 2013
More than 70 percent of city students attend schools that rank in the bottom fifth statewide and could be subject to additional reform under a bill that also seeks to loosen restrictions on charter schools.

Law would further reduce ‘the achievement gap’
Opinion, South Coast Today, June 12, 2013
It’s a point of pride. Massachusetts is home to some of the very best public schools in the nation. But today, many of our urban schools continue to struggle, including too many schools in New Bedford.

MICHIGAN

Bills to dissolve Michigan schools in financial trouble are put on fast track
Detroit Free Press, June 12, 2013
Bills that would allow the state to dissolve financially insolvent school districts as a last resort are being fast-tracked through the Michigan Legislature. But the bills could come with a hefty price tag for the state.

MISSOURI

Student transfer ruling is reversed by Missouri Supreme Court
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 12, 2013
The Missouri Supreme Court has once again rejected legal arguments against a state statute that could allow thousands of students to leave failing school districts for better schools.

NEVADA
‘I am a reformer’: New schools chief Skorkowsky shares plans for district’s future
Las Vegas Sun, June 12, 2013
Pat Skorkowsky has big plans to move the Clark County School District forward.

NEW MEXICO

Mentors sought for charter students
Albuquerque Journal, June 12, 2013
Big Brothers Big Sisters wants you, for some volunteer work you can do mostly in your PJs. The nonprofit, with a long history of pairing young people with mentors, is branching into the world of education and partnering with two Albuquerque charter schools.

NEW YORK

Mayoral candidates Thompson, de Blasio skip forum with charter-school parents
New York Post, June 12, 2013
Two Democratic mayoral candidates battling for the endorsement of the city’s powerful teachers union were sudden no-shows last night at a forum sponsored by an organization that supports charter schools.

PENNSYLVANIA

Pa. charter school board’s inaction affects Pittsburgh schools
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 12, 2013
All three have been awaiting word from the state Charter Appeal Board, but, with 14 cases pending, the Charter Appeal Board meeting scheduled for Tuesday was cancelled.

The end of Philly’s public schools?
Philadelphia Inquirer Blog, June 10, 2013
Could all of Philadelphia’s school-aged kids soon be destined for charters? As the district struggles with a serious cash deficit, a top Democratic senator said Monday there has been talk in Capitol halls of turning all of Philadelphia’s schools into privately-run charters.

TENNESSEE

Officials must accept change
Opinion, The Tennessean, June 12, 2013
Metro Nashville Public Schools comprises two distinct parts. There is the old-world Metro Nashville Public Schools part, and there’s the new world Public Education Paradigm part. Director of Schools Jesse Register and others are clinging to the old-world model, which is too bad. Change here is not only necessary — it’s inevitable, it’s unavoidable, and it’s good.

WISCONSIN

Wisconsin’s Walker comfortable with slow expansion of school vouchers
Pioneer Press, June 11, 2013
Gov. Scott Walker said Tuesday he was comfortable with expanding Wisconsin’s school voucher program slowly, and he also stands by the agreement he and Republican lawmakers reached about the program’s future growth.

ONLINE LEARNING

Recent grads took untraditional route
St. Augustine Record, June 11, 2013
Loud rounds of applause, bouquets of flowers and flashing camera phones marked the last of the 2013 graduations for St. Johns County high schools on Tuesday.

Surry County Schools adds virtual classes
Mount Airy News, June 12, 2013
Education has changed, and continues to change, and Surry County Schools are staying ahead of the changes by offering students a Virtual Learning Academy this year

No suburban virtual charter school, for now
Daily Herald, June 11, 2013
There will be no multidistrict virtual charter school serving suburban students next year.

Sahuarita Online helping students finish school
Green Valley News, June 11, 2013
In less than one full year, 15 “get ahead” high school students who were taking full course loads in Sahuarita schools have taken online classes to get additional credit.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines, Uncategorized

Daily Headlines for June 11, 2013

June 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

No Child Left Behind reforms hit the sweet spot
Editorial, Denver Post, June 11, 2013
The latest attempt to retool the outdated federal education accountability law known as No Child Left Behind is a balanced effort that retains some of the better ideas embodied in its landmark predecessor and improves on others.

STATE COVERAGE

ARKANSAS

State board gives charter 3 more years
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, June 11, 2013
The Imboden Area Charter School, the state’s third-oldest open-enrollment charter school and its smallest in terms of enrollment, received a green light from the state Monday to operate for another three years.

ARIZONA

Vail School District weighs charter status for 3 schools
KVOA, June 10, 2013
The governing board for the Vail School District will issue its first of two votes Tuesday regarding whether or not to give three existing schools charter status.

CALIFORNIA

Oblige charter schools to install basic safeguards
Editorial, Press-Enterprise, June 10, 2013
Freeing charter schools from bureaucracy should not also excuse them from good government practices. The state Senate should approve a bill that would require charter schools to follow the same basic public interest safeguards that other public agencies follow. Charter schools’ experimentation does not need to include misusing taxpayers’ money.

Parent-trigger handover approaches for Desert Trails Elementary School
San Bernardino Sun, June 10, 2013
The marquee outside Desert Trails Elementary School lists the events for the last two weeks of school: a talent show, kindergarten and sixth-grade promotion ceremonies and, on June 14, “school ends.”

Brown’s school funding reform merits support
Editorial, Fresno Bee, June 11, 2013
State legislators have five days to meet the constitutional deadline for passing a budget. It could be legacy time.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

With ‘reconstitution,’ D.C. officials hope for school turnaround
Washington Post, June 10, 2013
D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson called it a “fresh start” and a “momentum-shifter” for Cardozo Senior High last month when administrators removed nearly half the staff at the school.

FLORIDA

Rowlett votes to become Manatee’s first charter conversion
Bradenton Herald, June 11, 2013
In a historic vote Monday at Rowlett Magnet Elementary School, 94 percent of Rowlett teachers and 95 percent of Rowlett parents voted to convert to a public charter school for the 2014-2015 school year,

Broward schools working to boost success of black male students
Miami Herald, June 11, 2013
In the Broward school district’s quest to improve minority student achievement, Dillard High School’s graduation ceremony last week was more than just another annual event — it was a taste of what success feels like.

GEORGIA

State Charter School Commission in good hands
Opinion, Macon Telegraph, June 11, 2013
I have said it before, but let me repeat: I have no problem with charter schools. I did have a big problem with the ham-handed way last November’s charter school referendum was rammed through by proponents.

School board skeptical of charter school proposal
WALB, June 10, 2013
A private group in Albany is asking the school system to start a new charter school. The folks behind the Albany Charter Academy of Scholars say the K-5 school could be located in the recently closed Sylvester Road Elementary. Board members say, they really don’t have the money to do that.

ILLONOIS

Chicago Public Schools issues 5-year plan
Chicago Tribune, June 11, 2013
An annual scorecard on the district’s performance and greater accountability throughout the system are some of the promises outlined in the first long-term plan for Chicago Public Schools issued since Mayor Rahm Emanuel took office.

MAINE

Don’t let a temporary ban on charter schools in Bangor become permanent
Editorial, Bangor Daily News, June 10, 2013
The Bangor City Council went into protective mode recently when it moved closer to approving a six-month moratorium on charter schools in the city.

Maine Senate approves charter school bill
Kennebec Journal, June 10, 2013
Senate Democrats on Monday passed a bill designed to give communities more input and control over whether charter schools should be approved, but the measure still faces hurdles.

MASSACHUSETTS

Accelerate progress on education
Opinion, Boston Globe, June 10, 2013
In 2010, leaders on Beacon Hill crafted the Achievement Gap Act of 2010, the most ambitious school reform legislation since the historic Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993. In addition to this bill’s, path-breaking provisions on school turnarounds, the Act launched a bold new strategy for addressing the twin challenges of fostering greater school choice and stimulating more innovation.

State’s financial backing of charter schools continues to erode
Editorial, Daily Hampshire Gazette, June 10, 2013
Massachusetts lawmakers are poised to go back on a pledge made more than 20 years ago to properly fund reimbursements for charter school tuition to sending communities.

MICHIGAN

Legislature makes a mistake on Common Core
Opinion, Detroit News, June 11, 2013
As a teacher, I believe in the power of education. I believe that when policymakers, parents, and teachers understand the Common Core State Standards and how they will benefit Michigan students, they will embrace it.

MISSOURI

School choice works
Letter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 11, 2013
It is not too often that I find myself in agreement with the Post-Dispatch editorial board, but that is where I am after reading “Troubled Normandy School District has run out of excuses.”

Charter school should rehire principal
Letter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 10, 2013
I was reading with interest the column by Bill McClellan (June 9) about the ousted principal from Grand Center Arts Academy charter school when he wrote that Susan Uchitelle was on the board, and it all came together. She and Carolyn Losos, the mother of the newly hired principal Louise Losos, are longtime friends.

NEVADA

Nevada’s high school graduation rate third lowest in nation
Las Vegas Sun, June 11, 2013
Despite making some gains, Nevada has the third worst graduation rate in the nation, according to an Education Week report released last week.

NEW JERSEY

Legislation Would Create Board to Review Charter-School Bids
New Jersey Spotlight, June 11, 2013
A proposed change in the way New Jersey handles applications for new charter schools would set up a quasi-independent review board within the state Department of Education.

NEW YORK

NY1’s Pat Kiernan: when kids talk excitedly about school, their teachers succeeded
New York Daily News, June 11, 2013
In evaluating nominations for teachers, principals, deans and other educators for the Daily News Hometown Heroes in Education awards, I’ll be looking for personal stories about commitment to education and connection to students.

Harlem Children’s Zone new Promise Academy charter school
Amsterdam News, June 10, 2013
In a celebration ceremony last week, students and investors gathered to welcome Harlem Children’s Zone new Promise Academy charter school. Located in the middle of St. Nicholas houses, the community center will officially open to students on July 8 2013.

PENNSYLVANIA

York City School Board OKs recovery plan
York Dispatch, June 10, 2013
A 20-person committee helped chief recovery officer David Meckley craft the plan, which had come down to two options: converting to all charters, or letting the district transform itself with themed magnet schools, salary cuts, and expanded programs.

Nutter facing tough task in Harrisburg
Philadelphia Daily News, June 11, 2013
AT A PIVOTAL moment in the push to prevent drastic cuts for Philly schools, Mayor Nutter is traveling to Harrisburg today to build support for his plan to plug the district’s budget gap, state lawmakers said. It won’t be an easy task.

TEXAS

Perry Signs High School Curriculum, Testing Bill
Texas Tribune, June 10, 2013
When Gov. Rick Perry signed House Bill 5 on Monday, he ended weeks of speculation that he might veto the high-profile education legislation because of concerns that it would weaken high school graduation standards.

VIRGINIA

Richmond school board defers action on special needs charter school
Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 11, 2013
Richmond Public Schools is close to finalizing plans for a state-backed charter school for high school students with developmental needs, but the School Board declined to approve it Monday because there has been no formal public input.

WASHINGTON

Seattle School Board gives itself low marks
Seattle Times, June 10, 2013
Members of the Seattle School Board graded their own performance Monday night and found themselves in need of improvement.

ONLINE LEARNING

More questions about Illinois Policy Institute’s financial interest in Illinois Virtual Charter School
Chicago Now Blog, June 10, 2013
Capitol Fax reported late last week in its subscriber email blast that Illinois Policy Institute has flatly denied that its staff have any financial interest in the Illinois Virtual Charter School plan and the millions in local school district tax dollars at stake.

State commission poised to deny Fox Valley virtual charter appeals
Aurora Beacon News, June 10, 2013
The state commission that oversees charter school appeals is poised to deny a request to open an 18-district virtual charter school in the Fox Valley area later this year.

Virtual Academy out to hit higher student cap
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, June 9, 2013
Arkansas’ 10-year-old, publicly funded, online homeschool program for children in kindergarten through eighth grades is poised to grow to six times its current 500-pupil enrollment, making it the state’s largest independently run charter school.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines, Uncategorized

Newswire: June 11, 2013

June 11, 2013 By

Vol. 15, No. 23
Special Graduation Edition

From coast to coast, scores of students who were once at-risk of falling through the cracks are graduating and finding success at charter schools. The pomp and circumstance of graduation ceremonies take on a whole new meaning and mark a major milestone for these students who otherwise would be unsuccessful. As Education Week pointed out last week, the national graduation rate is only 75 percent. That number decreases considerably for African Americans (62 percent) and Hispanics (68 percent), that is, if you actually trust those numbers, which many suspect are inflated by loose graduation requirements at many schools.

Throughout the charter school sector, graduation rates are robust, as is the percentage of students who go onto college. Contrary to claims that charter students enjoy this success because charters supposedly cream, the majority of charter school students are minority (52 percent), at-risk (50 percent), or low-income (54 percent). What’s more, 40 percent of the nation’s charters serve an at-risk population of at least 60 percent. In many larger urban centers like Washington, DC, Boston, MA and Detroit, MI, charters serve students that are nearly 100 percent at-risk, low-income and/or minority.

Perhaps it’s because charters typically offer smaller school sizes, have the operational autonomy to provide innovative and individualized instruction and are held accountable for results. Consider…

In Washington, DC, where the graduation rate is 57 percent, 42 seniors at the Washington Latin Public Charter School graduated this month, 100 percent of whom will be attending college. DC’s Hospitality High, which has focused on preparing students for career opportunities in the hospitality industry since 1999, has graduated more than 2,000 students over its tenure.

Frontier School of Excellence in Kansas City, MO boasted a 100 percent graduation rate. Prime Prep Charter School in Dallas, started by ex-NFL great Deion Sanders, celebrated its first graduating class in a city that graduates only 64 percent of its high school students.

“Open your eyes…you made it. Be proud,” high school graduate Jordin Whyland told her fellow classmates of SABIS International Charter School in Springfield, MA. Wyland is one of 96 graduating seniors, 100 percent will be attending college in the fall.

The 59 graduates at Silver State Charter High School proved themselves immune from Nevada’s third lowest graduation rate in the country. The graduation of seven students at Richard McKenna Charter High School in Idaho shows that charter achievement isn’t limited to large metropolitan areas.

At the highly regarded Boys Latin of Philadelphia Charter School, 84 students made up the school’s third graduating class. In California, parents celebrated as their children graduated from the small West Sacramento Early College Prep. Another 630 students graduated this year from California’s Virtual Academy, thanks to this innovative model.

Congratulations to the graduates and kudos to the lawmakers who understand why charters are a critical piece of the empowerment puzzle for students to attain success. When only ten states earn the equivalent of a “C” or higher for education reform, it’s clear that more needs to be done to ensure that parents have power and more students will be able to graduate – and make progress – without delay.

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly

It’s a School Choice Week Summer!

June 10, 2013 By

School may be out for the summer, but that doesn’t mean that your support for school choice needs to take a vacation, too!

National School Choice Week has launched a campaign to demonstrate that support for school choice stretches far and wide, but it all depends on you.

Here’s how you can get involved:

– Still have a National School Choice Week scarf? Take it on vacation with you and pose for a picture while wearing it in front of a symbolic location, a monument…or even just on the beach or at your local park or campground. If you’re not going on a trip this summer, find a cool place in your hometown to pose for your photo. Then post it to that National School Choice Week Facebook page, Twitter, or Instagram using the hashtag #SCWSummer.

– Send a postcard from your vacation destination – or from your hometown – to National School Choice Week, 28 Paul Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903. On the back of your postcard, include your name and your mailing address, and tell us why you support school choice.

Wondering how your pictures or postcards will be used? National School Choice Week will create a huge banner collage of images that will be prominently displayed at events during National School Choice Week 2014. Some submissions will also be used on social media and National School Choice Week’s website, but don’t worry, mailing and email addresses will always be kept confidential.

How diverse the locations and submissions are is up to you. And you can send us as many photos and postcards as you’d like! So please start to think about how you get take part in this campaign based on your summer plans and contact National School Choice Week with any questions.

Filed Under: Choice & Charter Schools
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