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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

Bush, Obama Focus On Standardized Testing Leads To ‘Opt-Out’ Parents’ Movement
Washington Post, DC, April 14, 2013
A decade into the school accountability movement, pockets of resistance to standardized testing are sprouting up around the country, with parents and students opting out of the high-stakes tests used to evaluate schools and teachers.

America’s Most Challenging Schools Are Facing Staff Cuts And Shut-Downs
Washington Post, DC, April 4, 2013
I have been ranking the most challenging schools in the country and this region for 15 years. Rarely have I encountered anything like the American Indian Public Charter High School of Oakland, Calif., the No. 1 school on my 2013 list. It has risen to the top just as its city school board is trying to shut it down.

Helping Teachers Learn
New York Times, NY, April 14, 2013
The school cheating scandal in Atlanta that led to criminal indictments against dozens of teachers, principals and administrators last month contains at least three lessons for states that are developing teacher evaluation systems.

Some States Dropping GED as Test Price Spikes
Associated Press, April 14, 2013
Several dozen states are looking for an alternative to the GED high school equivalency test because of concerns that a new version coming out next year is more costly and will no longer be offered in a pencil and paper format.

STATE COVERAGE

ALABAMA

Charter Schools In Alabama Would Help Improve Broken Education System
Alabama Crimson White, AL, April 15, 2013
There has been a lot of debate on education in the state legislature this year. Largely, it has been centered on the Alabama Accountability Act and the vouchers it provides for private schools. While important, these vouchers are not the only creative avenues for education reform. The state needs to have a discussion on charter schools, which have the potential to help all students of the state of Alabama, and not just a few.

CALIFORNIA

Huachuca Mountain Parents Delve Into Charter Proposal
Sierra Vista Herald, CA, April 15, 2013
Speaking to more than 50 parents, five Huachuca Mountain Elementary School teachers explained why they support flipping the school into a district-run charter at a meeting in the school’s library last week.

L.A. School Reform Effort Draws Diverse Group Of Wealthy Donors
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 14, 2013
Republicans, liberals, Hollywood notables and global corporate executives are among those who gave to the Coalition for School Reform.

California Democrats Blast Efforts To Overhaul Schools
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 14, 2013
They call StudentsFirst and Democrats for Education Reform fronts for GOP and corporate interests. Also, Harris and Newsom tout stands on same-sex marriage.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Sidwell Friends Alumni Aim To Open Public Charter School In The District
Washington Post, DC, April 13, 2013
Sidwell Friends, the elite private school known for educating the children of presidents and members of Congress, has lent its support to a group of former students and faculty who are seeking to open a public charter school in the District.

Students Leaving Mid-Year Raise Questions For Charter School
Washington Examiner, DC, April 14, 2013
D.C. charter board staff are recommending that Basis Public Charter School should not be allowed to add 35 seats next year because a large number of students are leaving in the middle of the school year.

FLORIDA

Parents, Students Fight Shutdown Of Bradenton Charter School
Bradenton Herald, FL, April 14, 2013
Bradenton Charter School may be forced to close its doors this June. But since the Manatee school board voted for the nonrenewal of the school’s contract in March, parents, teachers and students have been scrambling to get another chance.

GEORGIA

Ga. May Standardize Teacher Evaluations
Cherokee Tribune, GA, April 14, 2013
Georgia is moving forward with a plan to standardize annual evaluations for teachers and principals based, in part, on student performance.

Ex-Senator Sets Up Foundation For Charter School Systems
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, April 13, 2013
The sponsor of legislation creating charter school systems has formed a taxpayer-supported foundation to lobby for the program his bill created.

LOUISIANA

The Direction of our Compass
The Advocate, LA, April 14, 2013
The founder of Microsoft has taken to tilting at philantrophic windmills, from malaria in Africa to public education in America. But if Bill Gates has an image as a Knight of Nerds, or Duke of Data, his message on a key policy problem in the latter sector is focused on the worker bees: teachers, and their roles as inspirers of the next generation in our classrooms.

Teachers Blast Louisiana Evaluation System, Say State Doesn’t Support Them
Times-Picayune, LA, April 15, 2013
Teachers attending a Saturday town hall meeting in New Orleans hosted by NBC’s Education Nation blasted new state evaluation procedures for teachers and Louisiana’s adoption of national education standards, saying the state Department of Education isn’t giving teachers enough support.

Teacher Unions Push Bills
The Advocate, LA, April 15, 2013
One or both teacher unions in Louisiana back bills that would require the state superintendent of education to be elected by voters, add new oversight to online schools and change testing rules for public school students.

MASSACHUSETTS

Charter School Wait List: Take An Accurate Count
Boston Globe, MA, April 14, 2013
THE STATE’S 80-odd charter schools and their supporters point proudly to a 53,000-student waiting list as proof for the need to raise the state cap on these K-12 classrooms that operate outside the control of local school districts. It’s true that parents are queuing up to get their children a seat in charter schools known for impressive MCAS scores, flexible teacher hiring practices, and a longer school day. But the list is inflated by duplicate entries that arise when families join the lotteries for more than one charter school.

Underperforming Schools Take On Partners To Stave Off State Takeover
Boston Globe, MA, April 14, 2013
Boston and three other Massachusetts cities, in an attempt to stave off a state takeover of underperforming schools, are turning to nonprofit partners to jump-start flagging overhaul efforts.

MISSISSIPPI

Let’s Keep Promises Of Charter Schools Bill
Clarion Ledger, MS, April 14, 2013
When Gov. Phil Bryant places pen to paper on the recently passed charter school legislation, he won’t just be signing a bill, he’ll be signing a promise to Mississippi’s school children. This promise — that Mississippi will work to ensure that all children have access to an excellent public school — is one that we must all make, but especially those of us who have championed the charter school legislation.

MISSOURI

Charter Schools Want Flexibility In Pensions
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, April 14, 2013
Grand Center Arts Academy needed a reading teacher. So Principal Lynne Glickert began recruiting a candidate from St. Louis County, a teacher whom she calls “amazing.”

NEW JERSEY

Vouchers Not The Answer For Schools
Herald News, NJ, April 15, 2013
GOVERNOR CHRISTIE continues his efforts to use vouchers to improve New Jersey’s educational system, arguing he wants to help some students in bad situations have access to better schools. However, keeping vouchers in the conversation does nothing but damage the futures of the majority of the state’s students. Christie needs to look at how he can help the whole state — not just a select few.

Camden Charter To Be Managed By N.Y. Network
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, April 15, 2013
When Freedom Academy Charter School was put on state probation last year – its charter was in jeopardy because of poor academic results – it hired a New York charter management organization as an academic consultant while continuing a partnership with a local group to oversee its finances.

NEW MEXICO

Teacher Eval Criticism Doesn’t Add Up For N.M.
Albuquerque Journal, NM, April 14, 2013
Here’s a math quiz for the defenders of the status quo who are fighting the state’s new teacher evaluation system — a serious proposal put forth in the equivalent of an improvement and accountability vacuum.

District Pushes For Clear Info On Charters
Santa Fe New Mexican, NM, April 14, 2013
Santa Fe Public Schools plans to initiate a charter school performance management system that will provide more information, clarification and transparency about the four district-chartered schools’ status.

NEW YORK

Students Face Tougher Tests That Outpace Lesson Plans
New York Times, NY, April 15, 2013
At Public School 10 on the edge of Park Slope, Brooklyn, parents begged the principal to postpone the lower school science fair, insisting it was going to add too much pressure while they were preparing their children for the coming state tests.

New Teacher Evaluations Costly For School Districts
Utica Observer Dispatch, NY, April 14, 2013
Students aren’t the only ones subject to testing. A state mandated evaluation system now puts teachers and principals in the hot seat, but it’s about more than just a passing grade.

Shady Charter ‘$trips’
New York Post, NY, April 14, 2013
The city approved a politically connected charter school — whose founder went to prison and principal was once accused of fixing grades — to issue up to $23 million in tax-exempt bonds to relocate to a former Bronx strip club.

NORTH CAROLINA

Fitzsimon: Battle Over Vouchers
Daily Reflector, NC, April 14, 2013
The real battle for the future of public education is about to begin in Raleigh.
The leading think tank on the anti-public education Right set the stage this week with an “exclusive interview” with chief school privatizer and voucher proponent Rep. Paul Stam who talked about the voucher bill he would be introducing in the House.

Charters Benefit Legislators
News & Observer, NC, April 14, 2013
Senate Bill 337 comes directly from the American Legislative Exchange Council’s model legislation called “Charter School Growth with Quality Act.” In ALEC’s 2010 Report Card on American Education it called on its members and allies to “Transform the system, don’t tweak it.”

OHIO

Common Core: More Thinking, More Learning
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, April 14, 2013
The change will, advocates say, mark a fundamental shift in the way the nation’s children are educated. And it’s happening right now, in classrooms across Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky, as school districts work to train teachers and administrators how to educate students the Common Core way.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma City School Transportation Plan Adds Some Students, Omits Others
The Oklahoman, OK, April 15, 2013
Oklahoma City Public Schools developed a new transportation system to shuttle students across the district to attend new high school academies this year. But that shuttle hasn’t been open to students who attend alternative or magnet schools.

OREGON

A New School Or Back To The Drawing Board?
Mail Tribune, OR, April 15, 2013
The Medford School Board will vote today on whether to approve Kids Unlimited’s modified application to create the district’s third charter school.

PENNSYLVANIA

No Child Left Behind Gauge May End In Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, April 15, 2013
Adequate yearly progress has been the assessment measurement for schools and school districts in Pennsylvania since the enactment of the federal No Child Left Behind Law in January 2001.

TENNESSEE

Tennessee Voucher Fiasco
Wall Street Journal, April 15, 2013
Republicans claim to be looking for a way to support upward economic mobility without compromising their principles, and school choice is a natural. So it’s dismaying that Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has decided to kill a voucher plan to please the teachers unions.

TN Lawmakers Push Education Bills In Final Days Of Session
The Tennessean, TN, April 14, 2013
As the 108th Tennessee General Assembly draws to a close, state lawmakers are hoping to push through education proposals that include creating a state panel to authorize charter schools for five counties and a measure that would clear the way for cities to begin forming municipal school systems.

Proposed Charter School Panel Would Oversee Knox, 4 Other Counties
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, April 14, 2013
A bill to create a new state panel that could authorize charter schools when local school boards reject them has been revised to apply only in five counties, including Knox, and remains a contentious issue as legislators push toward adjourning the 2013 session.

WASHINGTON

Charter Schools Should Ignite Change For The Better
News Tribune, WA, April 14, 2013
I applaud the Tacoma School Board for signaling an interest in becoming a public charter school authorizer. It’s time that our community learned more about public charter schools.

WISCONSIN

Madison School Board To Finalize Charter Policy
Madison State Journal, WI, April 15, 2013
The Madison School Board on Monday plans to finalize revisions to its charter school policy, which, according to advocates for the alternative public schools, will discourage future proposals from coming forward.

Madison’s Thriving Private Schools Buck National Trend
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, April 14, 2013
Private school enrollment has steadily declined across Wisconsin over the past 15 years, but that’s not the case in Madison and Dane County.

ONLINE LEARNING

Virtual School Puts Florida On Cutting Edge Of Digital Learning
Orlando Sentinel, FL, April 14, 2013
This time of year my heart grows fond for Florida, both for its pleasant spring weather and for the wonderful memories of serving in the Florida Legislature, particularly the time spent as the first Republican speaker of the Florida House in 122 years.

D-300 Vows To Fight Any Appeal
Northwest Herald, IL, April 14, 2013
Some District 300 board members already have dangled the threat of legal action if a state commission doesn’t fairly consider the district’s questions concerning a proposed online charter school.

Legislators Target Online Charter Schools
Daily Chronicle, IL, April 15, 2013
As area school boards rejected an online charter school that would draw students from its schools, state lawmakers appear poised to slap a hold on the creation of virtual schools until regulations and guidelines can be crafted.

Digital Learning Way Of The Future
Albuquerque Journal, NM, April 14, 2013
Last year, President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued what has become known as the “digital mandate,” challenging schools to adopt digital technology by 2017.

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

Common Core: Nationalized State-Run Education
American Thinker, April 12, 2013
Common Core, the new federal education standards, may look delicious; but before you take a bite out of the apple, it might be a good idea to know a razor is inside.

Common Core Will Raise The Bar Of Standards, But Scores Will Go Down At First
New York Daily News, NY, April 12, 2013
Students will no longer be learning at the lower standards set by No Child Left Behind. We can only hope students will be learning more with standards that compete internationally.

STATE COVERAGE

ARIZONA

Governor Vetoes Bill Adding Disabled Kids To Charters
KVOA, AZ, April 11, 2013
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has vetoed a bill that would have allowed charter schools to enroll some disabled pre-school students because the Legislature didn’t include funding for the students.

CALIFORNIA

Greuel Vows School Reform As Garcetti Seeks End To ‘Division’
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 11, 2013
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel laid out her plans to improve public schools on Thursday, pushing for tougher evaluations of teachers and principals, while opponent Eric Garcetti secured endorsements from a handful of African American leaders.

L.A. Teachers Vote ‘No Confidence’ In Supt. Deasy
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 12, 2013
In a referendum, 91% disapproved of the superintendent, the teachers union says. A measure sharply criticizing the union’s leadership and laying out priorities passes too.

Imagine That: Happy Ending To A ‘Parent Trigger’ Petition
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 11, 2013
The “parent trigger” movement underwent a maturation process in its latest campaign, a petition to restructure 24th Street Elementary in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

COLORADO

Plaintiffs In Douglas County School Voucher Fight Turn To High Court
Denver Post, CO, April 12, 2013
The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado filed a petition Thursday with the Colorado Supreme Court, asking that it overturn the state appeals court ruling that found that Douglas County schools’ voucher program did not violate the state constitution.

Report States Reform Efforts In Denver, Aurora Lacking
9NEWS, CO, April 11, 2013
A group of community leaders called A+ Denver launched a comprehensive study into whether or not reform efforts in urban schools are working as well as district leaders are claiming. The report shows that despite targeted funding more students are not ready for college.

CONNECTICUT

A Few Words Of Advice For Charter Naysayers
CT Post, CT, April 11, 2013
Not all advocates appreciate their critics, but I do. As an advocate for charter schools, I’m grateful for the passion of our naysyers and respect their dedication to public education.

DELAWARE

Delaware Charter School Troubles: Pencader Parents, Students Dealt Another Blow
Newsworks, DE, April 11, 2013
First Pencader Charter High School lost its charter; now, less than two months later, Pencader parents received more bad news.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Memo Warns Of Rampant Cheating In D.C. Public Schools
USA Today, April 11, 2013
District of Columbia Public Schools officials have long maintained that a 2011 test-cheating scandal that generated two government probes was limited to one elementary school. But a newly uncovered confidential memo warns as far back as January 2009 that educator cheating on 2008 standardized tests could have been widespread, with 191 teachers in 70 schools “implicated in possible testing infractions.”

FLORIDA

No Need For “Parent Trigger.” Florida Has “Parent Empowerment.”
Palm Beach Post, FL, April 12, 2013
The image of crusading parents turning around their children’s failing public school is compelling. That’s why advocates of so-called “parent trigger” laws invoke it. But in most cases, the image is a simplistic sham.

ILLINOIS

Illinois School-Choice Supporters Disappear For Dem Bill
Chicago Tribune, IL, April 12, 2013
In certain corners of the national education reform movement, there is no prize more coveted than a voucher system that gives parents the freedom to choose and the tuition to pay for private school enrollment so their children don’t have to attend an academically deficient public school.

High-Performing School Finds Itself On Closing List
Chicago Tribune, IL, April 121, 2013
A big blue banner hangs on the brick exterior of Calhoun North Elementary boasting how the East Garfield Park neighborhood school provides a rich array of computer access for students and has logged some of the best math scores in the city.

KENTUCKY

Teachers Union Denies Holding Up Low-Performing Jefferson County Schools
Louisville Courier-Journal, KY, April 12, 2013
The Jefferson County Teachers Association is denying claims by Kentucky Department of Education officials that its teachers are resisting changes at some of the district’s persistently low-achieving schools.

LOUISIANA

Louisiana Parents Have Power In Their Children’s Education, Study Says
Times-Picayune, LA, April 11, 2013
Louisiana parents have more power in their children’s education than parents in nearly every other state, according to a new report card from the pro-charter Center for Education Reform.

MASSACHUSETTS

Students Ask For More Charter Schools
WWLP 22News, MA, April 11, 2013
Hundreds of western Massachusetts students, teachers and parents are asking state lawmakers to raise the cap on the number of charter schools that are allowed to open, especially in the state’s low-performing districts.

MICHIGAN

Over 100 Michigan Charter Schools To Be Represented At Job Fair At Novi Showplace
Oakland Press, MI, April 11, 2013
More than 100 charter schools will be represented at a job fair Saturday, April 20 sponsored by the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, including many of the new charter schools expected to open next school year.

EM Roberts Rolls Out Plan To Revive Detroit Schools
Detroit News, MI, April 12, 2013
Detroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Roy Roberts unveiled a plan Thursday to reverse a longtime enrollment slide and stabilize the district’s precarious finances.

MISSOURI

Missouri House Rejects Educator Evaluation Legislation
Missourian, MO, April 11, 2013
Missouri House members rejected legislation seeking to make changes to teacher tenure while requiring school districts to develop educator evaluation systems centered on student achievement.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Coalition Calls For Repeal Of N.H. Education Voucher Law
Portsmouth Herald, NH, April 12, 2013
A coalition of state educators, taxpayers and concerned citizens are calling for the repeal of what they call the “misguided Bradley-O’Brien education voucher law.”

NEW JERSEY

Opposition Muted as Christie’s School-Voucher Pilot Makes Public Debut
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, April 12, 2013
There were plenty of questions but little outright opposition as Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed school-vouchers program got its first public airing yesterday.

Traditional School Takeovers Aren’t Working
Daily Journal, NJ, April 12, 2013
As the state prepares to take over Camden schools, is it time to consider a different approach? One education policy think tank believes so.

For Failing Schools, There’s Another Option
Courier-Post, NJ, April 11, 2013
As the state prepares to take over Camden schools, is it time to consider a different approach? One education policy think tank believes so.

NEW YORK

Crown Heights Parents, Teachers Upset About Proposed School Closure, Co-Location
NY1, NY, April 11, 2013
A few dozen parents and teachers are fired up about a school closure and the proposed co-location of a charter school.

Lottery Nears For Utica Charter School; Staff Also Being Sought
Utica Observer Dispatch, NY, April 11, 2013
On Tuesday, April 30, Amela Pekmez hopes to win the lottery. The prize isn’t money. It’s a spot for her ninth-grader at the Utica Academy of Science Charter School.

NEW YORK

Walcott Faces Concerns Over Co-Location At West Harlem Town Hall
Columbia Spectator, NY, April 12, 2013
New York City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott did little to assuage concerns about co-locations at a West Harlem town hall meeting Wednesday.

NORTH CAROLINA

Brunswick Must Repay What It Owes Charter School, Ruling Says
Star-News, NC, April 11, 2013
The Brunswick County school system has underfunded Roger Bacon Academy’s charter school operation and must repay the amount it shortchanged going back three years, according to a ruling Wednesday in Brunswick County Superior Court.

School Districts Could Create, Approve Charters Under New Bill
Winston-Salem Journal, NC, April 11, 2013
Two bills filed in the N.C. House this week could change the dynamic of charter schools in the state’s public education system.

OREGON

Armadillo Charter School Must Drop Its GED Program
Mail Tribune, OR, April 12, 2013
A popular GED program at the Armadillo Technical Institute may be dropped as the charter school and the Phoenix-Talent School District develop a new agreement to address concerns about low graduation and high dropout figures.

PENNSYLVANIA

Charter School Operators Defend Performance
Philadelphia Tribune, PA, April 11, 2013
While State Representative James Roebuck’s recent report and legislation is aimed at reforming the state’s charter school system – especially in light of several reports that have cast a pall of suspicion on numerous charter school operators – there are operators who view Roebuck’s legislation as an attack on properly run and executed alternative education programs.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Can School Choice Survive The SC Senate?
The Herald, SC, April 12, 2013
Supporters of a $39 million Senate plan to give parents tax deductions for sending their children to private schools are hopeful that the proposal will advance this year.

TENNESSEE

For-Profit Charters Still Alive, Taking Non-Traditional Route
Nashville Public Radio, TN, April 11, 2013
Governor Bill Haslam says for-profit charter schools are worth giving a look. He says a legislative proposal ending the state’s ban snuck up on him, but he’s open to the idea.

TEXAS

Senate Panel OKs Measure To Fund Tuition At Religious And Private Schools
Star-Telegram, TX, April 11, 2013
A state Senate committee on Thursday approved a high-profile school voucher plan, sending it to the full chamber for what could be a fierce floor fight.

Charter Schools Bill Advances
San Antonio Express, TX, April 11, 2013
Texas could have 100 more charter schools by 2019, and state officials could more easily close them if they perform poorly, under legislation adopted Thursday with broad bipartisan support by the Texas Senate.

ONLINE LEARNING

Teplitz Pushing For Six-Month Study On Fixing Charter School Tuition Rates
Patriot News, PA, April 11, 2013
State Sen. Rob Teplitz, D-Dauphin is pushing for a study he hopes will adjust tuition costs for Pennsylvania’s charter schools so they no longer burden public districts.

Online Learning Plan Out Of Line
Tampa Bay Times, FL, April 11, 2013
The Legislature’s stampede to significantly expand online learning for students in public schools has nothing to do with offering more options and meeting unmet needs.

Proposed Legislation Would Halt Local Virtual Charter School Plan
Elgin Courier News, IL, April 11, 2013
New legislation that has moved to the Illinois House floor for a vote would put a stop to a virtual charter school that’s seeking approval to open this fall in 18 Fox Valley districts.

Charters, Vouchers And Virtual
Northwest Herald, IL, April 11, 2013
K12 Inc., a virtual charter school corporation, is stalking the public schools in our region, attempting to get its hands on public education money.

State Lawmakers To Put Online Charter Schools On Standby
Northwest Herald, IL, April 12, 2013
As local school boards rejected this week a request from a proposed online charter school that would draw students from its schools, state lawmakers appear poised to slap a hold on the creation of virtual schools until regulations and guidelines to govern them can be crafted.

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

Lawsuits Start To Pile Up On Plans To Close Schools
Washington Post, DC, April 11, 2013
There’s a list of them in Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Milwaukee, New York and the District, and major cities on the eastern and western ends of Pennsylvania have lists, too, as do other cities.

The Public Must Save Public Schools
St. Louis American, MO, April 11, 2013
There is a continued assault on the institution of education from within and without and from sea to shining sea. The public school experiment over the last couple of generations has not been without consequence to the individual student, our communities and ultimately the nation.

Obama Budget’s Big Education Items: Preschool For All, College Race To The Top
Christian Science Monitor, MA, April 10, 2013
President Obama’s budget proposal gives the Education Department $71.2 billion in discretionary spending for fiscal year 2014. Preschool for All would be funded by a tax hike on cigarettes.

Students Get 2nd Chances To Learn, Graduate
Deseret News, UT, April 10, 2013
Educational software that meets learners where they are, then guides them through school subjects at their chosen pace, is proving especially valuable to non-traditional high school students. Sixty-two percent of U.S. students taking makeup classes for courses they failed took them online, according to 2012 figures from the National Center for Education Statistics.

STATE COVERAGE

ARIZONA

Arizona’s Public Schools Getting Creative To Compete For Students
Cronkite News, AZ, April 10, 2013
Conducting exit interviews with students and parents who choose charter or private schools over public schools.

CALIFORNIA

Parents Choose Unique School Takeover Model In ‘Trigger’ Vote
The Hechinger Report, April 10, 2013
In the latest test of California’s controversial “parent trigger” law, South Los Angeles parents have voted to transform their struggling neighborhood school into a charter school hybrid beginning this fall, organizers announced Wednesday.

San Carlos District To Consider Adding Two Charter Schools
San Jose Mercury News, CA, April 11, 2013
Since six of San Carlos’ seven public elementary and middle schools are charters, Superintendent Craig Baker tonight is expected to seek similar status for two new schools the district plans to build.

COME BACK KIDS: Charter School To Offer Dropout Recovery
Press-Enterprise, CA, April 10, 2013
The Riverside County Board of Education approved a Come Back Kids charter school Wednesday, April 10.

Parents Make Case For YES Charter School Before Yuba Board
Yuba Appeal-Democrat, CA, April 11, 2013
Attorneys and supporters of YES Charter Academy challenged Marysville Joint Unified School District findings on Wednesday while pleading their case for a charter renewal during a public hearing at the
Yuba County Board of Education meeting.

Parents Choose LAUSD, Charter School To Run Jefferson Park Campus
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 10, 2013
Parents at 24th Street Elementary School have overwhelmingly chosen a partnership between the Los Angeles Unified School District and a charter school to run the persistently low-performing Jefferson Park campus.

CONNECTICUT

State Receives Proposals For New Charter Schools
CT Post, CT, April 10, 2013
The state received seven applications for new charter schools this week, including one for a Montessori school in Bridgeport that would be run in conjunction with the city school board.

DELAWARE

Christina May Turn Back On $2.3 Million
The News Journal, DE, April 11, 2013
The board also made clear Tuesday night that it would rather walk away from its share of Delaware’s Race to the Top money — $2.3 million — than accept a new state evaluation system for teachers.

FLORIDA

The Dark Side Of Parent Trigger
Miami Herald, FL, April 10, 2013
The crusade to privatize public education continues gaining ground in the Florida Legislature, where the controversial bill to have a traditional neighborhood school transformed into a charter school, among other options, sails at full speed under the premise of empowering parents to turn around a school that’s failing their children.

Education Bills Address Class Choices
Tallahassee Democrat, FL, April 10, 2013
Florida lawmakers for years have supported school choice policies like vouchers and charter schools. State Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, says he wants to create “choice within choice” — allowing students to pick individual courses from outside the existing offerings of the state’s education system.

GEORGIA

Savannah-Chatham Public Schools Rightsizing Goes Wrong
Savannah Morning News, GA, April 11, 2013
Wednesday Savannah-Chatham Public School officials presented plans for shifting around students from the highly successful Early College and Woodville-Tompkins programs in order to fill up woefully underutilized Savannah High and make space for new and growing programs.

IDAHO

Idaho Charter Schools Eye New State Dollars
Idaho State Journal, ID, April 10, 2013
While Idaho charter schools may be months away from getting their split in about $1.4 million in funding promised by lawmakers, some school administrators say they are having no problem figuring out how they’ll spend the extra cash.

ILLINOIS

Charter School Wars Hurting All Children
Chicago Sun Times, IL, April 10, 2013
Charter schools have become a flash point in this city’s school wars, praised by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, demonized by the Chicago Teachers Union, and targeted for a moratorium by a faction of the City Council.

INDIANA

Senate Narrowly OKs Expanding Vouchers
The Journal Gazette, IN, April 11, 2013
More Hoosier children will be eligible for state-paid vouchers under a bill narrowly approved by the Senate on Wednesday.

IOWA

House GOP Offers Education Concession
Des Moines Register, IA, April 11, 2013
There’s no deal yet on education reform, one of Gov. Terry Branstad’s top priorities, but House Republicans have offered a major concession aimed at compromising with Senate Democrats.

KANSAS

Mount Hope Fails To Obtain Charter
The Hutchinson News, KS, April 10, 2013
A bid to establish a rural-life charter school at Mount Hope failed.

MAINE

Proposal Would Make All Maine Districts, Not Just Local Ones, Responsible For Charter School Funding
Bangor Daily News, ME, April 10, 2013
Lawmakers reacted warmly Tuesday to a concept presented by Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen that would drastically change how charter schools in Maine are funded, spreading the financial responsibility to every school district in the state.

MASSACHUSETTS

Holyoke Parents Set To Lobby Lawmakers For Additional Charter Schools
The Republican, MA, April 10, 2013
Between 100 and 200 parents are scheduled to travel to Beacon Hill Thursday to urge legislators to allow more charter schools here, a spokesman for the group said Wednesday.

Dismantling Of Ed Reform
Worcester Telegram, MA, April 11, 2013
The Gov. Deval Patrick administration has finally come clean, admitting that MCAS will soon be a thing of the past.

Flunking The Test
Boston Globe, MA, April 11, 2013
Starting this spring, Rhode Island high school seniors will have to pass the New England Common Assessment Program to get their diploma. The new requirement is the latest effort by the Rhode Island Department of Education to improve low-performing high schools. But does high-stakes testing ensure the state’s students are properly prepared to succeed in a 21st century workforce? A group of local high school students is raising the question.

MICHIGAN

Muskegon Heights Schools Emergency Manager, Charter Company Detail Steps To Address ‘Academic Tragedy’
The Muskegon Chronicle, MI, April 10, 2013
With most high school students’ learning three grades behind, teachers in Muskegon Heights’ new charter school are “pre-teaching” students and providing extra before- and after-school instruction to help students catch up.

MONTANA

SB 374 Aims To Establish Public Charter Schools
Beartooth NBC, MT, April 10, 2013
The House Board of Education heard public comment on a bill today that aims to establish public charter schools in the state of Montana.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Gov. Hassan Touts Casino’s Potential Impact On Education Funding During Tour Of Manchester Charter School
New Hampshire Union Leader, NH, April 11, 2013
Gov. Maggie Hassan visited a Manchester charter school on Wednesday and said her plan for a casino represents a way to pay for an expansion of charter schools in the state.

NEW JERSEY

N.J. Teacher Evaluation On The Wrong Track
Star-Ledger, NJ, April 10, 2013
The New Jersey Department of Education has proposed major changes in the rules governing how public school teachers are evaluated. The idea is to use students’ standardized test scores to measure how well teachers are doing their jobs.

New N.J. School Reports Released By State Education Department; Bring New Rankings, Data
Star-Ledger, NJ, April 10, 2013
New school performance reports released today by the state Department of Education place each school in a new “peer group” with 30 other schools with similar demographics.

NEW YORK

10,000 Students Cheer State Tax Credit Bill To Help Private Schools
Buffalo News, NY, April 11, 2013
The cheers Wednesday morning in First Niagara Center were louder and heartier than the Buffalo Sabres have been able to elicit from fans this season.

NORTH CAROLINA

Superintendent Says Charter School Recruitment Violated Policy
Shelby Star, NC, April 10, 2013
Cleveland County Schools officials say supporters of a new charter school have been recruiting students from one of their campuses. But organizers at Pinnacle Classical Academy say they don’t need to recruit and supporters were acting without the approval of Pinnacle board members.

Senate, House Leaders Differ On Teacher Tenure
News & Observer, NC, April 10, 2013
A major fissure opened Wednesday between House and Senate leaders on how to evaluate the state’s 93,000 teachers and grade schools.

OHIO

Local Schools Take Big Hits In House GOP Budget Plan
Columbus Dispatch, OH, April 11, 2013
Ohio schools would get $121 million less next year under a House Republican funding plan unveiled on Tuesday compared with an earlier proposal from Gov. John Kasich, a state Department of Education analysis shows.

PENNSYLVANIA

Education Advocates Push Changes In Phila.
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, April 10, 2013
Stop filling any Philadelphia School District vacancy on the basis of teacher seniority. Overhaul recruitment policies. Get rid of ineffective principals. Tie school safety to administrators’ ratings.

Group Wants Philly Teacher, Principal Reforms
Philadelphia Inquirer Blog, PA, April 10, 2013
A newly-formed umbrella group of many of the city’s leading education nonprofits hopes to affect the upcoming Philadelphia teachers’ contract.

Finances Detailed For York School Options
York Daily Record, PA, April 10, 2013
Both options proposed to reform the York City School District could balance the budget in future years, according to financial projections presented Wednesday night. But either way, the district would need to draw students back from existing charter schools.

TENNESSEE

Charter Authorizer Plan Sent To House Floor After Senate Bill Slowdown
The Tennessean, TN, April 11, 2013
Lawmakers in the Tennessee House of Representatives pushed on with a bill that would set up a new panel to review charter school applications, a day after major questions delayed the measure in the Senate.

Reducing Welfare Payments For Parents Of Failing Students Is Not A Solution Toward Better Grades
Commercial Appeal, TN, April 10, 2013
If Campfield and Dennis really want to do something to encourage students to perform better in school, maybe they could sponsor bills that create an incentive program to award monetary stipends to poverty-challenged students who earn good grades. That makes more sense than fiscally punishing parents who are already living in poverty — and the children who depend on them.

TEXAS

Charter School’s Entry Fee Is Illegal
Houston Chronicle, TX, April 10, 2013
Houston Gateway Academy, a public charter school that serves mostly low-income families, was charging parents fees to enroll their children in violation of state law, according to the Texas Education Agency.

IDEA Finds New Home After AISD Breakup
American-Statesman, TX, April 10, 2013
Leaders of IDEA Public Schools, whose partnership with the Austin school district divided the community, announced Tuesday afternoon they found a new location.

WISCONSIN

Local Control Lost Under Charter School Proposal
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, April 10, 2013
When reading Monday’s letter “Support charter schools in Wisconsin” from the state director of Democrats for Education Reform, Wisconsin Chapter, it’s easy to think charter schools provide tangible benefits to students. He has the right idea, but charter schools are not the only or best answer.

ONLINE LEARNING

Charter Reform Sought By Seneca Valley
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, April 11, 2013
Seneca Valley school board members want to reform Pennsylvania’s cyber charter school law, and they want the public to join their quest.

Senate Seeking Compromise On Funding For Online Classes
StateImpact NPR, FL, April 10, 2013
A Senate committee is attempting to defuse a funding dispute between the state-sponsored Florida Virtual School and private online providers.

Schools Exploring Online Learning
Tiffin Advertiser Tribune, OH, April 11, 2013
Columbian High School students, administrators and teachers discussed the benefits of online learning at their Virtual High School Collaborative Open House Wednesday.

Dist. 303 Charter School Rejection May Be Template For Battle
Chicago Daily Herald, IL, April 10, 2013
In denying the application for a virtual charter school this week, St. Charles Unit District 303 may have revealed the cornerstone of the argument up to 18 school districts involved in the decision will soon bring to a state commission.

House Bill Would Ban New Virtual Charter Schools In Illinois For 3 Years
Quad Cities Dispatch, IL, April 10, 2013
An Illinois House committee on Wednesday passed a controversial bill that would put a three-year freeze on the creation of new virtual charter schools in Illinois.