2013 - Page 54 of 65 - The Center for Education Reform

Daily Headlines for February 21, 2013

February 21, 2013 By The Center for Education Reform

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

Revamped GED Faces First Big Challenge
Wall Street Journal, February 21, 2013
Oldest High-School Equivalency Test Adapts to New Education Standards, With Other For-Profit Firms Quick on Its Heels

Satisfaction Tumbles For Teachers, Principals; Job Interference, Cuts Add Pressure
Washington Times, DC, February 21, 2013
The job satisfaction of teachers has plummeted to its lowest level in a quarter-century as shrinking school-district budgets take a toll on the psyche of American educators, a major study shows.

School Choice: We Can’t Help The Poor By Helping Only Them
Atlanta Journal Constitution Blog, GA, February 21, 2013
Opponents of school choice measures such as vouchers or tax-credit scholarships love to do a little two-step.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Michelle Rhee Group Donates $250,000 To Candidates In LAUSD Races
Los Angeles Times, CA, February 20, 2013
from StudentsFirst, led by the former District of Columbia schools chancellor, will benefit races of board President Monica Garcia and two other candidates.

Not Measuring Up?
Santa Maria Sun, CA, February 19, 2013
The message “S.O.S. Save Our School”—emblazoned in white on red T-shirts worn by teachers, parents, and faculty association representatives—appeared on a quarter of the crowd at a Feb. 13 school board meeting in Santa Maria.

More Students Taking And Passing Advanced Placement Exams
Los Angeles Times, CA, February 21, 2013
Nearly one-third of high school graduates nationwide took at least one of the tests and nearly one in five had passing scores in 2012, the College Board reported.

GEORGIA

DeKalb School Board To Face Charges By Accrediting Agency
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, February 20, 2013
When a private accrediting agency downgraded the DeKalb County school district last year, it said its allegations were built on “significant and irrefutable evidence.

INDIANA

Senate Panel Gives ‘F’ To School Letter Grades
Northwest Times, IN, February 20, 2013
The Senate Education Committee approved legislation Wednesday that could end Indiana’s A-F school grading system, permit some illegal immigrants to continue receiving in-state college tuition and give certain school corporations a say in whether new charter schools can open.

Bill Would Allow Some School Corps. To Approve Charters
Post Tribune, IN, February 20, 2013
School corporations that have a high number of charter schools could get more input on whether a new charter school is established within their boundaries.

Just How Scared Is Indiana GOP Of School Supt. Glenda Ritz?
Journal and Courier, IN, February 20, 2013
Say what you will about Tony Bennett, Indiana’s one-term, whirling education reform dervish. But he made a historically weak state school superintendent position strong enough that his fellow Republicans fear the woman who took him down in the 2012 election.

Bill To Ban Teacher Union Deductions Advances
South Bend Tribune, IN, February 21, 2013
Republicans sparked protests from teachers and union officials Tuesday by pushing legislation through a House committee that would bar Indiana schools from automatically deducting union dues from teacher paychecks, an issue that critics thought was off the table this year.

Republicans Seek To Take Ritz’s Power
WISHTV, IN, February 20, 2013
There’s a power struggle underway at the Statehouse and State School Superintendent Glenda Ritz is in the middle of it.

IOWA

Iowa Education Reform Bill Advances
Quad City Times, IA, February 20, 2013
The Iowa House pushed through Gov. Terry Branstad’s education reform package on a party-line vote Wednesday, moving the debate over how teachers are recruited, paid, evaluated and promoted to the Iowa Senate.

LOUISIANA

Special Education Plan May Be Illegal
Monroe News Star, LA, February 21, 2013
A plan concentrating the state’s focus on special education students and ultimately improving their graduation rates has many education stakeholders concerned that the plan may not be what’s best for the children while some say parts of it may be illegal.

MARYLAND

Test Scores A Valid Way To Gauge Teachers
Maryland Gazette, MD, February 21, 2013
As many of the state’s 24 school systems continue to struggle with crafting teacher and principal evaluations that reliably measure effectiveness, the pressures on local officials continue to mount.

‘Hybrid’ School Board Bill Defeated In State Senate Delegation
Baltimore Sun, MD, February 20, 2013
The state Senate’s latest attempt to add representation to Baltimore County’s Board of Education died again Tuesday morning when Sen. Ed Kasemeyer withdrew his support for the bill, causing a 4-4 deadlock in the Baltimore County delegation’s vote.

MASSACHUSETTS

Turkish Charter Schools Growing As Some Question Cleric Ties
Boston Globe, MA, February 21, 2013
A group of Turkish-born educators running Everett’s Pioneer Charter School of Science is poised to open another school, adding to a growing number of math- and science-focused charter schools across the country operated by Turkish-Americans.

MICHIGAN

Judge Restores Some Power To DPS Board Of Education
Detroit News, MI, February 21, 2013
For at least the next five weeks, Detroit Public Schools emergency financial manager Roy Roberts must consult with the Detroit Board of Education on a host of issues, including academics, school security and temporary school closings, under a court ruling Wednesday.

Graduation Rates Should Spark Fundamental School Reforms
Battle Creek Enquirer, MI, February 20, 2013
It’s important that we have a handle on how many high school students are graduating on time, but it’s far more important that we understand who is succeeding, who isn’t and why.

MONTANA

Several Bills Undermine Local Schools
Billings Gazette, MT , February 21, 2013
Montanans love their public schools. So it is astonishing to see several bills at the Legislature undermining taxpayer money for schools.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Hassan Hurts Poor Families By Eliminating Tuition Tax Credits
Union Leader, NH, February 20, 2013
In her budget address before the Legislature last Thursday, Gov. Maggie Hassan pledged to repeal the nascent Opportunity Scholarship Act (OSA). The law grants tax credits to businesses that help low- and middle-income students afford independent and home schooling.

NEW YORK

Plan Would Let State Take Control of City’s Teacher Evaluation System
New York Times, NY, February 21, 2013
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo proposed a measure on Wednesday that would establish a new teacher evaluation system for New York City if the Bloomberg administration and the teachers’ union remained at odds over adopting one.

Second Stanford Report Finds Gains for NYC Charters
WNYC Schoolbook, NY, February 20, 2013
Students in New York City charter schools make larger learning gains, on average, in both reading and mathematics, according to a new report from Stanford University researchers. But the gains are much more pronounced in math.

DOE Changes Plan To Co-Locate Transfer School With Charter Elementary School
NY1, NY, February 20, 2013
Dozens of public school students suing the Department of Education over a proposal to co-locate a charter school at say the city handed them a victory Wednesday night.

OHIO

Districts Try To Recover Money Lost To Charter Schools
Hamilton Journal News, OH, February 20, 2013
Area school districts are taking different approaches to recoup the millions of dollars they are losing to charter schools each year.

OREGON

Senate Education Committee To Discuss Private-School Tax Credits Bill Today
Statesman Journal, OR, February 20, 2013
An Oregon lawmaker wants to ask voters to allow tax credits to pay for tuition at private and religious schools.

PENNSYLVANIA

High Pay For School ‘Chef’ An Unappetizing Move
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 21, 2013
Even though LEAP’s food budget is mostly paid through funds received from the federal school breakfast and lunch programs, it is unsettling to see its chef being paid so much.

Pa. Took $8.7 Million From Philadelphia School District, Gave It To Charters
Philadelphia Inquirer Notebook Blog, PA, February 20, 2013
The Philadelphia School District’s losing fight to limit enrollments at individual charter schools has a new price tag: $8.7 million and counting.

No Need For Charter Schools Here
The Reporter, PA, February 20, 2013
No need for charter schools The North Penn School District does not need three, two, or one charter school(s). Let the folks interested in starting the charter schools find a school district that is really struggling.

City School Board Says No to Championship Academy
York Dispatch, PA, February 21, 2013
Championship Academy of Distinction has been denied in its efforts to become the sixth charter school in the York City School District.

Erie School Board Rejects Two Charter School Proposals
Erie Times-News, PA, February 21, 2013
The Erie School Board rejected applications for two proposed charter schools Wednesday night.

RHODE ISLAND

‘You Come First,’ Almond Assures School Officials During BV Prep Lease Talks
Valley Breeze, RI, February 20, 2013
With multiple people talking at once, and even the use of the superintendent’s “teacher voice,” the special Lincoln School Committee meeting last Wednesday was more animated than usual as members and officials discussed the future of Fairlawn School, and how charter schools affect the district.

TEXAS

Charter-Friendly HISD Doesn’t Like Sen. Dan Patrick’s Charter School Bill
Houston Press Blog, TX, February 21, 2013
Sen. Dan Patrick’s charter school bill has drawn the ire of the one school district that probably would have been the most favorably inclined to support it: Houston.

WISCONSIN

Expert: Walker’s School Choice Plan Could Spark Another Act 10-Style Battle
Dubuque Telegraph Herald, WI, February 20, 2013
Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposal seeking to expand Wisconsin’s voucher and charter schools could serve as another political lightning rod in the charter school movement, possibly bringing a return to massive Capitol demonstrations, according to a national charter education expert.

New Open Enrollment Law Makes School Choice Easier
Lacrosse Tribune, WI, February 21, 2013
Tiffany McGathy couldn’t leave the Onalaska School District without knowing her son and two daughters could stay at the local schools.

K-12 Education Budget Would Target How Schools Perform
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, February 20, 2013
Much of the roughly $277 million in new money for K-12 education is focused on performance measures — bonuses for top-rated public schools, voucher and independent charter school expansion for districts with low-rated schools, and funding for mandatory ACT and 4K-2 reading tests and teacher evaluations.

ONLINE LEARNING

Cape Cod Educators Get Rundown On Virtual Schools
Yarmouth Register, MA, February 20, 2013
About a dozen Cape and Islands educators learned more about what the new Commonwealth Virtual Schools Act would mean for their school systems during a presentation by the VHS Collaborative at the Cape Cod Collaborative in Osterville last Friday.

Group: Districts Overpay For Cyber Schools
Chambersburg Public Opinion, PA, February 20, 2013
Local school districts pay too much under state law to fund cyber charter schools, according to a new organization dedicated to reform.

Cyber Academy Continues To Evolve With Technology
Rio Rancho Observer, NM, February 20, 2013
If you want to learn first-hand the way a bill comes about, you go to the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.

Oregon’s Largest Charter School Miseducated Student For Years, Graduated Her Unable To Read Or Write
The Oregonian, OR, February 20, 2013
Katherine Brafford is a young woman of sparkling intellect whose interests span from genetics to Gregorian chant. She also has a rare vision impairment that has worsened to the point that she needs the same services as someone who is blind.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

NYC Charter Achievement Positive Across Multiple Studies

February 20, 2013 By Ted Allen

February 20, 2013

The latest CREDO report looks at New York City charter school achievement and finds generally positive results.

CREDO research on other cities and states, like the Michigan report released in January, has generally yielded positive results. But perhaps more interesting is the fact that NYC CREDO findings are in line with work done by other researchers studying New York City charter schools. Check out the studies below for more on charter schools in the Big Apple:

• How NYC Charter Schools Affect Achievement:
This study done by Caroline M. Hoxby employs quality charter school research methodology and finds that NYC charter school students will learn more over time than those students who remain in conventional public schools.

• The State of the NYC Charter School Sector:
This report from the New York City Charter School Center gives an in-depth look into the city’s charter schools data, demographics and achievement, and indicates that charter schools continue to be a viable alternative for parents looking to better their children’s education in the Big Apple.

And for those of you scratching your head as to why you’ve heard the acronym CREDO before, it may have been because of a controversial and widely cited national report from 2009. Here’s some background to help you out: All About CREDO.

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso Tagged With: Charter Schools, student achievement, CREDO

Daily Headlines for February 20, 2013

February 20, 2013 By The Center for Education Reform

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Education Panel: To Close Achievement Gap, Urgent State, Federal Action Needed
Washington Post, DC, February 19, 2013
The nation must act urgently to close the achievement gap between poor and privileged children by changing the way public schools are financed, improving teacher quality, investing in early-childhood education and demanding greater accountability down to the local school board level, according to a report issued Tuesday by an expert panel.

Closing Education Achievement Gap: Blue-Ribbon Panel Offers Blueprint
Christian Science Monitor, MA, February 19, 2013
Better teacher training, accessible early-childhood education, and school-finance reform are key components to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students, says a report.

MAP: States Pass Parent Trigger Laws
Columbian Missourian, MO, February 19, 2013
According to National Conference of State Legislatures, seven states have enacted a version of the parent trigger law.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

San Jose Unified To Sue County School Board Over Rocketship Education
San Jose Mercury News, CA, February 19, 2013
Anxious about its ability to plan where to locate schools, the San Jose Unified School District plans to sue the Santa Clara County Board of Education for allowing Rocketship Education to build a K-5 charter school next to the Tamien light rail station in San Jose.

Huge Spending Gaps Between School Districts, Report Finds
Los Angeles Times Blog, CA, February 19, 2013
Vast inequities still exist in education funding across the nation, contributing to an academic achievement gap that separates the students at well-funded schools from those who attend campuses with fewer resources, according to a report released Tuesday.

Campaign Finance Reporting Should Include School Boards
Silver City Sun News, CA, February 20, 2013
The reason we have campaign finance reporting is so voters can know who is trying to influence both the election and also the activities of those in office after the election is over.

FLORIDA

A Look At How Charter Schools Work
WWSB ABC 7, FL, February 1, 2013
Charter schools have become a popular choice for parents and students across the Suncoast, and many say that’s because of their non traditional teaching style.

Charter Schools: Still Sucking After All These Years
Orlando Weekly, FL, February 19, 2013
As Florida’s public education system continues its corporate-sponsored descent into the proverbial meat grinder, to the misguided chants of “choice,” you should probably know that your elected friends in Tallahassee are busy greasing that grinder so that your kids’ minds are minced that much more quickly.

GEORGIA

Dekalb County School Board Sues To Avoid Suspension, Eliciting Outrage From Parents And Employees
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, February 19, 2013
The DeKalb County school district filed a lawsuit Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to derail a process that could unseat all nine members of the school board.

IDAHO

Beware Motives Of Education Reform
Idaho Mountain Express and Guide, ID, February 20, 2013
Perhaps you haven’t heard that ALEC has come to Idaho. The American Legislative Executive Council claims to be a nonprofit charity with one of its missions to “improve education.” But don’t be fooled. This national organization of businesses and legislators brought us the Luna laws of 2012. Its interest is in influencing our legislators to pass laws to benefit corporations—for example, for out-of-state businesses to sell computers to Idaho schools.

DaVinci Charter School in Garden City to Close Friday, Impacting 130 Students, 18 Staff
Idaho Statesman, ID, February 19, 2013
Due to a budget shortfall, a charter school that has been operating in Garden City since the fall of 2006 will close its doors on Friday, school officials said.

ILLINOIS

Chicago Teachers Union Members To Run Against CTU President Karen Lewis’ Leadership Team
Chicago Tribune, IL, February 20, 2013
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis successfully tapped into the wrath of frustrated members and took on Mayor Rahm Emanuel last September when she led the city’s first teachers strike in 25 years.

Chicago Charter School Enrollment Climbs, Still Behind Many Other Major Cities
Chicago Magazine, IL, February 19, 2013
One of the ongoing tensions in the Chicago school closure debate has been the fear that the closing of public schools isn’t just a response to declining enrollment in neighborhoods that have shed school-age population (and most, though not all, are):

INDIANA

School Voucher Oversight May Change
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN, February 20, 2013
Indiana’s new Democratic state schools superintendent would no longer oversee the private school voucher program that she has opposed under a proposal approved Tuesday by a Republican-controlled legislative committee.

Failing Schools Would Face State Takeover More Quickly Under House Bill
Indianapolis Star, IN, February 19, 2013
Struggling schools could face state takeover much more quickly under a wide-ranging bill to overhaul the state’s A to F grading system for schools.

Rise of a Shadow School
Journal Gazette, IN, February 20, 2013
Carpe Diem charter school appears to have no local student or parent interest, but it does have a plan to collect as much as $550,000 a year in rent from Indiana taxpayers. With three Fort Wayne charter schools set to close, efforts are under way to keep the money flowing to schools promising more than they so far have delivered.

State Board Visits Marshall Academy
The Journal Gazette, IN, February 20, 2013
The Thurgood Marshall Leadership Academy board heard a report Tuesday from the Indiana Charter School Board about its accountability system for charter schools.

IOWA

House GOP Debates Education Reform Package, Vote To Come Wednesday Morning
Radio Iowa, IA, February 20, 2013
Members of the Iowa House debated a variety of education reform ideas for almost five and a half hours Tuesday evening, including a proposal to raise beginning teacher salaries. House Republicans settled on $32,000 as the minimum salary for rookie teachers.

LOUISIANA

Council Demands Reform From School Board
Opelousas Daily World, LA, February 20, 2013
Of the system’s six failing schools, five are in Opelousas. Creswell Elementary, in its fourth consecutive failing year, will close May 24 after the school board voted unanimously to do so after the state Recovery School District made a recommendation to take over the school.

Orleans Parish School Board President Fails To Win Support For Controversial Moves
Times-Picayune, LA, February 19, 2013
In the first full Orleans Parish School Board meeting of 2013, new President Ira Thomas tried to exercise his power on several fronts. In the end, though, all of his controversial moves were blocked.

Time Ticking For Charter School
Monroe News Star, LA, February 20, 2013
The Rev. Roosevelt Wright and members of the group representing Excellence Academy Inc. will travel to Cincinnati to meet with the Internal Revenue Service to ensure the charter school meets a deadline set by the Monroe City School Board.

Parent Group Prepares New Fight Against SBR School District
The Advocate, LA, February 20, 2013
Leaders of a Baton Rouge parent group formed a year ago to oppose the creation of a new Southeast Baton Rouge school district told an audience of about 45 people Tuesday night that they are gearing up to do it all over again.

MASSACHUSETTS

Chester’s Choices
Worcester Telegram, MA, February 20, 2013
State Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester last Friday gave his blessing to five charter school proposals, meaning that nearly 1,600 additional Boston children will have greater educational opportunities, along with hundreds of kids in Chelsea, Everett and Springfield.

MICHIGAN

Battle Over DPS Control Headed To Court Today
Detroit News, MI, February 20, 2013
Officials with Detroit Public Schools will be in court Wednesday morning searching for a legal resolution over day-to-day academic and financial disputes in the district.

MISSOURI

Children Living In Poverty Need Well-Funded Public Schools
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, February 20, 2013
I read the article “Charter success” (Feb. 17) with great interest and am delighted that this particular charter school has been successful in ways that other charter schools have not. I found a balance to the reporting as the concern, which I deeply feel, about the lack of funding for our city public schools, and the disadvantage to the children who live in poverty and whose parents are not savvy enough to either value education or to advocate for quality education for their own children.

NEW JERSEY

Two Newest Paterson Charters Are Well Connected — With Established Networks
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, February 20, 2013
The latest charter schools approvals may indicate the state is leaning toward providers with proven track records

NEW JERSEY

Gov. Cuomo Must Produce A Solid Teacher Evaluation Plan
New York Daily News, NY, February 20, 2013
While the terms are not yet public, Gov. Cuomo appears to be moving toward imposing a teacher evaluation system on the city that would avoid all the tricks and traps sought by the United Federation of Teachers.

NEW YORK

State To Speed Up Its Intervention In City’s Teacher Evaluations
New York Daily News, NY, February 20, 2013
After Mayor Bloomberg and the teachers union missed a deadline last month for an evaluation scheme, Cuomo pulled more than $240 million in state funding for city school. A source says the new evaluation system could be put in place by July 1.

NORTH CAROLINA

Plagiarism Charge Leveled Against Prospective Charter School
Charlotte Observer, NC, February 19, 2013
A Charlotte charter school’s plan to open in August could be derailed by accusations that the operators copied another school’s application. The dispute raises questions about North Carolina’s readiness to deal with a deluge of requests to create new, nontraditional public schools.

Wake School Board Opposes Giving Up School Ownership
News & Observer, NC, February 19, 2013
Amid heated debate over whether it would cause more harm than good, the Wake County school board passed a resolution Tuesday opposing the transfer of school ownership to county commissioners.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma School For The Blind Relieved To See Charter School Bill Fail
News On 6, OK, February 19, 2013
Supporters of the school for the blind are breathing a sigh of relief, after a senate committee shot down a proposal they say would have threatened the school in Muskogee.

PENNSYLVANIA

LEAP Academy Parents Show Support Amid Chef Controversy
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 20, 2013
Trustees of the LEAP Academy University Charter School heard an outpouring of praise from parents Tuesday for the difference the Camden charter has made in the lives of children enrolled there, despite questions raised this week about a $24,000 raise for the school’s executive chef.

New Philly District Plan Spares 11 Schools From Closing
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 20, 2013
Eleven city schools once headed for closure, merger, or relocation will be spared under new recommendations issued Tuesday by Hite. During the course of two months, Hite said, he heard a lot of good ideas and, “naturally, those led to an amended set of recommendations.”

Harrisburg School Board Denies Charter Bid by Capital Area School for the Arts
Patriot-News, PA, February 19, 2013
Harrisburg School District officials voted down an application Tuesday for charter school status from the Capital Area School for the Arts.

TENNESSEE

Nashville Foes Win Delay In Charter Authorizer Fight
The Tennessean, TN, February 19, 2013
Tennessee lawmakers stepped back from a controversial proposal to create a new state authorizer for school charters following a backlash from officials in Nashville and Memphis.

Dean Must Not Cave In To State On Charter Process
The Tennessean, TN, February 20, 2013
Metro is the envy of the state — successful and forward-focused. The state legislature loves messing in Metro’s business. Evidence the recent passage of a bill to invalidate Metro contracting policies.

Big Changes Could Be Coming To Charter Schools Bill
News Channel 5, TN, February 19, 2013
A bill in the state legislature giving charter schools a way to bypass school boards in Nashville and Memphis is under renovation.

TEXAS

Senate Bill Would Allow Charter Schools To Multiply
American-Statesman, TX, February 19, 2013
The number of charter schools in Texas could explode under a new bill being pushed by Senate Education Committee chief Dan Patrick, R-Houston.

Charter Schools Lost In Lawsuit, Hope To Win In Legislature
KUHF-FM, TX, February 19, 2013
In the latest lawsuit over Texas school funding, charter schools got their day in court. They didn’t get the ruling they wanted earlier this month — but charter schools still hope to win in the state Legislature.

VIRGINIA

Real Consequences For Va.’s Failing Schools
Washington Post, DC, February 19, 2013
CRITICS OF A PLAN by Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) that would allow the state to take over chronically failing schools argue that local officials should be given more time to get things right.

WISCONSIN

Walker’s Voucher Plan Goes Too Far, Too Fast
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, February 19, 2013
We have long supported choice in public education. We still believe that, despite its flaws, the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program should have a place in the cafeteria of publicly funded options for city parents.

School Voucher Expansion Proposal Flawed
Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, WI, February 19, 2013
Republicans in the state Legislature have walked in lockstep with Gov. Scott Walker on virtually every major issue since he took office in January 2011. Whether it is collective bargaining, a new mining bill or tax cuts for the middle class, party lawmakers are on board with the governor.

ONLINE LEARNING

Canton Considers Cyber Charter School Reform
Daily Review, PA, February 20, 2013
Some cyber charter school funding reform bills were discussed at the recent Canton Area School Board meeting. A copy of a legislative report from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) that board members reviewed at the meeting lists two reform bills.

Lawmakers Delay Vote On Nullification, Advance Virtual Schools Regulation
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, February 20, 2013
A proposal to tighten enrollment requirements at online-only schools passed a House committee on Tuesday after an amendment failed that would have allowed school districts to close failing schools.

Wauwatosa School District To Launch Online Program
FOX6Now, WI, February 19, 2013
The Wauwatosa School District will launch a tuition-free statewide virtual learning program for the 2013-2014 school year.

‘N.M. Virtual Schools Day’ at Capitol
Albuquerque Journal, NM, February 20, 2013
Kyla Anderson’s 14-year-old son had tried traditional public school and private school before he enrolled in the fully online New Mexico Virtual Academy.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

CER Responds to Reuters’ Claims on Charter Selectivity

February 19, 2013 By Ted Allen

CER Press Release
Washington, D.C.
February 19, 2013

Concerns over selective admissions criteria out of the scope of accepted methods for charter school enrollments and policies should be taken seriously, and authorizers are obligated to govern school policies according to very clear rules and oversight practices. But whether there are issues in how charter schools enroll students or not because of the actions of an authorizer or school, there is simply no room for conjecture or misappropriation of facts when analyzing how schools conduct themselves.

A series of articles by Reuters News journalist Stephanie Simon released on Feb 15, make erroneous conclusions, misappropriates fact, and makes far-reaching exaggerations of The Center for Education Reform’s (CER) data.

1) Data regarding the free and reduced lunch program provided by CER is completely mischaracterized. CER data shows that most charter schools do indeed feed all of their students, yet nearly 40% do not participate in the federal program because of the limitations that program imposes on their use of resources and the requirements for application and compliance that are not related to providing nutritious meals.

2) Application and enrollment criteria in many of the schools cited is misrepresented as selectivity. The reporting in these articles suggests anyone who does impose information requirements on parents are conducting nefarious or illegal behavior rather than attempting to ensure that the students are seeking the right fit for them. The article fails to recognize the distinction between selective admissions and informational guidance.

3) State policy is entirely misconstrued and the reporter cites several states that expressly permit selectivity. A closer look at the law reveals an incredible lack of understanding of state policy.

CER’s full response to Ms. Simon’s article can be found here. The Center will investigate additional points raised by the reporter and publish those findings subsequently.

Filed Under: Press Releases

Newswire: February 19, 2013

February 19, 2013 By Ted Allen

Vol. 15, No. 7

SELECTIVE? It’s irresponsible when facts are distorted, claims unsubstantiated, and balance not offered in the news. A series of articles by Stephanie Simon for Reuters News uncovering selectivity in enrollment at some charter schools was released on Friday. However, what’s not reported – and there’s a lot – is the fact that the reporter had an agenda and chose to be selective in her reporting. We share our colleague’s concerns and admonishment of schools that may be guilty of selectivity, but since CER’s research was so blatantly misreported, we took President’s Day weekend to do some fact-checking, because, after all, our first president taught us all not to tell a lie.

DATA DISTORTION. Apparently, charter schools are “[leaving] low-income parents scrambling to find a way to feed their children.” Or so the reporter concludes using data from CER’s Survey of America’s Charter Schools. As it turns out, participation in the federal free and reduced lunch program is not a good measure for determining socioeconomic status of students attending charter schools. About 40% of charter schools don’t participate in the federal program for a number of reasons, of those, a majority report that their student body would qualify. However, most charters feed all their children, regardless if they participate in the federal program.

DON’T CALL ME STUPID. Here they go again! This isn’t the first time parents have been questioned on their ability to make a choice. In fact, the creaming argument has been around since the first charter school opened its doors. This editor’s getting a little tired of “friends” and opponents alike underestimating parental choice.

NOT UP ON IT. What’s clear going line-by-line in the Reuters’ articles is that the reporter either misunderstood or misconstrued (or both) state policy to make a point. After examining the laws of the states cited as “explicitly selective” none are as selective as the definition goes or as negatively inferred.

Stay tuned for more analysis and fact-checking in the coming days. In the meantime, stay on top of the latest breaking news at www.2024.edreform.com.

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly

Charter Schools Aren’t Creaming the Best Students

February 19, 2013 By Ted Allen

Comprehensive Data Discounts Reuters’ Selectivity Claims

A series of articles by Stephanie Simon for Reuters News, published on Friday, February 15, and subsequently in papers in several states nationwide, portrays charter schools generally as selective in their admissions processes and “[leaving] low-income parents scrambling to find a way to feed their children.”

The allegations of widespread selectivity are deeply exaggerated. Make no mistake – concerns over selective admissions criteria out of the scope of accepted methods for charter school enrollments and policies (addressed later in this piece) should be taken seriously, and authorizers are obligated to govern school policies according to very clear rules and oversight practices. Yet, authorizers are not all quality actors. Evidence shows that school districts and state education department related charter entities are often too overwhelmed and mired in bureaucracy to steward charter schools properly. But whether there are issues in how charter schools enroll students or not because of the actions of an authorizer or school, there is simply no room for conjecture or misappropriation of facts when analyzing how schools conduct themselves.

The Reuters series has been analyzed and the suppositions will continue to be vetted in the coming days. However, the following evidence demonstrates that the characterizations of schools and data published by Reuters are deeply distorted.

1) Data regarding the free and reduced lunch program provided by the Center for Education Reform (CER) is completely mischaracterized. CER data shows that most charter schools do indeed feed all of their students, yet nearly 40% do not participate in the federal program because of the limitations that program imposes on their use of resources and the requirements for application and compliance that are not related to providing nutritious meals.

Schools surveyed cite lack of facilities, administrative burdens, and requirements on staffing and compliance issues, as among the reasons they do not file for federal subsidies to participate. Schools participating in the federal lunch program, for example, are often told they may not hire parents to serve food or help with clean up; that volunteers are not permitted in the food prep area, and that certain local or neighborhood food providers are not acceptable. Charters in impoverished areas nobly seek to provide members of their communities with the business of their school, rather than pay national, expensive providers, with less desirable food to do the work.

2) Application and enrollment criteria in many of the schools cited is misrepresented as selectivity. Information sought by schools in the application period and leading up to their enrollment or lottery process is most often used to prepare for the eventual enrollment of that student. Imagine a period where hundreds of applications to enroll are filed, and when the students are admitted, trying to get paperwork filled out to ensure the student is properly identified for grade, potential special needs, address, parent or guardian contact, health, etc. It makes sense that administratively lean organizations would take as much information as possible up front so that if and when the child is admitted, the process of getting them prepared for the school can begin swiftly.

There are clearly some schools that ask more, and those, though they exist, are in the minority. College prep schools, schools with a specific specialty or orientation of philosophy or approach may indeed require questionnaires or additional information from applicants to ensure that they understand that the high school requires all students to take AP classes, or that the school is for boys and will require Latin study, or that it requires hands-on science discovery and frequent field trips, or that its approach is Montessori, Classical or Arts-based, or whatever it may be, clearly has a specific learning specialty designed to provide an option for students who are not always successful or fit into the traditional public school mold. The reporting in these articles suggests anyone who does impose information requirements on parents are conducting nefarious or illegal behavior rather than attempting to ensure that the students are seeking the right fit for them. Since charter schools started in opposition to cookie cutter schools and districts where everything is the same and little variety existed, making these schools possible is welcome news. Yet, the reporter’s logic fails over and over again to recognize the distinction between selective admissions and informational guidance:

• The Roseland Accelerated Middle School in Santa Rosa is described in the report as requiring parents and students to provide personal and academic information and has an autobiographical writing requirement. While the law does not expressly prohibit invoking additional information from applicants, it prohibits choosing a student body based on selectivity. Yet the Santa Rosa superintendent interviewed did not say that they use these data points to select students, but to “set the tone” that this is a rigorous college prep environment. Roseland Accelerated Middle School is a district-based charter in Santa Rosa whose enrollment and registration requirements are managed entirely by the district, which is the authorizer in California for all charter schools other than those approved on appeal by the state board or special statewide charter schools. (Universities are not authorizers in the state of California, a factual error the reporter makes in the article.) The district itself has seven schools and they have created schools in response to demand for more “high quality options” according to their website. A district leader working to stem the tide of people exiting to other schools and even private schools should be highly praised for encouraging students and families to understand the rigor they have set is transparent.

• In Illinois, Cambridge Lakes Charter School charges tuition, which is entirely illegal and wrong in an open admissions charter. Yet, the school charges tuition to out of district residents as is required by law. Illinois’ charter law does not permit open enrollment; enrollment in district schools is decided by zoning and in charters they must comply with the same rules. A student wanting to be admitted from outside of the district is treated like all other public school students. This same school, however, allegedly charges application fees, a problem, if true, that should not be permitted by the authorizer, which is the Community Unit School District 300.

• Gateway High School, a charter in San Francisco, is said to require essays and answers to dozens of questions to apply and be considered for enrollment. This same school was noted in a piece published in October 2011, in the Washington Post, by columnist Jay Mathews, which appears to have influenced some of the Reuters reporting. In that article, Gateway’s director spoke to Mathews and he reported, “Gateway Executive Director Sharon Olken defends her application essay questions as a way to help parents and students think through what kind of school they want. Their answers are not read until after they are admitted. Nearly half of Gateway students are from low-income homes, close to the city average, despite the long form.”

This is in line with experiences nationwide — charters work to ensure they collect all the information about a student that they can in order to ensure a smooth transition into the school. In addition, many schools report that they want to ensure that a student and his family understand the foundation or context of the school.

• The reporter speaks to one parent in Philadelphia who attempted to enroll her child in a charter but because she was asked for a social security number she was angered because as she said, “It’s my child’s right to receive an education even though he was born in Mexico.” The inference by the article is that charters are trying to keep out children when federal law otherwise requires they educate. However, federal law is clear that while a school must educate everyone, they can require proof of residency for district placement, as well as ask for a social security number. There is nothing discriminatory about this, as schools must file paperwork for every child. They cannot force a parent to give them this information, but they are entitled to vet the students that apply for enrollment.

• The reporter also accuses many charters of requiring parental involvement, via contracts, so much so that supposedly parents are discouraged from seeking enrollment because of these onerous requirements. Parent service hours are strongly encouraged and many charters do indeed say they require parents to sign contracts that they will give a certain amount of hours to the school. While reasonable people can disagree on this point, this is hardly discouraging low-income and poor parents from trying to enroll in charter schools, which are oversubscribed in urban areas. The reporter suggests that the child of a parent who doesn’t sign such a document or provide hours would result in that child not getting into the school. The reality is that such a commitment on an application has no bearing on the lottery status of a student, and the reporter provides no evidence to the contrary.

3) State policy is entirely misconstrued in the articles as the reporter cites several states that expressly permit selectivity. A close look at the law in each reveals an incredible lack of understanding of state policy:

• Delaware’s law states that preferences in student admission to a charter may be considered for a number of reasons including their proximity to the school, whether students are at-risk or have a specific interest in the school’s educational program and philosophy.

• Charters in Florida may limit the enrollment process to target specific student populations based on age groups and levels, at-risk or that meet reasonable standards as set by the school’s mission and purpose.

• Louisiana law allows schools to set admissions requirements “that are consistent with the school’s role, scope and mission.” It offers as an example that if a charter is a performing arts school, it is reasonable that the school might require an audition.

• New Hampshire permits charters to “select pupils on the basis of aptitude, academic achievement, or need, provided that such selection is directly related to the academic goals of the school.”

• Admission to charters in Ohio may be limited to targeted populations such as grade-level, special needs or at-risk, but it explicitly states, “That the school may not limit admission to students on the basis of intellectual ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, or athletic ability.”

• Texas law requires priority first be given to students based on geography and residency and “secondary consideration may be given to a student’s age, grade level, or academic credentials in general or in a specific area, as necessary for the type of program offered.”

None of these are selective as the definition goes or as negatively inferred by the reporter – these are all criteria that transcend picking kids based on ability. It’s about establishing criteria that support the mission of the schools.

CER will investigate additional points raised by the reporter and publish those findings subsequently. Charter schools are public schools of choice, intended to meet the needs of children not otherwise provided for in most other traditional public schools. They are held to high standards. Violations are few and quality authorizers are rarely at fault. The small incidences of problems that may exist in setting admissions criteria are usually isolated to school districts, which have the lion’s share of problems with chartering. It’s time to reform laws that place control solely in the hands of local and state education agencies. It’s also time for accurate and fair reporting.

Filed Under: Choice & Charter Schools

Don’t Call Me Stupid! Underestimating Parental Choice

February 19, 2013 By Ted Allen

February 19, 2013

Apparently, all of the poor parents I’ve met all these years are actually stupid. I didn’t know this until I read yet another review of how people actually get into charter schools.

You probably didn’t know this but there’s a bunch of really smart poor folk who know that there are charter schools and school options, who can read and write and spell and who somehow show up to apply and file for school lotteries to get their kids into better schools than their neighborhood schools. They are apparently smarter than the other poor folk because they know that the assigned public school – the one that they are zoned to by zip code — is actually bad, and you wouldn’t know that if you weren’t smart, because you’d be so ill informed that you wouldn’t even know your child couldn’t read or write and you’d have no idea that there was a difference in schools anymore than you know there are nicer ones somewhere or better clothes, or televisions, or stereos or buildings or even jobs.

So these smarter poor folks, who are usually people of color (but not always, if you’re in Appalachia or West Virginia or even East Palo Alto, or Indianapolis) somehow know more than the other poor folks and they know their kids are smart so they get them into other schools.

They are the cream, according to some. And they make it bad for all the others. They take everything before other people can get there. They know to stand in line and wait for school lotteries, and they know about the lotteries, and they know who has the good teachers and who doesn’t and they live with the other poor folks but somehow they are apparently more advantaged because everyone keeps saying that’s who’s in schools of choice and they must be smart if they know how to choose.

Apparently “the others” are parents out there that are poor but ignorant and don’t know that their schools are bad or their children can’t read or that they are hungry and have no job and that matters. They can’t choose schools which means they can’t choose a great dinner over a bad one, or a shiny car over one that is broken down and maybe they don’t even know that they are in the U.S. for all I know because everyone says they don’t get into schools because they can’t make choices.

There must be a group of people like this, I’m told, because people keep saying that only the better parents know how to choose schools for their children and there is this group of other more advantaged parents who always know what to do for their kids and this group, the stupid group, I guess, just doesn’t know what to do (even though there are parents where I live that are very rich and very educated and they don’t know what to do either so their kids are messed up but I guess they knew enough to get them into good schools where they are still messed up? I just don’t know.)

So, if there is this group of people who are less advantaged poor and another that is more advantaged poor, why does the data show that the majority of students in charter schools and publicly funded scholarship programs are more poor, more likely to be at-risk and more likely to be minorities than other public schools? And since the lion’s share of charters are clustered in urban areas where the majority of households have only a single parent and tend to be less educated, that would suggest that these parents still know something about their children and schools and how to aspire to something better.

Indeed the composition of charters, the demographics and the fact that the thousands more on waiting lists could fill another 5,000 charters because parents are shopping for something better for their kids, would suggest that what makes people advantaged is being able to even have a choice, and that it’s the availability of choice that gives the advantage, not something in their DNA.

So when those who can’t quite believe that the poorest of the poor know their own children well enough to step out of their circumstances, take a bus, a train and the fortitude to find a new environment for their children, I want to tell them to come with me and we’ll go together to meet the people who I’ve been fortunate to learn from and help for 20 years. I’ve met them and those who spend time with the people who are making the choices for their children. I used to think I had to speak more slowly when I was with them, to dress down, perhaps not speak so many big words… that’s what I thought once, until I was dressed down for talking down… when a woman with nothing, who happened to come to a meeting across town in place of her daughter who was too stoned to come and help her son said to me,

“We may not come from where you come from, but we can get where you are, so just tell us what it is you came to tell us and we will be right behind you.”

It doesn’t take an education to know that education is important anymore than it takes being black to know that equality is a God given right. It doesn’t take knowing how to read to know that not knowing how to read is very bad. It doesn’t take being poor to know that being poor sucks, and it doesn’t take a researcher to understand what it is that happens every day in America when we provide choices.

When we provide choices, and choices of schooling for the purposes of this article, we immediately make people more advantaged, and they know something better exists that they now have access to.

The boy in the Indy charter who came to school with his shirt wet because he didn’t have a washer and dryer so he used the school sink everyday, wasn’t sleeping at home anyway because his mother was never home so he was usually in the street or at a friends — his family sounds poor but somehow they got him to that school and he knows to attend school. How do we know anything about his family, other than the obvious? Whatever it is that got him to a school where its leaders actually are paid to perform makes him more advantaged now, a byproduct of having a choice to start.

It’s not creaming, it’s not one person being smarter than another, it’s just freedom, and it’s what fueled our nation from its inception and what will fuel our education system — if some people can just take the time to truly understand what makes people tick and not make assumptions that they can’t prove and have never witnessed for themselves.

by Jeanne Allen

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso Tagged With: Charter Schools, school choice

Daily Headlines for February 19, 2013

February 19, 2013 By The Center for Education Reform

NATIONAL COVERAGE

K-5 Teacher Overload: Too Many Trained, Not Enough Jobs
USA Today, February 18, 2013
The nation is training twice as many K-5 elementary school teachers as needed each year, while teacher shortages remain in the content specific areas of math, science and special education.

Union Fights Mike in LA
New York Post, NY, February 19, 2013
Mayor Bloomberg and teachers union boss Randi Weingarten are going head-to-head again — this time in a high-stakes, bitter national fight over school reform in Los Angeles.

Forthright Case For Merit Pay
Republican American, CT, February 19, 2013
There are three fundamental arguments for merit pay for public school teachers. First, it’s the American way — hard-working, intelligent, competent people with substantial academic and professional attainments tend to earn more than their less accomplished peers.

Devil’s Advocate: NCLB Policies Leave Whole Schools Behind
Daily Titian, CA, February 19, 2013
No Child Left Behind has left whole schools and school districts behind. Standardized tests with little to no real world applicability are being weighed more than skills that don’t have a multiple choice answer. Instead of teaching children why, we have resorted to only teaching them how.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

3 Top Oakland Schools At Risk Of Closure
San Francisco Chronicle, CA, February 18, 2013
Three of the highest-performing schools in the state are on the verge of being shut down by the Oakland school board, a decision that will pit passionate students and parents against district officials trying to safeguard taxpayer cash.

COLORADO

Sen. Mike Johnston Unveils Bill To Revamp School Finance In Colorado
Denver Post, CO, February 19, 2013
Colorado’s first major school finance bill in nearly 20 years would trigger new ways to calculate how state and local money pays for education and — if voters approve — add additional revenue for items like full-day kindergarten for all and preschool for at-risk kids.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C.’s Only All-Boys Public School To Close
Washington Examiner, DC, February 18, 2013
The District’s only all-boys public school plans to close at the end of the school year, sparking concerns among parents about what will become of the school’s 230 students.

FLORIDA

Charter Schools Say Their Teachers Will Be Evaluated The Same As District Teachers
StateImpact, FL, February 18, 2013
The way charter school teachers are evaluated has become a source of conflict for teachers and for lawmakers in Tallahassee.

Could Proposed Teacher Pay Hikes Get Performance Tie?
WOKV, FL, February 18, 2013
As Florida Governor Rick Scott works to shore up support from education officials for his proposal on teacher pay raises, he may need to answer some questions from lawmakers who have final say on the action.

GEORGIA

Dekalb’s Eugene Walker To Relinquish School Board Chairmanship
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, February 18, 2013
Days before a showdown that could lead to the ouster of the DeKalb County school board, the leader of the embattled group announced he is relinquishing his role as point man.

INDIANA

School Voucher Expansion Scaled Back
Palladium-Item, IN, February 18, 2013
Republican lawmakers scaled back a proposal Monday that could have opened Indiana’s private school voucher system to thousands of more students.

Slowing School Vouchers? Not Quite
Journal & Courier, IN, February 18, 2013
On Feb. 5, the Journal & Courier published an editorial advising Indiana lawmakers to slow down the push to expand the school voucher program.

IOWA

Branstad Says He’s OK With House Making Education Reform Voluntary
Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA, February 18, 2013
That’s what Democrats said happened to Gov. Terry Branstad’s education reform initiative last week when House Republicans took the centerpiece of the plan and made it voluntary.

KENTUCKY

Southern Kentucky School System in Line for State Takeover
WKU Public Radio, KY, February 18, 2013
The State Board of Education will meet in special session Wednesday to consider taking over management of a southeast Kentucky school system. The Monticello Independent school district has waived its right to appeal a state takeover. The problems plaguing Monticello schools are not academic.

LOUISIANA

Vouchers, Teacher Evaluations Discussed By Baton Rouge Education Panel
Times-Picayune, LA, February 18, 2013
A group of Louisiana teachers, lawmakers and education experts met in Baton Rouge Monday night to discuss the state of education as an ongoing battle with Gov. Bobby Jindal’s education overhaul advances to the state’s Supreme Court.

Orleans Parish School Board Looks To Nullify Contracts Of Interim Superintendent, Charter Schools Chief
Times-Picayune, LA, February 18, 2013
In a surprise move, the Orleans Parish School Board is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to nullify the contracts of interim Superintendent Stan Smith and the board’s deputy superintendent for charter schools, Kathleen Padian. The information came out when the board’s agenda was released 24 hours before its monthly meeting.

MICHIGAN

Michigan Ranks Fourth In Charter School Strength
Central Michigan Life, MI, February 18, 2013
The Center for Education Reform ranks Michigan fourth among the 43 states with charter schools for strength of charter school laws in 2013.

MONTANA

Empower Parents By Offering Effective Charter Schools
Montana Standard, MT, February 19, 2013
As I write this, I am sitting in a high school classroom, filling in as a substitute for the regular classroom teacher. My students are precious treasures, full of potential and of great value. I love working with them, and it grieves me at how badly we are failing them.

NEW JERSEY

Two Paterson Charter Schools Get Tentative Nod
The Record, NJ, February 19, 2013
Two elementary charter schools received preliminary approval to open during the next two school years as part of the state’s mission to expand educational choices in the city, the state Department of Education said.

N.J Charter Schools Decry Lack Of Public Funding For Facilities
Asbury Park Press, NJ, February 18, 2013
The New Jersey Charter Schools Association highlighted the facilities issues plaguing the state’s charter schools in a report it released in January.

NEW YORK

Independent Teachers Group Demands Albany Eval Plan
New York Post, NY, February 19, 2013
A group of reform-minded city teachers is taking to the airwaves today to demand the state impose a teacher-evaluation system on the Big Apple soon, The Post has learned.

Peekskill’s Assumption May Become Charter School
Journal News, NY, February 18, 2013
A founding board has started the process of getting state education approvals to house a charter school in the Assumption School building.

How Many Ineffective Teachers Are Actually Out There?
Washington Post Blog, DC, February 19, 2013
How many New York City public schoolteachers are so incompetent that they should be fired? That’s the 250-million-dollar question that must be addressed by both sides wrangling over what kind of teacher-evaluation system the city is going to build.

OHIO

Charter-School Operators Want Local Tax Money
Columbus Dispatch, OH, February 19, 2013
A group of charter-school operators voiced support for receiving a share of Columbus City Schools’ tax money before Mayor Michael B. Coleman’s Education Commission yesterday, and several panel members were receptive.

OKLAHOMA

Students’ Futures Should Guide Every OKC School Board Policy
The Oklahoman, OK, February 18, 2013
THREE new members of the Oklahoma City School Board are about to learn something their predecessors learned the hard way: The job is more difficult and change is harder to come by than they ever imagined.

TENNESSEE

Capitol Hill Conversation – State Charter Authorizer vs Local Control
Nashville Public Radio, TN, February 19, 2013
Charter schools have returned to the state legislature’s front burner. A proposed bill that is facing some bi-partisan resistance would allow the state to authorize new charters.

Opponents Speak Out Against Charter Authorizer Bill
NewsChannel 5, TN, February 18, 2013
Members of the State Legislature, and Metro School board and Council are uniting in an effort to defeat a bill that would give the state the final authority to approve charter schools in both Nashville and Memphis.

Metro Officials Pan Authorizer Bill
The Tennessean, TN, February 18, 2013
Members of the Metro Council, the school board and the state legislature panned a bill that would take away Nashville’s ability to review new charter schools and urged Mayor Karl Dean and House Speaker Beth Harwell to walk away from it.

TEXAS

Bill Looks To Remove Charter School Cap
Longview News-Journal, TX, February 19, 2013
The head of the Texas Senate Education Committee has filed a bill lifting the cap on the number of charter schools allowed to operate statewide, and authorizing them to receive public facilities funding.

Senator Patrick Files Charter School Reform Bill
Your Houston News, TX, February 18, 2013
Senator Dan Patrick (R-Houston) filed his charter school reform bill as Senate Bill 2 in Austin on Monday, Feb. 18.

VIRGINIA

GAFFNEY: How Muslim Proselytizing Creeps Into Public Schools
Washington Times, DC, February 19, 2013
The Loudoun County School Board is reaching the denouement of a multiyear deliberation about an application for a charter school that has strong ties to Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish Islamist. His followers have already started some 135 American charter schools. Their focus is to promote an increasingly Shariah-dominated Turkey.

Senate Spikes Proposed Amendment On Failing Schools
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, February 19, 2013
A bid to amend the Virginia Constitution to allow a proposed statewide school division to take over struggling schools appears dead for the year.

WASHINGTON

State Board of Education Sets Feb. 26 Hearing On Charter Rules
News Tribune, WA, February 18, 2013
The Washington State Board of Education will hold a public hearing on draft rules governing the state’s first public charter schools when it meets Feb. 26 in Olympia, at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

WISCONSIN

Scott Walker Proposes Expanding Voucher School Program, Raising Taxpayer Support
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, February 18, 2013
Gov. Scott Walker is proposing increasing by at least 9% the taxpayer funding provided to private and religious voucher schools – an increase many times larger in percentage terms than the increase in state tax money he’s seeking for public schools.

Parents Urge Governor To Stop Special Needs Vouchers
Wisconsin Radio Network, WI, February 19, 2013
The governor’s proposal to create a school choice voucher program for special needs students doesn’t sit well with everyone.

McKinley Charter School Grades Well In Report
Leader Telegram, WI, February 18, 2013
The Eau Claire school board Monday praised McKinley Charter School for pushing its graduates to further their education after high school.

ONLINE LEARNING

Parents Seeking To Keep STREAM Academy Cyber Charter School
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, February 19, 2013
When the board of the STREAM Academy cyber charter school voted in December to close its program as of June 30 after just four months of operation, officials blamed a projected budget deficit and low enrollment for the decision.

Virtual Schools Day at the Roundhouse
Albuquerque Journal Blog, NM, February 18, 2013
Last week, I wrote about a bill that would prevent private, for-profit companies from managing charter schools in New Mexico. That bill, currently in the House Education Committee, is in some ways a response to state education chief Hanna Skandera’s decision to allow a new all-virtual charter school to open next year.

‘Flipping’ Class Gaining Momentum Among Educators
Sacramento Bee, CA, February 18, 2013
Tyler Johnstone handed his Algebra I students sheets of paper one day last week emblazoned with a letter and separated them into groups. He asked one student to find the greatest common factor.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

Daily Headlines for February 18, 2013

February 18, 2013 By The Center for Education Reform

NATIONAL COVERAGE

How Charter Schools Choose Desirable Students
Washington Post Blog, DC, February 16, 2013
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools says this about charter schools on its Web site:

FROM THE STATES

ALASKA

Senate Leaders Bypass Education Committee On School-Voucher Measure
Anchorage Daily News, AK, February 16, 2013
In a demonstration of how politics have changed in Juneau since the last election, Senate leaders last week declared that a proposed constitutional amendment that would completely restructure public education in Alaska should bypass the Senate Education Committee.

ARKANSAS

Rural, Poor, Successful: Every Arkansas KIPP Delta Grad Accepted Into College
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, February 16, 2013
Diamond is 6 years old and in kindergarten. Her matter-of-fact approach that college is an expected step is what the charter school in downtown Helena, Ark. — KIPP Delta Public School — constantly preaches. And then it provides its 1,150 students the necessary education and guidance to make that goal attainable.

CALIFORNIA

S.F. District Raises Charter School Rent
San Francisco Chronicle, CA, February 15, 2013
Imagine renting a 1,000-square-foot San Francisco apartment for $950 – a year.

Deasy Wants 30% of Teacher Evaluations Based On Test Scores
Los Angeles Times, CA, February 16, 2013
Move surprises the teachers union president, who said such a plan had been pulled in order for L.A. schools and the teachers to reach a recent agreement.

California Gov. Jerry Brown Wants Local Control For School Districts
Contra Costa Times, CA, February 17, 2013
Jerry Brown is pushing an appealing idea: Local control for local schools. Bucking a national trend, the governor wants to back the state away from making schools account for their spending and for punishing them if their students lag in achievement.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Keeping Funds From D.C. Charter Schools Challenged
Washington Times, DC, February 17, 2013
At least two D.C. Council members say they would not support efforts by the chairman of the Committee on Education to deliberately withhold funds from public charter schools in order to slow their growth amid rising demand.

GEORGIA

Private School Tax Credit: A $170 Million Tax Diversion That Georgia Lawmakers Cloak In Secrecy. Why?
Atlanta Journal Constitution Blog, GA, February 17, 2013
State Rep. Edward Lindsey, R-Atlanta, met with the AJC Friday for a general discussion on education issues in the state.

IDAHO

Legislature’s Auditor Defends Teacher Report
Idaho Statesman, ID, February 18, 2013
With feelings still raw over voter repeal of Students Come First, the Legislature’s Office of Performance Evaluations reopened the wound for key proponents last month.

ILLINOIS

Charter School Freeze Hurts Kids
Chicago Sun Times, IL, February 17, 2013
A proposed moratorium on charter schools being considered by the Chicago City Council puts on hold the hopes of thousands of families.

IOWA

Iowa’s Education Reform Plan Goes Optional
Quad City Times, IA, February 18, 2013
Gutted. That’s what Democrats said happened to Gov. Terry Branstad’s education reform initiative last week when House Republicans took the centerpiece of the plan and made it voluntary.

KENTUCKY

Louisville Black Ministers Lobby For Charter Schools To Replace Low-Performing Schools
Louisville Courier Journal, KY, February 15, 2013
A Louisville group of African-American ministers said Friday that it wants charter schools to replace the 18 low-performing Jefferson County public schools that have been ordered to undergo overhauls.

LOUISIANA

State Forges Rapprochement
The Advocate, LA, February 18, 2013
After years of being at odds, the state of Louisiana is slowly forging a common approach with parish and municipal school districts, particularly East Baton Rouge, to give these districts greater say in the selection and placement of new charter schools.

Book: Solutions Elusive for New Orleans Schools
USA Today, February 18, 2013
In the months following Hurricane Katrina’s path of destruction through New Orleans in 2005, state officials took control of nearly all of the city’s 117 schools.

MASSACHUSETTS

For Teachers, A New Attention To Evaluations
Boston Globe, MA, February 18, 2013
Across Massachusetts, administrators are increasingly visiting classrooms this year and amassing a stockpile of notes, lesson plans, and examples of student work as they carefully judge the effectiveness of more than 68,000 teachers statewide.

Education Chief Backs Expansion Of Chinese School
Boston Herald, MA, February 17, 2013
The state education commissioner has recommended that a western Massachusetts Chinese immersion school be permitted to open a high school.

Five New Charter Schools Get Initial Nod
Boston Globe, MA, February 15, 2013
Proposals to open five new charter schools and expand 11 existing ones across Massachusetts won coveted recommendations from the state’s education commissioner Friday as part of an effort to provide more students with ¬high-caliber educational opportunities, officials announced Friday.

MICHIGAN

Teacher Unions Race To Ratify Contracts
Detroit News, MI, February 18, 2013
Less than six weeks before Michigan’s controversial right-to-work law takes effect, teachers unions across the state are clamoring to get new contracts approved, in what some observers say is an effort to get around the measure and keep dues flowing into union coffers.

MISSISSIPPI

Focus On Charter Schools: A Competition For Education
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, February 16, 2013
Almost 30,000 Mississippi students attend classes in districts where their only school options are graded D or F. About 129,000 students, roughly 26 percent of Mississippi’s public school population, are enrolled in D or F districts. But the majority of these students will never see the inside of a charter school if lawmakers approve a bill this session authorizing them.

MISSOURI

Charter School’s Success Boosts City Neighborhoods
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, February 17, 2013
They left Webster Groves in 2011 so their two young boys could get into City Garden Montessori, a charter school in the Botanical Heights neighborhood — an area once known for drug sales and murders, not stellar education.

MONTANA

Bills Would Strip Public Schools Of Needed Funds
Billings Gazette, MT, February 17, 2013
It is shocking that some Montana legislators want a corporate model for our Montana public school system. Defunding public schools by diverting education funding into a charter corporate model is the pattern across the nation that has left poor and troubled students trying to survive in abandoned and desolate public schools, while those children whose parents have money and can afford better are able to attend private and charter schools.

NEW JERSEY

Camden Charter’s Chef Gets $24,000 Raise, Drawing Scrutiny
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 18, 2013
A March 2012 menu feature at Camden’s LEAP Academy University Charter School was grilled cheese, tomato soup, peas, and fresh fruit. This month, the menu features grilled cheese, tomato soup, and strawberry applesauce.

NEW MEXICO

2 New To APS Board Have Charter School Ties
Albuquerque Journal, NM, February 16, 2013
There will be two new faces on the Albuquerque school board next month, and both new members have ties to the charter school community.

NEW YORK

School Bus Drivers End Strike, in Win for New York Mayor
New York Times, NY, February 16, 2013
The main union for New York City’s school bus drivers ended its monthlong strike Friday, handing a victory to the Bloomberg administration, which had refused to give in to the union’s demands for job protections.

It’s an East Harlem DREAM Come True: a New Charter School Beneath Affordable Housing
New York Daily News, NY, February 17, 2013
Ground has been broken for a Harlem RBI DREAM charter school, with inexpensive apartments above it, on a lot in the middle of NYCHA’s Washington Houses

NORTH DAKOTA

North Dakota Determined To Get No Child Waiver
Grand Forks Herald, ND, February 17, 2013
North Dakota is standing firm in negotiations to get a waiver that would swap a state-designed education improvement plan for provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind law.

PENNSYLVANIA

Hite Right To Adjust Plans
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 17, 2013
Philadelphians have gotten used to rallying to save public schools targeted for closure – typically to no avail.

Some Charters Make It Hard For Poor, Disabled To Get Admitted
Allentown Morning Call, PA, February 17, 2013
Students may be asked to submit a 15-page typed research paper, an original short story, or a handwritten essay on the historical figure they would most like to meet. There are interviews, exams. And pages of questions for parents to answer, including: How do you intend to help this school if we admit your son or daughter?

Under Charter Proposal, What Happens to the York City School District
York Daily Record, PA, February 16, 2013
The advisory committee looking at the future of the York City School District has yet to really evaluate a radical proposal to convert to an all-charter school system, but questions raised about the idea include what would happen to the school district.

TENNESSEE

Haslam’s Voucher Plan Is Gearing Up In TN Legislature
The Tennessean, TN, February 18, 2013
Tiffany Clay says she wants to give her sons the best education possible, and that’s why the Memphis mother favors a proposal to create a school voucher program in Tennessee.

VIRGINIA

Alexandria School Leaders Resist State Takeover Of Struggling School
Washington Post, DC, February 15, 2013
Alexandria city officials have ramped up efforts in recent years to improve the stubbornly dismal academic performance of Jefferson-Houston School. They brought in a new principal and a group of new teachers; they hired an outside turnaround consultant and math coaches; they instituted extra tutoring, drew up blueprints for a state-of-the-artmakeover and scheduled the longest school day in the city.

WASHINGTON

Disturbing Trend: Making Schools A Partisan Issue
Bellingham Herald, WA, February 17, 2013
Should every Washington public school be assigned a letter grade, similar to the grades students past and present have been given by their teachers?

WEST VIRGINIA

Principals Need To Be Able To Hire The Best
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, February 18, 2013
With spending per student above the national average and academic achievement at or near the bottom, West Virginia needs to dramatically improve its public schools system.

This Is The Year For Education Reform Action
The Herald-Dispatch, WV, February 18, 2013
Education is a process, and a very complex one at that. So, it is understandable that educators, parents and the public spend much of their time focused on the process — from school hours to teacher training and course work to extracurricular activities. But we also have to look at the results.

WISCONSIN

Union Blasts Gov. Scott Walker’s Boost In School Aid
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, February 17, 2013
Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to increase funding for voucher and public charter schools as well as his plan to create a new stream of funding to allow special-needs children to attend private schools drew immediate criticism Sunday from the state’s largest teacher union, public school advocates and a major disability rights group.

ONLINE LEARNING

Cyber Schools And Charter Schools Hurt Local Districts
The Sunday Dispatch, PA, February 17, 2013
Pittston Area superintendent Mike Garzella and Pittston Area School Board President Charlie Sciandra were in Harrisburg Tuesday as Governor Tom Corbett announcement his plan to privatize the state liquor system.

Summer Shelton: Criticisms Of Grading At Online School Unfounded
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, February 16, 2013
Earlier this week, the House education subcommittee met at the state Capitol to discuss new public school options. The room was packed with teachers, parent and students from the Tennessee Virtual Academy (TNVA) who came to support their public school.

Schools Seek Virtual Learning Blend
Gainesville Times, GA, February 17, 2013
As technology provides more avenues for learning, local school systems continue to explore ways students can use it to personalize their education.

Proposed Charter School Would Offer ‘Blended Learning’
Colorado Springs Gazette, CO, February 18, 2013
A proposed James Irwin charter school would bring together several education concepts

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

Daily Headlines for February 15, 2013

February 15, 2013 By The Center for Education Reform

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Charter Schools Put Parents To The Test
Reuters, February 15, 2013
Charter schools pride themselves on asking a lot of their students. Many ask a great deal of parents, too.

Give School Choice Back To Parents, Teachers
Washington Times, DC, February 14, 2013
No one who truly cares about education (as opposed to the politics of education) should shed a tear if the waivers granted by the Obama administration to 34 states and the District of Columbia expire with congressional reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind law.

D.M. District Actions On Gateway School Reflect Flawed Vision
Des Moines Register, IA, February 15, 2013
Next week the Des Moines school board will vote on whether to close a school it opened just three years ago. And though that’s twice as long as the Des Moines Charter School, which met its demise last year, was given, it hardly seems enough time for the Gateway Secondary School to have proved itself.

FROM THE STATES

ALABAMA

Alabama Legislature: House OKs School Flexibility: Waivers Will Give Local Boards More Control Over Their Budgets, Curriculum
Montgomery Advertiser, AL, February 15, 2013
The House of Representatives has approved a measure that would allow schools to apply for waivers from certain state laws, including the competitive bid law.

ARKANSAS

Little Rock District Appealing Lawsuit On Charter Schools
Today’s THV, AR, February 14, 2013
Board members voted Thursday night 5 to 2 to move forward with their challenge to the US Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. The district argues charter schools violate the state’s desegregation settlement.

CALIFORNIA

For L.A. School Board
Los Angeles Times, CA, February 15, 2013
The teachers union once had a virtual lock on the Los Angeles Unified school board, and the results weren’t pretty. Truly awful schools operated without accountability; the board worked harder to please teachers than to protect students.

Raising Quality In School Choice
Orange County Register, CA, February 15, 2013
California has long embraced the notion of ensuring that parents have more school choice options. The Associated Press recently reported, for example, that California added 81 public charter schools during the 2012-13 school year, pushing the state’s total number of publicly funded autonomous schools to more than 1,000 – the most in the nation.

LASD Calls For ‘Pause’ In Litigation With Bullis
Mountain View Voice, CA, February 14, 2013
The head of the Los Altos School District’s board of has proposed halting all litigation between his district and Bullis Charter School, at least temporarily, so that the two organizations can focus on negotiations. The suggestion appears to be a non-starter with the charter school.

Union Wins Right To Represent Valley Charter School
Los Angeles Times Blog, CA, February 14, 2013
The Los Angeles teachers union announced Wednesday night that it has won the right to negotiate a contract for teachers and counselors at a West San Fernando Valley charter school.

COLORADO

Colorado Education Board Reviews Report On Turnaround Schools
Denver Post, CO, February 15, 2013
Working with partners to bring in experienced school turnaround professionals is the most important component of successfully reshaping a failing school, a new report says.

Financial Trouble Puts Some Charter Schools In Danger Of Closing
9NEWS, CO, February 14, 2013
What many don’t realize is their child’s school could be in danger of closing before they graduate.

CONNECTICUT

Danbury Parents Want School Choice
Danbury News Times, CT, February 14, 2013
Seven hundred twenty-two Danbury parents signed up their children for 42 seats next year at the Western Connecticut Academy for International Studies elementary magnet school.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C.’s Odd Resistance To More Charter Schools
Washington Post, DC, February 14, 2013
ONLY 34 PERCENT of D.C. public-school students are in top-quality schools. The District — particularly struggling neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River — is in urgent need of schools that can perform. So one would think that the city would be clamoring to welcome a renowned charter nonprofit that wants to bring its record of educational success with disadvantaged students to the nation’s capital.

D.C. Will Invest More In Schools Next Year, Gray Says
Washington Post, DC, February 14, 2013
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) wants to give the city’s schools more money next year, raising the basic allocation for each student from $9,124 to $9,306.

FLORIDA

Students Do Not Excel In Merit-Pay Plan Schools
News-Press, FL, February 15, 2013
For months Exxon/Mobil aired a series of commercials which claim that on standardized tests in math and science U.S. students rank 17th and 25th in the world respectively.

School Supt. Encourages White Springs To Pursue Charter School
Suwanee Democrat, FL, February 14, 2013
White Springs Vice Mayor Walter McKenzie, on behalf of Mayor Helen Miller, addressed the Hamilton County School Board on Monday, Feb. 11 regarding the charter school denial that was voted on by the board on Jan. 28.

ILLINOIS

UNO Hires Ex-Judge To Review Charter-School Spending
Chicago Sun Times, IL, February 14, 2013
United Neighborhood Organization officials said Thursday they have hired former U.S. District Judge Wayne Andersen to conduct a review of how their charter-school network selected companies to build new schools with state grant money.

Will Boosting Public Funding For Charter Schools Be Smart Money?
Medill Reports: Chicago, February 14, 2013
Is a bill to increase charter funding fair, as its supporters say, or a blank check, as its critics insist? This is a question Chicagoans will need to ask themselves after a prominent charter network came under scrutiny for its spending of state money.

INDIANA

East Allen Explores Sponsoring Johnson Charter School
Fort Wayne Daily News, IN, February 15, 2013
The East Allen School Board is exploring the possibility of becoming the new authorizer for the Timothy L. Johnson Charter School.

IOWA

Branstad’s Education Reforms Scaled Back
Des Moines Register, IA, February 15, 2013
Big changes to Gov. Terry Branstad’s education reform package approved during a late-night debate Wednesday won cheers from Republicans and jeers from Democrats on Thursday.

Iowa Poll: Teacher Pay Is Best Use For Surplus, Iowans Say
Iowa City Press-Citizen, IA, February 14, 2013
Most Iowans believe that paying more to beginning teachers and to successful teachers who take on mentoring roles would make a major difference in the quality of instruction students receive, according to a new Iowa Poll.

LOUISIANA

Schools Expo Aims To Introduce Families To Options For Kids
Times Picayune, LA, February 14, 2013
The seventh annual New Orleans Schools Expo takes place Saturday at the Superdome from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature 75 public, private and parochial schools and charter groups.

MARYLAND

Test Scores Critical In Achievement Gap Struggle
Maryland Gazette, MD, February 15, 2013
As many of the state’s 24 school systems continue to struggle with crafting teacher and principal evaluations that reliably measure effectiveness, the pressures on the local officials continue to mount.

MASSACHUSETTS

Charter Sell-Off A City Opportunity
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, February 15, 2013
It’s interesting to note that the state’s Department of Education is working with the Board of Trustees of the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School to ensure all is on the up-and-up regarding a pending sell-off of the school’s furniture, computers and other equipment to pay the bankrupt schools creditors.

MICHIGAN

More Is Less In Snyder’s School Funding Plan
Detroit News, MI, February 15, 2013
A proposed 2-percent increase in public education spending next year could in reality leave many school districts with less money than they’re getting this year.

MINNESOTA

State Approves Process To Establish Tech Charter Schools In Southern Minnesota
Mankato Free Press, MN, February 14, 2013
The Minnesota Department of Education has approved a charter authorizing the opening of several technical-focused, project-based public charter high schools in southern Minnesota.

MISSISSIPPI

Charter Schools Prevent Reform
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, February 15, 2013
As we embark on our journey toward charter schools, we need to examine likely outcomes.

MONTANA

Senate Approves School Choice Bill Creating New Tax Credit
Ravalli Republic, MT, February 14, 2013
The state Senate Thursday advanced one of the session’s major school choice bills, which creates a new state income-tax credit for donating to “scholarship organizations” that help students attending private schools.

NEBRASKA

Private Schools Offer Great Choices
Omaha World-Herald, NE, February 15, 2013
Earlier this month more than 3,600 events were held across the country commemorating National School Choice Week — including four events in Omaha alone.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter School Funding Fix Moves Forward In House
Nashua Telegraph, NH, February 14, 2013
A bill that aims to end the moratorium on new charter schools took another step forward Tuesday, passing through the House Education Committee.

NEW MEXICO

‘Trojan Horses’ Undermine Schools
Albuquerque Journal, NM, February 15, 2013
This is an apt metaphor for how public education in New Mexico is being privatized. With roughly $8,000 allocated annually for each student attending public schools, there is a big economic incentive for education businesses to figure out how to access these public funds.

NEW YORK

How To Make New Evaluations Stick
New York Daily News, NY, February 15, 2013
Last month, Gov. Cuomo offered a new plan to break the impasse between New York City and the United Federation of Teachers over a new teacher evaluation system. Make a deal soon, he said, or you’ll be forced to use a plan designed by the state.

Schools Firm on Deposits
Wall Street Journal, February 14, 2013
New York City private schools won’t delay their deadline for requiring deposits—even though it falls two days before the city notifies students about their acceptances to public high schools, officials said Thursday.

Parents Want Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School to Expand
YNN, NY, February 14, 2013
The Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School is relatively new to the area, but parents of the students who go there say it has had made a big impact on their children.

Powerful State Lawmakers Push for a New Public-School Scholarship Program
New York Times, NY, February 15, 2013
A scholarship to help those students trapped in failing public schools to attend a school of their choice is near the top of the legislative agenda for several top lawmakers.

PENNSYLVANIA

MaST Charter School Officials To Appeal Neshaminy Denial
Courier Times, PA, February 15, 2013
MaST Community Charter School officials plan to appeal the denial of their application to open a school in the Neshaminy School District, officials said Thursday

Scranton Teachers Now Evaluating Principals
Scranton Times Tribune, PA, February 15, 2013
Scranton teachers are grading more than papers. Some are now grading their principals.

Yorkcounts Group Elaborates On All-Charter Proposal For City School District
York Daily Record, PA, February 14, 2013
Representatives of YorkCounts explained more Thursday about why they think an all-charter school system is the “only viable, doable option” for transforming the York City School District.

SOUTH CAROLINA

SC Senate: Let Governor, Not Voters, Choose State Schools Chief
The State, SC, February 14, 2013
S.C. voters would decide whether they want to elect the state’s schools chief or have the governor appoint a superintendent and oversee that post if a state Senate proposal becomes law.

VIRGINIA

Schools Struggling To Match State For Teacher Raises
The Virginian-Pilot, VA, February 15, 2013
It looked pretty good, at first. The governor announced in December he would back a 2 percent raise for school employees – the first state funds for a teacher pay raise in five years.

WEST VIRGINIA

Tomblin Says Education Bills Should Be Introduced In Legislature Next Week
Charleston Gazette, WV, February 14, 2013
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said Thursday initial legislative response to his proposals for public education reform has been “pretty positive,” and said the legislation should be introduced in the House and Senate by the end of next week.

State Board Ready To Tackle Tomblin’s Education Priorities
Charleston Gazette, WV, February 14, 2013
West Virginia Board of Education members say they’re ready to work with Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to help reform the state’s public schools.

ONLINE LEARNING

Educators Discuss Virtual Schools At Natick Forum
MetroWest Daily News, MA, February 15, 2013
Local education leaders Thursday received a primer on the state’s new virtual school initiative as representatives from the nonprofit VHS Collaborative discussed ways to expand districts’ on-line education.

Online School Grade Changes Scandalous
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, February 15, 2013
“Horrified” was the word state Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, used to describe an email that the Tennessee Virtual Academy vice principal sent in December directing middle school teachers to delete September and October student grades.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

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