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Daily Headlines for January 8, 2013

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.

StudentsFirst Gets It Right With Its State Policy Report Card
Dropout Nation, January 7, 2013

Certainly education traditionalists are not fond of the State Policy Report Card released today by Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst. After all, it dings states such as California for the willingness of its education and political leaders to do the bidding of National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers affiliates — and in the process, keeping in place policies and practices that do little to help children, especially those from poor and minority backgrounds, attain high-quality education.

Educators Rebut Rhee’s Tough Grading
Washington Times, DC, January 7, 2013

One of American education’s leading provocateurs still knows how to set off a firestorm.

Flaw in ‘Teach for America’
New York Times, NY, January 8, 2013

As a former Teach for America corps member and recruiter and an undergraduate business major, I find a lot to like in “After College, Deferring Six Figures on Wall Street for Teacher’s Salary” (DealBook, Jan. 3).

Three Steps For Better American Schools
Baltimore Sun, MD, January 7, 2013

Education policy wasn’t a significant issue in the 2012 presidential election, but it needs to be one in 2013. Americans are increasingly dissatisfied with public education, and no small wonder: studies continue to show that our schools, once the envy of the world, have fallen to the middle of the pack or worse.

FROM THE STATES

ARKANSAS

35 Labeled ‘Achieving’ of 239 School Districts
Northwest Arkansas News, AR, January 8, 2013

Thirty-five of Arkansas’ 239 school districts and six of 16 open-enrollment charter schools are classified as “achieving” school systems under the state’s new accountability system, leaving more than 200 districts and charter systems — some considered very high performing — branded as “needing improvement.”

School Choices Will Be Lawmaker’s Focus
The Courier, AR, January 7, 2013

Still, as a group they are generally “pro-choice” when it comes to giving students more public school alternatives, the idea being that competition will make all schools better and that no student should be forced to stay in a bad school. Many Democrats — though not all, because this is Arkansas — as well as the education establishment are skeptical of that strategy.

CALIFORNIA

Where Failure Is a Virtue
Wall Street Journal, January 8, 2013

One reason American public education is so lousy is because so many in the schools establishment refuse to admit there’s a problem. Take Richard Zeiger, chief deputy superintendent for California, who says a negative critique of the Golden State’s policies is a “badge of honor.”

Rocketship Plan For Tamien Deserves Approval From San Jose City Council, Planning Commission
Mercury News, CA, January 7, 2013

San Jose’s City Council and planning commission both will make key decisions this week on a proposed Rocketship charter school in the Tamien area, and like most charter plans, it’s controversial. The council and the commission need to focus on the big picture — the benefits of the plan weighed against the drawbacks. If they do, they will enthusiastically support it.

California Schools Flunk Education Group’s Ratings
Los Angeles Times, CA, January 8, 2013

State is among 11 to get a failing grade from a group run by Michelle Rhee, known for her work as chancellor of Washington, D.C., schools. No state earned an A.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Federal Complaint Details Cheating Allegations At D.C. Public School
Washington Post, DC, January 7, 2013

The former principal of an award-winning D.C. public school has accused a group of teachers and administrators of systematically cheating on standardized tests in order to win cash bonuses and an expensive steak dinner, according to recently unsealed federal court documents.

Frontline: D.C. Schools Downplayed Cheating Allegations
USA Today, January 7, 2013

A new documentary raises questions about whether Washington, D.C., school officials downplayed allegations that educators were cheating to improve students’ scores on high-stakes skills tests — even after a principal came forward with her own eyewitness account.

FLORIDA

School Reform Group Rates Florida No. 2 In Nation
Sun Sentinel, FL, January 7, 2013

A new national report card by StudentsFirst, the education advocacy group founded by former D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee, gives Florida a B- for its education policies.

GEORGIA

State Report Slants Teacher Ratings
WFXL FOX 31, GA, January 7, 2013

Results from the Georgia Department of Education’s new school rating system shows that teacher scores have been skewed to the positive.

ILLINOIS

Ball Charter Parents Object To Proposed Middle-School Cutback
State Journal Register, IL, January 7, 2013

Springfield Ball Charter School parents objected Monday to the possibility the Springfield School Board might eliminate Ball Charter’s middle-school program.

Greektek Withdraws Charter School Application, Appeal
The Rockford Record, IL, January 7, 2013

A local organization has withdrawn its application to open a charter school in Rockford.

Chicago Faulted on Learning Disabilities
New York Times, NY, January 8, 2013

In a complaint filed on Monday with the Illinois State Board of Education, a nonprofit advocacy group says that thousands of children are in Rashaan’s position because the Chicago Public Schools have repeatedly failed to evaluate children with disabilities and move them into special education preschool programs.

New Chicago Program Seeks To Span Achievement Gap Through Birth-To-College Education
Desert News, UT, January 7, 2013

Low-income children in the United States need a clear pathway out of poverty, but that isn’t easy to find. Current efforts to increase opportunities for disadvantaged children are divided between philanthropies, churches and various levels of government — a scattershot approach that is difficult for disadvantaged families to navigate, and often is ineffective.

IOWA

Businesses Could Be Key To Improving Schools, Leaders Say
Des Moines Register, IA, January 8, 2013

The success of Gov. Terry Branstad’s school improvement plan could hinge on the amount of time and money Iowa’s business leaders devote to advocating for change, state and national experts said Monday.

LOUISIANA

BESE To Consider Greater School District Policy Flexibility
The Advocate, LA, January 8, 2013

After a one-month delay, Louisiana’s top school board is expected to approve a proposal by state Superintendent of Education John White that would give local school districts more flexibility.

Lycée Parents Ask State Education Chief To Investigate School’s Board
The Lens, LA, January 7, 2013

A group of parents from Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orleans charter school have asked the state’s public education chief to investigate its board’s actions regarding recent hiring and firing decisions, including the manner in which it hired its interim chief executive officer.

Louisiana’s Teacher Evaluation System Gets Top Slot On National Education Policy Report Card
Times Picayune, LA, January 7, 2013

Despite low national student achievement rankings, education reform group StudentsFirst has named Louisiana #1 for “putting students first in its education policies,” commending in particular the state’s new teacher evaluation system.

MAINE

Battle Over Maine Charter Schools Smoldering
Bangor Daily News, ME, January 7, 2013

Maine public school administrators lodged a new complaint Monday about the state’s two new charter schools: They won’t feel any impact of $12.6 million in education aid cuts Gov. Paul LePage ordered late last month to close a $35.5 million hole in the current state budget.

MARYLAND

Legislators To Renew Push For ‘Hybrid’ School Board This Session
Baltimore Sun, MD, January 8, 2013

Towson-area legislators will be tackling issues both fresh and familiar during the 2013 General Assembly session, which begins on Wednesday, Jan. 9, in Annapolis.

MASSACHUSETTS

Lowell Planning Board Delays Charter-School Vote
Lowell Sun, MA, January 8, 2013

Despite pleas for a vote from the attorney pushing for site-plan and special-permit approval for the proposal to transform the Bradford Industries warehouse on Middlesex Street into a charter school, the Planning Board voted to delay the decision for another month for a second straight meeting.

MICHIGAN

Transform Education Reform Into Progress
Detroit News, MI, January 8, 2013

Gov. Rick Snyder did not clean his plate during the 2012 year-end legislative flurry. He left a portion of his education reform agenda on the table.

MISSISSIPPI

Lt. Gov. Wants Charter School Choice For All Districts
Clarion Ledger, MS, January 8, 2013

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves on Monday announced a hard-line stance on charter schools, saying he wants to see them allowed in all districts, not just failing ones.

Business Leaders Call for Charter Schools
Mississippi Public Broadcasting, MS, January 7, 2013

Also topping the 2013 legislative agenda is education reform, and as MPB’s Daniel Cherry reports, charter schools are expected to be the biggest education issue.

NEW JERSEY

NJ Touts Educational Reforms But Earns ‘D’ on One Nationwide Report Card
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, January 8, 2013

Two years ago, school-reform crusader Michelle Rhee was sitting in the first row during Gov. Chris Christie’s State of the State address, in which he laid out much of his education agenda.

NEW YORK

Mike Speaks The Truth
New York Post, NY, January 8, 2013

Mayor Bloomberg isn’t one for eating his own words, but he’d probably like to have back his weekend comparison of the United Federation of Teachers to the National Rifle Association.

At Two Staten Island Catholic Schools, Parents Hope To Avoid Closure
Stanton Island Advance, NY, January 8, 2013

After receiving the disheartening news Friday that their schools may close in June, parents, teachers and administrators at St. Joseph’s School in Rosebank and Immaculate Conception School in Stapleton began the uphill climb to persuade the New York Archdiocese to keep their schools alive.

OHIO

Charter School Sponsor Rules in Place for Cleveland
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, January 7, 2013

The Transformation Alliance, a new panel created through the Cleveland schools legislation passed by state legislators last year, has agreed on broad principles for evaluating charter schools and their sponsors, but is still working out some details.

PENNSYLVANIA

Hite’s Philadelphia Schools Blueprint Praised And Poked
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, January 8, 2013

People think William R. Hite Jr.’s new blueprint for the Philadelphia School District is “focused” and “diligent.” They say it’s “thorough” and the “serious and good work” of a “thoughtful practitioner.”

TENNESSEE

Voucher Use Still Unsure
The Daily News Journal, TN, January 7, 2013

Rutherford County legislators aren’t exactly enthusiastic about a proposal to give students in public schools vouchers to attend other public or private schools.

WASHINGTON

State Board of Education to Review Draft Rules for State’s First Public Charter Schools
Bothell Reporter, WA, January 7, 2013

The Washington State Board of Education’s meeting in Tumwater, Wash. will include a review and discussion of draft rules pertinent to the state’s first public charter schools. The meeting will take place on January 9-10 at 8 a.m. in office ESD 113.

ONLINE LEARNING

New Bedford Students: Learning In The Virtual World
South Coast Today, MA, January 8, 2013

The virtual world is everywhere. It’s changed how we communicate, shop and pay our bills.

More Volunteers: Gatsas Is On To Something
Union Leader, NH, January 7, 2013

Why would you put a teacher in charge of a roomful of children whose lessons are being delivered by another teacher? That is the question Mayor Ted Gatsas is posing by advocating that virtual learning classrooms in Manchester’s public schools be headed by volunteers, not teachers. He has a great point.

The State Should Impose A Moratorium On New Cyber Charter Schools
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, January 8, 2013

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has the opportunity to make a meaningful New Year’s resolution when it comes to raising standards for performance and accountability.

Auditor’s Office Posts Report, Then Pulls It
News Tribune, WA, January 8, 2013

The state Auditor’s Office issued a finding Monday against the Steilacoom Historical School District and, in an unusual move, rescinded it hours later while it takes another look at past student enrollment in online programs.

State Policy Report Demonstrates Widely Varied Reform Perspectives

StudentsFirst report valuable on teacher quality issues, lacking on parent empowerment

CER Press Release
Washington, D.C.
January 8, 2013

While the StudentsFirst State Policy Report Card adds to the growing body of data and information available to parents, policymakers, teachers and the general public, there is clearly widespread disagreement in the field about what constitutes good education reform policy.

“It’s akin to the varying grades given to college students by professors that add up to a cumulative GPA,” said CER Founder and President Jeanne Allen. “As an experienced college parent myself, I’m often struck by how varied the requirements and grading for students can be in the same institution. That doesn’t make the institution itself any less valuable, but it does demonstrate that opinions and preferences for what constitutes a good student can vary widely. In this case, education reform is the student.”

The State Policy Report Card is a complement on many levels to an increasing body of knowledge available about how policy impacts schools. On teacher issues, for example, StudentsFirst’s report shines, providing depth and context for the most important issues governing how states permit schools to evaluate, retain and reward teachers. In contrast, the Center for Education Reform’s annual report cards, issued for more than a decade, place emphasis on “parent power”, which includes in-depth analyses on which state charter school laws yield a truly dynamic and accountable charter school environment in which high numbers of quality schools operate with autonomy. The Parent Power Index© ranks states by their cumulative progress on all reforms, using the Center’s charter school laws annual ranking, data from The Friedman Foundation on state school choice programs, the National Council on Teacher Quality’s State Policy Yearbook and Digital Learning Now’s 10 Elements of Quality Online Learning. In addition, CER considers the user friendliness of state data and accessibility of local school board elections.

When the Center releases 2.0 of the Parent Power Index, as well as the 14th Annual Essential Guide to Charter School Law: Ranking and Scorecard, lawmakers will have another insight into state reform laws and their implementation. It’s likely that DC will remain the leading charter school law in the nation, while Indiana remains the overall top-ranked state for Parent Power. Rhode Island will stay at 31st for its charter law and 22nd for Parent Power. Conversely, StudentsFirst rates DC 4th, Indiana 3rd and Rhode Island 5th. About the differences across the various ratings, Allen said: “It’s terrific to have the ‘cumulative GPA’ that different report cards provide, but interested parties should also understand the differences between how organizations are slicing and dicing information. These tools together can do much to advance our shared goals of empowering parents and informing policymakers and the media which cover them.”

Daily Headlines for January 7, 2013

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.

12 States Get Failing Grades on Public School Policies From Advocacy Group
New York Times, NY, January 7, 2013

In just a few short years, state legislatures and education agencies across the country have sought to transform American public education by passing a series of laws and policies overhauling teacher tenure, introducing the use of standardized test scores in performance evaluations and expanding charter schools.

Catholic Education, in Need of Salvation
New York Times, NY, January 7, 2013

CATHOLIC parochial education is in crisis. More than a third of parochial schools in the United States closed between 1965 and 1990, and enrollment fell by more than half. After stabilizing in the 1990s, enrollment has plunged despite strong demand from students and families.

Public or Private: Charter Schools Can’t Have It Both Ways
GoLocalPro, RI, January 5, 2013

Are charter schools public? Are they private? Are they somewhere in between?
There is a lively debate in the education community over these questions

FROM THE STATES

ARIZONA

Common Core Funds Lacking
Arizona Republic, AZ, January 6, 2013

Arizona leaders have called for tougher new education standards, but the cost to implement them in classrooms has fallen primarily to school districts, which have seen state funding drop by about 15 percent since 2008.

CALIFORNIA

Hats Off To Brown On School Reform
The Monterey County Herald, CA, January 6, 2013

We must give Gov. Jerry Brown credit, he does not run from difficult subjects. Witness his decision to dive headfirst into reforming the bizarre and dysfunctional labyrinth that is California’s system for parsing out dollars to its schools.

COLORADO

Boulder Valley Sees Net Gain Through Out-Of-District Enrollment
Daily Camera, CO, January 5, 2013

Students who live in the Boulder Valley School District are enrolled in districts as far-flung as tiny Julesburg at the northeastern tip of the state, Denver and Douglas County.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Thousands Attend D.C. Charter School Expo
Washington Post, DC, January 5, 2013

Thousands of parents streamed into the Washington Convention Center Saturday for the District’s annual charter-school expo, eager to find a way to navigate the city’s large — and increasingly popular — universe of public charter schools.

D.C. School Closings Push Parents To Charter Schools
Washington Examiner, DC, January 5, 2013

The announcement that Francis-Stevens Education Campus in D.C.’s West End neighborhood could close caused Sarah Reece to start looking at the city’s public charter schools for her two sons.

D.C. Charter Schools Expel Students At Far Higher Rates Than Traditional Public Schools
Washington Post, DC, January 5, 2013

The District’s public charter schools have expelled students at a far higher rate than the city’s traditional public schools in recent years, according to school data, highlighting a key difference between two sectors that compete for the District’s students and taxpayer dollars.

FLORIDA

Florida School Enrollment Gets Best Boost Since Bubble, But It Could Mean A Good Sign Or A Bad Sign For State Economy
Palm Beach Post, FL, January 6, 2013

Herzog said the economy plays a role. But also, he said, the expansion of public charter schools makes many parents think twice about paying for private education.

GEORGIA

New Evaluation Pilot ‘Skewed,’ With Too Few Unsatisfactory Teachers, Officials Say
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, January 7, 2013

The state’s new teacher evaluation system needs some work. That’s the lesson Georgia education leaders are drawing from a pilot study that unexpectedly showed only a tiny fraction of the state’s teachers are ineffective.

Parent-Trigger Charter Bill Could Renew Intense Political Battle
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, January 5, 2013

The push to change Georgia’s constitution to make it easier to approve charter schools was a bruising political scrap that featured sharp elbows and plenty of haymakers.

INDIANA

Indiana Legislature To Look At Expanding Voucher Program
Courier Press, IN, January 7, 2013

Indiana lawmakers will look at expanding what is already the nation’s largest school voucher program when the General Assembly gets to work Monday despite concerns that the program is hurting public schools in big cities.

Education Reform Post-Bennett?
South Bend Tribune, IN, January 6, 2013

As Indiana lawmakers return for a busy 2013 session on Monday, a big question mark is, will momentum for sweeping school reform initiatives continue?

Up For Renewal, 8 Local Charter Schools Wait For Ball State Decision
Post Tribune, IN, January 6, 2013

Eight Northwest Indiana charter schools are up for renewal this spring — and tougher standards mean some of those schools could be closed.

The Stress Of A New Teacher Evaluation
Journal and Courier, IN, January 5, 2013

What he’s uncovered, in many ways, could have been predicted — teachers and principals, alike, reporting the added stress of the system. The stress, though, doesn’t seem to be coming as much from the increased scrutiny in the classroom, as it is from the paperwork, tracking and the metrics involved.

LOUISIANA

School Voucher Case Moves To Louisiana Supreme Court
Times Picayune, LA, January 5, 2013

Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration is taking its fight for private school vouchers to the Louisiana Supreme Court, after a district court judge ruled that the way the state is financing the program is illegal.

MAINE

Lepage Charter School Proposal To Re-Ignite Legislative Debate Over School Funding
Bangor Daily News, ME, January 6, 2013

Gov. Paul LePage is preparing legislation that would eliminate the cap on the number of charter schools allowed in Maine, an initiative that is sure to cause significant debate among incoming lawmakers who already face a weighty agenda and difficult funding issues in the education sector.

Cornville Charter School Accepting Applications For 28 New Student Slots
Morning Sentinel, ME, January 5, 2013

Students will be chosen via lottery from all applicants; enrollment expanding from 60 to 90 for upcoming term

MARYLAND

Washington County Parents Submit Proposal For Charter School With Environmental Focus
Herald Mail, MD, January 6, 2013

A small group of Washington County parents has submitted to Washington County Public Schools a concept proposal for a charter school with an environmental focus and a strong emphasis on hands-on learning.

MASSACHUSETTS

New Option Lets Boston Pick School For Child
Boston Globe, MA, January 6, 2013

Boston parents who do not get their choices of kindergartens for their children in the first round of the lottery now have the option of letting the School Department pick a school for them under a change that went into effect last week.

Adults Deal Charter Kids Harsh Civics Lesson
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, January 7, 2013

Today marks the start of the final week for the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School.

MINNESOTA

Achievement Gaps, Early Education, And Minnesota’s Changing Demographics
Twin City Daily Planet, MN, January 6, 2013

Education achievement gaps across races and economic strata are a problem throughout the country and, despite a high overall education ranking, Minnesota is no exception.

MISSISSIPPI

Any Charter School Legislation Should Include Basic Principles
Clarion Ledger, MS, January 7, 2013

Mississippi’s state leaders are determined to pass charter school legislation this legislative session. Charter schools are being promoted as a panacea for K-12 education in Mississippi — a “game changer” that will unleash Mississippi students’ ability to perform at the highest academic levels.

Miss. Legislature Puts Charter Schools Back On Agenda
Clarion Ledger, MS, January 6, 2013,

A year ago, even some opponents of charter schools expected a bill to pass. But some majority Republicans balked, killing the bill in the House.

MISSOURI

Move For Teacher Tenure Reform Draws Mixed Reviews
Columbia Daily Tribune, MO, January 4, 2013

Efforts to change teacher tenure rules failed at the end of the Missouri General Assembly’s session last year, but with the start of the 2013 session just around the corner, tenure reform appears to be back on the table again.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Charter School Bill Aims To Fix Funding Problems
Nashua Telegraph, NH, January 6, 2013

It has been nearly a year since Karin Cevasco and the other founders of Gate City Charter School for the Arts applied for school approval with the Department of Education.

NEW JERSEY

Paterson School Offers Signs Of Hope In Urban School Reform
The Record, NJ, January 6, 2013

Rosalie Bespalko, a blunt-spoken principal from Carlstadt charged with the daunting mission of turning around one of the lowest-performing schools in New Jersey, was alone in her motel room last July when she opened her laptop to check the latest results from her students’ state tests.

N.J. Public Officials Involved In Education Must Aggressively Transform Failing School Districts
Times of Trenton, NJ, January 5, 2013

The New Jersey and United States constitutions require public officials to assure a thorough and efficient system of education and equal protection, respectively. If officials honored their oath of office, there would be significantly less unemployment, crime and segregation.

NEW MEXICO

Charter Schools To Get New Vote
Albuquerque Journal, NM, January 6, 2013

The state Public Education Commission is planning to re-do its votes on two charter school renewals, after the votes were held one day early without public notice.

NEW YORK

School Bus Strike Is Feared
Wall Street Journal, January 7, 2013

New York City officials on Sunday braced for the possibility that 152,000 children soon could be left without their usual ride to classes as hundreds of school bus drivers marched to City Hall Park and chanted for a strike.

Talks on Teacher Evaluations Disintegrate as Deadline Looms
New York Times, NY, January 7, 2013

New York City and its teachers union are stuck in their negotiations over a new teacher evaluation system, jeopardizing $450 million in state aid if they have not reached a deal in less than two weeks.

Teachers Irate as Bloomberg Likens Union to the N.R.A.
New York Times, NY, January 7, 2013

Of all the polarizing things Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has said and done over the years, from banning large sugary drinks to supporting congestion pricing, few have generated the sort of viral backlash that has unexpectedly mounted after his weekly radio show on Friday.

The Schoolyard Bully
New York Post, NY, January 7, 2013

The United Federation of Teachers is ringing in the new year with an artful lie of the first order: A TV ad campaign designed to convince New Yorkers that Mike Bloomberg, and not the union itself, is responsible for the imminent loss of $450 million in extra state school aid.

School Reform Panel Gets An ‘Incomplete’
Newsday, NY, January 5, 2013

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his New York Education Reform Commission ought to be commended for their initial efforts to improve public schools throughout the state. The commission’s preliminary report, published Wednesday, makes some sound suggestions to tackle problems so daunting and complex it’s tempting to close the book on them altogether.

PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia’s Schools Superintendent Lays Out A “Call To Action”
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, January 7, 2013

It is William R. Hite Jr.’s “call to action,” a 25-page document that maps out strategy for the future of the Philadelphia School District.

‘Onerous’ Process for Opportunity Scholarship in Pennsylvania May Deter Donors
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, January 6, 2013

Education groups promoting a new tax credit for businesses funding scholarships are reporting confusion with an electronic application process that they fear could dissuade potential donors.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Renovated Rivers Middle School Campus Opens To Charter School, Plans To Start New Lowcountry Tech Program Later This Month
Charleston Post Courier, SC, January 7, 2013

Use of the Rivers building has become one of the district’s most controversial and volatile issues. Although the school board agreed in 2007 for the charter school to share the space with a new program, Lowcountry Tech Academy, the school board talked as recently as November about that agreement and whether it should be changed.

TENNESSEE

Nashville Parents Press Fight On Vouchers, Charter Authorizer
The Tennessean, TN, January 7, 2013

Tennessee lawmakers are just now making their way back to Nashville. And bills for school vouchers and a statewide charter authorizer, though certainly in the works, still aren’t on the table for inspection.

VIRGINIA

Governor’s Mere Suggestion Of A Charter School Spurs Improvement In Va. District
Richmond Register, KY, January 7, 2013

Petersburg, Virginia is not unlike a lot of small towns in rural Kentucky. Its 30,000 or so residents are predominantly Baptist, proud of their city’s rich heritage and enjoy the economic benefits of being nestled near a major waterway.

Va. Gov. McDonnell: Consider Letters To Grade Schools
Washington Times, DC, January 6, 2013

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is pushing for a letter-grading system to evaluate the quality of the state’s schools, echoing an approach that has been enacted by Republican leaders in other states.

ONLINE LEARNING

Patrick Signs Legislation Paving Way For More Virtual Education Opportunities
South Coast Today, MA, January 5, 2013

Students across SouthCoast and the state could have more access to so-called “virtual” schools under legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Deval Patrick that establishes a clear framework for the establishment of those schools.

Low Enrollment To Shut Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s Online School After 1 Year
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, January 5, 2013

A cyber charter school founded by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and touted to provide a cutting-edge combination of online and on-site learning will close as of June 30 because of foundering enrollment.

The Dangers Of ‘Outsourcing’ Public Education
Washington Post Blog, DC, January 5, 2013

The privatization of public education is becoming perhaps the biggest controversy in public education. Here’s a different look at the subject from Larry Cuban, a former superintendent of Arlington Public Schools.

S.C. Teacher Certification Extends To Those Online
Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC, January 6, 2013

The S.C. Department of Education is beginning to apply the state’s certification regulations to teachers of online courses, raising questions about future course offerings for school districts that rely on outside providers.

Online Aid Picks Lessons Best-Suited To Each Student
Columbus Dispatch, OH, January 5, 2013

Many Ohio teachers soon will have access to an online system in which they can quickly analyze students’ progress and pick the most appropriate curriculum or lesson plan for them.

Catching Up: McFarland School District Renegotiating Contract With Wisconsin Virtual Academy
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, January 6, 2013

The McFarland School District is renegotiating its contract with the Wisconsin Virtual Academy after a district review found the online charter school wasn’t meeting some of its performance goals.

Daily Headlines for January 3, 2012

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

Deferring Six Figures on Wall Street for Teacher’s Salary
New York Times, NY, January 2, 2013

Four years after the financial crisis, Wall Street hiring has remained weak, and many college graduates have searched for jobs and even careers in other fields. In the last several years, hundreds of such would-be finance professionals and management consultants have taken their high-powered ambitions and spreadsheet modeling skills to the classroom.

More Educational Choice Needed in 2013
Huffington Post Blog by Kevin P. Chavous, January 2, 2013

Over the next several days, millions of children will return from their holiday vacation and walk through the doors of a school that does not serve their needs. Before the month ends, thousands will drop out and by the end of 2013 more than a million of these children will leave school never to return again.

FROM THE STATES

ARIZONA

School Vouchers Off-Base
Arizona Republic, AZ, January 3, 2013

I have yet to be convinced that the tax credit for private schools, and now the expansion of the school-voucher system, is the answer for educating children. The reasoning of legislators I’ve spoken with doesn’t hold water, either.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Judges Look At Whether Charter Schools Are Public
Washington Post Blog, DC, January 3, 2013

Charter schools are publicly funded but increasingly people are asking whether many of them more resemble private schools. Here’s a different look at this notion from Julian Vasquez Heilig, an award-winning researcher and Associate Professor of Educational Policy and Planning at the University of Texas at Austin. A version of this appeared on his Education and Public Policy blog.

FLORIDA

Charter School Hopes New Year Means Fresh Start
Jacksonville Daily News, FL, January 2, 2013

A Carteret County charter school is hoping the New Year will bring a close to a first semester that was full of challenges to keep the school open.

GEORGIA

Atlanta School Facing Loss Of Charter
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, January 2, 2013

The Atlanta school board will hear arguments in January whether to renew the charter of Atlanta Preparatory Academy or follow a staff recommendation to terminate it in June.

ILLINOIS

Chicago Charter School Subject To Private-Sector Labor Laws
WBEZ, IL, January 2, 2013

Teachers at a Chicago charter school are now subject to private-sector labor laws, rather than state laws governing public workers. The move could impact how public schools are run down the road.

INDIANA

Evaluations Bring Stress At Indiana Schools
Courier & Journal, IN, January 3, 2013

One by one the squares on the board in principal Brett Gruetzmacher’s office are being filled, each one marking another step in the long march of teacher evaluations.

LOUISIANA

Better Schools Equal Better Scores
Times Picayune, LA, January 2, 2013

After Katrina and the levee breaches, New Orleans’ failing school system was broken up. The Orleans Parish School Board kept the small number of schools that were thriving, and the state-run Recovery School District took over the rest.

Natchitoches Parish School Board Denies Charter School Application
Alexandria Town Talk, LA, January 3, 2013

The Natchitoches Parish School Board has denied an application for a new charter school.

MAINE

More Than 30 Apply To New Portland Charter School
Portland Press Herald, ME, January 3, 2013

More than 30 students applied in the first 24 hours for admission to Portland’s new charter school, the Baxter Academy of Technology and Science.

MASSACHUSETTS

Departures at South Boston Charter School Raise Concerns
Boston Globe, MA, January 3, 2013

Since UP Academy took over the Gavin Middle School in South Boston in 2011, some critics of charter schools have questioned whether the academy has been pushing out disruptive or academically struggling pupils in order to boost its test scores.

Charter To Close Next Week
Gloucester Times, MA, January 3, 2013

After a tumultuous journey over the past two months, Gloucester Community Arts Charter School officials last night voted unanimously to close the school Jan. 11.

MICHIGAN

DPS Project Helps Math Skills Sprout
Detroit News, MI, January 3, 2013

Look inside one Detroit elementary school classroom and see the unexpected: kids excited about math. It’s a squirm-in-your-seat kind of enthusiasm with students eager to raise their hands, stand at the chalkboard and solve problems with each other as they tackle equations.

MISSISSIPPI

Reeves Pushing For Charter Schools
Hattiesburg American, MS, January 3, 2013,

With the 2013 Mississippi legislative session starting next week, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves says he believes there’s bipartisan support for charter schools and for efforts to improve children’s reading skills in early elementary grades.

NEW YORK

Cuomo Panel Recommends School Goals
Wall Street Journal, January 2, 2013

A commission tapped by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to assess education in New York state delivered a wish list on Wednesday that included widely praised items such as prekindergarten for all students, better teacher preparation and longer school days and years.

Local School Officials Sound Off On Cuomo’s Reform Report
Niagara Gazette, NY, January 3, 2013

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Education Reform Commission released a 92-page report Wednesday, highlighting eight changes the state could investigate to change the way education is provided state-wide.

NY Awaiting 9 Districts’ Teacher Evaluation Plans
Wall Street Journal, January 2, 2013

Time is running out for school districts in New York state that haven’t yet adopted a new teacher evaluation plan.

TENNESSEE

Radio Ads Start In School Voucher Campaign
WREG, TN, January 2, 2013

There is a push to show Memphis parents all their choices when it comes to educating their children. One choice is a private school education for some families who might not be able to afford it.

Charters That Fail Must Pay The Price
The Tennessean, TN, January 3, 2013

When the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board voted in mid-November to close Smithson-Craighead Middle School at the end of the current academic year, the decision angered parents and generated pleas for patience.

WASHINGTON

Teachers Union Wants To Help Challenge Charter School Law
Seattle Times, WA, January 2, 2013

The state’s largest teachers union is exploring how it might help challenge the charter-school law that narrowly passed last November. The union’s board of directors has committed to help fund a lawsuit, although it is not yet clear who would file it, when it would be filed, or exactly what form the challenge would take.

ONLINE LEARNING

Making Excellence The Norm
Henderson Daily Dispatch, NC, January 2, 2013

Bill Harrison, chairman of the state board of education, formally presented the 2012 N.C. Innovator in Digital Learning Award to Granville County school officials in a ceremony at the Granville County Expo & Convention Center in Oxford on Wednesday.

Sen. Goedde: The Best Way To Equalize Idaho Schools Is Through Digital Learning
NPR StateImpact, ID, January 2, 2013

State Sen. John Goedde is a Republican from Coeur d’Alene. He’s chairman of the Senate’s Education Committee. It’s a panel that will be closely watched during the upcoming legislative session as lawmakers figure out what to do now that voters rejected three sweeping education laws.

Daily Headlines for January 4, 2012

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.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Vacaville Unified School District Leader Not Worried About California’s Waiver Loss
The Reporter, CA, January 4, 2013

A prominent Vacaville Unified School District leader does not fear the likely rejection by federal officials of a California waiver request to the No Child Left Behind law, which some believe may prompt radical reforms, including state takeovers and charter school conversions.

CONNECTICUT

Sibs Get An Edge In Public School Admissions
New Haven Independent, CT, January 3, 2013

A kid with an older sister at Edgewood, Hooker or Nathan Hale schools will get a leg up in this year’s admission lottery, according to a new policy unveiled Thursday.

DELAWARE

Del. Officials Discuss Troubled Charter School
News Times, DE, January 4, 2013

State education officials are meeting with representatives from a troubled charter school in New Castle County to discuss a path forward.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Advice For Parents Facing School Closures In The District
Washington Post, DC, January 3, 2013

Parents are not happy about the proposal, either. They have been especially vocal about plans to close five schools in Ward 7, saying it will push more students into public charter schools and further erode the traditional public schools.

Charter School Ruled Private Entity For Labor Relations
Washington Post Blog, DC, January 4, 2013

The question of just how public charter schools really are has been further muddied by a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board in a case involving a Chicago charter school.

Michelle Rhee Proud Of Controversial School Reform Efforts In D.C
Washington Examiner, DC, January 3, 2013,

Former DC Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee says in a new documentary that she is proud of the reform efforts she initiated in 2007, measures that have been heavily criticized since before she left the District in fall 2010.

FLORIDA

Symbiotic Relationship: Campuses Combining Schools Strive for Peaceful Coexistence
The Ledger, FL, January 4, 2013

Benjamin Stewart may be a Summerlin Academy student, but when it comes to all of the classes and extracurricular activities he participates in, he’d rather be known as a Yellow Jacket.

ILLINOIS

Chicago Charter Schools Rake In Thousands In ‘Disciplinary Fees’
MSNBC, January 3, 2013

As public funding for Chicago charter schools increases, so do questions about accountability and governance within these publicly-funded–but privately-run–institutions.

LOUISIANA

Orleans Board Rejects Schools
The Advocate, LA, January 4, 2013

Dwight D. Eisenhower Academy, Martin Behrman Charter School and O. Perry Walker College and Preparatory High Schools will not be returning to Orleans Parish School Board governance, as decided in a 5-2 cast by the board at an Algiers Charter School Association meeting Thursday.

MASSACHUSETTS

Gloucester School Will Close Early
Boston Globe, MA, January 4, 2013

The Gloucester Community Arts Charter School’s brief and turbulent existence will come to a halt next Friday afternoon when the school will officially close.

MISSISSIPPI

Charter School Fight Looms as 2013 Session Nears
Mississippi Public Broadcasting, MS, January 3, 2013

Mississippi lawmakers will gavel in the 2013 legislative session this Tuesday, and the debate over charter schools is likely to be one of the hottest issues of the session. MPB’s Daniel Cherry has more…

NEW YORK

Better Teaching, Beyond Evaluations
New York Daily News, NY, January 4, 2013

Faced with a Jan. 17 deadline, New York City may soon have a new teacher evaluation system to help identify those educators who are excelling and those who need extra support. This focus on teacher performance and accountability is essential.

Left Out Of The Gov’s Schools Rx
New York Post, NY, January 4, 2013

Hang on to your hats, folks: Those of us who favor serious, overhaul-minded education reforms actually agree with the bullhorn of the “just spend more” crowd, the Campaign for Educational Equity’s Michael Rebell, when he says that the big problem with Gov. Cuomo’s education-reform commission’s report is “what’s not in there.”

NORTH CAROLINA

McCrory Completes Cabinet, Names Tata In Another Surprising Pick
News & Observer, NC, January 4, 2013

Gov.-elect Pat McCrory finalized his Cabinet Thursday, naming Wake County’s ousted schools leader Tony Tata to head the Department of Transportation – another surprising pick for his administration

OHIO

Colleges Set Bar For Remedial Classes
Columbus Dispatch, OH, January 4, 2013

Ohio’s public colleges and universities have agreed to minimum ACT and SAT scores that will guarantee students don’t have to take remedial courses that cost them money but don’t count for credit.

OKLAHOMA

Improve Schools By Training Principals And Superintendents
The Oklahoman, OK, January 4, 2013

Ed Allen (Point of View, Dec. 14) made some good points about deficiencies of Oklahoma City Public School administrators which can be applied statewide.

OREGON

Legislature Should Tweak Charter Rules
Albany Democrat Herald, OR, January 3, 2013

It looks as if there are some chapters left to write in the controversy surrounding a proposal to launch a new charter school in Albany.

PENNSYVLVANIA

Hite Will Present His Blueprint For Schools Monday
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, January 4, 2013

Coming Monday: a blueprint for the William R. Hite Jr.-era Philadelphia School District. Expect a focus on early literacy, a call for more art and music classes, more students in advanced math by middle school, and more and higher-quality spots in vocational programs.

TEXAS

School Choice Legislation Introduced This Week
Hays Free Press, TX, January 3, 2013

As of press time, Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and state Sen. Dan Patrick were expected to announce education legislation this week that would allow more school choice. The Texas Tribune reported that the bill would likely spark a major battle in the upcoming legislative session.

Public Schools Can Achieve Success, Even With Voucher System Looming
The Courier, TX, January 4, 2013

With the tide turning toward more ultraconservative Republicans in Austin, the state Legislature is preparing for yet another battle over school choice, better known as a voucher system.

Reforming Our Education
Anniston Star, TX, January 3, 2013

Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne spoke this week to The Star about his plans for the nonprofit group Reform Alabama, which has dropped out of sight.

VIRGINIA

Governor Bob McDonnell Adds To School Plans
Roanoke Times, VA, January 4, 2013

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced plans Thursday to pursue legislation that would bring Teach for America staffers to Virginia, establish an A-F grading system for schools, bolster third-grade reading proficiency and allow school divisions to request waivers from the State Board of Education from certain state requirements.

WISCONSIN

Wisconsin Republicans Expected To Push Private-School Vouchers, Charter-School Expansion In 2013 Session
Isthmus Paper, WI, January 3, 2013

Gov. Scott Walker’s second most controversial move, after ending collective bargaining rights for public employees, was a package of school-choice proposals and budget cuts that aim to remake public education in the state.

Wisconsinites Lose Ability To See Performance Records Of Principals Under New System
WTAQ, WI, January 3, 2013

Wisconsinites are about to lose the right to see how their public school principals are performing. Governor Scott Walker and state lawmakers approved a new system last year for evaluating teachers and principals.

ONLINE LEARNING

NJ Teachers Union Moves to Block ‘Blended’ Learning at Newark Charter
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, January 4, 2013

NJEA argues that blending online technology with traditional teaching has to be cleared by Legislature before it can be used in school

Blended Learning: Teachers Plus Computers Equal Success
Desert News, UT, January 3, 2013

Carpe Diem Collegiate High School in Yuma, Ariz., looks more like a call center than a high school. It features a huge room full of rows and rows of cubicles where students, who attend classes four days a week, work for half a day at computers that track their daily progress.

Understanding Online Charter Schools
Contra Costa Times, CA, January 3, 2013

The number of students enrolled in virtual charter schools continues to grow around the country, including in California and the Bay Area.

More Bay Area Students Opting For Cyberclassrooms
Contra Costa Times, CA, January 3, 2013

While many parents struggle to get their kids out from under the covers, dressed and off to school, Erinn Watson’s daughters are always on time for class.

TX School Choice Expansion Proposals

“School choice legislation introduced this week”
Hays Free Press
January 3, 2013

As of press time, Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and state Sen. Dan Patrick were expected to announce education legislation this week that would allow more school choice. The Texas Tribune reported that the bill would likely spark a major battle in the upcoming legislative session.

Dewhurst and Patrick are strong proponents of school choice options for parents. Newly minted Texas Education Agency Commissioner Michael Williams is also in favor of choice but has said he would not advocate for it in his current position.

According to the Texas Tribune, proponents of school choice believe competition would elevate all schools, while critics are concerned about the effectiveness of competition if there isn’t a level playing field between public and private schools.

They are also concerned about how Texas STAAR measures would apply, as well as whether the cost of transportation and tuition would be affordable for Texas families.

Mississippi Charter School Battle Looms

Charter School Fight Looms as 2013 Session Nears
by Daniel Cherry
Mississippi Public Broadcasting
January 3, 2013

Mississippi lawmakers will gavel in the 2013 legislative session this Tuesday, and the debate over charter schools is likely to be one of the hottest issues of the session. MPB’s Daniel Cherry has more…

Those pushing public charter schools in Mississippi are eager for another shot at education reform, and they have some political heavyweights in their corner, including the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Advocates like Andrew Campanella, President of National School Choice Week, think it’s time Mississippi families have a say in where their children go to school.

“Not all children have access to a good school, and some of these kids are trapped in failing schools. And when you trap a child in a failing school, they’re more likely to drop out, or graduate without the skills necessary to get a good job.”

Charter schools are publicly funded schools, run by a private or non-profit organization…not the government. Nancy Loome, Executive Director of the Parents Campaign, says she supports school choice, only as long as the organizations running the schools have proven records of success.

“The idea that we should allow anybody to come in and have a charter school, even if the charter school is low-performing, just to give parents more choice, if the choice is a bad choice then I don’t think we’re accomplishing our goal of improving student achievement.”

Opponents are concerned charter schools will siphon off public funds from traditional public schools schools in dire need of money. But Erika Berry, with the Mississippi Coalition for Public Charter Schools, thinks competition will improve education all around.

“A charter school can help that traditional public school, show them how to best serve their students. ‘This is what we’re doing to really put our students on a successful trajectory. You can do it too.’ And I think that’s what we need to focus on and not so much, the school district is going to lose a lot of money, and that’s just not the case…it’s just not.”

Charter school legislation failed to pass the House of Representatives last session.

Charters that fail must pay the price

by Camilla P. Benbow
The Tennessean
January 3, 2013

When the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board voted in mid-November to close Smithson-Craighead Middle School at the end of the current academic year, the decision angered parents and generated pleas for patience. This despite the fact that the charter school had been warned over several years that it needed to improve its performance or risk closure.

The most recent TCAP scores showed that only 7.6 percent of Smithson-Craighead students were proficient in math and only 17.6 percent in reading. These abysmal scores were far below those of other Nashville charter and public schools.

Nationally, the data on charter school closings have been mixed. One report from the Center for Education Reform indicated that 15 percent of the 6,700 charters opened over the past 20 years have closed. However, less than a fifth of these closed because of poor academic performance. Most were closed because of financial problems or mismanagement.

And charter school closures are down, according to the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). The association observed a three-year decline in the percentage of charters closed at the time of charter renewal with 6.2 percent being closed in 2010-2011. However, the association cautioned that there could be several reasons for the decline, including improvement in school quality.

Critics who believe that charters are too slow to close might bear in mind another study, by Peabody alumnus David A. Stuit for the Fordham Foundation, that showed that poorly performing charters are much more likely to be closed than poorly performing public schools.

Signs also suggest that more charters may be closed in the years to come. In the fall, NACSA launched its One Million Lives campaign to strengthen charter school standards. It plans to work with authorizers, policymakers, legislators and charter school operators to close failing charter schools while opening new ones and enrolling many more children. In the face of evidence that most charter schools are neither better nor worse than their public school peers, NACSA hopes to help the charter school movement do a better job of policing itself and improving academic performance. The organization estimates between 900 and 1,300 charter schools are performing in the lowest 15 percent of schools in their states.

In the end, performance should be at the heart of the question of whether to continue or close a charter school. This means looking closely at student achievement on a school-by-school basis. Unfortunately, Smithson-Craighead Middle School did not withstand close scrutiny. MNPS was right to make the decision early enough in the year to allow parents to make other plans for their children. More such decisions may be needed in the years to come.

Parents, politicians and other charter school advocates need to remember that charters have always been experimental in nature. In exchange for public funding and operational latitude, charters promise innovation and academic success. When that success is not forthcoming, the experiment must come to a close.

Camilla P. Benbow is Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. Her column on education appears every other Thursday in The Tennessean Local section.

Newspaper unfair in articles critical of charter schools

Opinion by Gregory A. Miller
The Arizona Republic
November 23, 2012

Re: “Insiders benefiting in charter deals” and “Critics say state is lax on charter purchasing practices,” by Ann Ryman (Nov. 18, The Arizona Republic).

Just the titles of the articles are misleading. It should be “Taxpayers are benefiting” because charter schools spend about $7,300 per student in state, federal and local money vs. over $12,500 per student at the district public school.

Ryman indicated that she and her team had “reviewed thousands of pages” of public documents. She found no criminal or bureaucratic bungling on the part of the 50 largest charter schools, just good business practices that are monitored by yearly outside independent auditors to minimize operational and supply costs of these independent, non-profit and for-profit businesses.

Show me a district principal who needs a new television for the media center who doesn’t wish the PTA would go buy it at Target, Best Buy or Walmart for about $250 instead of using the state procurement system and spending $400 for the same TV!

As for conflict-of-interest concerns, or public-trust issues, lots of districts do business with their board members and their families for construction of classrooms, athletic facilities, supplies, etc., with full disclosure and non-voting of the board member.

It is the same for charter schools, as a requirement of their contract (charter) with the state and the required procurement policy even after the exemption. There has been no loss of public trust in Arizona’s charter-school option. In the past 17 years, we have gone from a first-year enrollment of 6,500 to the current 144,800 (a number that is only limited by available space for students). That increase represents an annual growth over 13 percent.

With all due respect to those in the Legislature who believe that charters were established only to “provide an educational setting that may meet specific needs or try out non-traditional methods of educating students,” they are sorely misinformed.

The Education Reform Act of 1995 not only provided “labs of innovation,” it also put choice into the system. It not only gave birth to charters, it gave parents choices other than the neighborhood school within the district system. It put competition into a tried and poorly performing government-run system. It would save money! On new facilities costs alone it has saved the taxpayers of Arizona billions — yes, billions of dollars during the past 17 years.

The idea of free enterprise, with concerted public overview (When was the last time a district school was closed for poor academic achievement?) was taken on by charter operators with passion. We invested our own money, we run our own schools, hands on, and we live and die on our students’ academic performance and sound financial management.

Have there been poor examples of charter schools? Yes, but they have been eliminated by parents voting with their feet or by public oversight and closed by the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools.

This type of “expose” is always used as a driver of public opinion to add more regulations to try to create a charter profile that looks like, smells like and tastes like all other choices in education. It serves the purpose of the current public-school blob to eliminate by bureaucratic regulations (strangulation) these institutions of higher academic achievement and opportunity provided to the students and parents of Arizona.

Gregory A. Miller, CEO of Challenge School Inc., is the charter-school member of the Arizona State Board of Education.

Out With the Old, In With the New: Education Reform Cannot Be Compromised

by Jeanne Allen
Huffington Post
January 2, 2013

Among many traditions as we close one year and begin a new one are lists of what is “in” and “out.” At the end of 2012, compromise was definitely “in.” And no wonder. Staring over the precipice of a fiscal cliff, the American people couldn’t understand why politicians can’t seem to agree on things. Compromise, it is thought, is an unadulterated good.

I don’t want to be the skunk at the national compromising garden party, but as we look back at 2012 and ahead to 2013, when it comes to education reform we should think twice about “compromise” being the watchword. Why? Because when education reformers negotiate with unions or others opposed to fundamental changes in K-12 education, often the only thing compromised is children’s education. Conversely, some of the best, most sustainable results come from those who are called “uncompromising.” A litany of examples demonstrates that intransigence in education reform isn’t a bad thing.

Education reformers were heartbroken in November when Indiana’s incumbent Tony Bennett lost his race for Superintendent of Public Instruction. But despite the unions’ successful effort to install a reform opponent, Indiana is likely to remain, as many have termed it, the “reformiest” state in the nation. That’s because Governor Mitch Daniels, Tony Bennett and many other reformers (all of whom were once called “uncompromising”) laid the legal groundwork to allow choice and accountability to flourish in Indiana.

There are good and bad education reform laws. The bad ones — often “compromise solutions” — make people feel good but do little to enhance choice or accountability in a state. Years ago, Indiana codified good measures into law, so despite Tony Bennett’s loss, schoolchildren will continue to benefit. To see what’s ahead, Indianans can look to Florida, which enacted holistic reforms in the late 1990s that yielded choice, accountability, funds for charters and a system for grading schools. These measures are now bearing fruit. Among many other positive results, recent studies show that Florida schoolchildren are reading better than students in other states, and other nations.

The education reform movement, however, will continue to lose ground if state legislatures keep enacting weak, watered down legislation. To wit: Pennsylvania, where everyone worshipped at the altar of compromise during their two year battle over school choice. What survived was almost worse than nothing — an extremely modest tax-credit funded scholarship program for a limited number of kids in failing schools that requires painstaking effort to raise money, rather than permit public funds to follow kids equitably to schools that fit them best.

Tennessee lawmakers passed legislation two years ago to expand the state’s charter program, but left control in the hands of school districts, which are notoriously anti-competition. Tennessee will eventually get what it needs — an expansion of groups authorized to approve charters — but for two years students have languished in bad schools while districts throw obstacles in the way of more school choices.

In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie called his 2012 teacher evaluation bill “historic,” and, while a step in the right direction, it was hardly groundbreaking. It supposedly “requires” school districts to tie evaluations to performance, but nothing in the law forces them to do so. Some have and will indeed use the law to move out ineffective teachers, but most won’t have the stomach. That doesn’t stop New Jersey lawmakers from patting themselves on the back, claiming to have “done” teacher quality legislation.

Another example: North Carolina had struggled under a mediocre charter law, which limited numbers and left power in the hands of an unfriendly state board. Legislators finally lifted the cap and basked in the praise, but prospective charters still must negotiate a cumbersome approval process and are often dismissed arbitrarily. As to fixing the problem, one lawmaker told me it was too hard because of “all we went through already.” That’s what you get with “compromise” legislation — lawmakers exhaust political will on a bad result. Fortunately for North Carolinians, 2013 will usher in a new crop of lawmakers who believe in expanded parental choice and options for kids. But despite the will, it will be a struggle with the powerful education establishment, the Blob.

The good news, as we look ahead to a new year, is that some of these states and their neighbors — all in the south — appear poised to show the rest of the nation the positive changes that can result from good legislation. In addition to North Carolina and Tennessee making necessary adjustments to their laws, lawmakers in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma plan to expand substantive choices offered to students and parents, as will elected officials in Mississippi and Alabama, who may also address fixing the teacher quality problem that plagues their states.

It won’t be easy. Teachers unions and their school district allies oppose fundamental education reforms. They have co-opted the language of reform, leading many observers to wrongly declare that the unions are coming along. But their definition of reform and compromise consists of supporting only toothless, ineffective measures that leave all the power in the hands of the traditional system’s adults. Lawmakers must be clear that when the status quo embraces reform measures, it is reform in name only. The two exemplars that did not compromise — Florida and Indiana — demonstrate that enacting substantive, structural education reform laws yields dramatic results.

When it comes to the gritty, detailed business of writing and enacting education reform laws, we must remember what is on the table when we sit down to negotiate — the ability of all children to get a good education, regardless of their race, income or zip code.

On that we should not compromise.