Daily Headlines for August 30, 2012
Schooling Obama
Wall Street Journal Video, August 29, 2012
President of the Center for Education Reform Jeanne Allen on the film “Won’t Back Down,” which was screened at the convention yesterday, and how Republicans can use the issue of education reform to their advantage.
Is It Bad If Charters Attract Private School Students?
Tacoma News Tribune, WA, August 30, 2012
When is good news bad news? When it doesn’t fit your politics. Example of the week? A RAND Corp. study (paid for by the libertarian Cato Institute) that discovered something that shouldn’t be surprising: Some students who enroll in public charter schools come from private schools.
Americans Look Down On Public Schools
Washington Examiner, DC, August 29, 2012
Americans think that public schools provide the worst education of any system in the country, according to a new Gallup survey.
Violating Parents’ Civil Rights
Victorville Daily Press, CA, August 29, 2012
The Wall Street Journal, in an editorial Tuesday, said education reform is the civil rights issue of our time, and in the United States , Adelanto’s Desert Trails Elementary School is at the center of the issue.
New Studies Highlight School Choice Successes
Daily Caller, DC, August 29, 2012
School choice supporters have new research to cite in support of their position. A paper released by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that children enrolled in charter schools enjoy lower truancy rates and higher test scores than their peers.
My View: Teachers Deserve Real Merit Pay
CNN Blog, August 30, 2012
After reading Diane Ravitch’s post on this blog, I felt compelled to respond. As a teacher with seven years in a special education and integrated co-teaching classroom in New York City , I have heard a variety of excuses as to why our schools are not performing at a higher, and more consistent level.
FROM THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
Battle Under Way Over California Teacher Evaluations
Sacramento Bee, CA, August 30, 2012
Months after a Los Angeles judge ruled that California ‘s largest school district was violating state law by failing to use student test scores in evaluating teachers, lawmakers are scrambling to rewrite the rules.
Los Altos School District and Bullis Charter School to Argue Cases Before Judge Patricia Lucas Thursday
Marin Independent Journal, CA, August 29, 2012
School is back in session and so is court for Bullis Charter School and the Los Altos School District .
COLORADO
Know Pitfalls When Comparing Schools
Denver Post, CO, August 30, 2012
Vincent Carroll has never visited the Mathematics and Science Leadership Academy (MSLA), yet in his column he made snap judgments on our progress after a quick review of standardized test scores. His column exemplifies a few cautionary pitfalls everyone should know when comparing schools.
FLORIDA
Miramar Charter School Closes; Teachers Lose Pay
Miami Herald, FL, August 29, 2012
Teachers at a Miramar charter school say they were denied their last month’s pay after the school district shut the troubled school down.
GEORGIA
Clayton School Chief Leaving
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, August 29, 2012
Clayton County’s school district found itself in familiar territory Wednesday: shopping for a new superintendent to lead the 50,000-student system.
Charter Resolution Short-Changes Public Schools
Cherokee Tribune, GA, August 30, 2012
Kudos to state Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Barge for his recent stance on the charter school amendment. As he correctly points out, House Resolution 1162 is just an attempt to create a dual school district — another layer of bureaucracy that is not needed in Georgia government.
ILLINOIS
Chicago Teachers Move Closer To Walkout
Chicago Tribune, IL, August 30, 2012
The Chicago Teachers Union filed a 10-day strike notice Wednesday that moved the city closer to its first teacher walkout in 25 years and left the district racing to finalize a plan if more than 402,000 students are locked out of the classroom.
INDIANA
Why Indiana ’s Private Schools May See A Shortage Of Space For Voucher Students
NPR StateImpact, IN, August 29, 2012
The Indiana Department of Education has issued more than 8,000 vouchers for students to attend private schools at the state’s expense. That’s twice as many as the IDOE issued last year, but only about half of the number available.
MASSACHUSETTS
Dispute With Teachers Shows Need For Ways To Fix Impasses
Boston Globe, MA, August 30, 2012
At this stage of a long and acrimonious struggle, the Boston school department and the public don’t need much from the Boston Teachers Union — just a reasonably priced contract that allows for a reliable way to evaluate teachers.
MICHIGAN
New Era Begins For Public Schools
Detroit News, MI, August 30, 2012
Principals and teachers in 15 Detroit schools are making final preparations for Tuesday’s launch of a statewide school district that will begin a new educational era in Michigan .
MINNESOTA
Harbor City Celebrates As State Rolls Out New School Rankings
Duluth News Tribune, MN, August 30, 2012
Student growth ratings released by the state today show a mixed bag for area efforts to close the achievement gap.
Minnesota Imposes New Labels On Schools
Star Tribune, MN, August 30, 2012
The full impact of Minnesota ‘s accountability system came into view Wednesday with the announcement of the final group of schools facing new labels and corrective actions.
NEW JERSEY
Camden Charter School Flouted Ban On Nepotism, State Says
Courier Post, NJ, August 30, 2012
D.U.E. Season Charter School in Camden violated state nepotism guidelines, according to findings announced Wednesday by the state Department of Education.
State OKs New ‘School Choice’ Programs at AHS
Messenger Press, NJ, August 29, 2012
The Upper Freehold Regional School District has won state approval to offer four new interdistrict school choice programs — three at the high school and one at the middle school — that in 2013-14 can collectively accept up to 78 nonresident students whose tuition will be paid by the state.
NEW YORK
New Success Charter Academy School Opens in Cobble Hill
New York Daily News, NY, August 29, 2012
For parents at a new charter school in Cobble Hill, the first week of class marks the the end of an ugly fight.
State Rejects Charter School Application for Kids of Illegal Chinese Immigrants
New York Daily News, NY, August 29, 2012
Applicant Lotus King Weiss says she’s been attacked due to controversial Falun Dafa beliefs that she wants to incorporate into the curriculum
PENNSYLVANIA
School Year In Pittsburgh Starts With The Shuffling Of Employees
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, August 30, 2012
Students in Pittsburgh Public Schools will see a lot of new faces when classes begin this week. About a third of last year’s school-based workforce in city school district has been furloughed, reassigned to a different school, retired or resigned.
2 More Schools Named To Scholarship Program
Reading Eagle, PA, August 30, 2012
Two more Berks County schools have been added to the list of schools eligible to accept students through the state’s new Opportunity Scholarship program, and the county’s first organization approved to manage the program has been announced.
Carbondale Area School District
Scranton Times-Tribune, PA, August 30, 2012
Board renews charter issue to Fell Charter school. After months of deliberation, board members voted to renew the charter for Fell Charter School .
SOUTH DAKOTA
S.D. Education Reform To Improve Student Achievement
Aberdeen News, SD, August 30, 2012
I read with interest Alan Neville’s column in the Aug. 14 issue of the Aberdeen American News. I am glad that Mr. Neville and others are discussing student achievement and ways that South Dakota can work to make educational outcomes better.
TENNESSEE
10 Memphis Charter Schools Outperform Neighborhood Schools, Study Finds
Commercial Appeal, TN, August 30, 2012
Ten charter schools in Memphis outperform traditional neighborhood schools, according to a Stanford University study that compares charter students to their “virtual twins” in other schools.
TEXAS
Dewhurst Declares Support for School Choice Legislation
KUT News, TX, August 29, 2012
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, throwing some red meat to conservatives after his bruising defeat at the hands of Tea Party darling Ted Cruz, has put private school vouchers and expanded “parental choice” back on the legislative agenda.
UTAH
Vouchers Confirmed, But Will Utah Get A Clue?
Daily Herald Blog, UT, August 30, 2012
Too bad so many Utahns stuck their heads in the sand in 2007 during the debate over school vouchers. New data from a study by Harvard University and the Brookings Institution released Wednesday conclusively show that school choice makes a huge, positive difference. Legislators take notice.
Voucher Study Should Make Us Scrub Off Old Assumptions
Deseret News, UT, August 30, 2012
We’ve been down this road before, you and I. Many times.
Private school vouchers is one of those immovable subjects, like religion or a discussion on whether auto racing really is a sport.
VERMONT
School Choice Option Gone for Monument
Bennington Banner, VT, August 29, 2012
Families residing within Molly Stark and Bennington Elementary school boundaries no longer have the option to request their child attend Monument Elementary after the town’s smallest school joined the ranks identified by the state as needing “school improvement.”
VIRGINIA
Virginia To Revise Student Achievement Goals
Washington Post, DC, August 29, 2012
Virginia intends to revise its new goals for student achievement in public schools, after state and federal officials agreed that those goals did not do enough to narrow the gap between students with the worst and best scores on annual state exams.
WISCONSIN
Big Changes Ahead
Herald Times Reporter, WI, August 29, 2012
Common Core State Standards, No Child Left Behind waiver, School Report Card, Smarter Balanced assessment – so many new terms referring to changes under way in the state’s education system.
ONLINE SCHOOLS
Board Approves 3 Cyberschool Contracts
Reading Eagle, PA, August 30, 2012
The Fleetwood Area School District unanimously approved three contracts for cyberschool services for the 2012-13 school year.
Virtual Classroom Lets Lynchburg School Grow
WSET, VA, August 29, 2012
A Lynchburg private school joined the world of online teaching this year. They now have interactive classrooms taught in real time. The Demon T. Doss Junior Academy is now in their second week using the program, and we got a sneak peak Wednesday.
Texas Should Improve Students’ Access To Online Public Education
Star-Telegram, TX, August 29, 2012
Everything is bigger in Texas — except parents’ ability to choose the educational option that works best for their child. While various public charter schools, including online schools, serve thousands of Texas students, more should be done to ensure that all families have the ability to enroll their children in the school that best fits their needs.