Daily Headlines for September 11, 2012
Chicago Teacher Strike Poses Test For Unions
Associated Press, September 11, 2012
The massive teacher strike in Chicago offers a high-profile test for the nation’s teacher unions, which have seen their political influence threatened as a growing reform movement seeks to expand charter schools, get private companies involved with failing schools and link teacher evaluations to student test scores.
Ohio Isn’t Alone When It Comes To School Funding Mistakes
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, September 10, 2012
After the Great Recession hit, far too many states took out their carving knives and quickly slashed school funding. Yes, in the face of declining state revenues, cuts had to be made, but it was shortsighted to balance the budget on the backs of schools — as a new report suggests many states did.
FROM THE STATES
ARKANSAS
Local Charter School Reports to Department of Education
KARK, AR, September 10, 2012
A charter school that was placed on probation reported to the Board of Education on Monday.
CALIFORNIA
Parent Trigger’ Obstructionism
Los Angeles Times, CA, September 10, 2012
The Adelanto Elementary School District has done everything it can to stymie the law and block improvements at Desert Trails Elementary.
LA Unified To Mull Crackdown On Charter Schools
Mercury News, CA, September 11, 2012
The Los Angeles Unified school board on Tuesday was set to consider a proposal to declare a moratorium on new charter schools and tighten oversight of existing ones in move that charter advocates call illegal.
Charter Amendments Could Change Chico Country Day School Board
Chico Enterprise-Record, CA, September 11, 2012
There could be some changes coming for the Chico Country Day School governing board if some amendments to the charter school’s bylaws are passed during Wednesday’s meeting.
State Education Report Calls For Sweeping Reforms In Teacher Evaluation
San Gabriel Valley Tribune, CA, September 10, 2012
The California Department of Education on Monday released a comprehensive new report calling for sweeping reforms in the way teachers are recruited, trained, mentored and evaluated.
Gov. Brown is AWOL on School Reform
San Diego Union-Tribune , CA, September 10, 2012
Senate President Darrell Steinberg is back at it. A year after Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed his bill that would have broadened the standards used to rate schools in the state’s official Academic Performance Index, the Sacramento Democrat has won passage of a new version of the bill. Steinberg made the measure more flexible and modest in hope of winning Brown’s blessing.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
D.C. Charter Schools Try To Simplify Application Process For Parents
Washington Post Blog, DC, September 10, 2012
The rise of charter schools means D.C. parents have more public education options than ever, but it can be overwhelming to navigate the system.
FLORIDA
Montessori Charter Schools Thriving in Lakeland
The Ledger, FL, September 10, 2012
Two Lakeland charter schools have been accepted as full members of the American Montessori Society and are working toward accreditation.
Charter Operators Won’t Say Where They Will Locate Schools In County
St. Augustine Record, FL, September 10, 2012
Say they offer choice that the county doesn’t. During meetings with three charter schools on Monday, St. Johns County school officials wanted to know what the schools could do better than the public schools.
GEORGIA
Half Of Georgians Favor Charter School Amendment, Survey Says
Florida Times Union, FL, September 11, 2012
Half of Georgia voters surveyed a week ago support changing the state constitution to allow Georgia to grant charters to schools begun by parents over the objections of local school boards.
Charter Amendment Advocates Present Their Case
Macon Telegraph, GA, September 11, 2012
Rep. Edward Lindsey, R-Atlanta, majority whip of the Georgia House of Representatives asked me if I would talk to the proponents of the upcoming constitutional amendment on charter schools and get their side of the story. This was after Mr. Lindsey and I had publicly crossed swords over the issue.
ILLINOIS
Charter Schools Remain Open During Strike
WBEZ, IL, September 10, 2012
Not all students were out of classes today.
For those at Chicago ’s 118 charter schools, it was just Monday as usual. Charter schools fall under the Chicago Public Schools system, but they do not hire teachers from the Chicago Teachers Union.
Job Security at Heart of 2 Stumbling Blocks
Chicago Tribune, IL, September 11, 2012
Two issues being cited as primary stumbling blocks to a Chicago teachers contract are a recall policy for teachers and a teacher evaluation system. Both affect job security for teachers and are part of larger efforts to overhaul schools in the city and nationally.
Charter, Parochial Schools Expect CPS Strike To Spark Interest
Crain’s Chicago Business, IL, September 10, 2012
While Chicago Teachers Union members and Chicago Public Schools officials stand their ground in a battle of wills over contract negotiations, charter and parochial schools say they have room for school-age children.
Chicago’s Teaching Moment
Wall Street Journal, September 11, 2012
Has Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel met Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker? If he hasn’t, we’d be glad to mediate a call. Chicago teachers went on strike Monday for the first time in 25 years, and Mr. Emanuel can help the cause of education reform nationwide if he shows some Walker-like gumption.
In Chicago , It’s a Mess, All Right
New York Times, NY, September 11, 2012
“This is going to be a hot, buttery mess.” So said Karen Lewis, the fiery president of the Chicago Teachers Union, when Mayor Rahm Emanuel named a new chief executive of the city’s sprawling school system, the third largest in the nation.
Students Are Victims In Chicago Fight Over Clout
Washington Post, DC, September 11, 2012
Keep the following numbers in mind for the next time a public-sector union official starts lecturing you about social justice.
The Chicago Teachers Strike In An Era Of Accountability
Christian Science Monitor, MA, September 10, 2012
The Chicago teachers strike isn’t only about pay and work hours. The union also opposes merit pay and stricter evaluation of teachers. The strike’s outcome will influence the future of a national movement for accountability of public school teachers.
Teachers Strike Heads Into Second Day
Chicago Tribune, IL, September 11, 2012
Talks between Chicago’s school board and the city’s striking teachers failed to produce an agreement Monday, leaving more than 350,000 children locked out of the classroom for a second day.
Don’t Cave, Mr. Mayor
Chicago Tribune, IL, September 11, 2012
Over the weekend, Chicago Public Schools leaders offered teachers a sweet deal that would make most workers in the city envious. Teachers stood to reap a remarkably generous16 percent raise over four years in a new contract. Guaranteed.
MARYLAND
FIT Member Defends Savings From School Choice Program
Ocean City Gazette, MD, September 11, 2012
While Fairness in Taxes member Vic Staniec deemed it the “hot topic of the day,” at a Friday, Sept. 7 meeting, mold discovered in Ocean City High School earlier in the week took a back seat to the school district’s School Choice program when it came to educational issues.
MASSACHUSETTS
City Schools Can’t Have Monopoly On Added Charter Dollars
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, September 11, 2012
The fact that the excessive enrollment projections of the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School will mean additional money for the city of Gloucester’s general fund, as reported in Saturday’s Times, is certain to spark debate over where that budgeted state money will go.
MICHIGAN
State Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons on Chicago Strike: ‘ Michigan Teachers Are Better Than That’
The Grand Rapids Press, MI, September 10, 2012
Adding teeth to Michigan ’s law preventing teachers from striking won’t be a topic in state House Education Committee meetings despite the walkout by 30,000 Chicago educators, the committee’s chairwoman said.
Arabic School Grows Steadily, Prepares To Expand To Jordan
Detroit News, MI, September 11, 2012
The charter schools were founded by Palestinian immigrant Mohamad Issa and his brother Said Issa in 1997 with 97 students. He said learning Arabic, in addition to the traditional core curriculum, will better enable students to compete in a global marketplace.
New Livingston County Charter School Taps At-Risk Student Pool
Livingston Daily Press & Argus, MI, September 11, 2012
From the outside, a building suite in the far corner of a Brighton Township industrial complex looks like it could be an office for the latest high-tech startup.
MISISSIPPI
Teachers, Administrators Divided Over Merit Pay
Hattiesburg American, MS, September 11, 2012
Oak Grove Upper Elementary fourth-grade math teacher Cindy Ricks says she and her fellow teachers put in a lot of extra time with students who need help with their work.
NEVADA
Nevadans Weigh ‘Parent Trigger’ Idea, Empowering Parents To Reform Failing Schools
Las Vegas Sun, NV, September 11, 2012
Fed-up parents who wish to turn around their child’s failing school may soon be able to pressure school boards to action, according to a new policy being considered by Nevada lawmakers and touted by an upcoming Hollywood movie.
NEW JERSEY
Ailing Public and Private Schools Consider Conversion to Charter
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, September 11, 2012
While option to convert to charter schools grows across nation, just one parochial school in NJ has applied
NEW YORK
State Panel Hears Educators’ Gripes About New Evaluations
Times Herald-Record, NY, September 11, 2012
New teacher evaluations are flawed, expensive and likely to make things worse — not better, a blue-ribbon commission heard Monday.
OHIO
Auditor: Release Report Cards
Columbus Dispatch, OH, September 11, 2012
Go ahead and publish the on-hold school report cards, state Auditor Dave Yost told state education officials yesterday.
PENNSYLVANIA
Commercial Touting Sto-Rox School District Debuts
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, September 11, 2012
The Sto-Rox School District is more than you know. That’s the message of a television commercial airing this week that was created by teachers, staff and students of the Sto-Rox district to counteract negative publicity the district has received and to encourage residents to send their children to the district’s schools rather than charter schools.
SRC Approves Bitter Pill For School District
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, September 11, 2012
IN WHAT ONE member calls “bitter medicine,” the School Reform Commission has approved a five-year financial plan for the school district to help deal with a $1.35 billion hole.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Educators Had Little Input In Legislation
Aberdeen News, SD, September 10, 2012
I was delighted to read the guest column about education reform in South Dakota , written by state Secretary of Education Melody Schopp, in the American News on Aug. 30. This is exactly the kind of dialog and explanation most of us have been looking for.
TENNESSEE
Great Hearts Leader Says $1,200 Donation From Parents ‘Optional’
The Tennessean, TN, September 11, 2012
A controversial charter school expected to be approved tonight by the Metro Nashville school board asks families in its Arizona schools to ante up a $1,200 gift, a separate $200 tax credit contribution, and a few hundred dollars in book and classroom fees.
TEXAS
Vouchers A Bad Bargain For Private Schools
Star-Telegram, TX, September 10, 2012
On Aug. 24, Texas Sen. Dan Patrick conducted a legislative hearing laying the groundwork for potential legislation to establish a private voucher program.
TLCA gets OK to Raise Enrollment to 1,125
San Angelo Standard Times, TX, September 10, 2012
Walt Landers, CEO and chancellor of the Texas Leadership Charter Academy in San Angelo , said the school will be able to accept at least some of the more than 100 students on its waiting list, thanks to an amendment to its charter.
UTAH
Hebrew Charter School Founder Looks to ‘Mormon Model’
Deseret News, UT, September 10, 2012
High school freshman Hayden Mankovitz comes home every day from his Plantation , Fla. , school “bubbling over” to share what he’s been learning about his family’s cultural heritage, according to his mom, Maxine Mankovitz.
Pleasant Grove Allows Schools To Sell Advertising Space
Daily Herald, UT, September 10, 2012
The leaders of Pleasant Grove have OK’d display banners advertising businesses on fences for charter and other public schools.’
VIRGINIA
Thousands Of Virginia Students Aren’t Required To Get An Education
Washington Post, DC, September 11, 2012
Nearly 7,000 Virginia children whose families have opted to keep them out of public school for religious reasons are not required to get an education, the only children in the country who do not have to prove they are being home-schooled or otherwise educated, according to a study.
WASHINGTON
Charter Schools Wrong For Our State
The Columbian, WA, September 10, 2012
The Columbian has editorialized in support of placing an initiative to allow charter schools in Washington state on the Nov. 6 ballot, stating that initiatives force action after the Legislature has refused to act.
ONLINE SCHOOLS
State Investigating Virtual Schools Provider K12
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, FL, September 11, 2012
The Florida Department of Education has launched an investigation of K12, the nation’s largest online educator, over allegations the company uses uncertified teachers and has asked employees to help cover up the practice.
Wolf Creek to Pursue Race To The Top Money
Marietta Times, OH, September 11, 2012
Wolf Creek Local Schools hopes to join with 19 other Ohio school districts for a shot at their share of millions of dollars in grant funding to help with dual enrollment and blended learning classes.