Daily Headlines: April 20, 2012
Education Reform Protests Pick Up Steam
Washington Post Blog, DC, April 20, 2012
In Texas, New York , Illinois and other states, protests by parents and educators are getting louder against school reform that insists on using standardized test scores as the basis for evaluating students, educators and schools.
FROM THE STATES
LAUSD’s Too-High Graduation Bar
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 20, 2012
The district’s policy requiring students to pass a college-prep curriculum to graduate was a product of magical thinking rather than wise educational leadership.
LAUSD School Board President Target of Recall
EGP New, CA, April 19, 2012
A campaign to recall Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education President Mónica García was formally launched last week, the Los Angeles City Clerk’s office has confirmed.
Malloy’s Education Consultant Arouses Union Fears
CT Post, CT, April 19, 2012
For months, Leeds Global Partners, a New York-based firm specializing in educational issues as “attractive investment opportunities,” has been closely involved in developing Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposed school reforms.
Newark Charter Expansion Approved
The News Journal, DE, April 20, 2012
The state board of education approved changes to three charter schools — including an expansion of Newark Charter School — but some board members expressed hesitation before they voted, saying they believe the process for vetting charter schools is unfair and flawed.
Real Challenge Is Getting School Parents Involved
The News Journal, DE, April 20, 2012
The state Board of Education did the right thing on Thursday by approving the Newark Charter School’s expansion request. By adding a high school, Newark Charter will be able to serve more students.
Sussex Academy Approved For High School Expansion
Cape Gazette, DE, April 19, 2012
The Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences received unanimous approval April 19 by the State Board of Education to add high school grades to its existing middle school.
D.C. Public School Students Headed For Year-Round Classes
Washington Examiner, DC, April 19, 2012
Kaya Henderson was named chancellor of DC Public Schools last November, but the school system truly became her own this week, when she stood beside Mayor Vincent Gray and described her vision and goals for the next five years.
Board Will Advise Against Charter Measure
Cherokee Tribune, GA, April 20, 2012
The Cherokee County School Board adopted a resolution opposing the constitutional amendment that would allow the state to create charter schools without local school board permission in a 4-2 vote Thursday night, despite some board members alleging the resolution contained “inflammatory” language and was “insulting” toward some groups.
State Tests Not Only Measure of Student Progress
Kane County Chronicle, IL, April 20, 2012
So, while the state tests’ results remain important in that they become newspaper headlines each fall, the St. Charles schools, along with other districts, have turned to other assessments to measure student achievement.
Spinning School Vouchers
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN, April 20, 2012
School Choice Indiana sent a news release this week boasting of $4.1 million in “redistributed savings” from the school voucher program.
Disclose the Details
Fort Wayne Gazette, IN, April 20, 2012
As Indiana closes out its academic year, the gaps in information about the nation’s most expansive voucher program are becoming clear. One is that the state won’t reveal which public school students are leaving and where they are going.
Private, Charter Schools Report Reading Scores
Herald Bulletin, IN, April 19, 2012
Like the public school districts in the state, public charter schools and some private schools had students taking the IREAD-3 test.
Perry Central, North Gibson Schools Received Teacher Incentive Money From State
Evansville Courier Press, IN, April 19, 2012
State education officials awarded $6 million in grants Thursday to schools implementing programs to reward teachers financially for achievement in the classroom.
Some Public Schools Advertising For Students
South Bend Tribune, IN, April 19, 2012
Some area public schools are spending taxpayer dollars to advertise their districts, via television, newspaper and the Internet, in a trend to cull new students.
Departure May Alter Oversight of Charter School
Des Moines Register, IA, April 20, 2012
The resignation of the director of Des Moines Public Charter School provides the school board an opportunity to take a more active role in the school, which has been surrounded by controversy, officials said.
Senate Rejects Crowe’s Bill
The Advocate, LA, April 20, 2012
By a 24-9 vote, the Senate wisely rejected a proposal to green-light anti-gay discrimination in state contracts, including those governing charter schools.
House Rejects Limit On Voucher Contributions
Shreveport Times, LA, April 20, 2012
The state should put no limit on the amount of money it’s willing to rebate to individuals and corporations that contribute to funding vouchers to attend private schools, says Rep. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge.
Attorney General Opinion Says Charter Schools Cannot Leave The State Teacher Retirement System, Scuttling Plans In Algiers
Times Picayune, LA, April 19, 2012
The attorney general’s office has issued an opinion saying the Louisiana Constitution blocks charter schools from leaving the state teacher retirement system, stripping the Algiers Charter Schools Association of a potential budget-balancing tactic. Controversy erupted among Algiers teachers last year when the cluster of schools moved to drop the state system in favor of a savings plan financed individually with an employer match.
Buena Vista School Board President: ‘We Are Not Going Charter’
Saginaw News, MI, April 19, 2012
While a Buena Vista High School junior said students were buzzing about the school going charter, the Board of Education said otherwise.
Charter School Closures
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, April 20, 2012
The first four charter schools in St. Louis opened in 2000. Now, 24 are operating in the city. This week, the Missouri Board of Education voted to close the six Imagine schools. Their expected closure would mean more than a third of charter schools that have opened in St. Louis have shut down. Here are schools that have closed:
Shuttering of Schools Is Daunting
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, April 20, 2012
As they move to close down a network of St. Louis charter schools over the next several weeks, state education officials face a task as monumental and complicated as dismantling an entire school district.
KC School Takeover Plans Move Ahead In Legislature
KMBC, MO, April 19, 2012
A plan permitting the state of Missouri to immediately take over the troubled Kansas City, Mo. , School District cleared a big hurdle Thursday. The measure passed the state Senate.
NJ Launches Evaluation Pilot for School Principals
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, April 20, 2012
A year into New Jersey’s teacher evaluation pilot, the Christie administration is moving on to the next job to go under the microscope: the school principal.
Hybrid School Plan Outlined
Courier Post, NJ, April 20, 2012
A draft request for proposals to apply for building and operating as many as four Hope Act Renaissance schools — a hybrid that blends some of the traits of charter and public schools — was presented to the board of education Thursday night.
City Teachers Reject Evaluations
Buffalo News, NY, April 20, 2012
A delegation of teachers from the Buffalo Public Schools voted overwhelmingly Thursday to reject a proposal for evaluating teacher performance at six troubled schools, and the president of their union vowed to hold the state responsible should it withhold funds to the district.
City Councilmembers Say Co-location Complaints Come to Them First
New York Times SchoolBook, April 19, 2012
The city’s common practice of putting multiple small schools under the same roof took a beating on Thursday, as City Council members lined up to complain about the fights over shared space that have broken out in their districts.
Charter Applicants Up To 3 In Durham
Durham Herald Sun, NC, April 20, 2012
With the addition of several applications posted this week, the number of groups looking to open Durham charter schools in 2013 grew to three. There are now 62 applications posted on the state Office of Charter Schools’ website, with 11 of those looking to open in Durham , Orange , Chatham or Granville counties.
Durham Public Schools Tackle Latino Challenge
News & Observer, NC, April 19, 2012
The weaknesses showed a need for more interpreters and bilingual counselors, teachers, front-office staff and homework helpers. The language barrier, they said, keeps some parents from advocating for their children and leaves some students more likely to be labeled special education students or be recruited by gangs.
CPS Busing Costs Go Up, Up, Ouch!
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, April 19, 2012
Districts throughout the country are dealing with increasing transportation costs as the national landscape shifts toward expanded school choice and as special education costs rise.
SRC Set To Shutter 3 Charter Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, April 20, 2012
FOR THE FIRST time in four years, the Philadelphia School Reform Commission Thursday night began the process of closing city charter schools.
Charter School Plan Being Reconfigured
The Daily Item, PA, April 19, 2012
A bid to develop a charter school in New Berlin is being postponed as organizers revamp plans to make the school available to families in other Valley school districts, including Selinsgrove and Lewisburg.
RI School Chief To Run Central Falls School Budget
WLNE-TV, RI, April 19, 2012
Rhode Island’s Education Commissioner has taken over financial decision-making in the Central Falls School District.
Long-Absent Patrick Henry Principal Resigns
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, April 20, 2012
Pamela L. Boyd, the beleaguered and long-absent principal of Richmond’s Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts, has resigned effective the end of June. She isn’t expected back in school before then, and leaders of the charter school are looking for a permanent replacement.
Coalition’s Education Road Map Earns A+
Spokesman Review, WA, April 20, 2012
The education system is like a massive aircraft carrier: difficult to turn around. But for those who have called for smarter policies, the current course is encouraging.
GW Students, Parents Protest Transfer Ban
Charleston Gazette, WV, April 19, 2012
George Washington High School students and parents turned out in full force at Thursday night’s school board meeting to protest Kanawha County’s new policy that bans out-of-area students from transferring to the South Hills high school.
3 Finalists For Seattle School Superintendent Are Low-Key Leaders
Seattle Times, WA, April 19, 2012
Three finalists for Seattle Public Schools superintendent were named Thursday: Jose L. Banda of Anaheim City School District in Southern California; Steven W. Enoch of San Ramon Valley Unified School District in Northern California; and Sandra L. Husk of Salem-Keizer School District in Oregon.
VIRTUAL EDUCATION
Virtual School Expanding To High School
Neighborhood Newspapers, GA, April 19, 2012
This school year, kindergarten through eighth-grade students were provided an option to pursue their education virtually, and now, the opportunity is being extended to high school students.
Wisconsin Rapids School District Loses 204 Students
Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, WI, April 20, 2012
An aging local population and a high number of people moving to other communities to find jobs are among the reasons the Wisconsin Rapids School District had one of the largest enrollment declines in the state, the district’s superintendent said.
Online Charter High School Proposed
KOBI 5, OR, April 19, 2012
Rogue River parents are proposing a second charter school for Oregon students … except with a twist: this one’s entirely online. Tonight, the school district board held a public hearing to discuss the proposal. At the meeting, proponents of an online charter school feel it could reach out to students for whom traditional education just doesn’t work.