Daily Headlines for July 20, 2012
The Quiet Overturn of No Child Left Behind
Washington Post, DC, July 19, 2012
The boldest use of the waiver power, however, has come on the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). More than half of the states have been granted exemptions from the law’s requirement that all students be proficient in reading and math by 2014. When a law’s provisions are ignored in a majority of cases, it can properly be considered overturned.
Duncan: No Child Left Behind ‘Broken’
Washington Post Video, DC, July 20, 2012
Education Secretary Arne Duncan says No Child Left Behind forced many states to ‘dumb down’ educational standards. He also says many states are developing creative new approaches to education.
FROM THE STATES
CALIFORNIA
Novato Group Proposes New Charter School
Marin Independent Journal, CA, July 19, 2012
Less than a year after a popular Novato school lost its magnet status, some parents want to create a new charter school they say would offer more choice to families.
CONNECTICUT
Statewide Mastery Scores Improve, But Income Achievement Gap Persists
The Day, CT, July 20, 2012
State education officials touted improvements in several grade levels and subjects on the Connecticut Mastery Test scores released Thursday, but a statewide education advocacy group pointed out that efforts to close the achievement gap between students in wealthy and poor families have yielded only moderate success.
DELAWARE
Reading the Scores
News Journal, DE, July 20, 2012
About 10,000 more Delaware students achieved proficiency in reading in this year compared with last year, while about 9,000 more students scored proficient in math, according to statewide assessment results made public Thursday.
GEORGIA
State Freezes $10 Million In Federal Funds For Dougherty
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, July 19, 2012
The Georgia Department of Education has determined that the Dougherty County School District is not eligible to receive at least $10 million in federal funds because of concerns that the district has inflated the number of students who qualify for federal meal assistance.
ILLINOIS
Education Reform Now Puts Up New Radio Ad, Urging CTU And CPS To Reach New Contract That Ensures Longer School Day
Chicago Tribune, IL, July 19, 2012
An education reform group that earlier this year placed radio ads urging teachers not to take a strike vote put out a new ad on Thursday, asking Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Teachers Union to make sure the longer school day remains intact in a finalized teachers contract.
1983, 1984, 1987
Chicago Tribune, IL, July 20, 2012
The threat of a teachers strike grows by the day. On Wednesday, the Chicago Board of Education and the Chicago Teachers Union rejected arbitrator Edwin Benn’s proposals to break a contract impasse. The two sides have barely budged in months of talks, he wrote, describing the relationship as “toxic.”
INDIANA
Mike Pence Offers Bold Education Plan
Indianapolis Star, IN, July 19, 2012
Education reform at its best is about more than higher test scores and upticks in other data. More broadly and most fundamentally, it is about providing more opportunities in life for more students.
KANSAS
No Child Waiver OK, But Fix Law
Wichita Eagle, KS, July 20, 2012
Rest assured that the waiver Kansas received Thursday from the U.S. Department of Education is no white flag in the effort to teach children and improve schools in the state. But it will give Kansas some welcome control over how it fosters and tracks success.
LOUSIANA
Questions, Interest Building On Charter School Potential In Morehouse Parish
Bastrop Enterprise, LA, July 19, 2012
There will be two separate, but related public meetings tonight concerning a push – or at least inquiry – into converting public schools in Morehouse Parish into charter schools.
MASSACHUSETTS
338 Pupils Lost To School Choice
Worchester Telegram, MA, July 20, 2012
The city had a net loss of 338 students and almost $1.7 million through school choice during the most recent school year, the School Committee learned last night.
MICHIGAN
Teachers Rally Outside Detroit Public Schools Headquarters, Seek Bargaining Sessions
Detroit Free Press, MI, July 20, 2012
Teachers from Detroit and beyond rallied outside Detroit Public Schools headquarters Thursday while demanding Roy Roberts, the district’s emergency manager, bargain with them.
Many Michigan Urban High Schools Outperform Suburban Neighbors In Mackinac Center Study
Muskegon Chronicle, MI, July 19, 2012
Many of Michigan’s urban high schools are outperforming their suburban neighbors when their students’ socioeconomic issues taken into consideration, according to a Mackinac Center study.
NEW JERSEY
Senate Panel To Take Up Cerf’s Nomination As Education Commissioner
Star-Ledger, NJ, July 19, 2012
The Senate Judiciary Committee next week will consider Christopher Cerf’s qualifications to lead the state Department of Education, a job he has been doing for nearly two years with the word “acting” attached to his title.
NEW JERSEY
New Teacher Evals Harm Education
Newsday, NY, July 19, 2012
Teachers have been laid off throughout the United States [“Education reform’s long list,” News, July 12]. Class sizes will increase. Elective subjects will be cut in high schools in a large number of districts. Will these affect the quality of education? You bet they will.
State Rejects Asheville’s Eliada Charter School Initiative
Asheville Citizen-Times, NC, July 20, 2012
A state advisory council quashed an Eliada Homes initiative to start a charter school for local children with behavioral issues. Schools shocked by more cuts
Forsyth Leadership Charter School Wins Panel’s Recommendation
Winston-Salem Journal, NC, July 19, 2012
The N.C. State Board of Education will consider in September the application of the N.C. Leadership Academy , a charter school that would likely be located in eastern Forsyth County , school officials said Thursday.
School Charter Under Consideration
Jacksonville Daily News, NC, July 20, 2012
The Morehead City charter school is appealing the state’s decision not to renew its charter, and a hearing was held Thursday at the Carteret County Courthouse before Administrative Law Judge Don Overby.
OHIO
Cleveland School District Faces Big Challenge Passing 15-Mill Tax Increase, Some Councilmen Say
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, July 19, 2012
Taxpayers can’t quite wrap their heads around the 15-mill school tax the school board proposed Wednesday night, some Cleveland City Council members say, predicting the tax is likely to fail by a large margin.
OKLAHOMA
Schools Shocked By More Cuts
Tulsa World, OK, July 20, 2012
School administrators are reeling from news that they will receive less money to start the academic year because the Oklahoma State Department of Education is reserving more money for anticipated growth, namely at virtual schools and new charter schools.
PENNSYLVANIA
Nonprofit Offers $3.8 Million In Grants For Effective Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, July 20, 2012
The Philadelphia School Partnership announced Thursday that it had awarded $3.8 million in grants to support successful district, charter, and private schools.
Sto-Rox Board Agrees To Talk To Propel Charter Schools
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, July 20, 2012
In an about-face, the Sto-Rox school board Thursday postponed its vote on a revised application from Propel charter schools to start a K-12 school in McKees Rocks and instead created a committee to explore how the district could work cooperatively with Propel.
Philly Archdiocese Names Dual School Superintendents
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, July 20, 2012
Six months after the Archdiocese of Philadelphia began a restructuring that led to elementary school closings and mergers, as well as new financial support for its high schools, two longtime Catholic educators have been tapped to lead the schools.
Fell Charter Hopes To Remain Fixture In Community
Scranton Times-Tribune, PA, July 20, 2012
With a $6.5 million building project set to begin and a charter renewal in progress, Fell Charter School officials are hopeful that it will remain in the community for years to come.
Teachers’ Union Head Decries More Money For Charters
The Philadelphia Tribune, PA, July 19, 2012
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan wasted little time in blasting the School Reform Commission’s decision to expand its 2012–2013 school year charter school offerings in the face of an epic budgetary gap, approaching $300 million for the coming school year.
UTAH
Making Utah Education Truly Exceptional – Pay Teachers Differently
Desert News Blog, UT, July 19, 2012
I’m suspicious of any one-size-fits-all scheme for instituting performance pay, or using pay to address teacher shortfalls. Not only do I believe that competition fosters innovation; I also believe that needs and priorities differ from school district to school district.
WISCONSIN
School’s Out For Summer, But Not At Idea Charter School
Wausau Daily Herald, WI, July 19, 2012
Students enrolled at Idea Charter School have the opportunity to continue their studies over the summer. Some students are earning credit for next school year, and others are finishing project work from the current school year.
ONLINE SCHOOLS
Cyber Excess: Taxpayers Should Not Over-Fund Charter Schools
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, July 20, 2012
There is something very wrong with an education funding system that has public school districts chopping staff and ending programs while a publicly funded charter school is making so much money that it can pay millions to its spinoff companies.
Gillingham Approves Cutting Cyber School
Republican & Herald, PA, July 20, 2012
The Gillingham Charter School is cutting cyber school for the 2012-13 school year. During the board of trustees meeting Thursday, the board approved the decision for the same reasons stated during the work session July 11.
Make Online School A Smarter Choice
Indianapolis Star, IN, July 20, 2012
Gov. Mitch Daniels and Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett and a growing number of school corporations and charter schools recognize those situations. They correctly support online learning as part of the state’s education mix.