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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

Teachers Unions Support Obama’s School Safety Initiatives
Washington Post Blog, DC, January 16, 2013
The nation’s two main teachers unions, representing about 4.5 million educators and school personnel, support Obama’s initiatives regarding school safety.

FROM THE STATES

ARKANSAS

School Choice Law Hits Appellate Court
KARK, AR, January 16, 2013
Arkansas’ school choice law is in the limelight in St. Louis. The 8th District Court of Appeals is hearing the case after a federal judge in Hot Springs declared the law unconstitutional.

CALIFORNIA

Help School Districts By Letting Them Raise Their Own Tax Revenue
Los Angeles Times, CA, January 16, 2013
To do so, the state Legislature would need to reduce the voter threshold needed for levying parcel taxes from two-thirds to 55%.

CONNECTICUT

4 New City Charter Schools Proposed
New Haven Independent, CT, January 16, 2013
After two more young men connected to his congregation died of gun violence, Rev. Eldren D. Morrison concluded the need for a new charter school in Dixwell and Newhallville had grown all the more urgent: “the need is between life and death.”

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. Principals, Georgetown Launch Leadership Program
Washington Post, DC, January 16, 2013
A group of 25 principals of D.C. public schools this week began a master’s-degree program at , part of an effort to improve the quality of leadership in the city’s schools.

D.C. Leads Nation In Strength Of Charter School Laws, Report Says
Washington Post, DC, January 16, 2013
The District leads the nation in terms of the strength of its public charter school laws and their implementation, according to a new report issued Wednesday by a national group that supports charter schools.

FLORIDA

State, Teachers Union Spar Over Merit Pay
Tallahassee Democrat, FL, January 17, 2013
After two hours of arguments, Judge John Cooper seemed certain of one thing: It will likely be up to an appellate judge or the state Supreme Court to decide ultimate fate of Florida’s law tying teacher pay to student test scores.

Proposed Clay Charter School Faces Denial
Florida Times Union, FL, January 16, 2013
A proposed performing arts charter school in Orange Park has failed for the second time to meet state application standards required to open, according to two reviews by Clay County school district officials.

GEORGIA

Dekalb School Board Tries To Hang On To Jobs
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, January 17, 2013
Members of the DeKalb County school board will ask the state school board Thursday to let them keep their jobs.

INDIANA

School Standards Divide Hoosiers
The Journal Gazette, IN, January 17, 2013
A divide over new national education standards hit the Indiana Senate on Wednesday, with the education panel hearing four hours of testimony criticizing and supporting the measure.

LOUISIANA

Muhammad: Charter Would Be ‘Damaging’
Monroe News Star, LA, January 17, 2013
Monroe City School Board President Verbon Muhammad believes that losing Neville High School to the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for oversight of its charter would be “further damaging” to the school district.

John White Scores 3.15 Of 4 In First Year As State Superintendent
Times-Picayune, LA, January 16, 2013
State Superintendent John White may push controversial programs, but he’s largely pleasing his bosses, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. White earned a preliminary score of 3.15 out of 4 on his first performance review Wednesday.

Activist Says Creationism Is Taught In 20 Louisiana Private Schools That Could Enroll Voucher Students
Times-Picayune, LA, January 16, 2013
Louisiana anti-creationism advocate Zack Kopplin has launched a national database of 300 schools that are partly publicly funded and teach creationism, the belief that all living organisms originate from divine creation, as in the biblical account. The site,creationistvouchers.com, lists 20 such schools in Louisiana.

Time To Reform Public Schools
The Daily Advertiser, LA, January 17, 2013
It looks like the school voucher program is going to be declared unconstitutional.

MARYLAND

Charter Evaluation A Flawed Measure Of Baltimore Montessori’s Success
Baltimore Sun, MD, January 16, 2013
I am writing to share one perspective on the charter renewal process and provide more information about Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School (“Panel urges cutting ties to 6 schools,” Jan. 11). We set out to offer a personalized approach to teaching and learning for kids in Baltimore. How? By embracing the whole child, providing inspiring and challenging work within a very diverse and supportive community.

MASSACHUSSETTS

Charter Students Join New Schools
Boston Globe, MA, January 17, 2013
In the wake of last week’s closing of the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School, more than 20 teachers received pink slips, while parents scrambled to find new schools for their children.

Sturgis Charter School Holds Lottery For Next Year
Bourne Courier, MA, January 16, 2013
Sturgis Charter Public School selected 180 9th graders for the 2013-14 school year in a lottery last week. The school received 563 Grade 9 applications, an increase of 35 percent over the previous year.

Achievement Gap Plan Includes “Hard Work”
North Adams Transcript, MA, January 17, 2013
The school district’s efforts to close its achievement gap is being handled in an egalitarian manner: Everyone in each building, from students on up, must work harder, officials say.

MICHIGAN

Judge To Hear Arguments In Dispute Between DPS, Emergency Financial Manager
Detroit News, MI, January 17, 2013
A judge will hear oral arguments Feb. 20 in a dispute between the Detroit school board and Emergency Financial Manager Roy Roberts over control of academics and finances in the state’s largest district.

Snyder’s Education Push Puts Spotlight On Lansing Schools
Lansing State Journal, MI, January 17, 2013
If Lansing educators thought they dodged a bullet when an education reform measure died last month in the Legislature, Gov. Rick Snyder gave them new reason Wednesday to be worried.

MINNESOTA

Minnesota Schools Still Separate, Still Unequal
Twin City Daily Planet, MN, January 16, 2013
Minnesota was the first state in the nation to allow charter schools in 1991. While still technically public schools, charter schools are only subject to a selection of the rules and regulations that apply to most public schools.

MISSISSIPPI

Miss. Senate Approves Expanded Charter School Bill
Sun Herald, MS, January 16, 2013
A bill to expand charter schools in Mississippi easily cleared the Senate on Wednesday, and attention shifts to the House for the second year.

Charter Schools Pass Senate
Desoto Times, MS, January 17, 2013
Charter school legislation passed the Mississippi Senate Wednesday 31-17, with one DeSoto County state senator voting for it and the other against it.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

State Board Of Education Panel Reaffirms No New Charter School Dollars Available
Union Leader, NH, January 17, 2013
The chairman of the state Board of Education on Wednesday reaffirmed the board’s ban on approving any new charter schools in New Hampshire until the Legislature provides additional funding.

Academy For Science And Design Charter Renewed For Five Years
Nashua Telegraph, NH, January 17, 2013
Students and staff at the Academy of Science and Design can breathe easier, after the state Board of Education voted to renew its charter for another five years.

NEW MEXICO

School Choice Improves Educational Outcomes
Las Cruces Sun-News, NM, January 17, 2013
School Choice Week is right around the corner. This year’s celebration includes a special cross-country “whistle stop” train tour with stops in 14 cities from coast-to-coast, including Albuquerque. Our celebration takes place on Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Albuquerque Museum in Old Town. More information is available on the Rio Grande Foundation’s website. Please come out to support school choice in New Mexico!

NEW YORK

Deadline Imminent For City Teacher Evaluation System
NY 1, NY, January 1, 2013
Today is the deadline for the city to figure out how to rate its school teachers, but as of last night there is still no deal in place between the city Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers.

A Stubborn Union Blocks Reform
New York Daily News, NY, January 17, 2013
If Gov. Cuomo makes good on his promise, New York City schools will forfeit hundreds of millions of dollars in state aid Friday — all because the United Federation of Teachers and the Department of Education will have failed by Thursday’s midnight deadline to agree to a plan to evaluate teachers on student performance and other important measures.

Teachers Union President Michael Mulgrew Is About To Cost The City Millions In State Aid
New York Daily News, NY, January 17, 2013
With hours to go before Gov. Cuomo’s deadline for school districts and their unions to negotiate and have approved rigorous teacher evaluation systems, talks between the city and the United Federation of Teachers are dead in the water.

20% Or More Bad Teachers Clustered At 14 Brooklyn Schools, Study Finds
New York Daily News, NY, January 16, 2013
They’re the unfortunate 14 — Brooklyn public schools with 20% or more bad teachers.

School Bus Strike In New York City Enters 2nd Day
Associated Press, January 17, 2013
A standoff between striking school bus drivers and aides looking for job protections and a city administration that says they just can’t have it has the potential to go on for some time, observers said, as parents scrambled for a second day to figure out alternatives for tens of thousands of students who need to get to school.

OHIO

School Reformer Backs Kasich’s Efforts
Columbus Dispatch, OH, January 17, 2013
A national education leader who has the ears of Gov. John Kasich and other Ohio GOP leaders says the state’s education system has improved, and she hopes this year to help push additional reforms through the General Assembly.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma City Public Schools Officials Outline Reasons For Rejecting Charter Schools
The Oklahoman, OK, January 17, 2013
Oklahoma City Public Schools officials have announced why two charter school applications were rejected. The school district’s attorney declined to release the information after the board voted to decline the applications.

PENNSLYVANIA

Hard-Hit Districts Push Back Against Charter Schools
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA, January 17, 2013
Western Pennsylvania school districts that are losing students and money to charter schools are fighting back.

Recovery Chief Says Merger Not An Option For Duquesne
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA, January 17, 2013
A merger of Duquesne City School District with a neighboring district is no longer being considered, state-appointed chief recovery officer Paul B. Long told a forum on Wednesday.

Pittsburgh Public Schools Recommends Granting Hazelwood Charter School Request
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, January 16, 2013
A Pittsburgh Public Schools review committee has recommended the school board grant a request from Propel Schools to open a charter in Hazelwood this fall, but it is not clear the board would agree when it votes Jan. 23.

Championship Academy Plan Draws Criticism From City Schools Administration
The York Dispatch, PA, January 17, 2013
Championship Academy of Distinction had the second half of its hearing with the York City School Board on Wednesday. The hearing was the board’s last chance to ask questions of founder Cynthia Dotson, who wants to create a fitness and sports-themed charter school based at the YWCA.

TENNESSEE

Rejected Memphis Charter School Operators Plead Their Cases To The State
Commercial Appeal, TN, January 16, 2013
Charter school operators previously rejected by the Unified Shelby County Schools board took their cases to the state Wednesday, explaining why they are qualified to run schools and why the local decision to deny the charters should be overturned.

Giving Students Attending Failing School More Charter School Options Is Key, No Matter Who Approves Charters
Commercial Appeal, TN, January 17, 2013
It looks like the Tennessee General Assembly this session will consider legislation challenging the ability of local school boards to manage their own affairs.

TEXAS

Area School Districts Opposed To Vouchers
Weatherford Democrat, TX, January 17, 2013
As superintendents and school board presidents representing the Aledo, Azle, Brock, Garner, Millsap, Paradise, Peaster, Poolville, Santo, Springtown, and Weatherford independent school districts we know that our public schools are under attack.

ONLINE LEARNING

Cheboygan Area Schools Starting Virtual School In Late January
Cheboygan News, MI, January 17, 2013
Cheboygan Area Schools is taking a preemptive step in the future of education, announcing plans for a virtual school that will begin serving students later in January.

‘Flipped Classroom’ Offers One Solution To Homework Overload
Beacon News, IL, January 16, 2013
Everyone hates homework. Students complain about doing it, teachers hate correcting it, and parents feel helpless when they lack the expertise to help with it.

Colorado Virtual Academy Answers Tough Questions on Operations, Academic Performance
KUNC, CO, January 17, 2013
Officials at Colorado Virtual Academy were in the hot seat Wednesday night as the school’s authorizing district questioned everything from its academic performance to its relationship with the for-profit management company, K12 Inc.

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

How To Get High School Dropouts Into ‘Recovery’? Ideas Bloom Across US.
Christian Science Monitor, MA, January 15, 2013
Innovative programs across the US are finding some success in reengaging high school dropouts. They strive to target ‘disconnected’ youths – those not in school and not working, who are a costly burden for taxpayers.

FROM THE STATES

ARKANSAS

Big Week For School Choice
Arkansas Times, AR, January 16, 2013
Arkansas’s public school system could be upended by events this week.

CALIFORNIA

First Success For ‘Parent Trigger’ Shouldn’t Be The Last
Orange County Register, CA, January 15, 2013
In recent days, these pages have given repeated attention to a disheartening new report from the education group StudentsFirst, which identified California as a national laggard in education reform.

L.A. Unified To Overhaul Struggling Crenshaw High
Los Angeles Times, CA, January 16, 2013
Calling Crenshaw the worst in L.A. Unified, Supt. John Deasy gets the green light to turn the landmark campus into three magnet schools.

Hebrew-English Charter School In Van Nuys Approved By LAUSD
Las Angeles Daily News, CA, January 15, 2013
A proposed Hebrew-English charter school in Van Nuys won the approval Tuesday of the LAUSD board, which also OK’d the renewal of two landmark charters and the conditional approval of a third.

California Charter Schools Grow At Fastest U.S. Rate
Huffington Post, January 15, 2013
California leads the nation in both the growth and overall number of charter schools, according to a study by the Washington-based National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

COLORADO

Several School Districts In Colorado Pushing For Rigor In Science
Denver Post, CO, January 16, 2013
Come this fall, a new initiative to increase the rigor of science and math education will start by changing the sequence of classes students take.

CONNECTICUT

State Teacher Evaluations To Cost Darien Time And Money
Darien Daily Voice, CT, January 16, 2013
New state mandated teacher evaluations are expected to significantly increase the amount of time Darien school administrators devote to evaluating teachers. Darien is also considering spending $80,000 to help transition to the new system.

FLORIDA

Legal Challenge To The Teacher Merit-Pay Law Starts Today
Tallahassee Democrat, FL, January 16, 2013
In 2011, Gov. Rick Scott chose a landmark education bill tying teacher pay to student performance as the first he would sign as governor.

GEORGIA

Parent Trigger Bill Another Avenue For Charter Schools; BOE Chair Kelley Skeptical Of Proposal
Douglas County Sentinel, GA, January 16, 2013
A Republican legislator said he plans to introduce a bill in the General Assembly that will let parents who aren’t satisfied with their child’s school petition the local school board to convert the school into a charter school.

INDIANA

We Can’t Vouch For This Expansion Plan
Northwest Times, IN, January 16, 2013
Legislation to expand eligibility for school vouchers in Indiana needs to be scrapped, at least for now. Those vouchers allow many Hoosier families who otherwise can’t afford a private school to have that school choice option.

State Senator Proposes To Rein In National Common Core Education Standards
Evansville Courier & Press, IN, January 15, 2013
A Republican state senator wants to pull Indiana schools off a set of national education standards that he said are a “step backward for Indiana.”

IOWA

Governor Lays Groundwork For Ed Reform Talk
Globe Gazette, IA, January 16, 2013
On the heels of a report card giving Iowa an “F” for its state education policy, Iowans got a taste Tuesday of the education talking points they’ll hear during this legislative session.

LOUISIANA

Ascension Board Denies Charter Application
The Advocate, LA, January 16, 2013
The Ascension Parish School Board on Tuesday rejected the application of a charter school that hoped to open in the parish for the 2013-14 school year.

Orleans Parish School Board, RSD launch OneApp program
The Advocate, LA, January 16, 2013
The unified enrollment application known as OneApp was launched Tuesday by the Recovery School District and the Orleans Parish School Board in an effort to continue streamlining the process for families deciding where to send their children for the 2013-2014 school year.

Jindal Gains Victory As Court Puts Hold On Voucher Block In Tangipahoa
The Times-Picayune, LA, January 15, 2013
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s school voucher overhaul racked up a victory Monday when a panel of appellate court judges granted to stay a federal district court judge’s ruling to block the program’s implementation in Tangipahoa Parish.

MARYLAND

Holding Charter Schools Accountable
Baltimore Sun, MD, January 15, 2013
Improved review process for Baltimore City weeds out unsuccessful experiments while still encouraging innovation

MASSACHUSETTS

$2.5B School Aid Plan Outlined By Governor Patrick
Boston Globe, MA, January 16, 2013
Governor Deval Patrick proposed Tuesday to sharply increase spending on public education by more than $2.5 billion over the next four years, an investment he said was critical to the state’s social and economic future.

Newburyport Charter School Buys Local Building With Help From Mass Development Bond
Boston Globe, MA, January 15, 2013
Newburyport’s River Valley Charter School now owns the 36,000 square foot building it has been leasing for over a decade.

MICHIGAN

At This Late Stage, Detroit Schools’ Leaders Are Still In Conflict
Detroit News, MI, January 16, 2013
For many months now, in my board-appointed capacity as interim superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools, I’ve been working hard to follow a judge’s order to collaborate with Emergency Financial Manager Roy Roberts in administering the school district.

MISSISSIPPI

Senate Committee Approves Charter School Bill
Hattiesburg American, MS, January 15, 2013
Legislation to expand charter schools in Mississippi is once again moving forward, with the state Senate Education Committee approving Senate Bill 2189 on a split vote Tuesday.

Nonprofit Vs. For-Profit Debate Could Be Sticking Point In House
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, January 16, 2013
As the charter schools debate moves to the forefront of legislative agendas this week, one little-discussed issue will be key to codifying support in the House for a bill the Senate will accept.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Derry Charter School Leadership In Place
Union Leader, NH, January 15, 2013
When Derry’s new alternative charter high school opens next September at the Gilbert H. Hood Middle School, current district middle school assistant principals Justin Krieger and Joe Crawford will be the full-time co-directors of the school.

NEW JERSEY

East Brunswick Township Council Blocks Charter School Move; Hatikvah Threatens Lawsuit
Asbury Park Press, NJ, January 15, 2013
In the wake of the Township Council’s reversal on Monday of a variance granted this summer by the Zoning Board, Hatikvah International Charter School said that it plans to file a lawsuit against the township to fulfill its plans to move and expand.

NEW YORK

School’s Twist on Going Private
Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2013
A Vermont town’s plan to close its only public grade school and reopen it as a private academy puts an unusual twist on efforts by parents and residents nationwide to seize more control of educational opportunities.

Former Urban Choice Leader Starting Another Charter
Rochester City Newspaper, NY, January 15, 2013
Figuring out how to improve student performance in the city’s schools is arguably the biggest challenge facing Rochester. Like many cities across the country, Rochester has pursued multiple avenues to increase student achievement with little success.

Teacher-Eval Talks Bog Down
New York Post, NY, January 16, 2013
City officials and the teachers union yesterday spent crucial negotiating time for a deal on a new teacher-evaluation system bickering over whether an independent mediator was needed.

District, Union Reach Deal On Teacher-Evaluation Plan
Buffalo News, NY, January 16, 2013
The Buffalo teachers union and district officials reached an agreement on a teacher-evaluation plan Tuesday night at the union’s Porter Avenue headquarters – likely staving off the loss of $33.4 million in state aid at nearly the last minute.

In Speech, Quinn Spells Out Education Platform
Wall Street Journal Blog, January 15, 2013
City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, a top Democratic contender in this year’s mayoral race, generally aligned her education platform with the policies of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in a speech Tuesday, saying the city needs to build on a “foundation” that is already in place.

OKLAHOMA

Gates Foundation Study About Teacher Effectiveness A Must Read For Policymakers
The Oklahoman, OK, January 16, 2013
AS Oklahoma continues its journey toward improving evaluations for teachers, policymakers should pay attention to the results of a new nationwide study on determining educator effectiveness.

Make Superintendent Appointive? Don’t Forget Labor, Insurance Posts
The Oklahoman, OK, January 16, 2013
STATE Sen. Susan Paddack ran for the office of state schools superintendent in 2010. She lost. Now Paddack, D-Ada, says there’s no reason for the job to be political in nature. She’s filed a bill seeking to make the position appointive.

PENNSYLVANIA

School District Of Lancaster Eyes Charter School
Lancaster New Era, PA, January 15, 2013
Supporters and opponents of a charter school proposed for Lancaster city painted starkly different pictures of the school during a hearing before the School District of Lancaster board Tuesday night.

TENNESSEE

Schools That Take Vouchers Must Be Accountable
The Tennessean, TN, January 16, 2013
Gov. Bill Haslam surprised the world at an education forum Monday, committing to school voucher legislation. Earlier, he had indicated that would not be part of his legislative agenda.

School Vouchers May Help, But Won’t Solve Larger Problem
Leaf Chronicle, TN, January 16, 2013
We were surprised to learn Gov. Bill Haslam has decided to come forward with a proposal on school vouchers in his State of the State address Jan. 28. Haslam has been saying he was undecided on the issue, and did not foresee making it part of his legislative agenda this year.

TEXAS

School Trial Turns To Efficiency
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TX, January 15, 2013
The sweeping case challenging how the state helps pay for Texas schoolchildren’s education entered a new phase Tuesday, now focusing on “efficiency” with testimony from a Mansfield mother who home-schooled her fifth-grader for a year because there was no space at a local charter school.

Travis Heights Will Be Austin District’s First Home-Grown Charter School
Austin American-Statesman, TX, January 15, 2013
Such lessons will be routine next school year once Travis Heights becomes the Austin school district’s second full-scale in-district charter school.

VIRGINIA

Teacher Pay Plan Would Cost Districts
Suffolk News Herald, VA, January 15, 2013
Suffolk’s public schools superintendent appears supportive of much of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s 2013 education agenda, but he is lukewarm on plans for a partially state-funded raise for some teachers.

VERMONT

Vt. School Boards, Officials Propose Reform
Barre Montpelier Times Argus, VT, January 16, 2013
Some of Vermont’s top educators called Tuesday for an overhaul of the state’s education system, saying one is needed to ensure children are ready to compete globally.

WASHINGTON

Tests, Observers, Kids = Fair Teacher Evaluations
Bellingham Herald, WA, January 16, 2013
Just as Washington’s school districts are gearing up to adopt new teacher evaluation systems, along comes an authoritative mega-study that spells out how to get it right. The project – funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – is an exceptional piece of science.

Seattle Teacher Protests Over MAP Tests Counterproductive
Seattle Times, WA, January 15, 2013
A testing boycott by teachers at two Seattle schools taps into anger over standardized tests but stops short of offering solutions.

WEST VIRGINIA

A Consensus Begins On School Reform
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, January 16, 2013
No one is happy with the public school system in West Virginia. Taxpayers give a larger portion of their meager incomes to education than residents of all but a handful of states, but our schools are near the bottom in academic achievement.

Teachers Union Wary Of Shifting Control
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, January 16, 2013
The head of West Virginia’s largest teachers union is wary of education reform plans that involve shifting more control to regional bodies.

WYOMING

Wyoming Senate Amends, Advances Education Superintendent Bill
Star Tribune, WY, January 15, 2013
The Wyoming Senate restored some duties to the state schools superintendent as it advanced a bill revamping how the state Department of Education is run.

ONLINE LEARNING

Fighting the Long Battle for a Virginia Virtual School
Bacons Rebellion, VA, January 15, 2013
Del. Dickie Bell, R-Staunton, knows he faces an up-hill climb creating a public online alternative to local school districts in Virginia, but he’s not giving up. The challenges are many. The educational establishment doesn’t like any idea that would turn schooling over to private-sector contractors.

Virtual Charter Schools Out Of Bill
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, January 16, 2013
Virtual charter schools would not be allowed in Mississippi under a bill that passed the Senate Education Committee Tuesday.

Funding Of Virtual Schools A Concern For Superintendent
Woodward News, OK, January 16, 2013
Woodward Superintendent Tim Merchant expressed concern with the allocation of state money to virtual private schools during his report at Monday’s Board of Education meeting.

Colorado Virtual Academy’s District Charter in Jeopardy
KUMC, CO, January 15, 2013
The future of the state’s largest virtual K-12 school may be in jeopardy. With its charter set to expire later this year, Colorado Virtual Academy needs to find an authorizer, or shut down over the summer.

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

ARKANSAS

6 Charter Schools Approved by ADE
KARK, AR, January 14, 2013
Arkansas Education is changing with the times and ready to integrate new ways of learning. The State Board of Education approved six charter school applications, including three that will be new technology schools.

CONNECTICUT

Budget Cuts Forcing Charter Schools To Take Hard Look At Their Future
Hartford Courant, CT, January 14, 2013
Less than a year ago, the future looked bright for charter schools in Connecticut, with a promise of support from the governor and the General Assembly’s commitment of additional funding for each of the next three years.

Charter School Push Fails Math Test
Stamford Advocate, CT, January 14, 2013
Even if charter schools did a measurably better job of educating students than traditional public schools (they don’t).

Writer Exaggerates Success Rate Of Charter Schools
Waterbury Republican-American, CT, January 14, 2013
This is in response to Jennifer Alexander’s Jan. 12 letter, “School choice is solving many of state’s problems,” which was written in response to The Sunday Republican’s Jan. 6 editorial “A solution to border-jumping.” Ms. Alexander’s opening statement described public schools quite well except for of the reference to the ZIP code!

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Businesses And Charter Schools Work Together
Washington Times, DC, January 14, 2013
Public education has changed dramatically in the District of Columbia since Congress temporarily awarded responsibility for it to a federal control board 16 years ago.

Report Says D.C. School Closures Unlikely To Save Much Money In 2013-14 School Year
Washington Post, DC, January 15, 2013
D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s proposal to close 20 underenrolled schools appears unlikely to produce substantial savings next year, according to a report scheduled for release Tuesday by the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization.

FLORIDA

Pines Parents Voice Concern Over Charter Schools’ Finances
Sun Sentinel, FL, January 14, 2013
Sun Sentinel — Pembroke Pines charter school parents showed up in full force Monday night to voice their concerns about the financial instability of the city-run charter system.

ILLINOIS

Patriots Charter Eager For Space At Jackson School In Rockford
Rockford Register Star, IL, January 15, 2013
Next year, she hopes to have her own classroom space. And she will if the charter school finalizes a deal with the Rockford School District to buy Jackson Elementary School, which closed after the 2010-11 school year.

IOWA

NCLB Requirements Costing Sioux City School District $300K Per Year
Sioux City Journal, IA, January 14, 2013
The Sioux City school district could free up more than $300,000 in funding if students can meet No Child Left Behind proficiency requirements for the second year in a row.

$187 Million Education Reform Plan Focuses On Teacher Career Paths
Des Moines Register, IA, January 15, 2013
Resistance to the use of student achievement data in teacher evaluations and concerns that new career pathways could mean higher numbers of students in classrooms are among the hurdles facing Gov. Terry Branstad’s education proposal, which will cost $187 million annually within five years.

KANSAS

Charter-School Prospect Advances
The Hutchinson News, KS, January 14, 2013
The odds the now-closed Mount Hope school building could reopen this fall as a K-though-12 charter school rose Monday, but officials made no commitment.

LOUISIANA

Lycée Français Parents Express Concerns Amid Continuing Reports Of Mismanagement
Times-Picayune, LA, January 14, 2013
State-appointed consultants to the French charter school Lycée Français listened to the concerns of parents and teachers Monday night out of the hearing of the charter school’s board, which has come under fire for micromanagement and mismanagement.

White Proposes Teacher Evaluation Changes
Monroe News Star, LA, January 14, 2013
Louisiana’s new teacher evaluation system is designed to be tough, says Superintendent of Education John White, but it needs a little tweaking so a few more teachers can make it into the “Highly Effective” category.

Panel: State Likely To Win Appeal
The Advocate, LA, January 15, 2013
The Louisiana Department of Education’s claim that a federal judge lacked authority to halt the state’s voucher program in Tangipahoa Parish is likely to succeed on appeal, a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday.

MAINE

Better No Charter Schools Than Poor Ones
Kennebec Journal, ME, January 15, 2013
Charter school proponents, including this newspaper, always make the point that charter schools are public schools. When they work best, they are places that can strike a spark with students who are not learning in a traditional environment.

MARYLAND

Teachers Get Bonuses In Some Schools With Lower Suspension Rates
Baltimore Sun. MD, January 14, 2013
The Baltimore school system is paying bonuses to teachers and administrators at struggling schools that reduce suspensions, drawing criticism from union leaders who say the program could provide a financial incentive to ignore problems and jeopardize school safety.

MASSACHUSETTS

New Bedford Mayor Urges State To Reject Charter School Application
South Coast Today, MA, January 15, 2013
Mayor Jon Mitchell is urging the state to turn down the application of a Roxbury-based charter school seeking to open a similar high school in New Bedford, arguing that the new school’s costs far outweigh its benefits.

MICHIGAN

Edge Given To Charter Students
Detroit News, MI, January 15, 2013
A report released Monday by an independent analyst of charter schools shows charter school students in Michigan and Detroit are out-learning their public school counterparts.

Jackson Community College Trustees Told Proposed Charter School Would Be Separatist And Divisive
Jackson City Patriot, MI, January 15, 2013
A majority of those who spoke to Jackson Community College trustees on Monday said a new charter school JCC is being asked to authorize would be separatist and divisive.

NEVADA

State Board Of Education Sworn In, Begins Work On Reforms
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV, January 14, 2013
Nevada’s newly constituted State Board of Education, including Elaine Wynn, director of Wynn Resorts since 2000, was sworn into office Monday and immediately got down to work on Gov. Brian Sandoval’s ambitious education reform agenda.

NEW YORK

Catholic Schools Await More Closing Bells
New York Times, NY, January 15, 2013
But now, Holy Cross is one of 28 elementary schools being considered for closing this year by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.

Catholic Schools Await More Closing Bells
New York Times, NY, January 15, 2013
But now, Holy Cross is one of 28 elementary schools being considered for closing this year by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.

NORTH CAROLINA

Durham School Board Seeks Understanding With Charter Schools
Durham News, NC, January 15, 2013
With up to 11 new charter schools possibly coming to Durham County in the next two years, the school board wants to improve cooperation between charter schools and traditional public schools.

MCA High School Approved By State Board Of Education
Mount Airy News, NC, January 15, 2013
The North Carolina State Board of Education has approved Millennium Charter Academy’s application to expand its charter to include grades 9-12. A little more than three months ago, MCA’s Board of Directors approved the application to expand the academy to teach grades K-12.

OHIO

Teachers’ Pay Might Be Linked To Quality, Kasich Says
Columbus Dispatch, OH, January 15, 2013
Schools could tie teachers’ pay incentives to their performance as part of Gov. John Kasich’s yet-to-be-unveiled funding formula, the Republican governor said yesterday.

Law Allows Principals To Skip Being Teachers
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, January 14, 2013
When Gilbert A. Dater High School teacher Terri Wessel heard the school’s new assistant principal didn’t have a traditional license, she was nervous.

PENNSYLVANIA

Bethlehem Area School District Facing $8.19 Million Preliminary Budget Deficit In 2013-14
Lehigh Express Times, PA, January 14, 2013
Faccinetto emphasized that charter schools are offering services the district itself cannot afford, such as full-day kindergarten for all, and using tax dollars to advertise on televisions and billboards.

Pain For Gain In School Plan
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, January 15, 2013
After hearing from students, parents, teachers, and community leaders during an extensive listening tour, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. released a detailed plan for the future of Philadelphia’s schools last week. The plan sets out the goal of improving academic results for all students while emphasizing that making the district financially stable is a necessary step on the path to accomplishing that goal.

SOUTH CAROLINA

SC Charter School District Seeking More Money
The State, SC, January 15, 2013
The superintendent of the statewide charter school district says he needs at least $12 million just to keep up with the system’s growing student population.

TENNESSEE

Charter Schools Face Backlash In Inner Cities For Trying To Change Culture
Commercial Appeal, TN, January 14, 2013
Cornerstone Preparatory School, a startup charter school chosen to turn around low-performing Lester School, a semester later sits in an uneasy alliance with the Binghamton families it serves.

Gov. Haslam Will Push Education Vouchers For Tennessee
Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN, January 14, 2013
Gov. Bill Haslam said today he plans to push a limited education voucher bill this year that would apply to the state’s poorest children in Tennessee’s worst-performing schools.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush In Nashville To Push School Choice
The Tennessean, TN, January 15, 2013
Former Florida governor speaks at education forum in Nashville; Gov. Haslam promises change on teacher pay, voucher plan

VIRGINIA

Virginia Superintendents Want More Say In Education
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, January 15, 2013
Virginia’s school superintendents have issued a challenge to state politicians and educational leaders that they promise will lead to better-educated students: Ask them what works.

WEST VIRGINIA

School Reform Is a Necessity
The Intelligencer, WV, January 15, 2013
But on another pressing issue, education reform, money is not the challenge. We’re already spending plenty on public schools.

Tomblin Targets Education In Address
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, January 15, 2013
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin made public his thoughts on education reform during his Monday inaugural address. The address – otherwise thin on policy – hit several themes that could form the core of an education package the governor is expected to present to the Legislature next month.

WYOMING

Wyoming Senate Passes Education Reform Bill
WNCT, WY, January 14, 2013
The full Wyoming Senate on Monday gave preliminary approval to a sweeping education reform bill that would drastically reduce the administrative role of state’s top public schools official.

ONLINE LEARNING

DV Board Concerned With Cyber School
News Eagle, PA, January 14, 2013
The Delaware Valley School District held their board meeting on Thursday January 10th in the Administrative Offices. One of the topics discussed, funding the PA Cyber Charter School and other for-profit organizations, became well heated as Jack Fisher, along with a few other board members, shared their concerns.

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Michelle Rhee, the Education Celebrity Who Rocketed From Obscurity to Oprah
Washington Post, DC, January 12, 2013
Rhee has created a political organization, StudentsFirst, that gives her a national platform. In just six years, she has rocketed from obscurity to the kind of fame that turns heads at the airport.

Can the Catholic Schools Be Saved?
New York Times, NY, January 14, 2013
Re “Catholic Education, in Need of Salvation” (Op-Ed, Jan. 7): Patrick J. McCloskey and Joseph Claude Harris are of course right that finances and personnel are two troubling challenges that confront Catholic education today.

No Child Left Behind, Act II
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, January 14, 2013
ELEVEN YEARS have passed since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 – popularly known as NCLB – was signed into law. NCLB mandates increased accountability for school performance, gives states and communities freedom in the use of Title I funding, targets federal funds to proven education programs and methods, and provides options to parents when schools do not meet standards.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Grading Teachers: Accountability Needed
San Diego Union Tribune, CA, January 12, 2013
Year after year, San Diego’s students are failing to learn and San Diego’s teachers are not being held accountable.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Charter Schools And Their Expulsion Policies
Washington Post, DC, January 11, 2013
Regarding the Jan. 6 front-page article “Expulsion rate higher for charter students”: Discipline policies must be reexamined and overhauled. Charter schools don’t expel too many students; public schools expel too few.

FLORIDA

Ease Charter-School Push
Palm Beach Post, FL, January 12, 2013
After making a big deal of lending his ears to a “listening tour” on education Gov. Rick Scott is giving lip service to seeking more money next year for Florida’s public schools. Doing so will be even more important — and more expensive. As The Post’s John Kennedy reported, public school enrollment is up nearly 30,000 and is projected to rise more than 20,000 next year.

GEORGIA

If The Numbers Really Could Be This Good …
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA, January 13, 2013
Good teachers are probably the most valuable public asset in any culture, especially this one. We insist on believing that for the most part, our pool of public school educators consists of dedicated, hard-working professionals.

Race To Top Education Funds Used To Give Teachers Easier Access To Student Data
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, January 13, 2013
Georgia is using part of its federal Race to the Top education grant to expand a statewide computer system that gives teachers years worth of information about their students at the click of a button.

State Board Considers Fate Of School Board Thursday
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, January 13, 2013
The state Board of Education will hold a hearing Thursday on the fate of the fractious DeKalb school board, which was the subject of a devastating critique by the district’s accreditation agency.

HAWAII

Teachers To Rally For Bill Their Union Doesn’t Support
Hawaii News Now, HI, January 13, 2013
Teachers who organized the so-called “work to the rule” protests that spread to schools statewide are planning a rally at the State Capitol this week for legislation that the teachers’ union says it does not support.

IDAHO

A Framework At Last For Collaboration For Education Reform
Idaho Statesman, ID, January 13, 2013
Gov. Butch Otter set the stage for a new-and-improved process for education reform in his State of the State address last week. But there’s something that he didn’t mention: Tom Luna’s name — the person who is supposed to be the guiding light for public education in Idaho.

ILLINOIS

No More Don’ts
Chicago Tribune, IL, January 14, 2013
The blue ribbon commission that’s supposed to help Chicago Public Schools decide how and where to close underused schools produced a long list of “don’ts” last week.

INDIANA

Ball State Reviews Charter Schools, Some Could Close
Northwest Times, IN, January 14, 2013
As Ball State University reviews the charters of 20 schools across the state, including eight local charter schools, some are concerned how many of them might close.

Bill On Teachers’ Union Dues Another Attack
Journal Gazette, IN, January 14, 2013
After the results of the November election, teachers across the state came to me to express their hope that members of the General Assembly would move forward and focus on bringing jobs to our state and improving our economy.

IOWA

Groups Looking At Iowa’s Education System Are Tasked With Change
Muscatine Journal, IA, January 13, 2013
Gov. Terry Branstad will again attempt to push a wide-ranging education reform package through a politically divided Statehouse, this time offering higher pay and different career paths for teachers.

KANSAS

Wasserstrom Award Honors Founder of Alta Vista Charter School
Kansas City Star, KS, January 13, 2013
Surgery kept Gilbert Guerrero from personally receiving the 23rd Evelyn Wasserstrom Award on Sunday afternoon. It did not stop others from praising his work.

LOUISIANA

BESE To Look At Changes For Evaluating Teachers
The Advocate, LA, January 14, 2013
Louisiana’s top school board is about to consider several changes in the state’s new method for evaluating public school teachers, including one that would make it easier for new teachers to land job security.

MAINE

Lepage’s Anti-Public School Bias Is Showing
Press Herald, ME, January 14, 2013
The governor continues to berate work done in Maine’s schools, but claims he’s pro-student.

MICHIGAN

Discussions for Charter School That Would Give High School Diploma and Associates Degree
Fox 47, MI, January 13, 2013
A school that would put others to shame; the Jackson Community College is discussing starting a charter school that would increase the quality of education in the area. Students would graduate with not only a high school diploma, but an associates degree as well.

MISSISSIPPI

Is Florida The Model? Mississippi’s Leaders Take A Cue From The Sunshine State
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, MS, January 13, 2013
Today’s stories examine education reform in Florida, which Mississippi political leaders are citing as a model for this state to emulate. Next month’s installment will look at efforts to improve literacy in Mississippi.

NEBRASKA

Teacher Candidates In Nebraska Face New Test
Omaha World-Herald, NE, January 12, 2013
The Omaha North High School graduate will attempt to pass a test of basic skills this month to enter the teacher preparation program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

NEW JERSEY

Kids Should Grade Teachers As Part Of Evaluations
Star Ledger, NJ, January 13, 2013
Nobody knows a teacher better than the students in his class. They see him every day. But should their opinions be included as part of his evaluation?

NEW MEXICO

Call for School Reform Gets Louder, Broader
Albuquerque Journal, NM, January 12, 2013
That dismal prognosis comes from someone who might be expected to defend the status quo of our education system — the woman in charge of the state’s largest institution of higher learning, the more than 30,000-student Central New Mexico Community College.

NEW YORK

New Success Academy Charter School Headed By Eva Moskowitz To Open In The Bronx With Little Parent Say
New York Daily News, NY, January 14, 2013
A controversial charter school network aggressively expanding under founder Eva Moskowitz is slated to add a third school in the Bronx this September with little parent feedback.

Gifted, Talented and Separated
New York Times, NY, January 13, 2013
IT is just a metal door with three windows, the kind meant to keep the clamor of an elementary school hallway from piercing a classroom’s quiet. Other than paint the color of bubble gum, it is unremarkable.

Most Local Districts Get OK On Teacher-Evaluation Plan
Times Herald Record, NY, January 14, 2013
Only two mid-Hudson school districts have yet to get state approval of their teacher evaluation system before the deadline Thursday.

NORTH CAROLINA

Charter School Not Needed For Tech Training
Daily Advance, NC, January 13, 2013
Not everyone can or wants to attend a four-year university. In addition, business and industry have changing needs that increasingly are not being met by the graduates of four-year colleges and universities. For those reasons, it’s critical that state policymakers ensure strong educational opportunities are available for students pursuing careers requiring a trade or skill.

OHIO

Students Lost To Charters Cost Canton Schools $7.25 Million A Year
Canton Repository, OH, January 13, 2013
As cuts in state education funds and lower property taxes result in less money for school budgets, Canton City Schools administrators would like to see fewer dollars leaving with students from their schools and ending up in the hands of private charter schools.

Ohio Students Brace For Perfect Storm Of Reform
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, January 14, 2013
This year marks the beginning of sweeping changes in the way Ohio students learn.

Kasich’s Turn For School Reform
Columbus Dispatch, OH, January 13, 2013
Gov. John Kasich soon will become the fourth-straight Ohio governor to propose sweeping changes for financing public schools and improving student performance.

Teacher Evaluations To Be More Detailed Under New Standards
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, January 12, 2013
It’s a dramatic departure for the state from a culture of having virtually all teachers receiving a good rating almost by default and with little commentary. By next school year, each teacher will be rated based on students’ academic growth, usually measured on standardized tests, and on how teachers do in the classroom observations.

OKLAHOMA

School Seeks To Save Cherokee Language
Muskogee Daily Phoenix, OK, January 14, 2013
Cherokee is spoken, heard, written and read in each classroom of this school which goes from pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade. Charts show South American countries, planets, parts of the body and the Pledge of Allegiance in letters from the Cherokee syllabary.

Oklahoma City School District Should Consider Union Head’s Critique
The Oklahoman, OK, January 14, 2013
FOR the past several years, state policymakers have made education a major focus. In Oklahoma City, officials have worked to improve the local district for far longer, including initiatives such as MAPS For Kids.

PENNSYLVANIA

Catasauqua Board Says Medical Academy Doesn’t Deliver, But Charter School Says Give Us Time
Allentown Morning Call, PA, January 12, 2013
Now, Catasauqua Area School District, which granted the charter in February, is worried the school that opened in the fall is more placebo than miracle pill.

TENNESSEE

State, Not School Boards May Soon Approve Charter Schools In Tennessee
The Commercial Appeal, TN, January 14, 2013
Local school boards in Tennessee decide which charter schools will open and close. That could all change this year with an effort taking shape in Nashville to give the power to an independent group, with state jurisdiction.

Vouchers Will Hurt Public Schools
The Tennessean, TN, January 13, 2013
The Tennessee legislature opened a new session this past week amid intense speculation over possible legislative initiatives. Many challenges are facing our legislators in this coming session, but none is more important than continuing to improve our children’s education by supporting our local public schools.

TEXAS

Lawmaker Seeks Charter School Reform
Reporter News, TX, January 14, 2013
The new head of the Texas Senate’s education committee said it’s too difficult for the state to close down poorly performing charter schools, but more charter schools should be allowed to open.

Educators Propose New ‘School Choice’ Plan
Longview News Journal, TX, January 14, 2013
The idea of school choice, wrapped up as it is in debate over a plan for private-school vouchers and a trial over how Texas finances its public schools, has become an emotional one in the months leading up to the 83rd Legislature that convened a week ago.

Waco Charter School To Expand Programs, Enrollment With Federal Award
Waco Tribune, TX, January 14, 2013
Harmony Science Academy-Waco is poised to grow in programs and enrollment because of a federal award and general support from the community.

Wall Street Gang Now Offer Education Choices
Austin American-Statesman, TX, January 13, 2013
About a quarter of the kids in the San Antonio Independent School District attend charter schools. Most are the low-income, minority students we think about when we imagine providing innovative opportunities for kids stuck in failing public schools in bad neighborhoods. For a long time, school reform has targeted only kids from poor families. You know, the lucky ones who get those free lunches.

VIRGINIA

Teach for Virginia
Washington Post, DC, January 13, 2013
MORE THAN 300 of Virginia’s best and brightest college graduates are on today’s front lines of bringing quality education to disadvantaged students, teaching in hard-to-staff schools as part of the innovative Teach for America (TFA) program.

Charter Schools Are Not The Answer
News Leader, VA, January 12, 2013
Gov. Bob McDonnell needs to go back to school. His ever-present partiality for pushing charter schools is in overdrive in his last year in office, and his plans to improve Virginia schools actually stand a very good chance of pushing them even further back.

Educators Struggle To Combat Dropout Rate Disparities
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, January 14, 2013
Black students account for a disproportionate percentage of dropouts in the Henrico County school system.

WASHINGTON

Let Charter Schools Start Without Court Fights
Spokesman Review, WA, January 12, 2013
Charter school proponents were turned back by voters in 1996, 2000 and 2004, but they finally reached the summit in November. Initiative 1240 clears the way for up to 40 charter schools to be established in the next five years.

Washington State Teachers Union Should Not Sue Over New Charter-School Law
Seattle Times, WA, January 11, 2013
Contrary to The Seattle Times editorial [“Union should drop suit to block charters,” Opinion, Jan. 9], I support the Washington Education Association and any organization that challenges the constitutionality of the charter-school initiative recently adopted by Washington citizens.

WEST VIRGINIA

Statehouse Beat: Education Reform May Take Shape
Charleston Gazette, WV, January 13, 2013
If there was any doubt about Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin pursuing significant public education reform during the upcoming regular session — which we should hear a good bit about in his inaugural address Monday — House Speaker Rick Thompson’s reference to public education being “on the brink of an overhaul” should have removed all doubt.

WISCONSIN

Performance, Competition Driving Factors In Future Teacher Pay
The Oshkosh Northwestern, WI, January 12, 2013
Emerging performance-based pay scales and competition for skilled teachers could drive educators’ salaries upward, especially for those in highly specialized programs.

ONLINE LEARNING

Backer Of Virtual Charter Schools Defends Independence
Portland Press Herald, ME, January 12, 2013
But the leader of the Charter School Commission says doubts about oversight led to rejections of two applications this week.

Virtual School Principal Logs In
The Recorder, MA, January 14, 2013
From his desk at the Massachusetts Virtual Academy office on Davis Street, Carl Tillona looked out across the large room at four teachers, each of whom wore headphones and spread out at tables with laptops, communicating lesson plans virtually with students and parents.

Parents Choose Cyber Schools Because They Are Filling Needs
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, January 13, 2013
The Jan. 8 Perspectives piece by Adam Schott (“Time Out on Cyber Charters”) highlights an important issue in public education but is an incomplete and misleading summary of Pennsylvania cyber education.

Families Try Out ‘Virtual’ Public Schools
San Antonio Express, TX, January 11, 2013
Worried about exposure to foul language, immodest dress, peer pressure and other inappropriate behavior, Susan Brown didn’t want her two daughters attending public schools — even though she’s a substitute teacher in a public school in Minnesota.

@School, @Home: Waterloo Students Go Online To Get An Education At Home
Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA, January 13, 2013
Katlyn Lawless has a dedicated space in her bedroom for school work.
The 17-year-old sits at a desk in a corner, working through online lessons on a computer. The self-paced curriculum allows Lawless to decide when and how long to study — as well as the environment in which she works. “Sometimes I’ll have the TV on, or I’ll play music on my iPad, or I’ll lay on my bed,” she said.

Springfield’s Online Course Offerings Win Back Students
Register-Guard, OR, January 14, 2013
Mason, who is a quick study, gets to set his own pace because he’s studying online, taking advantage of the opportunity for virtual education, thanks to a new program offered by the Springfield School District.

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

Op-Ed: To Close The Achievement Gap, Don’t Lower The Bar
NPR, January 11, 2013
Florida and Virginia adopted new academic standards for students based on race and ability — refocusing attention on the U.S. achievement gap. In a piece in the Miami Herald, syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts argues that lowering the bar is not the way to fix the education system.

Who Teaches Matters
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, January 11, 2013
A new study by the Gates Foundation merely confirms what was already known: Good teachers make a difference.

Teacher Test
Chicago Tribune, IL, January 11, 2013
For years, educators have argued about the best ways to grade teachers’ performance in the classroom. Some skeptics doubted it was possible to fairly evaluate teachers, partly because some teachers had brighter students while others faced classes filled with struggling kids.

Researcher Tears Apart Gates Foundation Teacher Evaluation Study
StateImpact Florida, FL, January 10, 2013
Greene says the foundation’s conclusions were based on the politics of convincing teachers and school districts of the merits of evaluations, and not data. He takes particular aim at classroom observations, which he says the Gates data shows do not improve evaluations:

Taking Stock on the Anniversary of ‘No Child Left Behind’
Huffington Post, January 10, 2013
This week marks the 11th anniversary of the signing of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001 — the “No Child Left Behind” Act. The legislation is due to be reauthorized, although there is little movement on Capitol Hill toward making this happen any time soon.

The Case for a Teacher Bar Exam
The Atlantic, January 10, 2013
Like law and medical schools, education schools shouldn’t be able to survive if fewer than half their students can pass a rigorous professional exam.

FROM THE STATES

ARIZONA

More Regulations On Purchasing Opposed By State Charter Schools
Arizona Daily Star, AZ, January 11, 2013
Arizona charter school officials say they don’t want the state to impose more regulations on how the mostly privately operated schools buy goods and services with taxpayer dollars, and the state board says no changes are in the works.

East Valley Families Seek School Options Through Open Enrollment
East Valley Tribune, AZ, January 10, 2013
Rachel Cesta spent part of this week turning in charter school applications for her children.

CALIFORNIA

Gov. Brown Joins School Reform Debate – Finally
San Diego Union Tribune, CA, January 11, 2013
For two years, Gov. Jerry Brown has ducked the school reform debate. Yes, in 2011, he got headlines after mocking the trendiness of some reformers. But even as President Barack Obama urged Democratic governors to adopt policies that focused on teacher quality, Brown has stayed mum beyond espousing a vague belief that local control is better than dictates handed down from afar.

FLORIDA

Lee County Is The No. 1 Place In The State For Charter Schools
News Press, FL, January 11, 2013
That’s according to the Washington D.C.-based Center for School Options, which rated Lee County as the top school district for charter school access compared to the state’s 10 largest counties in 2011.

District Audit Panel Suggests Tighter Controls On Charter Schools’ Student Attendance Reporting
Palm Beach Post, FL, January 10, 2013
The Palm Beach County School District needs to develop better controls over how charter schools take and report student attendance, district audit committee members said Thursday.

Hofman Leaves University To Help Start Miami Charter School
Miami Herald, FL, January 11, 2013
Rich Hofman, the first baseball coach in Florida prep history to win 1,000 games, said Thursday he has left Broward County’s University School to help start a new co-educational charter school in Miami.

Pines To Hold Charter School Town Hall
Sun Sentinel, FL, January 11, 2013
Stakeholders in the city’s charter school system are rallying together Monday to beg the state Legislature for money.

INDIANA

Proposed Bill Cuts Wait To Buy Vacant Schools
The Journal Gazette, IN, January 10, 2013
Legislators on Wednesday considered lessening the effect of a law that has stymied the sale of several area school buildings.

KENTUCKY

Lawmakers Not Optimistic About Charter School Bill
Tri State, KY, January 10, 2013
A scaled-down version of a controversial bill to allow charter schools in Kentucky is returning to the General Assembly this year, but supporters and opponents say it has little chance of winning approval.

LOUISIANA

Study Gives State F For Achievement
The Advocate, LA, January 11, 2013
Louisiana got an F for public education achievement Thursday for the third consecutive year in an annual study done by Education Week magazine.

MAINE

LePage’s Charges On Charters Off The Charts
Portland Press Herald, ME, January 11, 2013
He loves to rant and rant and rant about what’s wrong with Maine schools.
If only Gov. Paul LePage would put the same energy into doing his homework.

MARYLAND

City Recommends Severing Ties With Operators Of Six Schools
The Baltimore Sun, MD, January 10, 2013
Baltimore school officials recommended Thursday severing ties with independent operators of six schools after a months-long review of more than two dozen diverse programs.

MASSACHUSETTS

South Boston Charter School Proud Of Its Record
Boston Globe, MA, January 11, 2013
A MORE accurate headline for the Jan. 3 Metro article “Departures at South Boston charter school raise concerns” would have been “Former Gavin Middle School students excel at new in-district charter school.”

MICHIGAN

Judge To Decide If 7 DPS At-Large Members Should Be Removed
Detroit News, MI, January 11, 2013
A judge said Thursday he will issue a decision by mail on whether seven members of the Detroit school board are holding office illegally and should be removed.

Michigan Scores Sixth In Studentsfirst Report Cards
Detroit News, MI, January 11, 2013
StudentsFirst released our inaugural state policy report cards this week that provide a snapshot of where each state stands on important education reform issues that put the needs of students first.

MISSOURI

New Missouri System Raises The Bar For School District Performance
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, January 11, 2013
A new rating system for Missouri’s school districts will intensify pressure on low-performing school districts to improve, while exposing even the best schools to new scrutiny from parents and the public.

NEW MEXICO

Candidates Debate Achievement Gap
Albuquerque Journal, NM, January 11, 2013
The achievement gap and charter schools were flash points Thursday at a forum for candidates running for the school board.

NEW YORK

Report Links Poor Schools, Teachers
Wall Street Journal, January 11, 2013
Poor and minority students in New York City are more likely to be taught by failing teachers than other students, an analysis by an education advocacy group found.

Cuomo’s School Reforms Lauded, But Funding Source Questioned
Journal News, NY, January 11, 2013
Few education officials and advocates object to the sweeping schools agenda Gov. Andrew Cuomo presented Wednesday in his State of the State address — but many wonder how he’ll pay for it.

NORTH CAROLINA

Wake Schools Criticize State GOP Education Measures
News & Observer, NC, January 10, 2013
Education reforms passed last year by the Republican-led state legislature that would issue a letter grade to every school and end social promotion are drawing complaints from the state’s largest school system.

OHIO

Ohio’s Public Schools Rate 12th In U.S. With B- Grade
Columbus Dispatch, OH, January 11, 2013
Ohio’s public school system earned a better grade on the nation’s report card this year, but the state’s rank — fifth in the nation three years ago — fell to 12th.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Fair Evaluation Of Teachers A Clear And Present Educational Need
Charleston Post Courier, SC, January 11, 2013
You don’t need an education degree to know that the better a teacher, the better the classroom results. And you don’t need to be an avid observer of modern educational controversies to know that the ongoing push for broader “teacher evaluation” is generating resistance from many of those who would be judged — and possibly fired — on that basis.

TENNESSEE

Vouchers Don’t Get To Root Of Problem
Daily News Journal, TN, January 10, 2013
The concept of education vouchers in Tennessee seems quite simple on the face. Take children out of failing schools and send them somewhere else, either to a private school or better public school.

Rose Park Rises As Popular School Choice Heading Into Lottery
The Tennessean, TN, January 10, 2013
Almost every part of the Metro Nashville school choice lottery is different this year, including the addition of a new magnet school to the list of students’ favorites.

VIRGINIA

Superintendent Hopes Charter Schools Wouldn’t Take Funding from Public Schools
WHSV, VA, January 10, 2013
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said he’d like to bring more charter schools to the state and those schools would help educate low-income children.

WISCONSIN

Invest in MPS, Not Voucher and Charter
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, January 10, 2013
In his Jan. 6 column, Alan J. Borsuk says that a new vision for education in Milwaukee is needed to get beyond the stale and failed answers of the past. He is right.

Ex-Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald To Lobby For School Choice Group
Journal Sentinel Blog, WI, January 10, 2013
Then-Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald was coy about his plans when asked last summer what he would do if he lost his bid for the U.S. Senate.

ONLINE LEARNING

‘Facebook Meets The Classroom’
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, January 11, 2013
North College Hill, a district of mostly low-income students, is wading into a national educational trend called blended learning, which marries traditional classroom instruction with online learning and assignments.

Lakeview Learning Goes Virtual
Battle Creek Enquirer, MI, January 10, 2013
That somewhat annoying little tool is but one feature of edmodo, a website some Lakeview High School teachers have integrated into their classrooms to better engage students, allow students to do more work from home, do a little college prep, encourage more collaboration and maybe even save the school some money .

Oklahoma Mid-Year Aid Allocations At For-Profit Online Schools Questioned
Tulsa World, OK, January 11, 2013
The annual process of adjusting schools’ state aid allocations mid-year has brought more disappointment than relief, even in Tulsa’s fastest-growing suburbs.

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

Schools Get Taste of Own Medicine
Wall Street Journal, January 10, 2013
Schools long have graded students. Now they are being graded themselves, as a growing number of states assign them A-to-F scores to evaluate their performance.

FROM THE STATES

ARIZONA

Charter Schools Want Purchasing Policies To Stand
Arizona Republic, AZ, January 10, 2013
The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools will not change its school procurement policies after school officials told the board Wednesday that they like having more flexibility than district schools when making purchases.

CALIFORNIA

Charter School Advocacy Group Endorse LAUSD School Board Candidates
KPCC, CA, January 9, 2013
The Coalition for School Reform –an advocate for charter schools– has picked its horses in the three Los Angeles Unified school board races. It’s placing its bets on Monica Garcia in District 2, Kate Anderson in District 4, and Antonio Sanchez in District 6.

CONNECTICUT

Schools Sought in Bridgeport, Stamford, Danbury
CT Post, CT, January 9, 2013
Two Bridgeport ministers, including one who serves on the city’s school board, are among two dozen people interested in running state-funded charter schools.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. Charter Board Proposes Closing Imagine Southeast For Poor Performance
Washington Post Blog, DC, January 9, 2013
The D.C. Public Charter School Board is proposing to shutter a Ward 8 school for poor performance and will vote on the measure Thursday night.

GEORGIA

Gainesville School Board Mulls Proposal To Join Charter Systems Group
Gainesville Times, GA, January 10, 2013
A group headed by a former state lawmaker is attempting to rally charter school systems throughout the state to band together under one flag to share ideas and petition legislators.

INDIANA

Bill Would Expand School Vouchers
Post Tribune, IN, January 9, 2013
A bill proposed in the state Senate would make it easier for the siblings of a student attending private school through a voucher system to be approved for a voucher as well.

Might Let The Courts Finish First On Gay Marriage, School Vouchers
Journal and Courier, IN, January 10, 2013
Some legislators seem determined to press forward on two controversial issues — a gay marriage ban and Indiana’s school voucher program — even as the high courts weigh matters that could change the landscape on both.

KANSAS

Education Deans, KSDE To Meet On Teacher Prep Programs
Kansas City Kansan, KS, January 10, 2013
Officials at the Kansas State Department of Education will meet in March with deans from various schools of education to discuss a recent report calling for big changes in the way colleges prepare new teachers for entering the profession.

KENTUCKY

Kentucky Charter School Bill Returns To Legislature, Unlikely To Pass In 2013
Louisville Courier-Journal, KY, January 10, 2013
A scaled-down version of a controversial bill to allow charter schools in Kentucky is returning to the General Assembly this year, but supporters and opponents say it has little chance of winning approval in the House.

LOUISIANA

School Choice Offers Quality Education To Poor
Opelousas Daily World, LA, January 10, 2013
Politicians are quick to talk about equal opportunity — especially when it comes to our children.

MAINE

LePage To Charter School Commission Members: ‘Please Go Away’
Bangor Daily News, ME, January 10, 2013
Gov. Paul LePage on Wednesday called on the members of Maine’s charter school commission to resign, a day after the seven-member panel rejected four out of five applications for new charter schools.

Paths Forward Tough For Both Winners And Losers In Charter School Decisions
Bangor Daily News, ME, January 10, 2013
Concerns that a state commission’s rejection of four out of five charter school applications Tuesday would have a chilling effect on future applications already has proven true for at least one would-be charter school.

MARYLAND

Maryland Schools Rank No. 1 For Fifth Year In A Row
The Baltimore Sun, MD, January 10, 2013
For the fifth year in a row, Maryland has the best public school system in America, according to rankings published Thursday by a leading education publication that gave the state high marks for post-graduation outcomes, state funding levels and overall student achievement.

St. Mary’s, Calvert School Unions Push Legislators For Answers
Southern Maryland Newspaper, MD, January 9, 2013
Top on the list of concerns from the St. Mary’s and Calvert education unions was adequate funding for schools, addressing whether to require teachers to join unions, and the impact of shifting a part of the state’s share of teacher pensions to county governments.

MASSACHUSETTS

Charter Kids, Parents Deserved Better Than Sudden Shutdown
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, January 10, 2013
Wednesday’s final collapse — and that’s just what it was — of the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School rings down a painful and shameful final curtain on a three-year venture aimed at helping many students and their families find educational success where many had not in the past.

MICHIGAN

Michigan AG Wants Detroit School Board Ouster Today
Detroit News, MI, January 10, 2013
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette is continuing his quest to unseat seven members of the Detroit Board of Education and plans to persuade a judge to order their removal today.

Jackson’s daVinci Institute Charter School Rated an Academic State Champion by Bridge Magazine
Jackson Citizen Patriot, MI, January 10, 2013
A Jackson charter school with its fair share of economically struggling students is an “Academic State Champ,” according to a study done by Bridge Magazine.

MISSISSIPPI

Fast Push Eyed For Charter Schools
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, January 10, 2013
The House Education Committee is ground zero for charter schools and other key legislation this year, and dozens of education advocates, lobbyists and lawmakers anxiously packed like sardines into a small committee room for the panel’s first meeting of 2013.

Advocate: Focus On Teacher Training
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, January 10, 2013
Despite the heavy focus on charter schools this legislative session, the head of one of the state’s largest education advocacy groups is pushing for more focused reforms that would reach more students.

NEVADA

Nevada Democrats Announce Education Agenda
Mohave Daily News, NV, January 10, 2013
Nevada Democrats unveiled their education priorities for the upcoming legislative session Wednesday, calling for early development programs for at-risk students and expansion of all-day kindergarten.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Suit Challenges School Tax Credit
Nashua Telegraph, NH, January 10, 2013
Calling it a “backdoor voucher,” three civil liberties groups claim a new education tax credit violates the state constitution and should be struck down.

NORTH CAROLINA

State Sees 154 Proposals For New Charter Schools
Huntersville Herald, NC, January 13, 2013
Mecklenburg County received more charter school requests for the 2014-15 school year than any other county in the state.

OHIO

Teacher Education Programs At Public, Private State Colleges Can Now Be Compared
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, January 9, 2013
Prospective teachers, school superintendents and parents can now judge the quality of teacher education programs in Ohio’s public and private colleges.

Some Charter Schools Dodge State’s Closure Law
Columbus Dispatch Blog, OH, January 9, 2013
A report released today found that 7 of the 20 tax-funded charter schools ordered by the state to close because their students are failing are still operating in the same location under new names and with many of the same teachers and staff.

Report: Charter Schools Evade Closure Laws
Cincinnati CityBeat, OH, January 9, 2013
When an Ohio charter school consistently fails to meet academic standards, the state automatically shuts it down. It’s an aspect of Ohio law that’s touted as one of the toughest standards for charter schools in the nation, but a report from Policy Matters Ohio found some charter schools may be evading the rule altogether.

OKLAHOMA

Education Reforms Require Adequate Funding, Activist Says In Tulsa
Tulsa World, OK, January 10, 2013
A national education activist speaking in Tulsa on Wednesday said his organization is coming to Oklahoma to lobby for adequate funding immediately for existing, research-based reforms and to systematically engage parents over the long term.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Is Deliver-Ology Coming to South Dakota Schools?
Capital Journal, SD, January 9, 2013
What is “deliver-ology”? This is the “new focus” state Education Secretary Melody Schopp said she and her staff are taking for K-12 public schools, as South Dakota moves away from No Child Left Behind. The secretary spent two hours Wednesday with the House Education Committee explaining the changes under way.

TENNESSEE

Like It Or Not, Students First Has Merit
The Tennessean, TN, January 10, 2013
“We don’t grade on a curve,” Michele Rhee said of the C-minus grade that her organization, Students First, gave Tennessee on its first State Policy Report Card.

UTAH

Charter Schools Have Some Of The Lowest, Highest Graduation Rates
The Salt Lake Tribune, UT, January 9, 2013
The high school graduation rate in charter schools improved slightly from last year, but several schools posted some of the worst rates in Utah, state officials said on Wednesday.

ONLINE LEARNING

State To Vote On Proposal For Online Charter Schools
News & Observer, NC, January 10, 2013
North Carolina children as young as 5 may soon be able to receive their public school education online from for-profit companies.

Coweta Schools To Explore Virtual Learning
Times-Herald, GA, January 10, 2013
Coweta County high-schoolers may have the option of completing some coursework online as early as next year.

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NATIONAL COVERAGE

Good Teachers Linked to Test Success
Wall Street Journal, January 9, 2013
A study found that effective teachers can boost the test scores of students who had struggled under low-performing instructors, marking a new salvo in the national debate over teacher performance.

Denver Schools, Gates Foundation Identify What Makes Effective Teacher
Denver Post, CO, January 8, 2013
After investing three years and millions of dollars and scrutinizing thousands of teachers, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has determined that, yes, you can measure effective teaching.

The Education of Michelle Rhee
Frontline PBS, January 8, 2013
FRONTLINE examines the legacy of one of America’s most controversial school reformers.

How Home Schooling Threatens Monopoly Education
USA Today, January 8, 2013
“What about home schooling? You know, it’s not just for scary religious people any more.” That’s a line from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and it should strike fear into the hearts, not of vampires, but of public-school administrators everywhere.

School Choice Won’t Mean All Choices Are Equal
Huffington Post, January 8, 2013
To many in the pundit and policy class, education reform comes down to one idea — school choice.

No Child Left Behind Is Still A Flawed Policy
The Reporter, VA, January 9, 2013
If the No Child Left Behind law were a public school student, it would be halfway through its sophomore year by now and still getting Ds.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

No ‘Badge Of Honor’ For Backing Education Status Quo
San Diego Union Tribune, CA, January 8, 2013
It is not exactly news that California is cool to education reform. School districts routinely ignore a 1971 state law that says student performance must be a factor in teacher evaluations. Especially when crafting budgets, many school boards routinely place the interests of teachers and other adult employees above those of students.

Parent Trigger Group Wins Charter School Approval From Adelanto School Board
San Bernardino Sun, CA, January 8, 2013
After 21 months of battling their local school district over the future of a failing elementary school, Adelanto parents definitively won Tuesday night, when the board voted to approve a charter school taking over the campus of the school.

State Schools Chief Urges Cut In Number Of Tests Next Year
Los Angeles Times, CA, January 9, 2013
Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson says second-graders would not be tested in math and English, and most high school tests would be dropped. L.A. Unified chief expresses reservations.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Should We Just Let DC Public Schools Expel Anyone?
Greater Greater Washington, DC, January 8, 2013
Charter schools thus get rid of the problem students and often boost their own average test scores in the process. DCPS schools cannot expel elementary students and must convince judges to expel older students. Charters have no such restrictions.

D.C. Charter School Board Objects To Rhee’s Report Card
Washington Post Blog, DC, January 8, 2013
When Michelle Rhee’s Students First lobbying organization released its first state policy “report cards” this week, one of the fiercest critics to emerge was an important policy player from her old backyard: The D.C. Public Charter School Board

How One STEM School Aims to Lower the Achievement Gap
PBS Newshour, January 8, 2013
The achievement gap between low-income and high-income students has been a persistent problem in American public education system. The problem is exacerbated as technology becomes more integral to 21st century professions, and urban American schools struggle to prepare students for this new job market.

IDAHO

Experts Offer Education Reform Ideas in Boise
Idaho Statesman, ID, January 9, 2013
As Idaho lawmakers and educators regroup after repeal of the state’s education reform package, national experts visited Boise Tuesday to offer suggestions for improving education.

ILLINOIS

Chicago Largest Recipient Of Walton Family Foundation Money For Charter Schools
Chicago Sun Times, IL, January 8, 2013
The Walton Family Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Wal-Mart’s founder, gave more money to Chicago to start new charter schools last year than it did to any other city —¬ $3.8 million.

INDIANA

Put Brakes On Vouchers Until High Court Rules
Star Press, IN, January 9, 2013
For instance, lawmakers this week have filed bills to expand the Indiana School Choice Program, informally known as the voucher system. Bills have been filed to waive a requirement that a student attend a public school for at least one year before seeking a voucher to attend a private school — likely to be affiliated with a church.

IOWA

Education Reform Demands Open-Mindedness
Sioux City Journal, IA, January 9, 2013
Iowans, particularly those charged with delivering public education, can take one of two positions with respect to an “F” grade our state’s education policies were given by StudentsFirst.

KENTUCKY

Charter School Legislation Filed For 2013 Session
Bluegrass Institute, KY, January 9, 2013
January 8th proved to be an auspicious day for Kentucky’s 2013 legislative session. That’s because January 8th was the day Rep. Brad Montell, R-Shelbyville filed a bill that might finally bring school choice and real opportunity for those most in need in the commonwealth – underprivileged kids.

Advocates Support Toned-Down Kentucky Charter School Law
WFPL, KY, January 8, 2013
A charter school bill has been filed in the Kentucky House and supporters hope the less aggressive approach will help get it passed this year.

LOUISIANA

Charter School Changes Outlined
The Advocate, LA, January 9, 2013
A meeting held for parents Monday night at Crocker Arts and Technology School promised a brighter future for the students with a new charter operator but left some parents and education activists saddened by the staff upheaval and wary of an educational landscape where they see change as the only constant.

MAINE

Augusta Panel Rejects 4 of 5 Proposals for New Charter Schools
Portland Press Herald, ME, January 8, 2013
Maine’s Charter School Commission has rejected four of the five charter school applications under consideration for 2013, including both proposals for virtual schools.

Baxter Academy Reports 119 Applications In First Week
Portland Daily Sun, ME, January 8, 2013
Baxter Academy for Technology & Science, Maine’s first charter school for science, technology, engineering and math, began enrolling students on Jan. 1, and in just the first week, received 119 applications, reported the new charter school’s executive director, John Jaques.

MISSISSIPPI

Capitol Abuzz About Charter Schools
Desoto Times Tribune, MS, January 8, 2013
The gavel at the State Capitol will sound in the hallowed halls of the State Capitol on Wednesday, and charter schools will be on the lips and minds of most state lawmakers, according to members of DeSoto County’s delegation.

Racial Divide Seen In Mississippi Debate Over Charter Schools, Reform
MSNBC, January 8, 2013
Mississippi lawmaker Kenneth Wayne Jones, a Democrat, briefly became a political pariah last winter when he voted in favor of a proposal to expand charter schools in his state. He was the only African-American state senator to support the bill, which most members of Mississippi’s legislative Black Caucus disavowed. Jones liked the idea of expanded school options for families, but he also understood his colleagues’ mistrust.

New World Needs Close Attention
Natchez Democrat, MS, January 9, 2013
The seemingly inevitable opening of the Delta Charter School in Ferriday likely won’t change life forever in the Miss-Lou. The school will probably be small for years to come and will draw from only a portion of the population.

NEVADA

Troubled Charter School Board President Resigns; Principal Ordered To Repay Bonuses
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV, January 8, 2013
Allegations of mismanagement at Quest Academy have led to the resignation of charter school President Christina Fuentes and prompted other board members to order Principal Connie Jordan to repay $15,000 in unmerited bonuses awarded to her by Fuentes.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

State Hopes To Have Charter School Start Up Grant Funds, Lost In 2011, Restored Next Year
Nashua Telegraph, NH, January 9, 2013
Since the state Board of Education voted to place a moratorium on new charter schools in September, school founders around the state have

NEW MEXICO

Gov. Spells Out Education Plans
Albuquerque Journal, NM, January 9, 2013
Gov. Susana Martinez on Tuesday laid out her education plans for the coming legislative session, including linking teacher pay to the state’s new evaluation system and creating an early-warning system to catch signs a student might drop out.

NEW YORK

26 Schools on City’s List
Wall Street Journal, January 9, 2013
New York City will try to shut down or shrink 26 schools this year, including six it unsuccessfully tried to close in the summer, officials said Tuesday.

The UFT Takes Offense
New York Observer, NY, January 8, 2013
Mayor Mike Bloomberg does not always parse his thoughts with the care of a diplomat. Sometimes he lets it rip, and, well, those who are quick to take offense do just that.

Elmira Charter School Group May Reconsider Boys-Only Plan
Elmira Star-Gazette, NY, January 8, 2013
The group seeking to open a charter school in Elmira hopes to decide in just over a week whether to keep it boys only or include girls.

What to Expect From the Utica Academy of Science Charter School
YNN, NY, January 8, 2013
Plans to open a new charter school in Utica are moving forward. Despite some protest, the Utica Academy of Science had its application granted and they plan to open in the fall. Our Andrew Sorensen takes a look at their parent school in Syracuse and tells us what they hope to accomplish with their new school.

Yonkers Schools Submit Teacher-Evaluation Plan, Hope Approval Comes In Time
The Journal News, NY, January 9, 2013
The clock is ticking for the Yonkers school system, which hopes the state will approve its last-minute teacher evaluation plan in time to save $17 million in much-needed aid.

NORTH CAROLINA

State May Consider 11 New Charter Schools in Durham
Herald Sun, NC, January 8, 2013
Public charter schools in Durham could more than double in the next two years.
As of last week, the state Department of Public Instruction had received 161 letters of intent for new charters. Of those, 11 are in Durham, including one virtual school.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma City School Board Denies Charter Schools, Declines To Reveal Reasons
The Oklahoman, OK, January 9, 2013
The Oklahoma City School Board on Monday night denied applications from two charter schools but kept the reasons for the denials secret.

OREGON

Medford District Faces Charter Student Payouts After Oversight
Mail Tribune, OR, January 9, 2013
The Medford School District is paying out more than $500,000 after realizing it is obligated to give money to nearby districts whose students attend Medford charter schools.

PENNSYLVANIA

Charter School Of Excellence Reacts to Need for Chart Schools
WSEE, PA, January 8, 2013
On Tuesday, one of the oldest charter schools in the city, the Charter School of Excellence, held their Open House. It gave both parents and students an up-close look at what they have to offer. It also gave us a chance to talk to faculty about the possibility of more charter schools in the area.

Catasauqua Schools Chief: Medical Academy Charter School Isn’t Delivering
The Morning Call, PA, January 8, 2013
The Catasauqua Area School Board said Tuesday night it might move to revoke the Medical Academy Charter School’s charter in 30 days if the school doesn’t prove it’s offering what it promised.

The Reality Of Charter Schools In North Penn
The Reporter, PA, January 8, 2013
Since before I was a candidate for school board in 2011, I have been following the finances and operations of the North Penn School District for the last three years.

RHODE ISLAND

Chafee Nominates 10 for Education Board
GoLocalProv, RI, January 8, 2013
Governor Lincoln D. Chafee today announced ten nominees for the Rhode Island Board of Education. The Governor’s nominee for Board Chair is Eva-Marie Mancuso, Esq., a Managing Partner with law firm Hamel, Waxler, Allen & Collins.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Charter, Magnet, And Private Schools Harm Public Education
Charleston City Paper, SC, January 9, 2013
Imagine you are riding on a train and the conductor comes into your car and informs you and your fellow passengers that something is terribly wrong with the engine and the train is in trouble. It might not crash, but it certainly is not going to reach its destination in good shape.

TENNESSEE

Education Reform Leader Michelle Rhee Lists Goals in TN
The Tennessean, TN, January 9, 2013
National education reform movement leader and part-time Tennessee resident Michelle Rhee is urging state lawmakers to create a statewide charter school authorizer, adopt a parent trigger law and give vouchers to some students.

Charters’ Role Limited
Commercial Appeal, TN, January 9, 2013
Your Jan. 6 article “Battle over charter schools grows heated,” about the charter schools issue in Mississippi, misrepresents the position of The Parents’ Campaign, an organization I serve as executive director.

WASHINGTON

Teachers Union Should Withdraw Suit To Block Charter Schools
Seattle Times, WA, January 8, 2013
The Washington Education Association should accept the November vote that created charter schools in this state.

State Schools Chief Wants To Oversee Charters
Bellingham Herald, WA, January 9, 2013
State schools chief Randy Dorn has sent a letter to legislative leaders asking them to revise the voter-approved charter school law to give his office jurisdiction over the new schools.

ONLINE LEARNING

High Schools, Take The Online Course
USA Today, January 8, 2013
Thankfully, there is one initiative in Alexandria and in a growing number of school systems nationwide that is revolutionizing the way kids learn: online classes. This approach not only helps potential dropouts keep working toward diplomas, but also allows the most motivated students to seek courses not often offered in a traditional school setting.

Virtual Classrooms Coming to County, City Schools
The Charlottesville Newsplex, VA, January 8, 2013
The classroom of the future may come in the form of a computer. Charlottesville City schools already offer eight online courses, and now Albemarle County schools are jumping on the virtual bandwagon, offering its first online course this semester.

‘Virtual’ Public Schools Draw Interest Of Religious Families
Washington Post Blog, DC, January 8, 2013
Worried about exposure to foul language, immodest dress, peer pressure, and other inappropriate behavior, Susan Brown didn’t want her two daughters attending public schools — even though she’s a substitute teacher in a public school in Minnesota.

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.

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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.

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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.