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In Florida And Tennessee , Teachers Unions Face Rhee-venge
Washington Times, DC, November 4, 2012
Merit pay for teachers, school choice, in-state tuition rates for veterans and undocumented immigrants.

A Better Way To Grade Teachers
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 5, 2012
Effective evaluation requires rigorous, ongoing assessment by experts who review teachers’ instruction, looking at classroom practice and evidence of student learning.

Mitt Romney Makes Education Pitch In Final Days Before Election
Huffington Post
November 4, 2012
For the last year, education advocates have been trying to get the subject of America’s beleaguered public schools onto the agenda of the presidential election.

Unions Recruit New Allies for Obama in Battleground States
New York Times, NY, November 5, 2012
Dressed in a ski jacket to protect her from the morning chill, Sandy Jacobs, an occupational therapist, arrived at a fading, nearly century-old two-family home and knocked on one of the doors.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Charter Schools Growing In Sonoma County
Press-Democrat, CA, November 4, 2012
Sonoma County is at the forefront of the charter school movement in California with 11 new schools opening this year, second only to massive Los Angeles County Unified with its nearly 660,000 students.

Fresno Teachers Union Lets District Apply For Federal Grant
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 5, 2012
Many unions have opposed the grant program, which requires using student test scores in teacher evaluations. L.A. Unified is among the school districts that couldn’t get union support by the deadline.

COLORADO

Metro School Districts Get Into Race For Federal Grants
Denver Post, CO, November 5, 2012
A handful of metro-area school districts just submitted applications for the most recent round of Race to the Top, where school districts instead of states vie for a chunk of the federal education money.

CONNECTICUT

Ed Board Charter Change Divides Voters
CT Post, CT, November 4, 2012
A contentious bid to convert the city school board from an elected one to one appointed by the mayor — blasted by critics as a vote-robbing power grab but hailed by others as the best chance to rescue a failing district — will likely have no effect on student performance, according to a national expert on education policy.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Special Education Battles With No End
Washington Post, DC, November 4, 2012
Seth turns 9 on Saturday. He is a radiant child who often looks better than he feels. He was born nearly four months prematurely and weighed 15 ounces at birth.

FLORIDA

Schools Funding Should Return To 2006-07 Levels
News-Press, FL, November 4, 2012
At The News-Press Second annual Education Summit, Gov. Rick Scott laid out his education platform for the 2013 Legislative Session. The governor touched on a few areas, but I wanted to focus in on two of the larger issues.

Duval County School Board To Decide On Another 6 Charter Schools
Florida Times Union, FL, November 3, 2012
The Duval County School Board will consider whether to approve another six charter schools on Monday.

GEORGIA

Ballot Amendment Might Be Turning Point For Education
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, November 3, 2012
The most hotly contested state race this year doesn’t include candidates for office. The race concerns a constitutional amendment and, perhaps, the future of public education in Georgia .

Amendment One: A Chance At A Choice For Students Who Today Have Neither
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, November 5, 2012
No one among us, if faced with a persistent disease and a physician who’d failed to cure it, would be content to continue consulting only that doctor — and, especially, to be told we could not seek a second opinion.

Charter School Battle Involves Big Money
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, November 4, 2012
The question facing Georgia voters Tuesday is fairly simple: Do they want to create an additional pathway to approve charter schools in the state?

Price vs. Heard, Amendment 1 Top Local Items On Dougherty Ballot
Albany Herald, GA, November 4, 2012
When Dougherty County voters head to the polls on Tuesday, two of the most hotly contested items on the ballot are the School Board at-large seat and the controversial proposed constitutional Amendment 1.

Data Show Relatively Fewer Students In Poverty Served By Charter Schools
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, November 3, 2012
Charter schools educate a smaller proportion of metro Atlanta’s impoverished students than the public school systems in which those charters are located, a new analysis by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows.

HAWAII

Parents Say High School Is Needed In Kihei
Maui News, HI, November 4, 2012
Dozens of Kihei residents, including parents and children, stood on the shoulder of Piilani Highway on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning to wave signs and draw attention to the need for a Kihei high school.

ILLINOIS

Giving A Grade To No Child Left Behind: Controversial Program ‘Tarnished’ Good Schools
Belleville News Democrat, IL, November 3, 2012
Robert Green coached track before he was superintendent of Collinsville schools — and he compares trying to help schools satisfy No Child Left Behind to facing the high jump.

CPS Wants To Delay Decision On School Closings
Chicago Tribune, IL, November 3, 2012
With community concern growing over school closings, Chicago Public Schools officials on Friday said they are asking for a four-month extension for producing a list of targeted schools.

Involving Parents
Chicago Tribune, IL, November 5, 2012
Chicago’s teachers often tell us that they alone can’t educate kids. They need help from parents. The teachers are disappointed that some parents don’t, or can’t, get to school to pick up their children’s report cards.

INDIANA

GSU Hosts Alternative Teacher Certification Information Session
Munster Times, IN, November 5, 2012
Learn how to earn elementary or secondary (biology, chemistry, or mathematics) teacher certification and secure a teaching position through Governors State University’s Alternative Certification Program.

Charter Group Tells Judge It Opposes Sale By EACS To Diocese
The Journal Gazette, IN, November 3, 2012
The Indiana Public Charter Schools Association told an Allen Superior Court judge Friday morning it would support changes to the state law it feels requires school buildings to sit unused for up to four years

KANSAS

First Bell : A Peek Into Next Year’s Legislative Agenda For Education
Lawrence Journal World, KS, November 5, 2012
If you want a peek into what Kansas lawmakers have in mind for education bills next session, I suggest checking out the agenda for the next Legislative Educational Planning Committee meeting.

MAINE

Political Mailer Makes Inaccurate Claims About Charter Schools
Bangor Daily News, ME, November 4, 2012
It’s the height of the silly season when politicians and others with points of view and axes to grind say and write things that make little sense in order to get the people they want elected or not elected. So I probably should not be so surprised.

MICHIGAN

High School Students Take Sides On EM Law
Detroit News, MI, November 5, 2012
Detroit high school students added their voices to the emergency manager law ballot issue during a lively debate Sunday.

MISSISSIPPI

Reeves Describes Content Of A Charter School Push
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, MS, November 3, 2012
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves stood by his personal preference of allowing all 145 Mississippi school districts the freedom to establish public charter schools in an early morning Tupelo address Friday but indicated he could again support a more restrictive bill as passed in 2012 by the Senate.

NEVADA

Deal Reached On Grant Application
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV, November 5, 2012
With only hours to go before an extended deadline, the Clark County teachers union Friday morning signed off on the school district’s application for $40 million in federal grant money.

NEW MEXICO

Called ‘Pioneers’ in Reform
ABQ Journal, NM, November 3, 2012
Gov. Susana Martinez addressed a coalition of charter schools Friday as part of the coalition’s annual conference, reassuring the group that she would work to secure funding for charter schools.

Teacher Union Head Lashes Out
ABQ Journal, NM, November 4, 2012
Santa Fe Public Schools’ new superintendent Joel Boyd ruffled some feathers among teachers last week with the release of data suggesting teachers and other staff may be absent at rates nearly twice the national average.

NEW YORK

Pauline Liu: Give Charter School Plans A Chance To Make The Grade
Times Herald-Record, NY, November 5, 2012
Polarizing. That’s the word frequently used in reference to charter schools, the independently-run, alternative public schools than began opening in the wake of the state’s 1998 charter school law. It is no wonder why.

Utica Fears Cost Of Charter Schools
Utica Observer-Dispatch, NY, November 4, 2012
The question of whether Utica will have its own charter schools will be decided next month.
How the Utica City School District will pay for them, however, isn’t as easy to answer.

Analysis: City School District Often Faces Tug of War
Albany Democrat and Chronicle, NY, November 3, 2012
School closing plans are becoming a new reality in an urban district that has lost more than 5,000 students in the past decade, driven largely by declining enrollment and the continued exodus of middle-class families to the suburbs.

NORTH CAROLINA

Voters Decide Who Makes Education Decision For N.C. Children
Herald-Sun, NC, November 3, 2012
Parents care more about the education of their children than anyone else. Those parents who choose to vote the first Tuesday in November could therefore determine who runs North Carolina ’s K-12 public schools for their kids over the next decade. Let’s look at the positions and players at stake Nov. 6.

OHIO

Charter Schools Fail To Make Top Ratings
Lima News, OH, November 4, 2012
While 92 percent of the state’s public school districts scored effective or higher on this year’s report cards, only 26 percent of charter schools did. Locally, no charter school fell in the top three ratings.

OKLAHOMA

Conflict Over Special-Needs Scholarship Law On Hold For Now
Tulsa World, OK, November 5, 2012
Controversy over a law that allows the use of public funds to send special-needs students to private schools may have died down for now.

OREGON

Charter School Appeals Termination
Register Guard, OR, November 5, 2012
HomeSource family charter school, which had its contract revoked by the Bethel School District earlier this year, will appeal a second school board decision to terminate the contract, this time over the academic performance of its students.

TENNESSEE

Pro-School Choice PACs Spend Freely In Tennessee
The Tennessean, TN, November 4, 2012
With education issues high on the agenda for the upcoming legislative session, two new groups that favor charter schools and vouchers have spent lavishly on Tennessee House and Senate races.

Funding Dispute Surfaces Between Memphis City Schools, Charter Schools
Commercial Appeal, TN, November 4, 2012
Memphis City Schools Supt. Kriner Cash met with local charter school operators last week after prompting by state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman to resolve a lingering dispute over charter school funds.

VIRGINIA

Big Change, Big Challenges Ahead For Richmond School Board
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, November 5, 2012
That the Richmond School Board will be dramatically changed after Tuesday’s election is a certainty.

WASHINGTON

Seattle Must Do More To Improve Special Education
Seattle Times, WA, November 4, 2012
A damning assessment from the state shows Seattle Public Schools needs to do more for its special-education students.

School Reform Propositions In Idaho Will Be ‘Catalyst For Turnout’
Spokesman Review, WA, November 4, 2012
Idaho voters are riled up and ready to vote, with a contentious school-reform debate reverberating in the state’s airwaves and decisions looming on every seat in the Legislature, key local races, two constitutional amendments and seats in Congress.

Vote No On I-1240
Spokesman Review, WA, November 3, 2012
Washington voters, the ballots are in the mail. Please vote no on Initiative 1240. Simply put, it steals money from the tax-supported public schools. Yes, a charter school is a private school funded with our hard-earned tax dollars.

No More Waiting For Charter Schools
Seattle Times, WA, November 2, 2012
Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Jose Banda is a thoughtful man with a personal narrative indicative of the ways educational inequalities challenge American dreams of careers and economic stability.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Lake Appoints First Virtual Principal For Growing Program
Orlando Sentinel, FL, November 4, 2012
The Lake County school district’s first virtual principal assumed his post last week after the growing virtual franchise program became too large for a single district staffer to handle.

Alternative Broward Diploma Program Raises Concerns
Orlando Sentinel, FL, November 5, 2012
Many of Broward County’s struggling high school seniors have been called into their guidance counselors in recent weeks and strongly encouraged — some even say forced — to withdraw and finish their education through an online program.

Duval County School District Settles Court Case Over K12-Run Online Charter School
NPR StateImpact , FL, November 2, 2012
Duval County schools have settled a lawsuit over an online charter school to be run by K12, the nation’s largest online education company, according to the News Service of Florida.

Obama’s Second-Term Promises In Education
Washington Post Blog, DC, November 1, 2012
Here’s what a brochure put out by President Obama’s campaign says he will focus on in education during his next term, assuming he has one:

First, Teach The Teachers
Denver Post, CO, November 2, 2012
Every time I read an article about our failing public schools, I think of this very sophisticated, well-educated, well-read woman standing hopelessly before that class wondering what in the world these soon-to-be teachers were going to teach their students. And then I think that most of them might still be teaching.

STATE COVERAGE

ALABAMA

New Data Shows Enterprise Schools Closing Achievement Gap
The Southeast Sun, AL, November 1, 2012
Enterprise City Schools is making giants leaps toward closing the achievement gap between various sub-groups of students.

State Should Control Schools
Prattville Progress, AL, November 2, 2012
Liberals have tried since the 1960s to get government control over what children learn, from kindergarten through 12th grade.

ARKANSAS

With New Rule, State Gains School-Takeover Leeway
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, AR, November 2, 2012
The Arkansas Board of Education approved on Thursday a new rule that will broaden the state’s ability to take control of school districts with large numbers of students who aren’t scoring at grade level on state mandated tests.

State Board Approves 3 New Charter Schools
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, AR, November 2, 2012
The Arkansas Board of Education on Thursday approved the establishment of a charter high school on the Arkansas Baptist College campus in Little Rock, a classical liberal arts charter school in Bentonville and a middle/high school in Pine Bluff – all sponsored by the same Texas charter-school organization.

State Board Rejects PB Charter Over Competition Concerns
KARK, AR, November 1, 2012
Exalt founder Ben Lindquist went before the state board of education Thursday morning, asking permission to build another charter in Pine Bluff.

CALIFORNIA

L.A. Unified Competes For U.S. Funds Without Key Element
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 2, 2012
The district lacks the union cooperation that the program requires but is applying for the money anyway.

FTA, FUSD Close In On $37.3m Federal Grant
The Fresno Bee, CA, November 2, 2012
Fresno Teachers Association leaders met late into the night Thursday discussing revisions that Fresno Unified Superintendent Michael Hanson hoped could lead to their endorsement of a multimillion-dollar federal grant application.

Oakland Teachers Failed Kids Over Grant
San Francisco Chronicle, CA, November 1, 2012
The Oakland Education Association might want to consider changing its name. The teachers union was one of six unions in California that refused last week to support their school district application for millions of dollars worth of federal funding offered by the Race to the Top program.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Council Puts Hold On Charter School Board Member’s Reappointment Over Articles On Multiculturalism
Washington Post Blog, DC, November 1, 2012
The D.C. Council has temporarily halted the reappointment of a member of the D.C. Charter School Board after council members became aware of articles he wrote in which he appeared to challenge how multiculturalism is taught in school.

D.C., Flush With Money, Sends Millions To DCPS And Charter Schools
Washington Post Blog, DC, November 1, 2012
The D.C. Council on Thursday grudgingly approved a proposal from Mayor Vincent Gray to send a pile of unspent cash to D.C. public schools and charter schools.

KIPP DC To Open New Campus At Old Webb Elementary School
Washington Post Blog, DC, November 1, 2012
D.C. officials are recommending that charter school operator KIPP DC be allowed to take over the old Webb Elementary School building under a long-term lease.

FLORIDA

Autism Charter School To Clear Key Hurdle
The Tampa Tribune, FL, November 2, 2012
A charter school that would serve autistic children could be about to take a step toward approval by the Pasco County School Board.

Management Firm Gives Edge To Charter School
South Florida Times, FL, November 1, 2012
The Renaissance School at West Palm Beach is taking a different approach to the charter schools movement.

GEORGIA

Amendment 1 Means Choice
Augusta Chronicle, GA, November 2, 2012
You may have made the same mistake I did this past weekend. I answered an unknown number from Atlanta. It warned me that Amendment 1 would take hundreds of thousands of dollars from education. That is not what Amendment 1 would do.

Charter Vote Lights Up Social Media
Cherokee Tribune, GA, November 2, 2012
With only days left before voters decide on the controversial Amendment 1, both sides of the argument aren’t waiting until Election Day to rally support but rather turning to social media to make their voices heard.

Charter Schools And Weasel-Wording
Macon Telegraph, GA, November 2, 2012
Aside from the presidential contest (which is kind of a moot point for us since Romney is virtually assured of getting all of Georgia’s electoral votes) the hottest topic in our state this election season seems to be the proposed amendment to our state’s constitution which would allow it to establish charter schools.

Success of Georgia ‘Rewards Schools’ Underscores Charter Debate
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, November 1, 2012
Three cheers for the seven schools in Cobb and Marietta recognized as “highest performing” or for “high progress” in graduation rates and state assessment tests.

Charter School Amendment Bad For State, Devastating For Rural Ga.
North Fulton Revue & News , GA, November 1, 2012
Voters living outside metro Atlanta or larger Georgia school districts might mistakenly believe that the proposed constitutional Amendment 1 on the November ballot has little relevance to the their own children’s education. After all, charter schools are virtually non-existent in rural and small-town Georgia , largely because charter operators find it economically impractical to open charter schools in areas without sufficient numbers of “consumers” (that is, students).

HAWAII

Hawaii’s Public Schools Leave Best and Brightest Behind
Hawaii Business Journal, HI
November 2012
Hawaii Business Editor Steve Petranik says state should create elite public schools for top students

IDAHO

Campaign On Idaho Education Laws Sets Fundraising Record
Idaho Statesman, ID, November 2, 2012
Campaigns for and against Propositions 1, 2 and 3 have broken the Idaho record for spending on ballot measures, with opponents having raised $3.6 million and proponents $2.6 million.

LOUISIANA

Officials Should Also Be Held Accountable
The Advertiser, LA, November 2, 2012
Louisiana schools, as a whole, have not performed well, according to the state’s accountability standards. Charter schools and vouchers are the focus of controversy, as some view them as the salvation of education in Louisiana and others, its demise.

St. Tammany School Board Refuses To Take Seniority Out Of The Teacher Layoff Equation
Times-Picayune, LA, November 1, 2012
Despite being publicly called out by state education officials, St. Tammany school board leaders said this week that they will refuse to remove seniority from their policy on teacher layoffs as called for earlier this year under Gov. Bobby Jindal’s sweeping education reforms.

The Louisiana Teacher Union Paradox
The Pelican Post, LA, November 1, 2012
How the LAE and LFT Remain a Barrier to Educational Progress in Spite of Electoral and Legislative Defeats

NEVADA

Union Vendetta Hurts Students
Las Vegas Review- Journal , NV, November 2, 2012
A sure sign that a messy divorce is slipping toward mutually assured destruction: One party, motivated by irrational vindictiveness, blows up the other’s ability to earn money that would benefit both.

State Authority: Much Work Needed To Improve Incline Charter School Application
North Lake Tahoe Bonanza, NV, November 1, 2012
A small group of Incline Village parents and residents spearheading an effort to create a public charter school in Incline Village has some major challenges to overcome should its goal of holding classes for roughly 60 students by next summer be realized, state officials have concluded.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

School Choice Numbers Down Slightly In Nashua
Nashua Telegraph, NH, November 2, 2012
A total of 140 Gate City students took advantage of a school choice provision this year, a number down slightly from last year but still nearly double the rate of just three years ago.

NEW YORK

Reform Group: Senate GOP Likes Charters, Assembly Dems, Not So Much
Albany Time Union Blog, NY, November 1, 2012
The Foundation for Education Reform and Accountability is out with a legislators scorecard where they note, perhaps not surprisingly, that Senate Republicans are more supportive of charter schools than their Democratic counterparts in the Assembly.

NORTH CAROLINA

CMS Wants The Power To Approve Charter Schools
WBTV, NC, November 1, 2012
Charlotte-Mecklenburg school (CMS) board wants more power and control. It is recommending in its legislative agenda to give all NC local school districts the authority to approve charter schools. That idea is already getting a failing grade from some educators who represent charter schools.

OHIO

State Board Of Education: Voters To Fill 7 Seats On Tuesday
Columbus Dispatch, OH, November 2, 2012
Like a game of musical chairs, two members of the Ohio Board of Education are running for a seat representing Franklin, Delaware and Knox counties after new boundaries tossed them into the same district.

Cleveland School District Payroll Shows Range Of Salaries
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, November 2, 2012
They’re paid too much already. That’s one objection you’ll hear from some Cleveland residents who say they plan to vote against the school district’s 15-mill levy on Tuesday.

Technical Problems Ironic At Meeting
Columbus Dispatch, OH, November 2, 2012
Charter schools were the other theme of the briefing, and Bill Sims, executive director of the Ohio Charter Schools Association, gave an in-person presentation.

PENNSYLVANIA

Class Acts At Home: More Parents Opt Out, Tackle Teaching On Their Own
Pocono Record, PA, November 2, 2012
As neighborhood schools grapple with pared budgets and pressure-cooker tests, not every family shares the strain. For a hardy few, the living room doubles as classroom, and kids drive the curriculum.

TENNESSEE

Metro Schools’ Achievement Gap Is Tough To Close
The Tennessean, TN, November 2, 2012
The size of traditionally poor-performing subgroups in Metro Nashville schools creates a tougher hurdle than most systems face in closing the achievement gap between those students and their peers, a Metro official said Thursday.

TEXAS

Equity Center: Some Schools Get $65,000 More Per Classroom
San Antonio Express, TX, November 2, 2012
Property-wealthy school districts spend about $65,000 more per classroom than poor districts, Equity Center Executive Director Wayne Pierce testified Thursday in an ongoing school funding lawsuit.

Teachers Union Fails To Endorse School Bonds
My Fox Houston, TX, November 1, 2012
The Houston Independent School District will have to win its $1.9 billion bond issue without the endorsement of the influential union which represents most of the city’s teachers.

WASHINGTON

State Of The District: Seattle Public Schools Falling Short Of Five-Year Targets
Seattle Times, WA, November 1, 2012
With just one year left on its ambitious five-year plan, Seattle Public Schools continues to fall short of its academic targets, but it has made some progress.

Meridian’s Renaissance High School Isn’t For Everyone, And That’s The Point
The Olympian, WA, November 2, 2012
Meridian School District started the four-year college-prep high school four years ago. About 670 kids are enrolled. At the start of their junior year, students choose one of two tracks: an International Baccalaureate diploma or an associate degree in liberal arts.

Otter Appears In Pro-Reform Ad
Spokesman Review, WA, November 2, 2012
The latest campaign ad in Idaho’s school reform fight features Gov. Butch Otter endorsing Propositions 1, 2 and 3 in a positive, feel-good message.

Banda, School Board Say Charters Would Hamper Efforts To Improve Seattle Public Schools
Seattle Times, WA, November 1, 2012
School leaders, educators and parents from 260 of Washington’s 295 school districts have signed a letter opposing I-1240, warning that charter schools would siphon off millions of dollars from other publicly funded schools with no guarantee they’d be any better.

FROM THE STATES

ALABAMA

Parents Get More Insight Of State’s Takeover
Alabama’s 13, AL, October 30, 2012
Birmingham City School parents said they want to make sure everything is transparent when it comes to the state’s takeover of the district.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. State Board Of Education Candidates Face Challenge: What Does The Board Do?
Washington Post, DC, October 30, 2012
Candidates for the District’s State Board of Education face a key challenge this election season: Five years after the board was created, many voters still aren’t sure exactly what it is or what it does.

Charter Schools Still Treated Like Second-Class
Washington Examiner, DC, October 30, 2012
Of all the statistics cited by Examiner reporter Lisa Gartner to document the increase in student enrollment in the Washington region’s public schools for the 2012-2013 school year, one stands out. While 1.4 percent more students enrolled in DC Public Schools, 11 percent more students signed up for the city’s public charter schools — the largest enrollment surge of any system in the metropolitan area.

FLORIDA

Board Of Education To Decide Fate Of Charter School
Gainesville Sun, FL, October 30, 2012
The fate of an Alachua County charter school that has received F’s in its two years of existence lies in the hands of the State Board of Education as it meets Tuesday.

Charter School Given Ultimatum By School District
WFTV Orlando, FL, October 30, 2012
An Orange County charter school that received taxpayer dollars is faced with a tough decision. Pinecrest High School was given an ultimatum by the Orange County School District: voluntarily close or be closed.

Pasco Charter School For Students With Autism Heading Toward Approval
Tampa Bay Times, FL, October 31, 2012
The Pasco County School Board is preparing to approve its second new charter school application in as many meetings.

Religious Schools Shouldn’t Get Public Money
Hernando Today, FL, October 31, 2012
Several ill-advised proposals to amend the state constitution are on the ballot next week, and one of them would do away with Florida’s so-called Blaine Amendment that forbids state money from being used for “sectarian” purposes.

GEORGIA

State Superintendent John Barge Says Georgia Schools Improving
Augusta Chronicle, GA, October 30, 2012
While there is always need for improvement, Georgia is making more progress toward raising academic performance and closing achievement gaps between students than it might seem, state Superintendent John Barge told Richmond County educators Tuesday.

Two File Complaint Against Charter Group
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 31, 2012
Two Cherokee County residents have filed Open Meetings Act complaints against Georgia Charter Educational Foundation, the governing board of Cherokee Charter Academy .

New CCA Petition Includes High School
Cherokee Ledger, News, GA, October 31, 2012
Officials at Cherokee Charter Academy (CCA) currently are preparing a five-year petition renewal that includes a new high school, Georgia Charter Educational Foundation (GCEF) Chairwoman Lyn Carden confirmed Oct. 25. That petition must be submitted to the Georgia Department of Education, and Carden estimated a decision on the proposal is expected in February 2013.

Barge, Deal At Odds Over Key Race to the Top Appointment
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, October 30, 2012
Gov. Nathan Deal and state School Superintendent John Barge aren’t just butting heads over the charter schools constitutional amendment.

IDAHO

Luna Stumps For Education Reform
Bonner County Daily Bee, ID, October 31, 2012
Community Hall filled up fast Tuesday night to check out Idaho Superintendent Tom Luna’s presentation on Idaho education reform laws up for voter approval.

ILLINOIS

School Achievement Scores Little Changed From Last Year
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 31, 2012
Scores on state achievement tests barely budged in 2012, with results still troubling for Illinois high school students.

School Report Cards Show Stubborn Achievement Gaps
WBEZ, IL, October 31, 2012
State education officials are releasing the annual report cards for all of Illinois’ public schools today. Slightly more students are meeting state academic standards—increasing from 82 percent to 82.1 percent.

Ousted Chicago Schools CEO To Collect $250,000, Glowing Recommendation
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 31, 2012
When former Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard officially leaves the school system Jan. 1, he’ll take more with him than one year of his $250,000 salary.

How Teachers Get ‘Graded’
Southtown Star, IL, October 30, 2012
Each year, much attention is paid to student test scores and school report cards. But what about how teachers are “graded”? What makes one teacher excellent and another unsatisfactory? Who decides, and how does the outcome affect a teacher’s employment?

INDIANA

Election Will Be A Referendum On Education Reforms
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel , IN, October 31, 2012
Will voters want to press on or back off from all the changes?
The contest over who should be the Indiana superintendent of public instruction is usually one of those ballot entries voters barely pay attention to.

KENTUCKY

Continue To Support Tougher Learning Standards
Louisville Courier-Journal , KY, October 31, 2012
Kentuckians will soon be seeing the first results from the state tests on our new, more challenging academic standards. Educators across the commonwealth are in their second school year of helping students master the standards as they focus on preparing every student to succeed in college, career training or the workplace.

LOUISIANA

John White Outlines Plans For Louisiana’s Pre-K Programs
Times-Picayune, LA, October 30, 2012
State Superintendent John White laid out plans Tuesday for bringing all of Louisiana’s publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs under a new accountability system over the next three years, hoping to ensure that tax dollars go to programs that give students a leg up once they enter primary school.

MASSACHUSETTS

New Bedford Welcomes Model School
South Coast Today, MA, October 31, 2012
City on a Hill Charter School in Roxbury seems to have found a system that, though it may not be perfect, is working. I am glad to see New Bedford taking advantage of this opportunity by allowing this school into the district.

MICHIGAN

New Innocademy Charter School In Zeeland Puts Focus On Small Class Sizes
Holland Sentinel, MI, October 31, 2012
Tucked away behind McDonald’s and just off Chicago Drive near the 196 ramp, stands Innocademy, a new high school option in Zeeland.

NEVADA

Teachers Union Refuses To Support School District’s Race To The Top Bid
Las Vegas Sun, NV, October 30, 2012
The Clark County School District’s bid for $40 million in federal funding may fall apart after the local teachers union declined to support its grant application.

NORTH CAROLINA

More Parents, Mentors And Teachers Needed In Fight To Raise Test Scores
Winston-Salem Journal, NC, October 31, 2012
The ACT test scores of juniors in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system made one thing clear: Much more work needs to be done to raise the academic performance at schools with high levels of student poverty.

OHIO

Academy Earns ‘Effective’ Rating
Youngstown Vindicator, OH, October 31, 2012
Horizon Science Academy celebrated its effective rating on the latest state report card.

Top Mark For Local Charter School A Rarity
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, October 30, 2012
Hamilton County Math & Science Academy, a K-8 charter school in Colerain Township , is among only four charter schools to receive the state’s top rating of Excellent with Distinction on the 2011-12 Ohio Report Card.

OKLAHOMA

Audit Reflects Poorly On Oklahoma State Superintendent
The Oklahoman, OK, October 31, 2012
Janet Barresi’s sometimes-bumpy ride as Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction hit another pothole Monday with the release of an investigative report by Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones.

PENNSYLVANIA

Turning Education Around
News & Observer, NC, October 30, 2012
For once, a general election in North Carolina really will be about education, and not just because of candidates’ rhetoric or policy proposals. This election will affect education because the State Board of Education may well be in line for a major philosophical overhaul.

Practical Hurdles at Play in Pa. Charter-Law Stumble
Education Week, October 31, 2012
A recent effort by Pennsylvania officials to re-examine the state’s charter school laws highlights the challenges states may face as they try to change the policy and political environment for charters.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Law Creates More Bureaucracy
Rapid City Journal, SD, October 30, 2012
Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s signature piece of legislation during the 2012 Legislature was his education reform law, HB 1234. A year after cutting education spending by $77 million in his first year in office, he proposed returning some of that funding in a merit pay plan that would reward the best teachers in the state with a performance-based bonus.

TENNESSEE

School Board To Meet On Merger Recommendations Next Month
Memphis Daily News, TN, October 31, 2012
Countywide school board members will begin what several described as the “dirty work” of the schools merger to come at a special meeting Nov. 15.

TEXAS

Critics: Teachers Deserve Louder Voice As Schools Seek Federal Funds
The Monitor, TX, October 30, 2012
School districts this week will wrap up their submissions for federal Race to the Top funds, which could potentially provide millions to implement improvements in teacher development and student evaluations.

UTAH

A Better Way To Grade Teachers: Grading On How Teachers Promote Student Learning Rather Than Test Scores
Desert News, UT, October 30, 2012
Nikhil Goyal says the learning stopped in third grade when his class began to prepare for state-mandated math and English tests.

WASHINGTON

What Charter Schools Mean for Yakima
KIMATV, WA, October 30, 2012
We’re still covering Campaign 2012 as Election Day moves closer. Some think this could be the year charter schools get the OK in Washington . Voters rejected them in the past despite 41other states having them. We wanted to know how Yakima would be affected if charter schools were allowed.

Digging Deeper into the Possibility of Charter Schools in the Tri-Cities
KEPR 19, WA, October 30, 2012
Many suspect this is the year charter schools will be approved for Washington . Voters have rejected them in the past, despite 41other states using the system. KEPR wanted to know how the Tri-Cities would be affected if charter schools were allowed in.

Why Parents Will Love Charter Schools
Snohomish Times, WA, October 30, 2012
Many parents hope voters will pass Initiative 1240, the ballot measure to allow charter schools in Washington. This is especially true of parents whose children are trapped in failing inner-city schools. Earlier this year Representative Eric Pettigrew, speaking for many low-income families in his South Seattle district, put it this way.

Another Week, Another Million For Charter School Initiative
Seattle Times Blog, WA, October 30, 2012
As the election nears, the campaign to bring charter schools to Washington state reported another $1.5 million in donations from Paul Allen, founder of Vulcan, Inc. and co-founder of Microsoft. Allen has been a major supporter of past charter-school campaigns, too, along with his fellow Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

WEST VIRGINIA

Kids Succeed When Teachers Succeed
Charleston Gazette, WV, October 30, 2012
Patrick Lane is correct in stating the children of West Virginia are behind and that we must properly educate them (“Educate students to succeed,” in the Oct. 25 Gazette). Also, children should be the focus of our schools so they will “be part of a well-educated work force tomorrow.”

WISCONSIN

Teachers Unions Talk Merger After Membership Drops 30 Percent
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, October 31, 2012
The state’s two largest teachers unions are contemplating a merger after losing about 30 percent of their members in the wake of new collective bargaining rules and cuts in education funding.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

To Empower Students, Let’s Bring Interactive Learning Tools Into The Classroom
Venture Beat, October 30, 2012
The past five years have seen a tremendous boom in education technology (“ed-tech”) startups that are pushing the boundaries of online and hybrid content delivery and learning experiences.

School Reform on the Ballot
Wall Street Journal, October 30, 2012
The education reform movement has been gaining speed across the country, and a pair of important ballot initiatives next week in Washington and Idaho will either extend or retard that progress.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

S.F., Oakland Drop Bid For U.S. School Funds
San Francisco Chronicle, CA, October 29, 2012
Stuck in a standoff with teachers unions, the San Francisco and Oakland school districts have abandoned efforts to bring in up to $15 million each to develop high-quality math classes for upper-elementary and middle school students.

Natomas Charter School One Of Six Opening This Year In Sacramento Area
Modesto Bee, CA, October 30, 2012
Leroy Greene Academy in Natomas was among 109 charter schools that opened in California this school year, pushing the number to more than 1,000 charters, according to the California Charter Schools Association.

New Charter School Proposed In Yreka
Ridgecrest Daily Independent, CA
October 29, 2012
The Yreka Union School District Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing tomorrow at 5 p.m. in the Jackson Street School library to consider a petition for the establishment of a new charter school in Yreka.

San Bernardino County School Districts Experiment With ‘Span’ Schools
San Bernardino Sun, CA, October 29, 2012
Middle school is tough. In addition to all of the hormone- driven physical and emotional changes students deal with, they also transition from elementary school, where they spend almost all day with one or two teachers to a new schedule where they’re responsible for moving from class to class and teacher to teacher.

State Budget Woes Halt Santa Rosa Charter School Expansion
Press Democrat, CA, October 29, 2012
Plans to expand and remodel the campus of Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts have hit a funding snag that is likely to delay the project at least a year.

L.A. Schools Fail To Gain Union Backing For Grant Application
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 30, 2012
The L.A. teachers union declined to sign LAUSD’s bid for a $40-million grant, a condition for the competition imposed by the federal education department.

Why Is Teachers Union Leaving Money On The Table?
Sacramento Bee, CA, October 30, 2012
At a time when California has cut funding dramatically for K-12 education – and may have to cut more after next week’s election – it makes no sense for school districts to leave millions in federal education dollars on the table.

COLORADO

Greeley’s Charters: Who Are They? What Are They? Why Are They?
Greeley Tribune, CO, October 29, 2012
When former U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer, R-Colo., gave the interim superintendent of Poudre R-1 her first tour of Liberty Common High School, it was one of the most enjoyable moments of his career.

FLORIDA

Florida’s Shameful Situation On Charter Schools
Bradenton Herald, FL, October 30, 2012
Plaudits are raining down on Gov. Rick Scott over his new education agenda, unveiled just last week. One of his top priorities is the expansion of charter schools in the name of parental choice.

GEORGIA

Georgia Get’s A’s For Monitoring Charter Schools
WSB Radio, GA, October 30, 2012
A newly released audit from the U.S. Department of Education finds Georgia is doing a good job monitoring the money its start-up charter schools are getting from the federal government.

Lawmaker, County Super Square Off On Charter Amendment
Marietta Journal, GA, October 30, 2012
A little more than 40 people, including some Cobb County school board members, attended a charter school amendment forum last night to hear both sides of the argument on the Nov. 6 ballot issue.

Unlikely Allies Rally To Oppose Charter School Amendment
CBS Atlanta , GA, October 29, 2012
An unlikely coalition of critics has joined forces to urge voters to say no to the controversial charter-school amendment.

Ten Reasons To Vote ‘No’ On The Charter School Amendment
Macon Telegraph, GA, October 30, 2012
The charter school amendment will be decided on Nov. 6. If it doesn’t pass, it will be the greatest upset since David conked Goliath with a rock. Give me the money that has been made available to the pro-charter amendment forces (over $2 million, almost all of it out-of-state) and let me quash the opposition’s right of free speech and I could get the little dweeb that runs Iran elected Pope.

ILLINOIS

82 Chicago Principals Get Up To $20,000 In Merit Bonuses
Chicago Sun Times, IL, October 29, 2012
Merit pay bonuses ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 apiece were awarded Monday to 82 Chicago Public School principals whose schools demonstrated “exceptional growth” in four key measurements of student success.

School Report Cards To Change
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 30, 2012
In an advanced algebra class for seventh- and eighth-graders, teacher Breann Cooper reviews a dizzying array of linear equations while students jot down a jumble of x and y formulas.

Why Some CPS Schools Must Close
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 30, 2012
By Dec. 1, Chicago Public Schools officials must deliver to state lawmakers a list of schools slated to close at the end of this school year. The district will release its criteria for making those decisions this week.

Charter Schools
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 29, 2012
Having just read the Tribune article, “Cleveland ‘s charter school growth a cautionary tale for Chicago ” (News, Oct. 24), I am reminded once again of the false narrative of “charters as saviors.” It is instructive to consider two common claims of charter schools as Chicago Public Schools embarks on a plan to close many more public schools and open more charters.

INDIANA

Outsiders’ Charter Presentation Falls Flat
Evansville Courier & Press, IN, October 29, 2012
“Grassroots” charters differ from charters run by management organizations in that they are startup or conversion schools that the community has “built” for specific needs and purposes. They are generally sponsored and run by local educators, and they are public schools that cannot charge tuition.

Ind. Superintendent Race A Showdown Over Ed Policy
Post-Tribune, IN, October 30, 2012
A traditionally sleepy race for Indiana’s top elected school position has turned into a referendum on education policies that are endorsed by conservatives across the country.

LOUISIANA

Report: La. Teacher Unions Weak At Influencing Policy
The Advocate, LA, October 30, 2012
Louisiana’s two teacher unions are among the weakest in the nation, according to a report issued Monday.

MICHIGAN

YMCA Charter School Stresses Leadership And Innovation
Detroit News, MI, October 30, 2012
Jataya is among the first students at a new K-5 charter school, Detroit Innovation Academy , opened last month by the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit through its Y Education Services charter management organization.

EMU Board Of Regents To Decide Whether To Authorize 3 New Charter Schools
Ypsilanti Reporter, MI, October 30, 2012
The Charter Schools Office at Eastern Michigan University is seeking the approval of three new charter schools that would be established in southeast Michigan if approved, according to a university official.

NEW JERSEY

NJ Spotlight Roundtable: NJ Schools Aren’t Making the Grade
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, October 30, 2012
The problem facing Jersey’s high schools was easier to agree upon. Agreeing on a solution was more elusive.

NEW YORK

At an Overcrowded School in Park Slope, No One Wants to Leave
New York Times, NY, October 30, 2012
They are beneficiaries of a longstanding regulation in New York City that says that once children are registered at a public school, they can remain until they graduate, regardless of where in the city they live after registration day.

Federal Grants To Help Uptown Charter Schools Expand
The Uptowner, NY, October 29, 2012
The Democracy Prep charter schools in Harlem will more than double their current enrollment of 2,000 students over the next five years, thanks to a $9.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education announced last month.

City School District Has Plan To Reform Schools
Democrat and Chronicle, NY, October 29, 2012
In its latest effort to turn around one of the lowest-performing school systems in the state, the City School District is laying out a new plan that focuses on leadership, data and early childhood programs.

NORTH CAROLINA

New Charter School Set To Open In Wilmore Neighborhood Of Charlotte
News 14 Carolina, NC, October 29, 2012
A new charter school is set to open next summer in the up and coming Wilmore neighborhood in Charlotte.

OHIO

VALLEY SCHOOLS Treasurers: Charters, Vouchers Cost Us Lots
Youngstown Vindicator, OH, October 30, 2012
A large amount of taxpayer money meant for public education is being siphoned off by charter schools and vouchers, local school treasurers say.

Reynoldsburg Schools Attracting Rave Reviews
Columbus Dispatch, OH, October 30, 2012
“There’s a great narrative in Reynoldsburg,” said Deb Delisle, U.S. assistant secretary of education, who visited the district last week to learn how it personalizes students’ learning.

No Local Charter School Is Top Rated
Dayton Daily News, OH, October 29, 2012
Eleven Miami Valley charter schools improved their ratings on the 2011-12 state report cards, while 10 slipped and 16 others stayed the same, according to the preliminary data released by the Ohio Department of Education.

OKLAHOMA

Barresi Predicts ‘C’ Rating for Oklahoma Department of Education
Tulsa World, OK, October 30, 2012
Oklahoma’s state superintendent is estimating that the state Department of Education will receive a grade of C when grades are tallied for how well the administration is doing, she told Bartlesville High School students Monday.

OREGON

School’s New Home Is Just Divine
Register-Guard, OR, October 30, 2012
On the outside, it may have looked like a simple business transaction: Eugene Christian School purchases the former IP Koke Industrial Printing Co. at 2895 Chad Drive .

SOUTH DAKOTA

Teachers Pour Cash Into Two Measures
Argus Leader, SD, October 30, 2012
The largest teachers’ union in the country is plowing money into two South Dakota ballot issues that voters will decide next week, teaming up with the state’s three hospital systems on one of them.

UTAH

Park City Private School For Winter Athletes Looking To Become Public
Salt Lake Tribune, UT, October 30, 2012
For nearly two decades, skiers, snowboarders and lugers have sought out the private Winter Sports School, tucked in the mountains of Park City , for a chance to polish their athletic skills and chase dreams of Olympic glory while attending high school.

WASHINGTON

Apprentice Program To Train New Seattle Teachers
Seattle Times, WA, October 29, 2012
Some teachers in Seattle will soon be trained like medical residents, with substantial on-the-job training under the supervision of a trained mentor. Four organizations, including the Seattle teachers union, are together designing the new program, which will start next summer.

School Ads Group Can’t Hide
Spokesman Review, WA, October 30, 2012
A secretive group that underwrote more than $200,000 in TV campaign commercials in favor of three Idaho school reform ballot measures must disclose its donors by Wednesday, a 4th District judge ruled Monday afternoon.

Closer Look At Charter School Initiative 1240
KNDO, WA, October 29, 2012
If passed.. Initiative 1240 would authorize up to 40 publicly funded charter schools to open across Washington over a five year period.

WISCONSIN

Open Enrollment Benefits Some And Hurts Others
Janesville Gazette, WI, October 29, 2012
Area school districts winning the battle of school choice generally have continued to gain students while districts losing students continue to lose more, according to data from districts in Rock and Walworth counties.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

School District’s Online Offerings Now Open To Elementary Students
Ocala Star Banner, FL, October 29, 2012
The Marion County School District opened its first online elementary school last week, the first phase in its quest to create its own K-12 virtual school network.

Some States Will Soon Call The Roll On School Reform
Reuters, October 29, 2012
Voters in several states will weigh in next month on some of the most contentious issues in public education, including teacher tenure, charter schools and merit pay for teachers, as a national fight over education reform hits the ballot box.

Urban Middle Class Boosts School Diversity
USA Today, October 28, 2012
At the moment, researchers say, the phenomenon seems limited to a handful of mostly East Coast cities: New York , Boston , Philadelphia and Washington . But it’s also happening in New Orleans , Chicago , Denver and San Francisco .

Do Universities Need To Do A Better Job Preparing Teachers?
Grand Rapids Press, MI, October 28, 2012
How Henchey and other young educators are prepared for their first jobs by universities and other programs has come under fire as school reformers look to improve the quality of teaching.

FROM THE STATES

ALABAMA

Common Core Must Be Stopped
Birmingham News, AL, October 28, 2012
Alabama’s education standards are now 95% of the new “Common Core.” Why change? Alabama can improve standards by simply adopting the highest-ranked standards of other states, like Massachusetts (English Language Arts) and California (Mathematics).

CALIFORNIA

O.C.’S 13 Charter Schools Growing, Filling Niches
Orange County Register, CA, October 27, 2012
The O.C. School of the Arts in Santa Ana is consistently ranked as one of Orange County ‘s top 10 public high schools, and regularly clinches state and national recognitions.

Teachers Union Refuses To Sign Off On LAUSD Plan For Race To The Top Grant
San Gabriel Valley Tribune, CA, October 27, 2012
The Los Angeles teachers union has refused to sign off on Los Angeles Unified’s bid for a prestigious Race to the Top grant, costing the district a shot at winning $40 million in federal money, sources said Saturday.

Measuring The Worth Of A Teacher?
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 28, 2012
L.A. Unified School District’s Academic Growth Over Time measurement system, based on students’ progress on standardized tests, spurs debate over fairness, accuracy

State Strips 23 Schools Of API Rankings For Cheating
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 28, 2012
Teachers helped students correct mistakes on standardized tests, prepared them with actual test questions or left instructional posters displayed in the classroom during testing, according to school district reports.

COLORADO

Denver Public Schools Online Tool Helps Parents Pick Right School
Denver Post, CO, October 29, 2012
Denver Public Schools has launched a new online tool to help parents select the right school for their children.

CONNECTICUT

Conn. Schools Deal With Race Imbalance
Wall Street Journal, October 28, 2012
The emotionally charged issues of race and education are on the agendas of several Connecticut school boards as officials struggle to seek state-mandated racial balance at elementary schools.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Students Flood Into D.C.-Area Schools
Washington Examiner, DC, October 27, 2012
The top-performing public school systems in Montgomery and Fairfax counties have been ballooning with students in the last several years, sending school officials scrambling to find more space and beg for larger budgets to accommodate the influx of new faces. True to form, both school systems grew by more than 2,500 students this year, according to preliminary counts.

FLORIDA

Teachers, Palm Beach County School District Can’t Agree, Quash Race To The Top Grant Application
Palm Beach Post, FL, October 28, 2012
The Palm Beach County School District’s goal to win a federal grant worth up to $40 million is over before the application was even submitted.

Principal’s Golden Parachute Infuriates Lawmakers
The Ledger, FL, October 28, 2012
A failed Florida charter school’s principal is getting a $519,000 departure payment, and that has some state lawmakers outraged.

Lawmakers Need To Tighten Loopholes For Charter Schools
Tampa Bay Times, FL, October 27, 2012
If Florida Department of Education officials and lawmakers fail to slow expansion and tighten loopholes in charter school regulations, they should all be dismissed as hypocrites or fools.

GEORGIA

Issue Is Not About Charters, But Who Controls Them
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, October 28, 2012
This year, Georgia voters will be confronted with two proposed amendments to the state constitution. Regardless of their substance, the system for approving amendments is broken, and this threatens the principle that our Constitution draws its power directly from the people.

Georgia’s Amendment 1 Reforming Enemies of Change
Augusta Chronicle, GA, October 27, 2012
One of the more irrational arguments against Amendment 1 – the charter school amendment and the re-establishment of the Georgia Charter Schools Commission – is the argument that the Charter Commission is a duplication of what the Georgia State Board of Education already can do.

Campaign For Charter Amendment Draws More Out-Of-State Cash
Newnan Times-Herald, GA, October 27, 2012
The campaign to pass the charter-school amendment on this fall’s Georgia ballot pulled in $1.28 million in the last 30 days, with more than 70 percent coming from six out-of-state donors, according figures it released Friday.

INDIANA

Charter Building Lawsuit To Be Heard
The Journal Gazette, IN, October 28, 2012
Since June 2010, Fort Wayne Community Schools has been spending $1,200 to $3,200 a month on utilities at Pleasant Center Elementary School.

Indiana Teacher Colleges See Drop In Applications; Legislature Blamed
Post Tribune, IN, October 27, 2012
Applications to teacher colleges across Indiana have hit their lowest levels in at least five years as new laws and increased pressure on educators have deterred many from entering the field.

On Heels Of Strike, Teachers Union Braces For School Closure Fight
Munster Times, IN, October 28, 2012
More than a month after Chicago’s first teachers strike in 25 years, union members are gearing up for what they say is their next big fight: possible school closures.

Tony Bennett, Glenda Ritz vie for Indiana School Superintendent
Courier Journal, IN, October 29, 2012
Now seeking re-election, Bennett, 51, is nationally renowned within the school reform movement for a long list of changes he spurred in Hoosier schools. In particular, he’s among the highest-profile champions for market-based solutions in education.

LOUISIANA

Possible ‘Loopholes’ In Voucher School Regs Stir Debate
Opelousas Daily World, LA, October 29, 2012
Proposed regulations for approving nonpublic schools’ participation in a state-funded voucher program are too loose because they allow the superintendent of education to waive any requirements that a school can’t meet, proponents of stronger standards argued at an afternoon hearing on the rules.

Voucher Program Provides Vital Option: Letter
Times Picayune, LA, October 28, 2012
Re: “Public money should go to public schools,” Your Opinions, Oct.16. The letter omitted some key points as it relates to the Louisiana scholarship program. As an advocacy organization for parental choice and a child’s right to a high-quality education, the Louisiana Black Alliance Educational Options

J.S. Clark Enjoying Early Success
Opelousas Daily World, LA, October 29, 2012
J.S. Clark Leadership Academy may not look special from the outside. But those who go inside will tell you otherwise.

MICHIGAN

Opening Of New Charters Criticized
Detroit News, MI, October 29, 2012
Some of the state’s newest charter schools are being run by operators with poor academic records, critics say, and some question whether they should be allowed to open new schools when they’re not performing at the schools they have.

DPS Helping Students See Their Way To College
Detroit News, MI, October 29, 2012
That’s the approach under way in nine high schools at Detroit Public Schools, where leaders are using local control and a college-going culture as part of a transformation within the nation’s poorest big-city school district.

MISSOURI

Special School District Seeks Tax Increase
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, October 29, 2012
When St. Louis County voters head to the polls on Election Day, they’ll be asked to approve a 19-cent tax increase for the Special School District , which provides special education services and technical education to more than 25,000 students in 22 school districts in the county.

NEW JERSEY

Groundbreaking Newark Teacher Contract Good For Teachers, Kids
Star-Ledger, NJ, October 28, 2012
The long fight to improve public schools in Newark faces a crucial crossroads tomorrow, when teachers will vote on a breakthrough contract that could finally bring fundamental change.

Reform Group’s Study Finds Garden State Teachers Unions Among Most Influential
The Record, NJ, October 29, 2012
New Jersey teacher unions are among the strongest nationwide, a report due for release today by a conservative research group says.

Sandy Delays Vote on Newark Teacher Contract
Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2012
Newark Public Schools will be closed Monday because of Hurricane Sandy, pushing back a crucial vote on a new contract, officials said.

Contract With Merit Pay, Backed by Union Chiefs, Is Tough Sell for Newark Teachers
New York Times, NY, October 29, 2012
On one side of the table was the union firebrand Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. On the other was the state education commissioner handpicked by Gov. Chris Christie, who became a star among fellow Republicans for aggressively taking on public employee unions.

NEW MEXICO

Objectivity Key in Teacher Evaluation
Albuquerque Journal, NM, October 27, 2012
Rick Miera and Ellen Bernstein’s “Test Scores No Panacea for Teacher Evaluation” published on Monday is a covertly politicized view really representing opposition to both standardized testing as well as teacher evaluation of any sort.

PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania Teacher Evaluations Will Be Tied To Schools’ Test Scores
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 29, 2012
When the new statewide teacher evaluation system takes effect next fall, teachers will be judged not only on how they do in their own classrooms but on how their school does as a whole.

Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School To Close
The Morning Call, PA, October 28, 2012
The troubled small charter school’s financial crunch is forcing it to shut down, said Joyce Thompson, president of the board of trustees. She also said the negative publicity surrounding the money problems has hampered Vitalistic’s ability to secure grants and loans.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Yes-No Vote Sought On Education Bill
Aberdeen News, SD, October 29, 2012
South Dakota voters must try to answer a highly complicated set of questions with a single yes or no as they decide whether to approve or disallow Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s education reforms that make up Referred Law 16.

TENNESSEE

School Board Is In Place For The Greater Good
The Tennessean, TN, October 28, 2012
The Tennessean and the powers that be have come together to chastise the Metro School Board for trying to set standards for charter schools operating in the district for which they are responsible.

TEXAS

Well-Heeled S.A. Effort Aims For More Charter Schools — Lots More
San Antonio Express, TX, October 29, 2012
A coalition of San Antonio philanthropists is throwing its support — including a lot of money — behind an elite group of charter school operators that could someday educate nearly one in four area students.

West Dallas Partnership Investing In Families To Help Students Succeed
Dallas Morning News, TX, October 27, 2012
But while some people target investment returns in West Dallas, a new partnership involving schools and social-service agencies is taking a new approach to investing in people’s lives there, starting with children.

Senate Public Ed Chair Patrick Focuses on School Choice
Texas Tribune, TX, October 28, 2012
State Sen. Dan Patrick has a talk radio host’s comfort with publicly aired complaints.

WASHINGTON

I-1240 A Thoughtful Option
Spokesman Review, WA, October 28, 2012
I’m voting yes on Initiative 1240 because it’s a well-written initiative that brings to Washington the best that public charter schools have to offer. I-1240 was created based on the states with the top-performing charter schools and includes strict performance and accountability measures. I taught at a public charter school in another state and believe this initiative will benefit Washington ’s students.

WEST VIRGINIA

Report Ranks State Teachers Unions 13th Strongest
Charleston Gazette, WV, October 28, 2012
Leaders with West Virginia’s teachers unions are grateful to be recognized in a study that ranks the state as having the 13th strongest union presence in the country, but say that not all the report’s claims stand up.

WISCONSIN

Analysis Finds Limitations Of New Public School Report Cards
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, October 28, 2012
Wisconsin’s new public school report cards offer parents a trove of previously unpublished information about their children’s educational options, but they also come with some noteworthy quirks and limitations.

Consequences For Failing Schools Still Undecided
Fond du Lac Reporter, WI, October 29, 2012
But the state hasn’t said what supports or penalties those 266 struggling schools might face — will they get extra funding to make changes, will they add fuel to the push for a statewide voucher program allowing students to leave for private schools, or will they face some other type of sanctions?

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Students ‘Flip’ for Digital Learning
Huffington Post, October 26, 2012
Students today live in a wired world. Educators strive to assure high school and post-secondary success for each student. We think it’s a pretty good idea to recognize where students live outside the classroom and provide learning experiences that are real, relevant and engaging during the school day and beyond.

Bucyrus BOE Looks at Grade Card, Virtual Learning Academy
WBCO, OH, October 26, 2012
The Bucyrus City School District received the same grade from the state for last year as the previous one, but that doesn’t mean significant improvement didn’t take place. That’s what Superintendent Kevin Kimmel told the district’s Board of Education at Thursday’s meeting.

Iowa View: You Can Get a Good Education without Hollywood’s Approach
Des Moines Register, IA, October 29, 2012
For a growing number of parents in Iowa and across the nation, virtual schools are providing a better educational fit for their children than traditional brick-and-mortar schools.

Opinion Journal: School Choice on the Ballot
Wall Street Journal, October 26, 2012
Nina Rees, president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, on ballot initiatives in Georgia and Washington that would expand school choice.

At Charter Schools, High Enrollment, Low Oversight Bring Mixed Results
Desert News, UT, October 25, 2012
Across the country, communities continue to put energy and dollars into charter schools, despite the lack of both oversight and convincing results.

FROM THE STATES

Amid Misconduct Probe, O.C. Charter School Exonerates Itself
Orange County Register, CA, October 25, 2012
A K-8 charter school accused of misconduct during state standardized testing has absolved itself of all wrongdoing following an internal investigation, even as the Capistrano Unified School District continues to probe reports of testing violations.

One Small Victory for Anti-School Choice, One Giant Opportunity for Einstein Academy
SCVTV, CA, October 25, 2012
The California Teachers Association wields its power silently but effectively in our K-6 elementary school system here in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Charter Carbondale School Seeks To Loosen Sibling Policy
Glenwood Springs Post Independent, CO, October 26, 2012
The lone charter school operating as part of the Roaring Fork School District Re-1 wants to change its enrollment policy to allow siblings of current students automatic enrollment into the school.

Hartford Seeks $30M In Federal ‘Race To The Top’ Money
The Hartford Courant, CT, October 26, 2012
A tablet computer for every city high school student? That’s the plan if Hartford wins a federal Race to the Top grant worth up to $30 million over four years, a potential boon that could mean personal technology for thousands of students and their teachers.

D.C. To Give Charter Schools Hand With Facility Costs
Washington Post, DC, October 25, 2012
The District will apply part of its $140 million budget surplus to charter-school facilities costs that are currently paid for with federal funds, Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) announced Thursday.

D.C. Officials Expect Enrollment Numbers To Hold Up Well Under Audit
Washington Post Blog, DC, October 25, 2012
Charter school enrollment in the District continues to grow quickly while DCPS enrollment appears to be either holding steady or headed for a slight drop, according to raw data released today by the Office for the State Superintendent of Education.

Scott’s Education Agenda Offers More Flexibility
Tallahassee Democrat, FL, October 26, 2012
Gov. Rick Scott released an education agenda on Thursday that would offer Florida ’s school districts more flexibility and, if money can be found in the state budget, more funding.

Don’t Set Low Expectations For Minorities In Florida’s New Education Goals
Miami Herald, FL, October 25, 2012
The Florida Board of Education has approved a six-year plan to address students achievements based on race, disability, and English proficiency.

Charter School Spent More On Principal Than Teachers, Students
Orlando Sentinel, FL, October 25, 2012
An Orange County charter school that gave its principal a $519,000 departure payout was an academic failure that struggled to provide its students with basic materials and qualified teachers, an evaluation by the school district shows.

Amid Renewal, Charter School Mulls Addition
Cherokee Tribune, GA, October 26, 2012
With Cherokee Charter Academy’s charter renewal quickly approaching, the academy is eyeing the possibility of adding a high school.

Panelists Debate Charter School Amendment
Augusta Chronicle, GA, October 26, 2012
When debating the merit of House Resolution 1162, a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 6 ballot affecting charter schools, panelists at the Richmond County Council of PTAs forum agreed on one idea Thursday.

Gwinnett Judge Tosses Suit On Schools’ Campaigning
Athens Banner Herald, GA, October 26, 2012
A judge dismissed a lawsuit accusing Gwinnett County school officials and the Georgia School Boards Association of illegally campaigning against a proposed constitutional amendment to affirm the state’s power to create independent charter schools.

IDAHO

Ills Of Citizens United Visible In Idaho Election
Spokesman Review, WA, October 26, 2012
Idaho voters are being asked to reject or support the education reforms passed by the last Legislature. These include expanding online courses, providing laptops to students, replacing teacher tenure with two-year contracts, and other changes. In this case, the big money is lined up against the reforms, and it comes from predictable sources: teachers unions.

Education Laws Provide Needed Reforms
Idaho Mountain Express and Guide, ID, October 26, 2012
We will be failing our students if Idaho doesn’t demand a better education and preparation so our kids can compete on the world’s stage. The “Luna laws” have given local school boards more control over budgets and hiring. There have been many commercials falsely portraying Idaho’s Students Come First laws. These laws were passed with bipartisan support.

Majority of Local Charters Get 4-Star Rating From State
Idaho Press, ID, October 26, 2012
Last month, the state Department of Education released Adequate Yearly Progress and Five Star Rating System results for Idaho schools, and Canyon County’s charter schools fared well in general.

INDIANA

Hope And Worry In The Classroom
Bloomington Herald Times, IN, October 25, 2012
For better or worse, depending which side of the argument you’re on, state-mandated teacher evaluations that affect pay and employment are in place for the first time this school year.

LOUISIANA

White on Neville: Students Trump District Concerns
Monroe News Star, LA, October 26, 2012
State Superintendent John White said Wednesday that providing good opportunities for the state’s students takes precedent over how chartering schools outside of local school systems might impact district performance scores.

Possible ‘Loopholes’ In Voucher Rules Stir Debate
The Advertiser, LA, October 26, 2012
Proposed regulations for approving nonpublic schools’ participation in a state-funded voucher program are too loose because they allow the superintendent of education to waive any requirements that a school can’t meet, proponents of stronger standards argued at an afternoon hearing on the rules.

BESE: No Voucher Changes Expected
The Advocate, LA, October 26, 2012
Renewing arguments that have raged for months, voucher critics and backers clashed Thursday on whether state oversight of private and parochial schools that accept voucher students is adequate.

MICHIGAN

EFMs Tapped for Allen Park, Highland Park School District
Detroit News, MI, October 26, 2012
A state board on Thursday appointed Joyce Parker to serve as Allen Park’s new emergency financial manager.

MINNESOTA

Prairie Seeds’ Biggest Challenge Isn’t On Field
Star Tribune, MN, October 25, 2012
The charter school has filed for an injunction that it hopes will let the team participate in today’s soccer state tournament.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Common Core Won’t Improve Education
Nashua Telegraph, NH, October 25, 2012
When President Obama touts “education reform” as one of his accomplishments, most people do not realize that he is referring to the new Common Core State Standards being implemented nationwide, including in New Hampshire.

OHIO

Give Charter Schools A Chance
The Hill Blog, October 25, 2012
Ohio passed legislation authorizing a limited number of charter (community) schools in 1997, and has since amended the laws numerous times to expand the total number of charter schools in the state.

FBI Joins Probe of Schools’ Records
Columbus Dispatch, OH, October 26, 2012
The FBI has launched its own investigation into the data-scrubbing probe that began with Columbus City Schools and has spread statewide.

OKLAHOMA

Results of Oklahoma’s A-F Grading System for Schools Should Be Embraced
The Oklahoman, OK, October 26, 2012
AFTER several weeks’ delay, A-F grades have been released for all Oklahoma public schools. The results indicate the pre-emptive criticisms of some superintendents were overblown and unfounded.

PENNSYLVANIA

State House Candidates Weigh-In On Education
The Morning Call, PA, October 25, 2012
Gov. Tom Corbett has made education reform — mostly in the form of expanding charter schools and school choice — the cornerstone of his first-term agenda. But the Republican has seen his efforts to pass taxpayer-funded vouchers stymied, as were the efforts of his GOP predecessor, former Gov. Tom Ridge.

TEXAS

School Choice Vouchers Expected To Dominate 83rd Legislative Session
Midland Reporter Telegram, TX, October 25, 2012
Though water shortages, traffic congestion and budget shortages will be hot topics during the 83rd legislative session, the majority of discussions likely will to revolve around education, said Senate Education Committee Chairman Dan Patrick, R-Houston.

UTAH

18 Candidates Vie To Lead Utah Education
The Salt Lake Tribune, UT, October 25, 2012
It just might be the most important race this election year that you’ve never heard of.

WASHINGTON

TV Ad Accuses O’Ban of ‘Extreme Agenda’ on Education
Bellingham Herald, WA, October 26, 2012
A recent television advertisement on Steve O’Ban, Republican candidate for a House seat in the 28th Legislative District, paints him as having an “extreme agenda” for public schools.

WISCONSIN

SCHOOL: Pay Your Own Way
Coeur d’Alene Press, WI, October 26, 2012
It never ceases to amaze me why the same people who through my tax dollars want me to pay for their educational choice, via PYP and IB, but do not want to pay for teaching Creation Science, my educational choice for my kids. They say those of us who want our kids taught Creation Science can send them to a private religious school.

Audit: US Oversight Of Charter School Funds Lax
Associated Press, October 24, 2012
An audit of the U.S. Department of Education’s division overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars in charter school funding has criticized the office for failing to properly monitor how states spend the money.

Camilla Benbow: Romney, Obama Differ On Education Ideology
The Tennessean, TN, October 25, 2012
With the election looming, let us take a look at where the two major candidates for president stand on education.

How The World’s Longest-Running School Voucher Program Fared
Washington Post Blog, DC, October 25, 2012
Though Gov. Mitt Romney and President Obama agree on some education issues, there are important differences, including the extent of federal involvement in local school issues and voucher programs.

Obama Would Better Support Education
Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, WI, October 25, 2012
When you think about it, how do we really create a nation that is prosperous, healthy and progressive with the ongoing world? You educate our youths to be better prepared to make the future decisions that will affect the nation as a whole.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Charter Schools Going Strong For 20 Years
San Francisco Chronicle, CA, October 24, 2012
Charter school enrollment in California has reached record levels this year with nearly 1 in 10 students now attending the alternative public schools.

Settlement Voided; Teacher Layoff Process To Go To Trial
Los Angeles Times Blog, CA, October 24, 2012
The state Supreme Court has declined to reinstate a settlement that allowed local officials to shield schools from having disproportionate numbers of teachers laid off during a budget crisis. The voided settlement had allowed exceptions to rules stating that less-experienced teachers must be let go first.

L.A. Schools Chief Urges Union Cooperation On Federal Funds
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 24, 2012
Supt. John Deasy seeks teachers’ backing on a grant application that could bring $40 million to LAUSD. The union fears the grant won’t cover all the costs of implementing the district’s proposal.

COLORADO

Dougco Launches Call For Charter Schools
EdNews Colorado, CO, October 24, 2012
A second large Colorado school district has approved the launch of a “call for new schools” process, though the focus of the Douglas County plan is charter schools.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Rise In D.C. School Enrollment
Washington Post, DC, October 24, 2012
The number of students enrolled in public and public charter schools in the District rose 5 percent this fall, to nearly 81,000 students, the highest level in more than a decade, according to a raw enrollment count that city officials plan to release Thursday.

FLORIDA

Lake Wales Charter System Seeks Injunction for IB Program Recruitment
The Ledger, FL, October 24, 2012
Parents with students in the Lake Wales Charter System and its officials say the Polk County School District is not playing fair.

GEORGIA

Gwinnett At Center Of Charter Amendment Fight
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, October 25, 2012
In the highly contested fight over the charter school amendment, Gwinnett County is ground zero.

Charter School Parents Explain Why We Need Amendment One
Atlanta Journal Constitution Blog, GA, October 25, 2012
“How can I in good conscience send my child to a school that didn’t even cheat right?” The question from Shelby McDonald has surely been asked by many an Atlanta parent since rampant cheating on standardized tests was uncovered in the city’s public schools. Only rhetorically, of course, because the answer is: You can’t.

State Superintendent John Barge Shares Concerns About Charter Amendment
Savannah Morning News, GA, October 25, 2012
State Superintendent of Schools John Barge came to Savannah on Wednesday to discuss his vision for education but got grilled for opinions on the upcoming charter school Constitutional amendment.

Charter Amendment Isn’t Answer
Athens Banner-Herald , GA, October 24, 2012
This week, many of us are opening our mailboxes to find a slick, full-color, very expensive piece of propaganda. It’s full of children’s smiling faces, and it also contains false statements and misleading assertions about the proposed charter school amendment.

IDAHO

Idaho Seeks Names Of Education Reform Campaign Donors
Spokesman Review, WA, October 25, 2012
The state of Idaho asked a judge Wednesday to order a secretive group to disclose its funding sources for more than $200,000 in campaign ads in support of three school-reform ballot measures, and do it before the election.

INDIANA

Forum Held For State Superintendent Candidates
Journal Review, IN, October 25, 2012
The choice for Indiana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction is clearly between two different paths.

EVSC Enrollment Declines
Evansville Courier & Press, IN, October 25, 2012
Enrollment in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. for 2012-13 is 21,510 students, a decline of 94 from last school year.

MASSACHUSETTS

Taking The Reins At Charter School
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, October 25, 2012
Classes at the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School begin each morning with a meeting, with teachers and their students on all grade levels sitting down to talk and setting the tone for the day.

Charter School Company Shows That Time Is On Students’ Side
Boston Globe, MA, October 25, 2012
It is maddening that Boston’s public schools must reach the precipice of collapse before they can use one of the most important tools of school reform — a longer school day.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Derry Charter School Puts Focus On Next Year’s Opening
Union Leader, NH, October 24, 2012
With a board of trustees and state approval in place, the NEXT charter high school in Derry can now focus on opening its doors to students for the 2013-14 school year.

NEW JERSEY

Ocean City Schools Ready For Teacher Evaluation Program
Shore News Today, NJ, October 25, 2012
Administrators in Ocean City are optimistic about the district’s participation in the Excellent Educator’s for New Jersey pilot program.

NEW YORK

Children Left Behind
New York Daily News, NY, October 25, 2012
A report on college-readiness among high school graduates in New York’s poorest neighborhoods paints a stark, depressing picture of the future for thousands of black and Latino young people. But while the results of the study are clear, the conclusions that can be drawn from them are far less so.

Lack Of Evaluation Accord May Mean $58.7 Million Loss
Buffalo News, NY, October 24, 2012
The Buffalo Public Schools stand to lose $58.7 million – some of it earmarked for the district’s lowest-performing schools – if the district cannot work out a teacher-evaluation plan with its union soon, Superintendent Pamela C. Brown told the School Board on Wednesday night.

Graduation Rates, Test Scores Show An Entrenched Gap For Syracuse African-American, Latino Students
Syracuse Post-Standard, NY, October 25, 2012
Fifteen years and countless dropouts ago, a review of the Syracuse school district revealed an achievement gap between African-American and Latino students and their white peers. The gap mirrored a national disparity.

OHIO

First Charter School In Cleveland’s Central Neighborhood Hosts Open House
NewsNet5, OH, October 24, 2012
Stepstone Academy hosted an open house Tuesday for perspective students and their parents. It is the first charter school in Cleveland’s Central Neighborhood.

Ohio Teachers Seek A Voice In The State Legislature By Running For Office
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, October 25, 2012
Remember last year’s Senate Bill 5? The legislation that cut public employees’ power to collectively bargain, which was met with some support, a lot of outrage and ultimately a ballot measure that struck it down?

PENNSYLVANIA

No Curve For Charter Schools
Citizen Voice, PA, October 25, 2012
State education officials haven’t finished their investigation into alleged cheating on standardized tests in some public school districts, including Scranton. But they have found their own side door to increase test results for charter schools, which the Corbett administration and legislative Republicans aggressively have promoted as alternatives to conventional public schools.

Critics: Pa. Inflating Success Of Charter Schools
Beaver Times, PA, October 24, 2012
Pennsylvania education officials have asked to measure charter school achievement by a different yardstick than traditional schools, a standard that critics say inflates the success of charters for political reasons.

Tighten Funding Formula For Charter Schools
The Reporter, PA, October 24, 2012
LAWMAKERS HAVE made some valuable changes to the law covering public charter schools but have punted on the most important issue.

Pa. Charter Bill Fail Is Business As Usual
York Dispatch, PA, October 24, 2012
We can’t say our state Legislature does nothing. That wouldn’t be fair. Occasionally, a meaningful bill slips through and becomes law. There was the, um …And the one that fixed that thing with the … oh, what was it now?

TENNESSEE

Metro School Board Should Move Past Charter Debate, Focus On Future
The Tennessean, TN, October 25, 2012
Student progress measurements, teacher evaluation implementation and planning for the future must all be well in hand in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.

TEXAS

Why Not Improve Texas Public Schools?
The Cross Timbers Gazette, TX, October 25, 2012
In 1876, state leaders in Austin approved the Texas Constitution, which included establishing and providing “for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.” Our forefathers had a vision that the Constitution would provide a quality and equal educational system for all future young Texans.

Proposed Texas School Vouchers Program Won’t Work
Houston Chronicle, TX, October 24, 2012
Now that state Sen. Dan Patrick has been appointed chairman of the Senate Education Committee, the battle over school vouchers will begin in earnest. I have always in theory endorsed the concept of allowing school choice and permitting state funds to follow the kids.

WASHINGTON

Why Teachers Will Love Charter Schools
Auburn Reporter, WA, October 24, 2012
Bob Dean is a public school teacher and a supporter of Initiative 1240, the ballot measure to allow public charter schools in Washington. He is the head of his school’s Math Department, teaches Advanced Placement calculus and is a past member of the State Board of Education Math Advisory Panel.

7 Seattle Schools Apply To Use “Creative Approach”
Seattle Times Blog, WA, October 24, 2012
Seven Seattle schools are applying to become Seattle Public Schools’ first “creative approach” schools which, similar to charter schools in other states, will be allowed significant flexibility to pursue innovative approaches to learning.

WISCONSIN

Proficiency Plummets At Voucher Schools, MPS With New Test Scoring
Journal Sentinel, WI, October 24, 2012
Based on a new and tougher yardstick for academic competency in Wisconsin, about 90% of the students in Milwaukee’s private-school voucher program are not proficient in reading and math, according to recalibrated fall 2011 state test results released this week.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Milwaukee Area Schools Lose Enrollment To Virtual School
Marquette Tribune, WI, October 25, 2012
Schools in the four-county Milwaukee metro area have been hit by a significant decrease in enrollment this year, while virtual charter schools have made gains, according to data released by the state that provides a preliminary head count of all students in public schools.

Filling Gap In Number Of Quality Teachers Is Something Candidates Should Be Talking About
The Oklahoman, OK, October 24, 2012
EDUCATION was the one important topic that was almost entirely absent from last week’s second presidential debate, which focused on a wide variety of domestic issues.

President Barack Obama Strives To End The Failure Of No Child Left Behind
Desert Sun, CA, October 23, 2012
President Obama’s commitment to this institution reflects the critical role public education plays in ensuring a strong and vibrant America.

WHY IT MATTERS: Education
Associated Press, October 23, 2012
States and local governments have the primary responsibility for education in the United States . But the federal government gets a big say, too, by awarding billions in aid, often with strings attached.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

In Search Of Quality Teachers, Charter Network Trains Its Own
The Bay Citizen, CA, October 24, 2012
Amy Youngman’s seventh- and eighth-grade humanities students had left for the day. Other than some shouts from the after-school program in the courtyard, all was quiet in her second-floor classroom here.

School Choice And Educational Services Available
Press Enterprise, CA, October 23, 2012
San Bernardino City Unified School District students who attend Program Improvement (PI) schools may be eligible for special services or school transfers.

Education Prize Eludes Corona-Norco District
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 24, 2012
The Corona-Norco Unified School District is a finalist for the Broad Prize for Urban Education, garnering $150,000, but the award goes to Miami-Dade schools.

CONNECTICUT

Bridgeport Charter Revision Backers Aren’t Being Honest
CT Post, CT, October 24, 2012
In fact, if the referendum passes, parents will have less chance for involvement. They won’t be able to hold the board accountable by voting them out.

FLORIDA

Spectacular Academics
Miami Herald, FL, October 23, 2012
The fifth time was the charm for Miami-Dade Public Schools, which won the prestigious Broad Prize on Tuesday, for minority students making spectacular gains in academics.

When Mom And Dad Help, Schools And Students Excel
News-Press, FL, October 24, 2012
On any given day, you can find about 20 parents regularly volunteering their time at Bonita Springs Charter School.

School Board Oks Improvement Plans For 2 Charter Schools
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL, October 23, 2012
Improvement plans for F-rated charter schools in DeLand and Oak Hill were approved by the Volusia County School Board Tuesday amid warnings district officials will be watching carefully to see how they’re put into action.

Why Miami-Dade Schools Won Prestigious Broad Prize For Urban Districts
Christian Science Monitor, MA, October 23, 2012
Miami-Dade County Public Schools has been steadily chipping away at the achievement gap. After being a finalist four other times, the district won the Broad Prize for Urban Education on Tuesday.

GEORGIA

Setzler: We Must Have Healthy Competition With Charter Schools
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 24, 2012
One side at a Tuesday evening forum said passing the charter schools constitutional amendment on Nov. 6 to create a new state agency for charter schools would give parents more choice in their children’s education, while others called it a money grab for out-of-state interests.

A ‘Yes’ Will Offer An Appeal Process
Cherokee Ledger, GA, October 24, 2012
For those who have been following the debate regarding Amendment No. 1 — the charter amendment — and wondering why everyone is so upset, I wanted to give you some final thoughts. For those of us in the thick of it, it’s a passionate subject that goes to the basic instinct of parents, what’s best for our kids and who is best to decide that?

Amendment 1 a Modern Trojan Horse
Macon Telegraph, GA, October 24, 2012
Let me begin with a disclaimer. I am an educator in a public school; have been for 25 years. The boorish behavior of our governor and his attorney general aside, I certainly don’t feel my profession disqualifies me from holding or sharing an opinion on the charter school amendment.

ILLINOIS

Cleveland’s Charter School Growth A Cautionary Tale For Chicago
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 24, 2012
Ohio gives poor marks to nearly a third of city’s charters that serve disadvantaged students

District 150 Launches New Evaluation System For Teachers
Peoria Journal Star, IL, October 23, 2012
All Peoria School District 150 teachers are being rated with a new evaluation tool this year that both administrators and teachers’ union representatives say will improve teaching and put the district in the forefront of new state-mandated reforms.

INDIANA

In State School Chiefs Election, Pace Of Educational Reforms Just One Issue
Journal and Courier, IN, October 23, 2012
If one issue in Indiana has become a hotbed of political debate, it’s education.

Charter School Lawsuit Sent Back To State Court
Munster Times, IN, October 23, 2012
LEAD College Prep wants to force the Gary school district to comply with state law and lease the unused former Ernie Pyle Elementary School to the charter for $1. The Gary district wants the charter school to follow through on an offer its former management company made to buy another school building for $300,000.

LOUISIANA

D.C. Trip May Boomerang
The Daily Adviser, LA, October 24, 2012
The boomerang hasn’t made its way back to the delegation of Monroe City School Board members and officials who made a questioned and questionable trip to Washington, D.C. , to the U.S. Justice Department to talk about the Neville High School charter proposal.

Voucher Law Questioned In Desegregation Case
Alexandria Town Talk, LA, October 23, 2012
Louisiana’s education chief has been summoned to federal court in a case involving the state’s new school voucher law and a 47-year-old desegregation case.

Once-Failing Orleans Parish Schools Eligible To Return To Local Control
WWL-TV, LA, October 23, 2012
A number of once-failing Orleans Parish schools that the state took over after Hurricane Katrina are now eligible to return to local control.

MARYLAND

Dream Act Event At City School Being Scrutinized
The Baltimore Sun, MD, October 23, 2012
The Baltimore school system is looking into whether an event held at a public charter school to promote passage of a question on the Nov. 6 ballot was an improper use of facilities to promote a political cause.

MINNESOTA

All-Day Kindergarten Back On The Ballot In St. Paul
Star Tribune, MN, October 23, 2012
St. Paul is on a quest to improve education by training more resources on the youngest students, and its all-day kindergarten offerings — a crucial part of that effort — could hinge on a school levy up for renewal by voters on Nov. 6.

MISSISSIPPI

Parent Trigger Law
WJTV, MS, October 23, 2012
If your child attends a failing school, there may be something you can do about it. This is the first year parents have the opportunity to take control of their child’s education.

MISSOURI

Southeast Approves Charter School Through 2018
Southeast Missourian, MO, October 24, 2012
Southeast Missouri State University says a charter schools it oversees can continue operating through 2018.

NEW JERSEY

Newark Teachers Blast Historic Salary Contract Signed By Union Leaders
Star-Ledger, NJ, October 23, 2012
Leaders of the Newark Teachers Union faced a barrage of criticism from rank and file members tonight over the historic three-year contract signed Friday that, for the first time, will offer annual bonuses of up to $12,500 to top teachers.

OHIO

Charters Not Making The Grade
Ironton Tribune, OH, October 23, 2012
Ohio’s public school systems have been at odds with the state’s charter schools for the near decade and a half since they were created. But data from the recent state report cards show that public school administrators — and taxpayers — should have legitimate concerns.

PENNSYLVANIA

School Board, Residents, Teachers Frustrated At Lack Of State Response
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 24, 2012
It’s been four weeks since the state board of control overseeing the Duquesne City School District notified the state Department of Education that it would not oppose its decision to place the district in preliminary financial recovery status.

Policy Change Aids Bear Creek School
Times Leader, PA, October 24, 2012
It was easier for Bear Creek Community Charter School to meet state goals in math and reading tests this year – not because of anything the school did, but because the state changed the way it judges charter school success.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Hayes: Zais’ SC Teacher Pay Plan Unfair, Counterproductive
The State, SC, October 24, 2012
S.C. Education Superintendent Mick Zais has a plan to radically change how teachers are evaluated, credentialed and, ultimately, paid. Student test scores will be used to give teachers a letter grade: A, B, C, D or F.

Closing Choices Would Be A Bad Choice
Morning News, SC, October 24, 2012
The idea behind Choices Charter School in Florence has undeniable appeal. A retired Florence police captain starts a school, based on military-style discipline and accountability, offering a tough-love second (or third, or fourth) chance to kids who just can’t seem to make it “regular” school.

Future of Choices Charter School Uncertain After Agreements Lapse
WBTW, SC, October 23, 2012
The future of Choices Charter School is somewhat up in the air after a lapse in charter agreements between the school and school districts in Florence and Darlington Counties.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Teacher Bonus Pay Is A Dubious Plan
Yankton Daily Press, SD, October 24, 2012
South Dakota’s educational system may soon be redefined and based on a questionable theory. That theory — that awarding bonuses to teachers whose students perform best in the classroom — sounds straightforward and productive enough. But like many theories, it doesn’t always function ideally in the real world.

TENNESSEE

Nashville School Board Appears Split On Filing Suit Over Charter Penalty
The Tennessean, TN, October 24, 2012
Metro Nashville school board member Amy Frogge is ready to sue the state to force the return of $3.4 million the district didn’t receive last month, and she said parent groups stand ready to take up the legal fight if the board decides against it.

TEXAS

Schools Have Strong Funding Case
Dallas Morning News, TX, October 23, 2012
The state’s latest school finance lawsuit is only into its first week of hearings, but this much already is clear: Poor and wealthy districts aren’t fighting each other. They are united in protesting that lawmakers aren’t adequately funding Texas schools. It is not often that you see rich and poor districts partnering in a school finance case.

UTAH

Charter School Application On Hold
Park Record, UT, October 24, 2012
While the Winter Sports School in Park City (WSS) application to become a charter school may be on hold, it’s anything but dead. In a recent Park City Board of Education meeting, board members voted to table the talks to incorporate the private school into the district.

VIRGINIA

State On-Time Graduation Rate On The Rise
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, October 24, 2012
The number of students dropping out of high school fell last year and is down 25 percent over the past five years, according to data released Tuesday by the Virginia Department of Education.

WASHINGTON

Evergreen Offers Model For Better Teachers – Without Depending On Test Scores
Bellingham Herald, WA, October 24, 2012
Sharon Nichols and David Berliner know something you don’t know about education – but they wish you did. And I wish all the smart people who supposedly care about education would listen to them.

Port Angeles School Board Opposes Charter-School Initiative
Peninsula Daily News, WA, October 24, 2012
The Port Angeles School Board has formally voted to oppose a state initiative that would allow charter schools in Washington, and it encourages voters to vote against I-1240.

What Happens To Local Schools If I-1240 Passes?
KXLY, WA, October 24, 2012
The way your child looks at school may soon change. If Initiative 1240 passes, up to 40 charter schools could open in Washington.

Former Foe Now Embraces Charter Schools, Campaigns For I-1240
Seattle Times, WA, October 23, 2012
Longtime public-school supporter Lisa Macfarlane once opposed opening charter schools in this state. Now she’s leading the campaign for Initiative 1240, which would allow up to 40 charters here.

Reject Initiative 1240 And Sending Public Money To Charter Schools
Seattle Times, WA, October 23, 2012
Initiative 1240 to create public charter schools is a distraction that masquerades as a solution to fund basic education, writes guest columnist Mari Taylor.

NEA Donates $250,000 To Anti-Charter-School Campaign
Seattle Times Blog, WA, October 23, 2012
The National Education Association, which supports charter schools in some states, has contributed $250,000 to the campaign to defeat a charter school initiative here, the campaign’s largest contribution to date.

Initiative 1240 Would Offer Tool That Could Help Fix State Schools
Yakima Herald-Republic, WA, October 23, 2012
Charter schools have proven a tough sell in Washington, having failed three times in ballot issues extending back to the 1996. The latest incarnation, Initiative 1240, would bring neither the sweeping changes that school reformers seek nor the dire disruption that opponents say they fear.

ONLINE TOOLS

York-Based Urban Cyber Charter School Plans Satellite Hub In Lancaster
The Evening Sun, PA, October 24, 2012
Lancaster newspapers reports a York company is seeking state approval to start a cybercharter school that would include a satellite hub in Lancaster city.

Easton Passes ‘Pay To Play’ Fee For Charter, Cyber Schools
The Morning Call, PA, October 23, 2012
Charter and cyber schools will have to start paying a fee for former Easton Area School District students who want to play sports for their home team.

Virtual Academy Is Up And Running, And Enrolling Students
Osakis Review, MN, October 24, 2012
Lakes Area Virtual Academy (LAVA) is up and running and enrolling its first students, according to Phil Grant, director of the Lakes Area Charter School (LACS) in Osakis.

Virtual Schools Meet The Needs Of Students, Families
The Gazette, IA, October 24, 2012
The movie “Won’t back down” makes for compelling Hollywood drama, and is touching off an important discussion about the future of public education. As this important conversation continues, we should keep in mind that this show glosses over educational options and solutions that aren’t nearly as extreme as taking over a school.