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Schools Face Test From Voters
Wall Street Journal, October 23, 2012
Voters in five states will decide next month whether to raise taxes to help fund public schools, part of a slew of ballot initiatives this year that reflect the intensifying nationwide battle over how to run government-funded schools.

Study Finds Obama’s Race To The Top Program Too Costly For Schools
Daily Freedman, NY, October 23, 2012
The implementation of President Barack Obama’s Race to the Top initiative in New York state is an expensive venture that may move public education in the state backward, according to SUNY New Paltz’s Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach.

Should State Education Chiefs Be Elected?
Stateline, October 23, 2012
If it were up to Walter Dalton and Pat McCrory, they’d have a little less company on the ballot in North Carolina this year. In particular, they wouldn’t be sharing space with candidates for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

FROM THE STATES

ARKANSAS

The Billionaire Boys (And Girl) Club For Charter Schools
Arkansas Times Blog, AR, October 22, 2012
The charter school movement in Arkansas and everywhere has been accurately characterized as the Billionaire Boys Club. In Arkansas, Walton, Murphy, Stephens and Hussman money is the motive power of legislation to bust what few unions remain in Arkansas classrooms and promote charter schools (backers need not be proven) and other forms of “choice,” with vouchers the ultimate game.

CALIFORNIA

Charter To Take Over School In Parent-Trigger Case
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 23, 2012
Adelanto parents select LaVerne Elementary Preparatory Academy to operate Desert Trails Elementary School , ending months of court battles.

Near L.A. Live, Parents Press For Downtown Charter School
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 23, 2012
Residents of South Park have submitted plans for Metro Charter to L.A. Unified. They say a school that their kids can walk to is too important to give up.

More Than 2 Dozen L.A. Unified Magnet Schools Are Under-Enrolled
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 23, 2012
LAUSD magnet schools have long been considered prized programs, but more than two dozen of them are under-enrolled and actively looking to fill classroom seats.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Enrollment Fails To Keep Pace With D.C. Voucher Funds
Washington Times, DC, October 22, 2012
A decision this year to add nearly $5 million in funding for federal vouchers that help low-income families in the District send their children to private schools is not guaranteed to result in higher enrollment under the program than last school year, according to preliminary data.

FLORIDA

Gov. Scott To Push Against Spending Cuts At Fort Myers Education Summit
News Press, FL,October 23, 2012
Scott, a featured speaker, will outline an education agenda that address new academic standards, teacher accountability, funding cuts and charter schools, according to a draft provided to the Miami Herald.

Rick Scott’s Education Priorities: Keep Funding Steady, Expand Charter Schools
Miami Herald, FL, October 23, 2012
The Republican governor has crafted a set of education proposals to send to the Legislature in the spring with the goal of better preparing students for college and jobs.

Academy Seeks To Avoid $81K In City Fees For New Campus
Ocala Star Banner, FL, October 22, 2012
A Francis Marion Military Academy official said Monday he feels the charter school has become the latest pawn in a war between the city of Ocala and the School District over stormwater and fire service fees.

GEORGIA

Former Mayor” ‘No’ to Amendment One’
Savannah Morning News, GA, October 23, 2012
Citizens are being asked to vote on Nov. 6 for or against an amendment to the Constitution of Georgia that would expand the power of state government over local education and lead to a dual school system.

Former School Board Member: ‘Yes’ on Amendment One
Savannah Morning News, GA, October 23, 2012
The Savannah/Chatham Board of Education’s opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment to the Georgia Constitution is understandable but not logical.

Georgia Group Supports Charter School Amendment
Albany Herald, GA, October 22, 2012
Georgia voters will decide Nov. 6 if charter schools in the state will continue to exist in a kind of limbo.

Charter School Amendment Is More About ‘How’ Than ‘What’
Macon Telegraph, GA, October 23, 2012
Rep. Edward Lindsey, R-Atlanta, majority whip in the Georgia House of Representatives says he finds himself bordering between “amused and disturbed” by opponents of the charter school amendment, which is set for a vote on Nov. 6.

IDAHO

Idaho TV Ads Prompt Lawsuit
Spokesman Review, WA, October 23, 2012
Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa went to court Monday, seeking to force a defiant secret-donations group to reveal the source of more than $200,000 spent on statewide TV campaign commercials backing three controversial school reform measures.

KANSAS

Democrats Create Own Kansas School Online Site
Garden City Telegram, KS, October 23, 2012
Kansas legislative Democrats on Monday launched their own online survey on schools to counter a new website created by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration.

LOUISIANA

State Superintendent Drawing Ire
Monroe News Star, LA, October 23, 2012
At least two members of the Louisiana Senate and Governmental Affairs committee believe State Superintendent John White lied to the committee during his confirmation hearing in May, and they want him to answer for it.

MARYLAND

HCEA Requests Withdrawal From Race To The Top
Baltimore Sun, MD, October 22, 2012
The Howard County Education Association last week formally requested the Board of Education withdraw from Race to the Top, a controversial federal program tied to teacher evaluations based on student performance on state assessments — evaluations that are now law.

MASSACHUSETTS

Marshall Elementary Proposed As Charter School
Boston Globe, MA, October 22, 2012
Boston school officials announced Monday that they intend to tap an education-management company to convert the Marshall Elementary School in Dorchester into a charter school next fall, under a proposal to boost student achievement at the academically struggling school.

MICHIGAN

Tougher Rules See Grad Rate Slip
Detroit News, MI, October 23, 2012
Tougher high school graduation requirements have caused graduation rates in Michigan to drop among lower-achieving students, says an analysis released Monday.

Laid-Off DPS Teachers Can Have Their Performance Scores Reviewed
Detroit Free Press, MI, October 22, 2012
Teachers who have been laid off as a result of their 2012 performance evaluations can request a review of their scores, Detroit Public Schools announced in a news release today.

MINNESOTA

Bridging The Gap
Minnesota Daily, MN, October 23, 2012
Minnesota has long been known as a state that values education and its importance for the future of the state. Making financial investments for K-12, as well as in our public universities, is traditionally seen as a top priority for our leaders and state lawmakers. Minnesota students’ test scores are consistently ranked among the highest in the nation.

NEW JERSEY

NJEA Boss No Fan of Newark Contract Deal
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, October 23, 2012
Vincent Giordano quietly disagrees with two key components of the tentative deal: performance benefits and peer evaluation

Judge To Rule On Camden Students’ Relocation
Courier Post, NJ, October 23, 2012
An administrative law judge will rule in several days if the state must move three Camden students to new schools outside the failing city school district.

Delaware Valley High School Board Considers Accepting Out-Of-District Choice Students
Hunterdon County Democrat, NJ, October 22, 2012
A lot of questions were asked, but no decision was made at tonight’s Delaware Valley High School Board of Education meeting about possibly accepting students under the state school choice program.

NEW MEXICO

Charter Fair Will Exhibit School Choice
Albuquerque Journal, NM, October 23, 2012
As a parent or a family looking for differing educational opportunities for children, trying to find the right school can be a somewhat daunting task.

NEW YORK

In Rochester, Randi Weingarten Makes Case For Cooperative School Reform
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY, October 22, 2012
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten was in Rochester on Monday to participate in a hearing of the governor’s New NY Education Reform Commission, which is looking for ways to improve the state’s schools.

Buffalo Teachers Reject Deal To Accept Transfers In Exchange For $2,500
Buffalo News, NY, October 22, 2012
Buffalo School Superintendent Pamela C. Brown offered to give $2,500 to each of the 106 teachers affected by involuntary transfers this fall in an effort to resolve the stalemate between the union and the district over the transfers.

TENNESSEE

More Than Money Is At Stake For Metro Schools
The Tennessean, TN, October 23, 2012
Unfortunately, Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) has reached an impasse with the Tennessee Department of Education. The state, despite our local school board’s efforts to reconcile the situation, has withheld $3.4 million in Basic Education Program (BEP) funds in response to the board’s repeated denials of the Great Hearts Academies charter school application.

Achievement School District Gets Jolt: Low Test Scores
Commercial Appeal, TN, October 22, 2012
Early tests results a few weeks ago showed that students in the state’s Achievement School District on average are performing at the 16th percentile in the nation in reading and math.

TEXAS

Schools, State Begin Battle In Court Again
San Antonio Express, TX, October 23, 2012
Lawyers representing hundreds of school districts challenging Texas’ school funding system argued Monday that it’s “hopelessly broken,” but a lawyer for the state said the situation isn’t as dire as the schools portray.

WASHINGTON

Give Charter Schools A Chance
The Daily News, WA, October 23, 2012
Whether or not to allow charter schools isn’t the major K-12 education issue facing Washington . The state’s biggest challenge is how to fully fund education, as the state’s Supreme Court directed in its McGeary decision earlier this year.

The Times Recommends Initiative 1240, Setting Up Charter Schools
Seattle Times, WA, October 22, 2012
Charter-school supporters claim that charters will serve the most disadvantaged students. However, the 40 schools this initiative will create will serve only 1 percent of our state’s students. Current statistics show that 37 percent of Washington students receive free or reduced price lunch, 13 percent receive special-education services and 18 percent live in poverty.

Obama Ad Blasts Romney Over Teachers
USA Today, October 20, 2012
President Obama’s campaign is playing the education card against Mitt Romney with a new ad attacking him over teachers and class size.

How to Measure a Teacher’s Effectiveness
New York Times, NY, October 21, 2012
Re “Want to Ruin Teaching? Give Ratings” (Op-Ed, Oct. 15): I couldn’t agree more with Deborah Kenny that evaluating teachers with high-stakes tests is a dreadful idea.

FROM THE STATES

ARKANSAS

Blytheville To Hold Public Hearing On Conversion Charter
Courier News, AR, October 20, 2012
Blytheville School District will be holding a public hearing Monday to announce its plans to seek a district conversion charter for Blytheville High School.

CALIFORNIA

‘Choices’ Opens New Doors For Students At Failing LAUSD Schools
Daily Breeze, CA, October 20, 2012
Most of the parents who sign up for LAUSD’s Choices program hope to send their child to a specialty magnet – a performing arts program for an aspiring actor, perhaps, or a medical academy for a would-be doctor.

Parent Trigger Advocates, Opponents Struggle Over Adelanto Children’s Future
Redlands Daily Facts, CA, October 21, 2012
Inside Christina Purcell’s classroom at Desert Trails Elementary School , there was no hint of the political turmoil going on outside, just a few hundred feet away.

Charter Seeks Student Improvement In Proposed D-49 Transfer
Colorado Springs Gazette, CO, October 21, 2012
As a large, statewide online school seeks to transfer its state charter to growing Falcon School District 49, east of Colorado Springs , one brick-and-mortar charter school may be considering an exit.

CONNECTICUT

Education Reform Gains Local, National Attention
Yale Daily News, CT, October 22, 2012
With the November elections in two weeks and a debate over the direction of the country’s school system taking place nationwide, ongoing education reform in New Haven has become the subject of praise from local, state and national political officials.

Education Reform Leader Backs Plan To Appoint Bridgeport Board Of Ed
CT Post, CT, October 21, 2012
A national leader in education reform Sunday offered his support for the city’s plan to replace the elected Board of Education with a new board appointed by the mayor.

FLORIDA

Charter School Companies, Online Learning Outfits Try To Wield More Influence In Tallahassee
Tampa Bay Times, FL, October 22, 2012
In the looming battle for public education dollars, Jon Hage has launched a pre-emptive strike.

GEORGIA

Amendment Supporters, Opponents Clash In Debate
Savannah Morning News, GA, October 22, 2012
The opponents and supporters of the charter-school amendment agree on something: The issue is about money and control, according to comments made Sunday on statewide television.

Ga. Officials Defend Charter School Politicking
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 22, 2012
Deal is among the amendment backers who argue it’s a matter of offering more educational options. State Schools Superintendent John Barge, along with many local superintendents and school board members, lead the opposition. They say the amendment would strip power from local school boards that now can approve or reject applications for charters and could siphon money from existing schools.

Charter School Fight In Washington Has Parallels To Ga.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, October 21, 2012
On a recent fall day here, Melissa Westbrook and Shannon Campion settled into high chairs behind a small table in the basement studio at cavernous Seattle City Hall .

Yes to Charter Schools
Macon Telegraph, GA, October 21, 2012
On Nov. 6, voters will be asked whether the state should be able to approve charter schools. Yes the state should. You should vote yes.

Charter Amendment Facts Differ From Campaign Rhetoric
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, October 20, 2012
Of the two constitutional amendments on this fall’s ballot, the one dealing with charter schools has generated the most attention and confusion.

INDIANA

Controversial Policies Spark Challenge In Indiana School Superintendent Race
Evansville Courier & Press, IN, October 22, 2012
After stepping into the Indiana superintendent of public instruction’s office, Republican Tony Bennett said he has faced opposition with an intensity he never would have predicted four years ago.

KANSAS

Kan. Ed Board Candidate Wants To Ease Path Into Classroom
Topeka Capital Journal, KS, October 21, 2012
A Kansas man who operates an online tutoring service as “Mr. X, Mentor of Mathematics” is running for the Kansas State Board of Education in hopes of making it easier for professionals outside the public school system to become teachers.

KENTUCKY

Kentucky School Officials Bracing For Fallout From Lower Test Scores
The Courier-Journal, KY, October 21, 2012
Parents be warned: Your child’s results from Kentucky’s rigorous new statewide tests will be released within the next few weeks — and somewhat by design, the outcome is expected to be grim.

LOUISIANA

Magnet Schools Host Event To Draw In 2013-14 Students
The Advocate, LA, October 22, 2012
Hundreds of parents and children crammed aisles and corridors Saturday in Cortana Mall where students from 33 magnet and gifted and talented programs at East Baton Rouge Parish public schools recruited and wooed shoppers with song, dance, drama and robotics demonstrations Saturday.

Educators Criticize Evaluation System
Opelousas Daily World, LA, October 21, 2012
An increasing number of educators say Louisiana’s evaluation system makes it more likely teachers at high-achieving public schools will get poor reviews, threatening their job security.

MARYLAND

Md. State Board Of Education’s New President Has Big Demands
Washington Post, DC, October 21, 2012
As a former board member of Maryland’s second-largest public school system and the current president of a community college, Charlene M. Dukes is considered by many education officials to be a natural choice to chair the board that sets policies for all of Maryland ’s public schools.

MASSACHUSETTS

MCAS and Charter Schools
Boston Globe, MA, October 21, 2012
I read your article (“Charter students score well on MCAS tests,” Sunday, Sept. 23) with great interest concerning the success of charter schools verses their local public school district.

At Roxbury Charter School One Goal Stands Out: Get Our Kids To College
The Standard-Times, MA, October 21, 2012
Shortly before 8 a.m. on a recent Friday, the front lobby of City on a Hill, a Roxbury-based charter high school, was full of laughing, boisterous teenagers, their voices a cacophony in the modern entry space.

Mayor Menino Describes Proposed School Assignment System
Boston Globe, MA, October 21, 2012
Our city is deep in conversation on efforts to create a new school assignment system. As many parents know and as we have heard loud and clear today’s system is too complicated, frustrating, and unpredictable for too many of our families.

MICHIGAN

State Slams Oakland Schools For Wide Achievement Gap
The Oakland Press, MI, October 22, 2012
There is a growing standoff between some of Oakland County’s high performing districts and the Michigan Department of Education over the state’s labeling some of their schools as having an achievement gap.

NEW JERSEY

Moran: Newark Teacher Union’s Chief Backs Groundbreaking Reform
Star-Ledger, NJ, October 21, 2012
The contract gives his teachers the chance to earn $5,000 bonuses if they can show they are highly effective, and double that if they agree to teach in a struggling school. Teachers who fill shortages in subjects such as math and science can get another $2,500.

Lawmakers Seek To End N.J. Takeover Of Schools
The Record, NJ, October 20, 2012
Paterson would gain control of its public school system for the first time in 21 years under legislation introduced by Democrats that also would limit future state takeovers to five years, lawmakers announced Friday.

Move to Nov. Has Major Effect On N.J. School Races
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 22, 2012
New Jersey school board candidates, who typically spend just a few hundred dollars per election, are finding it’s a different world this year.

NEW MEXICO

Test Scores No Panacea for Teacher Evaluations
Albuquerque Journal, NM, October 22, 2012
We appreciate the Journal’s editorial about the dedicated teachers at Susie Rayos Marmon Elementary who are working on their National Board Certification. We couldn’t agree more.

NEW YORK

Another Charter School Test Passed
Wall Street Journal, October 19, 2012
Eight of New York City’s top elementary and middle schools are charters—and four of the charters are in Harlem .

Kingston Teachers Anxious About New Evaluation System; Superintendent Paul Padalino Seeks To Calm Fears
Kingston Daily Freeman, NY, October 22, 2012
Good teachers have nothing to fear from the state’s new evaluation system, the Kingston schools superintendent says.

Kingston High School ‘Academies’ Revamp Set For Fall Launch
Kingston Daily Freeman, NY, October 22, 2012
Kingston High School is currently organized as a traditional “comprehensive high school,” Manuel said, which is a category for high schools that serve between 1,000 and 5,000 students, offer a comprehensive array of programs, and allow students to follow many paths to graduation.

NORTH CAROLINA

CMS, Other Charlotte-Area School Districts In Race For Federal Bucks
Charlotte Observer, NC, October 20, 2012
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and other area school districts are competing against one another, and hundreds more across the country, for a piece of nearly $400 million in federal Race to the Top grants.

NORTH DAKOTA

Count On Berg For Local Control Of Schools
Grand Fork Herald, ND, October 22, 2012
I appreciate U.S. House candidate Rick Berg’s perspective on education. He has shown his support for high standards, accountability for results, local control and parental choice.

OHIO

Awash in Excellence
Akron Beacon Journal, OH, October 21, 2012 –
What’s all the grousing about an underperforming public school system in Ohio? Take a look at the latest state report cards, and the impression is that the public is needlessly critical of the quality of public education in Ohio. It appears school districts, by and large, are achieving at or near peak levels.

Schooling Choices Are Beneficial
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, October 21, 2012
Freedom of choice is a fundamental and vital part of our democracy. As Americans we are free to make choices ranging from our political leaders to what doctor best meets our individual and family needs.

OKLAHOMA

Some Oklahoma Schools Turn To Churches For Help Involving Parents
The Oklahoman, OK, October 22, 2012
They’re mixing church and state in Tulsa schools. That may surprise some in light of Tulsa-area schools’ past hostility to any hint of religious affiliation in learning. Jenks and Union schools sued when state scholarships were given to children with special needs to attend private schools because some had religious affiliations.

PENNSYLVANIA

State Won’t Take Over Vitalistic Charter School
The Morning Call, PA, October 21, 2012
The state Department of Education has rejected a request to take over jurisdiction of the financially troubled Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School .

Charter School Fight Rages On
Pocono Record, PA, October 21, 2012
The fight between the Pocono Mountain School District and the Pocono Mountain Charter School still burns white hot.

Advocates Fire Back After Charter School Reform Bill Stalls In House
Patriot News, PA, October 22, 2012
For charter school advocates, there’s no truth in the saying “the third time’s the charm.” Not after watching their third effort in a year’s time to get the Legislature to pass a bill that would fix some of the concerns they have with the state’s 1997 charter school law fall apart on Wednesday.

Charter-School Reform – Do It Right
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, October 22, 2012
THE DEATH OF a bad bill is just as noteworthy as the passage of a good one – and let’s face it, both seem to occur with similar frequency.

Better Oversight Still Needed For Charters
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 22, 2012
Pennsylvania House members shouldn’t have adjourned without taking up a bill to reform how charter schools operate.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Choices Charter’s Future Up In The Air
Morning News, SC, October 20, 2012
Last-chance school for Florence and Darlington students in limbo after Darlington district cuts its tie

TENNESSEE

Nashville Chamber Wants School Board To Solve Funding Cut Without Legal Fight
The Tennessean, TN, October 22, 2012
Injecting itself squarely into Metro’s ongoing fight with the state over Great Hearts Academies, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce is calling for the Metro school board to somehow resolve its loss of $3.4 million in state education funds without pursuing legal action.

Tenn. Needs Statewide Charter School Authorizer
Commercial Appeal, TN, October 20, 2012
Next week, Memphis will host one of the largest — and most important — charter school conferences in the nation: the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) Annual Conference, Monday through Thursday at The Peabody.

TEXAS

School Funding Trial Starts Today
Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX, October 21, 2012
As school districts representing more than 3 million Texas schoolchildren go to court today over school funding, they are united on one battlefield but are fighting from multiple fronts

WASHINGTON

Enrollment, Finances Create Challenges For Charter Schools
The Olympian, WA, October 21, 2012
September enrollment at Leadership and Entrepreneurship Public (LEP) Charter High School is down from 344 students at the start of the school year last September to 280 this year. No one is sure why.

Oregon Example: Charters ‘Part Of Fabric’ Of School System
The Olympian, WA, October 21, 2012
As Washington voters prepare to vote on charter schools again, advocates in Oregon wonder why their neighbors to the north are taking so long to see the merits of charters.

Education The Key Issue In Mcauliffe, McCravey Contest
Everett Herald, WA, October 22, 2012
Political stakes are high in the duel between Democratic Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe and Republican Dawn McCravey as the outcome could alter the state’s direction on education policy and the balance of power in the Senate.

Approve Initiative 1240 To Allow Public Charter Schools
Seattle Times, WA, October 21, 2012
If we stand to gain a few outstanding charter schools in Washington state, Initiative 1240 is worth approving, writes guest columnist Katie Baird.

Initiative 1240: Charting A New Course In Washington?
The Olympian, WA, October 21, 2012
I-1240: Charter school backers say they re-energize learning; foes say they benefit few and don’t have good record

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Two Funds Raise Money To Help Bay Area Schools
Contra Costa Times, CA, October 21, 2012
The Silicon Schools Fund has raised half its $25 million goal to create up to 25 technology-heavy schools in the Bay Area within five years. The schools, which could be startups or transformed campuses, would feature “blended learning,” combining traditional classrooms with computer-delivered lessons.

Virtual Academy Educates In Real Life
The Daily Tribune, News, GA, October 20, 2012
Since spring semester 2012, the Bartow Virtual Academy has provided a free virtual learning environment for 32 students in the county who, for a myriad of different reasons, take high school courses online.

8 More Cyber Charter Schools Apply To Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 22, 2012
With 16 full-time cyber charter schools, Pennsylvania already has one of the highest concentrations of such schools in the nation, but now the state has received applications for eight more for the 2013-14 school year.

Christiana Unhappy Charter/Cyber Reform Has Stalled
Beaver Times, PA, October 20, 2012
While many state legislators believe charter and cyber charter school funding must be remedied, the House of Representatives has prevented reform from advancing, according to Rep. Jim Christiana, R-15, Beaver.

DPI Planning ‘In-Depth’ Study Of Virtual Schools
Herald Times Reporter, WI, October 20, 2012
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction plans to conduct an “in-depth review” of Wisconsin virtual schools during the 2012-13 school year, fulfilling a recommendation made two and a half years ago following a nonpartisan audit.

Virtual School Enrollment Up 38%
Wausau Daily Herald, WI, October 21, 2012
Enrollment in Wisconsin’s virtual schools soared 38 percent this year, boosted by changes to state law that removed an enrollment cap and substantially expanded the time students have to sign up.

Rising Charter School Enrollment Seen As Challenge For Catholic Schools
Catholic News Service, October 18, 2012
For the first time, more children are enrolled in charter schools than in Catholic schools, reported the Lexington Institute, a think tank in Arlington , Va. , that focuses on the role of federal government in education reform, tax reform and national security.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Laverne Prep Wins By Landslide
Victorville Daily Press, CA, October 19, 2012
LaVerne Preparatory Academy will be the charter school transforming Desert Trails Elementary, winning the parent vote by a landslide late Thursday night, drawing cheers and hugs from the small crowd of parents and children gathered just outside the school.

Gates Foundation-Funded Education-Reform Group To Close
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 19, 2012
Communities for Teaching Excellence, the national organization based in L.A. , plans to close next month after its board voted to shutter it and the Gates philanthropy ended financial support.

Once Failing Highland Park School Making Strides
Bell Gardens Sun, CA, October 18, 2012
School officials last week held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of three new buildings on the Northeast Los Angeles area campus. The event happened to coincide with the release of the state’s Academic Performance Index (API) reports that showed Burbank had increased its score by 100 points, far above the average increase across the district and the state.

Landmark California School Law Wins Key Court Ruling
Modesto Bee, CA, October 19, 2012
The Adelanto case, and Romero’s role, also underscore one very intriguing political development – a divide between the education establishment, including the powerful California Teachers Association, and some Democratic political figures, such as Romero, who see poor schools as a civil rights issue.

Big Money In Play In Oakland School Board Campaigns
Oakland Tribune, CA, October 18, 2012
Local school board races are often low-budget, low-profile affairs, and until now, Oakland has been no exception. But this year, two new political action committees have thrown themselves into the election, infusing once-lethargic races with energy — and cash.

COLORADO

School Choices Grew Out Of Community Desires, Changed Laws
North Denver Tribune, CO, October 18, 2012
Education discussion in NW continues to brew, and with greater frequency, boil. The neighborhood gentrification, which picked up speed in the late 1990s, brings a wave of kids and their educated middle-class parents who seek improvement in the quality and choices of schools.

New Tool Helps Families Match Students To Schools
9NEWS, CO, October 18, 2012
Colorado is one of the few states nationwide to offer the “open-enrollment” form of public-school choice. Open enrollment allows students to attend any school they choose to, regardless of where they live, provided the school has space.

DELAWARE

Capital School District Followed State Law In Dealing With Academy Of Dover, Superintendent Says
Dover Post, DE, October 18, 2012
Capital School District Superintendent Michael Thomas said Wednesday night that building principals followed state law when it came to dealing with students who showed up at their doors despite dual enrollment at a charter school.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. Losing De’Shawn Wright, Deputy Mayor For Education
Washington Post, DC, October 18, 2012
De’Shawn Wright, the D.C. deputy mayor for education, who has played a key role in decision making about the future of the city’s public schools, is leaving his post for a job in New York state, Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) announced Thursday.

District Suit Alleges Woman Lived In Md. , Sent Daughter To D.C. School
Washington Post, DC, October 18, 2012
D.C. officials have filed a civil suit against the mother of a teenager who allegedly lived in Maryland while attending D.C. public schools for free, Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan announced Thursday.

FLORIDA

Clay School Board Gives Proposed Charter School More Time
Florida Times Union, FL, October 19, 2012
The Clay County School Board will waive its own policy to give a proposed performing arts charter school extra time to provide additional information proving it will meet state standards.

GEORGIA

Chair Denies Improper Act On Charter Vote
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 19, 2012
Lithia Springs activist James Bell filed a complaint with the state attorney general last week alleging the Douglas County Board of Education and Superintendent Gordon Pritz acted improperly by using public resources to take a public stand on a ballot question.

Charter Battle Not Just Politics
Cherokee Tribune, GA, October 19, 2012
For those who have been following the debate regarding Amendment One — 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.

GEORGIA

Gwinnett Education Officials: Public Schools Have Improved
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, October 18, 2012
Having been warned about lobbying against the charter school amendment on taxpayer time, Gwinnett school officials are trying a new tact: touting the success of the state’s public schools.

INDIANA

More Kids Using Vouchers to Attend Private Schools
WIBC, IN, October 18, 2012
Alex Damron with the Department of Education says more than 9,000 students took advantage of the “Choice Scholarships” this school year. Students are eligible for a voucher if they meet certain income requirements, regardless of whether their public school is failing by the department’s standards.

Don’t Put Private Sector Before Public Education
Indianapolis Star, IN, October 18, 2012
As a retired classroom teacher with 30 years’ experience, I am concerned with the direction public education seems to be headed in Indiana . A free public education is one of the principles on which our country has been based, but the interests of the for-profit world seem to be impinging more and more into the classroom.

LOUISIANA

Superintendent Raps 4 School Systems
The Advocate, LA, October 19, 2012
School systems in St. Martin and three other parishes have failed to comply with a state law that bans the use of seniority in teacher layoff decisions, state Superintendent of Education John White said Thursday.

Option Proposed For Review Holes
The Advocate, LA, October 19, 2012
Public school teachers who get poor evaluations even though their students scored well could get special consideration, state Superintendent of Education John White said Thursday.

MISSISSIPPI

Parents Could Seek Charters At 35 Miss. Schools
WSLS, MS, October 18, 2012
Maybe you saw it on the big screen in “Won’t Back Down.” Parent takeovers of failing public schools could be coming to Mississippi .

MISSOURI

New Charter Schools Opening In St. Louis For 2013 School Year
KSDK, MO, October 18, 2012
Three new public charter schools will open in the City of St. Louis beginning next school year, Mayor Francis Slay said Thursday.

With Vote Looming, Support Endures For Student Transfer Program
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, October 19, 2012
When a class at Clayton High set out to study race at its school, students inevitably touched on the effectiveness of the region’s voluntary transfer program.

MARYLAND

Teachers Should Know How They Are Graded
Maryland Impendent, MD, October 19, 2012
The Calvert County Board of Education last week announced three additional early dismissal days would be added to the school calendar next year in order to allow teachers extra time to learn how they would be evaluated under the new federal Race to the Top guidelines.

NEW JERSEY

Newark Teachers Contract, a Game-Changer for NJ’s Often-Troubled School District
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, October 19, 2012
Pay for performance and peer reviews are radical changes — but they also show what can be done with $50 million in private funding

NEW MEXICO

APS Seeking Race to the Top Grant
Albuquerque Journal, NM, October 19, 2012
Albuquerque Public Schools is throwing its hat in the ring for a federal Race to the Top grant that could bring in up to $40 million in extra funding.

NEW YORK

Shameful Attack
New York Post, NY, October 19, 2012
I’ve been teaching in New York City public schools for six years — three in a traditional district school, and three at a Success Academy charter school. During this time, I’ve witnessed the annual protest brigade against Success public schools, and I thought I’d seen it all. But charter opponents took their extreme tactics to a new low last week.

PENNSYLVANIA

West Mifflin Area School Director: Give Us Charter School Pay Rate
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 19, 2012
West Mifflin Area school director Phil Shar wants his district to sue the state Department of Education, claiming the district is owed hundreds of thousands of dollars for educating Duquesne students over the past five years.

Pa. House Skips Vote On Charter-School Bill
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 19, 2012
The clock ran out on the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s two-year legislative session Wednesday with a big surprise: It failed to pass changes in charter-school law that had been supported by the Corbett administration and the Senate and House leadership.

House Failure To Pass Charter School Bill Disappoints York County Lawmakers
York Dispatch, PA, October 18, 2012
Frustration lingers for some York County lawmakers and educators after a charter school bill that would have addressed their concerns about funding and accountability died in the House.

TENNESSEE

Metro School Board To Weigh Legal Options Over Great Hearts
The Tennessean, TN, October 19, 2012
The Metro school board has apparently split from city attorneys in its rift with the state over Great Hearts Academies as board members weigh their next move after the state’s decision to withhold education funds.

Nashville Festival Lets Parents Learn School Choices
The Tennessean, TN, October 19, 2012
Parents began showing up as soon as Metro schools’ First School Choice Festival began Thursday afternoon and continued arriving into the night, with an estimated 1,000 people there at any one time.

TEXAS

Candidates Discuss Education Vouchers During Debate
Victoria Advocate, TX, October 18, 2012
Texas educators are opposed to issuing private school vouchers, Alex Hernandez Jr. said, and that’s why he is, too. His opponent, Rep. Geanie Morrison, however, said it was too soon to decide.

UTAH

Union Leaders Urge Teachers To Fight For What’s Right
Salt Lake Tribune, UT, October 18, 2012
Utah teachers must continue to fight. It was a message state and national teachers union leaders shared with those who attended the Utah Education Association’s (UEA) annual convention Thursday, an event that often attracts between 3,000 and 4,000 people.

WASHINGTON

Education Reform Opposition Slams Propositions
Spokesman Review, WA, October 19, 2012
The latest campaign commercial from opponents of Idaho’s education reform ballot measures focuses on Proposition 2, the teacher merit-pay measure, suggesting that Idaho ’s schools superintendent wants to “treat children like widgets.”

Separating Education From Creating Schools
Kitsap Sun, WA, October 18, 2012
It’s time for Washington State to join 42 other jurisdictions in expanding educational opportunities for our children. Please support the creation of charter public schools and vote Yes on I-1240.

‘Yes’ on I-1240, Charter Schools
Bellevue Reporter, WA, October 18, 2012
Few things are more important than education. Our children’s’ futures – and ours, too – hangs in the balance.

WYOMING

Committee Shapes Wyoming Teacher Evaluation System
Casper Star-Tribune, WY, October 19, 2012
A statewide system of evaluating teachers should have a balance of local and state control, according to an advisory committee to the Wyoming Legislature working to develop a framework for educator evaluations.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Cumberland Valley Allows Cyber Charter School Students To Join Extracurricular Activities
Patriot News, PA, October 18, 2012
Cyber charter school students can now participate in extracurricular activities and interscholastic athletic programs in the Cumberland Valley School District .

DPI Planning ‘In-Depth’ Study of Virtual Schools
Fond du Lac Reporter, WI, October 18, 2012
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction plans to conduct an “in-depth review” of Wisconsin virtual schools during the 2012-13 school year, fulfilling a recommendation made two and a half years ago following a nonpartisan audit.

Obama, Romney Have Different Views On Education
USA Today, October 17, 2012
Glance at the two presidential candidates’ education plans and you may not immediately see much of a difference. Both want greater scrutiny of teacher effectiveness. Both champion privately run, but publicly funded K-12 charter schools as well as higher academic standards. Both want more high school and college graduates and a more competitive workforce.

5 Myths about Education
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, October 18, 2012
MARK TWAIN observed that “it’s not what you don’t know that kills you, it’s what you know for sure that ain’t true.” After 15 years doing fieldwork in more than 100 public schools and interviewing more than 1,000 students, parents, and educators, we’re convinced that no area is more fraught with myths and misconceptions than education policy, especially during election seasons like this one.

State Must Reject Federal Takeover Of Schools
Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, IN, October 18, 2012
Imagine the power the federal government will wield when it controls the content and perspective that will be taught to every student nationwide K-12. With virtually no public debate, Obama has quietly engineered the federal takeover of the education system nationwide.

School Law Should Be Changed, Not Skirted
Poughkeepsie Journal, NY, October 18, 2012
President Obama hasn’t had any success pushing Congress to do something it was supposed to do years ago: Review a landmark national education law and make changes where necessary.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Families Try To Adjust As Horizon Charter School Closes In Rocklin
Modesto Bee, CA, October 18, 2012
Luke Chaussee and his mother, Loriann, are searching for a new school.
The third-grader and 390 classmates were shut out of their charter school after Placer County officials told school officials they were allowed only 75 students in the buildings they were leasing in a Rocklin industrial park.

LAUSD Says Talks With UTLA On Teacher Evaluations Are At Impasse
Los Angeles Daily News, CA, October 17, 2012
Los Angeles Unified has filed a declaration of impasse in its negotiations with UTLA over teacher evaluations, seeking mediation from the state Public Employee Relations Board, officials said Wednesday.

COLORADO

Cash Incentives For Colorado Students A Study In Progress
Denver Post, CO, October 18, 2012
There’s a reward waiting for Moises Banuelos if he passes the standardized tests in three Advanced Placement classes he’s taking this semester at Denver’s Abraham Lincoln High School : $100 for each qualifying score.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. Council Halts Rental Fees For Parent-Run School Enrichment Programs
Washington Post Blog, DC, October 18, 2012
The District’s Department of General Services may no longer collect rent from parents who run enrichment programs in the city’s public schools, under emergency legislation passed unanimously Tuesday by the D.C. Council.

FLORIDA

Florida Officials Defend Racial and Ethnic Learning Goals
New York Times, NY, October 18, 2012
When the Florida Board of Education voted this month to set different goals for student achievement in reading and math by race and ethnicity, among other guidelines, the move was widely criticized as discriminatory and harmful to blacks and Hispanics.

Parents, Leaders Slam State Plan For Race-Based Student Goals
Pensacola News-Journal, FL, October 18, 2012
A newly adopted state Board of Education strategic plan setting race-based student achievement goals is drawing fire from parents, school districts, civil-rights activists and Gov. Rick Scott.

Race-Based School Plan No Big Deal, Local Educators Say
Naples Daily News, FL, October 18, 2012
Much ado is being made of a recent Florida State Board of Education plan that sets out different goals for different ethnic groups.

Charter School System ‘A Shining Light’ For Cape Coral
News-Press, FL, October 17, 2012
During that era of explosive growth a decade ago, when the future looked bright and nothing seemed impossible, Cape Coral was facing a crisis — too many children and not enough schools to send them to.

Pasco County School Board Oks The Charter’s Application; Next Step Is For District To Negotiate A Contract
The Tampa Tribune, FL, October 18, 2012
Plans are moving forward on a proposed charter school that will focus on classical education. The Pasco County School Board on Tuesday evening approved the application for Classical Preparatory School , which plans to open next year and serve 254 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Flagler School Board Takes a Hard Line on Corporate Charters as it Delays Latest Bid
Flagler Live, FL, October 17, 2012
Burned by a recent experience with a charter school that failed, the Flagler County School Board on Tuesday not only blocked—for now—the application of a new charter school in Flagler County , but used the occasion to send a strict message to all charter school applicants in the future.

GEORGIA

Guest Column: Say No To Charter School Amendment
Savannah Morning News, GA, October 18, 2012
I want to start off by saying that I am not against charter schools. As a matter of fact, the Effingham College and Career Academy is a charter school. I support locally approved charter schools.

Charter School Fight Makes A Jumble Of Georgia Politics
Atlanta Journal Constitution Blog, GA, October 17, 2012
Hyper-partisanship, the curse of Washington , is an infectious thing. Yet even here, in the reddest of red states, you and I are catching a strong whiff of something different. For the second time in 100 days, a statewide campaign has made a massive jumble of Georgia’s traditional political alliances.

ILLINOIS

Two Charter School Operators Get Grants — Even Though CPS Hasn’t Oked Any New Charters
Chicago Sun-Times, IL, October 18, 2012
Two new charter school operators received grant money to set up shop in Chicago in time for the next school year, though Chicago Public School has yet to approve any new school charters.

LOUISIANA

Neville Parents, Teachers To Vote
Monroe News Star, LA, October 18, 2012
Parents and teachers of students at Neville High School will soon get a chance to decide whether they would like Neville High School to become a charter school, but for now, charter association members are waiting for Department of Education guidance on conducting the election.

MARYLAND

Montgomery Schools Need To Limit Spending
Washington Post, DC, October 17, 2012
PRODDED BY teachers unions, Maryland lawmakers decided this year to penalize any local school system that would reduce per-pupil spending, no matter how generous its education funding. The effect is to render past funding increases irreversible — and to wave a large red flag at local officials who might consider going beyond state-mandated increases in the future.

MASSACHUSETTS

Schools Search For Ways To Expand ‘Advanced’ MCAS Ranks
Boston Globe, MA, October 18, 2012
Local high schools that participate in the Metco program are redoubling efforts to challenge and equip all students to achieve top MCAS scores, officials said, after recent test results showed African-American students in the regional collaboration persistently lagging behind their white classmates.

MICHIGAN

2 Detroit Charters Among 20 Michigan Schools Getting Health Programming
Detroit News, MI, October 18, 2012
Two Detroit charter schools are part of a program to help spur physical fitness and healthy eating.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter Schools Get Blanket ‘No’ From State Board
Union Leader, NH, October 18, 2012
Advocates for new charter schools urged the state Board of Education Wednesday to reconsider its blanket denial of all new applications, but the board did not budge.

Panel Digs In On Charters
Concord Monitor, NH, October 18, 2012
Members of the New Hampshire Board of Education defended their decision to deny all pending applications for charter schools until after the Nov. 6 election at a heated meeting yesterday in Concord.

NEW JERSEY

Quest Academy Charter to Get Its Day in Supreme Court
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, October 18, 2012
After being denied a charter for a record five times, Quest questions if the state is meeting its own ‘standard for review’

Newark Tries Merit Payouts For Teachers
Wall Street Journal, October 18, 2012
Newark and its teachers union on Thursday are expected to sign a tentative contract deal blessed by Gov. Chris Christie that would overhaul teacher pay, introducing lucrative merit bonuses and giving teachers a role in grading each other.

Newark Teachers Strike Historic Deal Including Bonuses For Top Educators
Star-Leger, NJ, October 17, 2012
The Newark Teachers Union has reached a historic deal with the state that will make the district the first in New Jersey to offer bonuses based on how teachers perform in the classroom, union officials said today.

NEW YORK

Anxious Brooklyn Parents See Proposed Redrawn School Boundaries
New York Times, NY, October 18, 2012
The New York City Education Department proposed new boundaries Wednesday night for some of Brooklyn ’s most-sought-after elementary school zones, drawing anxious parents to an auditorium to see the new map for the first time.

PENNSYLVANIA

SRC Renews Deal For One Charter School, Tells Another To Improve
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 18, 2012
The Philadelphia School Reform Commission renewed the operating agreement Wednesday for one charter school that agreed to overhaul its operations, and gave a troubled charter for students in foster care 12 months to improve.

Planned Cuts To Magnet School Busing Upset Parents
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 17, 2012
Getting accepted to extremely competitive GAMP, the acronym by which it is better known, is no easy task. Of the 1,000 students who applied to the 5th-through-12th grade school last year, 250 were invited to audition for 66 slots.

Districts Consider Creating A Charter School
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA, October 17, 2012
Superintendents in three school districts in the east are looking at forming a charter school.
Plum Superintendent Timothy Glasspool said he has had discussions with officials in the Gateway and Penn Hills school districts about converting the Boyce Campus Middle College High School into a charter school that enable students to earn an associate’s degree while they receive their high school diploma.

Pay Charters Actual Costs
Scranton Times-Tribune, PA, October 18, 2012
Lawmakers have made some valuable changes to the law covering public charter schools but have punted on the most important issue.

Charter School Bill Falls Apart In Pa. House
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 18, 2012
An agreement to change charter school regulations this year fell apart Wednesday night when House leaders found themselves short on votes and declined to bring up the bill.

TEXAS

TISD Eyes College-Focused Charter School
Tyler Morning Telegraph, TX, October 18, 2012
A grant-funded charter school that would help students earn associate’s degrees in high school will be up for discussion in Tyler ISD.

Ideas For School Vouchers Are Up In The Air
San Angelo Standard Times, TX, October 17, 2012
The battle for the future for Texas public education is under way. Some despair. Some are ready for the challenge. On Tuesday, Steven Schafersman, the Democratic candidate for the State Board of Education for District 15, came into town to blow off some steam as part of a tour of cities in the North and West Texas district he hopes to represent.

WASHINGTON

10 Donors Funded 91 Percent of Charter Schools Campaign
KUOW NPR, WA, October 17, 2012
The campaign to bring charter schools to Washington state has now raised more cash than any other measure on the ballot. Donors have contributed more than $8.9 million to the Yes on 1240 campaign. Of that, 91 percent came from just ten people, according to the Public Disclosure Commission website.

Voters To Decide For Fourth Time On Charters
Moscow-Pullman Daily News, WA, October 18, 2012
Washington voters rejected charter school initiatives in 1996, 2000 and 2004. On Nov. 6, they may do so again or the trend may change with Initiative 1240, which would allow the creation of up to 40 nonprofit charter schools across Washington during the next five years. The state is currently one of nine that does not have a charter school system.

Whatcom Teachers Differ On Charter School Initiative
Bellingham Herald, WA, October 18, 2012
An initiative on November’s ballot will give voters the chance to change the landscape of public education in Washington by allowing charter schools in the state.

Fulfill Your Obligation To Fund Education, Lawyer Urges Legislators
Seattle Times, WA, October 17, 2012
The Legislature is still avoiding its constitutional duty to schoolchildren, according to a filing Wednesday with the state Supreme Court.

WYOMING

Committee Advising Legislature On School Accountability Presents ‘Cause And Effect’ Plan
Casper Star-Tribune, WY, October 18, 2012
As part of their job evaluations, Wyoming teachers may have to submit portfolios showing goals, student work, lesson plans and reflections on what worked and what didn’t.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

PA Cyber Makes Grade When It Comes To Success
Patriot News, PA, October 18, 2012
In his Oct. 9 op-ed, “Gov. Corbett must step up for charter reform,” Jonathan Cetel gave the governor an “incomplete” in the subject of education reform. Cetel is hardly qualified to dole out grades when he cannot get his facts straight. Cetel says the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School is “failing.”

KDKA Investigates: Cyber School Spinoffs Reap Spoils
KDKA, PA, October 17, 2012
What began as an on line school with a few hundred students has grown into an empire, developing curriculum and spawning cyber schools throughout the nation.

Online Classes A Hit At Holmes
Madison County Herald, MS, October 18, 2012
Through his virtual classroom, Holmes Community College instructor Matt Wasowski shows his students in Mississippi the Manhattan skyline outside his window.

Online Academy Takes Learning Beyond School Day
Hispanic Business, CA, October 17, 2012
An online school is expanding Hamilton students’ technology knowledge and helping teachers provide more specific remediation.

Cheating Shows Charters, Testing Failed, Author Says
Columbus Dispatch, OH, October 17, 2012
School cheating scandals aimed at improving high-stakes student-proficiency test results are a symptom of a failed reform plan that is wasting billions of dollars, charter-school opponent Diane Ravitch told a group of about 300 educators and others yesterday.

Classroom Crime
Columbus Dispatch, OH, October 17, 2012
A scandal that landed a former Texas school superintendent in prison — for arranging for test scores of low-performing students to disappear from his district’s records — shows the gravity of the alleged data rigging being investigated in Columbus City Schools and other districts around the state.

Should Caps On Charter School Growth Be Lifted?
Washington Post Blog, October 16, 2012
Charter school advocates commonly say that caps on the growth of these public schools in some states are preventing the opening of some high-quality schools. Is this actually true? Matthew Di Carlo, senior fellow at the Washington D.C.-based non-profit Albert Shanker Institute, looks into this. The following post originally appeared on the institute’s blog.

FROM THE STATES

ALABAMA

Forty Baldwin County Students Have Transferred To Better Schools Under NCLB
The Birmingham News Blog, AL, October 16, 2012
Forty Baldwin County students have transferred to better rated schools under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, officials said during a school board meeting here tonight.

CALIFORNIA

With Court Win, ‘Parent Trigger’ School Reform Moves To Crucial Vote
California Watch, CA, October 17, 2012
About nine months ago, at a small park playground a few hundred feet from their children’s struggling school, a group of parents chanted, cheered and delivered passionate speeches about their growing frustration with Desert Trails Elementary.

SCUSD Doesn’t Have an Achievement Gap: America Does
Santa Clara Weekly, CA, October 17, 2012
It’s a good news/bad news story. The good news is that the Santa Clara Unified School District doesn’t have an achievement gap compared to districts with similar demographic profiles. The bad news is that the United States has a worsening academic achievement gap that’s tracking the last half-century’s growing economic divide.

Horizon Charter School in Rocklin to Become Independent Study Program
KCRA Sacramento, CA, October 16, 2012
Parents, students and staff listened to school administrators announce Tuesday night that their charter school in Rocklin will transition into an independent study program.

Labor’s Big-Money Focus On Prop. 32 May Hurt Chances Of Prop. 30
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 17, 2012
Unions say their political survival hinges on defeating Proposition 32, leaving less financial backing for labor ally Gov. Jerry Brown’s Proposition 30.

FLORIDA

Scott Weighs In On Racially Charged Education Debate
St. Augustine Record, FL, October 16, 2012
Gov. Rick Scott called Tuesday for the State Board of Education to overhaul its strategic plan, inserting himself into the racially charged debate over how much should be expected of students from different groups.

New Charter School Approved In Sarasota
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL, October 17, 2012
A new academy has the green light to open its doors as early as August, becoming Sarasota County ‘s 10th charter school.

School Board Questions Leaders Of Troubled St. Petersburg Charter School
Tampa Bay Times, FL, October 17, 2012
Pinellas County School Board members grilled leaders of the troubled Imagine charter school on Tuesday, and now the district staff will determine whether the St. Petersburg-based school should be allowed to continue.

Flagler Stalls Decision On New Charter School
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL, October 16, 2012
The Flagler County School Board delayed a decision about whether to allow a fourth charter school, which would focus on nonnative English speakers, to open its doors.

Charter Schools: The Real, Mixed Truth
Orlando Sentinel, FL, October 16, 2012
There are those who argue that charter schools are among the biggest failures in Florida ‘s education system — botched ventures that waste taxpayer money and fail the children who attend them.

GEORGIA

Charter Passage Won’t ‘Move Needle’ For Most Students
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 17, 2012
This election cycle, Georgia voters will decide whether we amend our state Constitution to allow the state to authorize and fund “special schools” that are not approved by the elected school boards serving local communities.

Officials Improperly Lobbying Against Charter Amendment
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, October 16, 2012
In a Tuesday commentary in the Athens Banner-Herald, Georgia columnist Dick Yarbrough claimed that my clients and I were trying to muzzle and intimidate opponents of Amendment 1, the proposed constitutional amendment regarding authorization of charter schools.

Challenge Charter Offers An Option When Students Need One
Newton Citizen, GA, October 16, 2012
I recently examined a petition for charter renewal from a local administrative team. I have been involved with charter renewals before at the secondary and post-secondary levels. I like data. Data is useful. In this case qualitative data met quantitative data to convince me this charter needs a chance.

IDAHO

Teacher Merit Pay Does Work
Coeur d’Alene Press, ID, October 17, 2012
Until this year, Idaho teachers’ salaries were based solely on years of experience and the number of credits earned. Period. This system seemed to assume that all teachers and all schools provided equal, added value to student learning. No mention or attention was paid to the quality of instruction or to the measurable levels of student growth or performance.

ILLINOIS

Charter Schools Rebuffed by Scholar
Alton Daily News, IL, October 17, 2012
Gov. Pat Quinn isn’t buying everything charter schools are selling. The governor invited education scholar Diane Ravitch to speak to a civic group in Chicago. Ravitch told the audience that charter schools are no better than traditional public schools, except that they allow the private sector to make money off education.

INDIANA

How Rep. Truitt, A School Reform Advocate, Won A Teachers Union Endorsement Over An Ex-ISTA Re
Journal and Courier, IN, October 16, 2012
On paper, the challenge reads like a referendum on Indiana ’s education reform movement: a teachers union advocate with 29 years of service taking on a local state representative who was on the winning side of measures that still make public schoolteachers’ blood boil.

LOUISIANA

BESE Oks New Rules For Aid
The Baton Rouge Advocate, LA, October 17, 2012
With just two dissenting votes, Louisiana ’s top school board Tuesday approved new rules for voucher and other private and parochial schools to qualify for state tax dollars.

Teach For America Sparks Emotional Debate At State School Board
Times-Picayune, LA, October 16, 2012
The state’s roughly $1 million contract with Teach for America , a group that channels promising college graduates into high-poverty classrooms around the country, ignited an emotional and at times strikingly personal debate at Louisiana ‘s top governing body for education on Tuesday.

Educators Fear Proposed Accountability Rules Will Further Damage Public Schools
Monroe News Star, LA, October 16, 2012
Local educators, teachers’ groups and at least one area elected official are concerned that new accountability standards passed by a Board of Elementary and Secondary Education committee on Tuesday will be another step toward the dismantling public education in Louisiana .

Kenilworth Middle Adds Students During 2011-12
The Baton Rouge Advocate, LA, October 17, 2012
Unlike most of the Recovery School District Schools in the greater Baton Rouge area, Kenilworth Science and Technology School , a charter school, added students over the past year.

MICHIGAN

Charter School Bill Should Add Protections For Quality
Bridge Magazine, MI, October 16, 2012
The Oakland Academy in Portage has fulfilled much of the bold promise of the Michigan charter school movement. The elementary school, run by the nonprofit Foundation for Behavioral Resources, routinely exceeds state averages in math and reading.

MISSOURI

State Approve 2 New St. Louis Charter Schools
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, October 17, 2012
The Missouri State Board of Education approved two new charter schools for the St. Louis area Tuesday, even as it placed four existing charter schools on notice to improve their finances.

St. Louis Schools Re-Accredited
KBIA, MO, October 16, 2012
St. Louis schools are no longer unaccredited, following a unanimous vote today by the State Board of Education.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

City Charter School Remains On Track
Nashua Telegraph, NH, October 16, 2012
Charter schools are public schools that operate under a distinct mission. Gate City Charter School for the Arts proposes an arts-integrated curriculum that would produce students who are both proficient in the arts and academically successful.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

School Districts Comparison Shop for Teacher Evaluation Systems
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, October 17, 2012
His Virginia accent coming through, James Stronge told representatives of dozens of New Jersey school districts that his teacher evaluation model was the right tool for the task. He also graciously said that none of his main competitors would be a bad choice.

NEW JERSEY

Bergen Hebrew-Immersion Charter School Appeals Denial Of Added Planning Year
The Record, NJ, October 16, 2012
Shalom Academy, the Hebrew-immersion charter school that was to begin classes in September, is appealing the Department of Education’s decision to deny its request for a second planning year and allow it to open in fall 2013.

Camden School Official Expresses Concern Through Silence
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 17, 2012
Lamboy didn’t vote yes to allow four new, privately run ” Renaissance School ” complexes to drain students and resources from the failing district, but he didn’t vote no, either. Instead, the thoughtful Camden school board member’s refusal to say yea or nay late last month left a 4-4 tie that effectively tabled the Renaissance for another day.

NEW MEXICO

Creating ‘World-Class Schools’
Albuquerque Journal, NM, October 17, 2012
Three-quarters of the way into his 100-day “Entry and Learning Plan,” Santa Fe schools Superintendent Joel Boyd gave what he called a snapshot of the strategies being used to guide school reform to the school board Tuesday night.

NEW YORK

Fight Flares Over School Curriculum
Wall Street Journal, October 16, 2012
The head of the New York City teachers union said Tuesday that the city has failed to provide classrooms with broad new curricula needed to prepare elementary- and middle-school students for more rigorous exams coming this spring.

Common Council Supports Restarting Two Troubled Schools As Charters
Buffalo News, NY, October 16, 2012
The Common Council Tuesday went on record as supporting a plan to restart two of the city’s lowest performing schools as charters.

NORTH CAROLINA

Schools Settle With Charters For $464,000
Whiteville News Reporter, NC, October 16, 2012
The Columbus County and Whiteville City schools have written checks to Roger Bacon Academy and its two charter schools for $464,000 as part of a settlement in lawsuits filed by the state’s charter schools for funds they said were owed from 2007 through 2011.

OREGON

A Generation Of Accountability
Tribune News, OR, October 17, 2012
Laurel Elementary School is on the way to reaping the benefits of an amended education act that aims to consolidate state initiatives with federal requirements. Laurel ’s recent Focus School designation has opened the door to federal funding that targets increasing growth in learning.

PENNSYLVANIA

State Senate Passes Charter School Bill, But Without Controversial Provisions
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 17, 2012
A bill that would tighten ethics and reporting provisions for charter schools and overhaul special-education funding to favor districts with the most severely disabled special-needs students passed the Pennsylvania Senate by a sizable margin Tuesday.

Delco Supers Take Issue With Charter School Bill
Daily Times, PA, October 16, 2012
All 15 Delaware County school superintendents and Delaware County Intermediate Unit director Lawrence O’Shea have signed off on a letter to the Pennsylvania Legislature voicing concerns and requesting changes to proposed charter school legislation in Senate Bill 1115, under consideration by Pennsylvania legislators this week.

TENNESSEE

Charter School Flap Escalates
Wall Street Journal, October 16, 2012
Tennessee education officials withheld $3.4 million from Nashville’s school district after the city barred a charter school from opening in an affluent neighborhood, in a fight that highlights the growing tension over the expansion of such schools.

Academies Offer Greater Options To Metro Students
The Tennessean, TN, October 17, 2012
You may have heard the same things I have: negative comments about a Metro Nashville public school. Typically, the speakers do not have children at the school, but “have heard” about it. As a Metro Board of Education member and the mother of successful graduates, I cringe at the misinformation.

WASHINGTON

School Reform Ad Takes Quote Out Of Context
Spokesman Review, WA, October 17, 2012
A new ad promoting Idaho education overhaul recycles a 3-year-old speech from a retired union leader, using a portion of it out of context to bash those trying to repeal the changes on Nov. 6.

Charters Will Help Reverse Our Course
Everett Herald, WA, October 17, 2012
Regarding the letter, “Let’s first try fully funding education”: Doing the same thing repeatedly, expecting different results, is the definition of insanity. Or is that the definition of public education? It’s time to change things and charter schools will do just that!

Another Shot For Charter Schools
Spokesman Review, WA, October 17, 2012
Washington’s voters will in November again decide whether to allow charter schools in Washington , after having rejected similar proposals in 1995, 2000 and 2004.

More Donations Made To Pro-Charter-School Camp
Seattle Times Blog, WA, October 16, 2012
The money keeps rolling in for the pro-charter-school initiative, with another $700,000 in donations reported last week, following $3 million the week before.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Wilson Area School District Could Continue Cyber School Option
Lehigh Valley Express-Times, PA, October 17, 2012
Wilson Area School District’s pilot cyber school program has brought eight students back to the district.

MEA Proposes Rebooting Schools By Expanding Preschool, Dual Enrollment, Blended Learning And Year-Round Programs
The Grand Rapids Press, MI, October 16, 2012
Teachers union leaders are calling for creating a preschool through community college system, expanded use of blended learning and year-round programs for at-risk students as part of a plan to reboot Michigan ’s school funding system.

District 6 Experiences Sharp Jump In Online Enrollment
Greeley Tribune, CO, October 16, 2012
Greeley-Evans School District 6’s first year of ENG@GE Online Academy didn’t end exactly the way district officials had hoped. About 22, full- and part-time students started the 2011-12 school year. Three finished.

Advocacy Group Offers a Prototype for Charter School Law
Education Week Blog, October 15, 2012
For the past few years, states have been busy writing and revising their laws on charter schools—in most cases, with an eye toward expansion. Today, a pro-charter advocacy group released a guide meant to give states some direction in this regard.

Seeking Aid, School Districts Change Teacher Evaluations
New York Times, NY, October 16, 2012
In an exercise evoking a corporate motivation seminar, a group of public school teachers and principals clustered around posters scrawled with the titles of Beatles songs. Their assignment: choose the one that captured their feelings about a new performance evaluation system being piloted in their district.

Charting a Future for Catholic Education
City Journal, October 15, 2012
Though they enrolled 5.2 million students at the height of the baby boom, Catholic schools in the United States have struggled with declining matriculation in the decades since and today have just under 2 million students.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Manzanita Boasts Big Growth In Scores
Lompoc Record, CA, October 16, 2012
Manzanita Public Charter School didn’t just meet some challenging federal benchmarks, but scored the highest of any school in the Lompoc Valley on recently released standardized testing scores.

Desert Trails Elementary School Parent Trigger Group To Announce Adelanto Charter School Decision
Contra Costa Times, CA, October 15, 2012
The charter school chosen by a group of parent activists to take over their failing High Desert school will be announced this week, just days after a judge ordered a High Desert school district to stop thwarting their efforts.

Rocklin Charter School Abruptly Shutting Its Doors
CBS 13, CA, October 15, 2012
Students at a Rocklin charter school are being kicked out of their own school, told that after Tuesday, they need to find a new place to learn.

COLORADO

Denver Is Fastest Growing Large Urban School District In The U.S.
Denver Post, CO, October 16, 2012
Enrollment in Denver Public Schools has grown 14 percent over the past five years, making it the fastest-growing large urban district in the country, the district reports.

FLORIDA

Hold Voucher Schools To Account
Tampa Bay Tribune, FL, October 16, 2012
Suppose you were told that a new automobile insurance company in town offered better rates and better service. All other things being equal, would you pursue the matter further?

GEORGIA

Charter Schools Give Kids A Chance
Albany Herald, GA, October 16, 2012
I am a mother of three, a wife of a farmer and a proud PTO parent in rural Southwest Georgia . When our family moved to Morgan to be closer to our family farm, I realized that the public school wasn’t an option for my kids. Some kids may go well in the system, but mine didn’t.

Pro-Charter Amendment Forces Are Trying To Bully Opponents
Macon Telegraph, GA, October 16, 2012
If the pro-charter amendment people are trying to win friends and influence voters to pass the measure in November, they have picked a bad way to do it.

Senate Candidates Disagree On Charter Amendment
Times-Georgian, GA, October 16, 2012
The five District 30 state Senate candidates took different approaches on charter schools during a Monday night public forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters Carrollton-Carroll County.

Cleary: Vote ‘No’ On Charter Amendment
Athens Banner-Herald , GA, October 15, 2012
What happened to the tea party in Georgia ? I thought those conservatives would be out in force against our lawmakers trying to enlarge state government by proposing a constitutional amendment to add a new department to state government to build a state charter school system.

IDAHO

Idaho Education Laws’ Foes Speak Up At Debate In Boise
Idaho Statesman, ID, October 16, 2012
Proponents of Idaho’s controversial Students Come First laws drew polite applause at Monday’s event at Centennial High School , but the near-capacity crowd of about 350 clearly leaned toward the opposition.

ILLINOIS

Ex-U.S Education Official Knocks School Closings As ‘Destabilizing’
Chicago Sun Times, IL, October 15, 2012
Shuttering public schools to reopen new ones won’t fix Chicago’s schools, but it will destroy communities, education historian and New York University professor Diane Ravitch said Monday during a post-strike visit to Chicago .

Teachers In North Shore District 112 Strike After Talks Fail
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 16, 2012
After a negotiating session that lasted until late Monday failed to reach an agreement, teachers in North Shore School District 112 said they would strike today, canceling classes for students in elementary and middle schools in Highland Park and Highwood.

IOWA

Ideas For Education Reform Short On Details
The Gazette, IA, October 15, 2012
The members of the state’s Instructional Time Task Force didn’t agree on everything, but their newly released recommendations share one thread: a commitment to local control.

LOUISIANA

Teachers: Reviews Threaten Their Jobs
The Advocate, LA, October 16, 2012
An increasing number of educators say Louisiana’s new evaluations make it more likely that teachers at high-achieving public schools will get poor reviews, which would threaten their job security.

MARYLAND

Outdoor School Seeks Approval
Frederick News Post, MD, October 16, 2012
Founders of the Frederick Outdoor Discovery Charter School are back for a second time seeking approval from the Board of Education to start a charter school based on environmental and outdoor education.

MASSACHUSETTS

Give Proven Providers A Fair Shot
Boston Herald, MA, October 16, 2012
February is the time when new charter schools are approved in Massachusetts. But too often of late, political considerations have taken precedence over the opportunity charters provide for the commonwealth’s urban families.

MICHIGAN

School Districts Value Best Teachers $1 More Than The Worst
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, MI, October 15, 2011
Some Michigan school districts think their best teachers are worth $1 more than their worst. That’s the amount the Davison Community Schools in Genessee County, and the Stephenson Area Public Schools in Menominee County , pay to be in compliance with the state’s merit pay law, which was put in place when Jennifer Granholm was governor.

MINNESOTA

Minneapolis School District Takes State To Court
Star Tribune, MN, October 16, 2012
The Minneapolis school district is taking the state to court in a $960,000 dispute over charter school rent.

Contested Mpls. School Board Seat May Sway Union Talks
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN, October 15, 2012
The district covers just one-sixth of the Minneapolis population, but the spillover from the city’s most hotly contested school board race could shape the board’s negotiating posture for the next teacher contract.

NEW JERSEY

Big Charter Network Looks South to Camden for Expansion
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, October 16, 2012
The Urban Hope Act has drawn a lot of attention to Camden and plans for its public schools. But another story line is the opportunity the new law is affording the TEAM network of charter schools that are at the center of the city’s most prominent proposal.

NJ Parents Petition State For Better Education For Children
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 16, 2012
The parents of three Camden public school students filed a petition Monday asking the state Department of Education to immediately transfer their children to higher-performing schools at state expense, arguing that Camden had failed to meet New Jersey ‘s constitutional requirement of providing a “thorough and efficient” education.

NEW MEXICO

Starting Reform At The Top
The New Mexican, NM, October 15, 2012
Superintendent Joel Boyd isn’t wasting time in his charge to help reform the Santa Fe Public Schools. First up is his discussion about how best to structure secondary education, with a focus on what is happening at the city’s two high schools — Santa Fe and Capital.

NEW YORK

Proposals to Redraw School Lines Raise Alarm
New York Times, NY, October 16, 2012
Few issues have the potential to make parents and real estate brokers sweat like the system called zoning, which determines where children attend school and can inflate property values on certain blocks.

Co-location in Harlem Schools: Crowded Hallways, Shared Classrooms
The Uptowner, NY, October 15, 2012
Students at Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing Arts in Harlem stampede out of their classrooms. A sea of blue and orange, gold and maroon, and white uniforms fill the halls as students from three different schools travel to their next classes. They share a gym, auditorium and cafeteria, but each school starts and ends at a slightly different time.

NORTH CAROLINA

Accrediting Group Concerned About Firing Of Tata
News & Observer, NC, October 16, 2012
Civil rights and liberal groups that once turned to an accreditation group in their fight against the Wake County school board are now finding that turnabout may be fair play.

OHIO

Grad Rates Tumble Under New Rule
Columbus Dispatch, OH, October 16, 2012
Call it the ugly truth. Many Ohio schools saw their graduation rates plummet after the state required them to track whether every high-school senior earned a diploma within four years. About 85 percent of the state’s high schools have lower graduation rates for the Class of 2011 than they did for the Class of 2010 because of the new way to calculate those rates, which the state says is more accurate.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma City Public Schools Outlines Race to the Top Grant Wish List
The Oklahoman, OK, October 16, 2012
Oklahoma City Public Schools will request more than $30 million in federal funding to create five programs designed to personalize student learning. The Race to the Top grant must be submitted this month.

PENNSYLVANIA

U.S. Says Pa. Was Not Authorized To Change Charter Progress Rules
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 16, 2012
The U.S. Department of Education says the Pennsylvania Education Department “acted prematurely” when it changed rules for how charter schools can meet academic-performance standards on the annual PSSA achievement test.

New Website To Help Parents Find ‘Great Philly Schools’
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 16, 2012
LUCIANA BOONE is a parent of a freshman at Philadelphia High School for Girls and an eighth-grader at KIPP West Philadelphia Charter School.

I-LEAD School Notes Latinos’ Role In U.S. History
Reading Eagle, PA, October 16, 2012
Reading’s I-LEAD Charter School celebrated the last day of National Hispanic Heritage Month with a discussion Monday afternoon of the role Latinos have played in American history.

Pa. Senate Approves Some Charter School Regulations
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 16, 2012
A state Senate panel Monday approved a set of changes to the regulation of charter schools that legislative leaders say is headed to the governor’s desk.

Latest Charter-Reform Bill Better, Still Needs More Work
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, October 16, 2012
It may be that the truth contains a little of each of these pictures. A charter reform bill being fast-tracked in Harrisburg that could be voted on as early as today may clarify some of these conflicting views. But for all its positives, the overall bill doesn’t go far enough.

TENNESSEE

Great Hearts Charter School Dispute Costs Nashville $3.4 Million
The Tennessean, TN, October 16, 2012
Despite the urging of Metro officials, the Tennessee Department of Education carried out its promise to withhold $3.4 million from Nashville’s public schools as a penalty for denying the controversial charter application of Great Hearts Academies.

Nashville Council Members, Parents Meet To Discuss School Trigger Law
The Tennessean, TN, October 15, 2012
Metro Nashville Councilwoman Emily Evans, the catalyst behind a discussion Monday about Tennessee ’s “parent trigger” law, said she has no idea who might want to use the information to turn a Metro public school into a charter school.

Knox County School Board Pleased With Evaluation Scores
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, October 16, 2012
Thirty-four percent of Knox County teachers received a 4 under the new evaluation system that requires that every teacher be evaluated every year. While 35 percent received a 5.

TEXAS

School Finance Reform Will Require Margins Tax Reform
San Antonio Express, TX, October 15, 2012
The state of Texas is headed back to court this month for the latest round in a never-ending battle over public school finance.

Charter Schools Can Work, But Be Careful How You Fund Them
Austin Statesman, TX, October 15, 2012
Before there were charter schools, there was Andrew J. Asch, Jr., prominent Jewish philanthropist and businessman of Richmond, Va. He resurrected decaying cotton warehouses, protected the historic slave market, made “The Bottom” and “The Slip” livable, and started a school.

VIRGINIA

Richmond School Board Talks About Future Of Patrick Henry Charter School
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, October 16, 2012
The future of the city’s charter elementary school was the subject of much discussion Monday, even though no one from the school was on hand to participate.

WASHINGTON

Why Initiative 1240 Won’t Work For Washington State : The Abbreviated Version
Capitol Hill Seattle, WA, October 15, 2012
The only part of a charter school that is a public school, according to this initiative, is the use of tax payer funds. Initiative 1240 circumvents our State Constitution because it would set up an alternative state school system not under the supervision or oversight of the Superintendent of Public Instruction or the local school board.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

PA Cyber Restructures Administrative Team
Beaver Valley Times, PA, October 15, 2012
After the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School adopted a new administrative structure, its first-year chief executive officer said the school’s evolution is not related to a federal investigation that visited the school in July or discouraging state test scores revealed in September.

New Cyber Charter School Could Be Based In West Easton
WFMZ, PA, October 15, 2012
Wilson Area School District is feeling the need to compete with cyber charter schools, a way for students to complete their education without even stepping foot inside a school.

More Wisconsin Kids Going To Virtual Schools
WHBL, WI, October 15, 2012
More Wisconsin youngsters are going to school on a computer instead of in the classroom. Just over 4,900 K to 12 students attended the state’s virtual schools a year ago.

Gap Family Invests In Fund To Launch 25 Local Schools
San Francisco Chronicle, CA, October 15, 2012
A San Francisco nonprofit plans to announce a $25 million fund Monday to create Bay Area schools focused on “blended learning,” the concept of coupling traditional teaching with online resources to improve student performance.

Obama, Romney Have Similar Basic Views On Education
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 12, 2012
Both candidates want test scores to be part of teacher evaluations, support extra pay for effective instructors and back the growth of charter schools. One difference is Romney’s support for vouchers.

Report: High School Initiatives Yield Collegiate Gains
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 11, 2012
Getting admitted to a top university isn’t enough. For many students, finishing the mission and getting a degree requires a variety of initiatives, from a rigorous high school curriculum to more advisers, according to a new report released Thursday by the National School Boards Association.

How Tougher Classes In High School Can Help Kids Make It Through College
Christian Science Monitor, MA, October 11, 2012
Some 40 percent of students are failing to graduate from college in six years. A study calls for higher-quality college prep, with more advanced math, advanced placement classes, and better advising.

Experts’ Views About Obama And Romney On Education
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 12, 2012
The following are edited excerpts from telephone interviews and email exchanges with leading education analysts, writers and researchers regarding the policies and positions of the presidential candidates.

The New US Visa Rush: Build A Charter School, Get A Green Card
Reuters, October 12, 2012
It’s been a turbulent period for charter schools in the United States , with financial analysts raising concerns about their stability and regulators in several states shutting down schools for poor performance.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Chico Unified School District Finding Ways To Work With Charters
Chino Enterprise Record, CA, October 12, 2012
Since they were first created 20 years ago, charter schools and traditional districts have found themselves in a sometimes uncomfortable relationship.

L.A. Schools Improve By State Standards, Not Enough By U.S. Yardstick
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 12, 2012
Just like across California, campuses are at their highest-achieving level yet, but they aren’t keeping pace with rapidly rising federal targets.

Innovative Charter School Mixes Languages, Gets Results
San Diego Union Tribune, CA, October 11, 2012
This linguistically rich scene is common at Chula Vista Learning Community Charter, a K-9 school that attributes its well above-average test scores to two distinct practices: throwing English learners and native speakers into the same class (called two-way immersion), and dividing instruction equally between English and Spanish (the 50-50 model).

District Data Show Some Growth In Closing Achievement Gap In Berkeley Schools
Daily Californian, CA, October 11, 2012
Newly released Berkeley Unified School District statistics reveal slight to moderate improvement in closing the districtwide achievement gap, though not all of the yearly target goals have been met.

In California Schools’ Test Scores, State Sees Success While Feds’ No Child Left Behind Act Sees Growing Failure
Mercury News, CA, October 12, 2012
California schools continued their steady gains in achievement, and for the first time more than half of them met the state’s target score, according to California ‘s annual index of school achievement released Thursday.

COLORADO

Charter School Community Meetings Planned
Post Independent, CO, October 12, 2012
A series of information meetings in each of the three Roaring Fork School District Re-1 communities will give the public an opportunity to learn about and comment on a new charter school proposed to be located in Glenwood Springs.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

How To Waste $500,000+ In Education Funds
Washington Post Blog, DC, October 11, 2012
The following press release from the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) landed in my e-mail box with this headline: “Charter School Consortium Selected to Measure Student Growth, Inform Teacher Instruction.”

FLORIDA

Classical Preparatory School To Try Again For Charter Status
The Tampa Tribune, FL, October 12, 2012
A proposed charter school that plans to provide students with a classical education goes before the Pasco County School Board on Tuesday.

Winner May Make Difference In New Laws
News Chief, FL, October 12, 2012
The race isn’t likely to end Republican control of the state Senate, but the winner in the newly created District 14 could be the deciding vote on bills that narrowly lost in the Senate in the last legislative season.

GEORGIA

New Charter Schools For Tybee, Savannah Approved
Savannah Morning News, GA, October 12, 2012
Young minds wishing to explore the seas or relive history through a lost language are in luck.

Vote ‘No’ On Charter School Amendment
Cherokee Tribune, GA, October 12, 2012
Make no mistake — Amendment No. 1 (also known as HR 1162 and the Charter School Amendment) is definitely not about supporting charter schools in Georgia .

Status Quo Isn’t Working, So Let’s Try Charter Schools
Rockdale Citizen, GA, October 12, 2012
I just had to write to the Citizen regarding Brad Smith’s recent viewpoint on the upcoming charter school vote in November. I am sure that Mr. Smith is a hardworking, well-meaning board member, but when do we stop going with the flow and try something different?

Don’t Deny School Choice
Augusta Chronicle, GA, October 11, 2012
It is appalling, and quite possibly illegal, how the public education establishment has fought to prevent Georgians from having more educational choices for their children.

Foes Of Charter School Issue Say New Poll Shows 52% Against
Atlanta Journal Constitution Blog, GA, October 11, 2012
Polls by interested parties must always be taken with a grain of salt – but they are not always something to dismiss out of hand.

Charter Amendment Opponents Speak At Forum
Times-Georgian, GA, October 12, 2012
Local opponents of the charter school amendment spoke at a forum held by the League of Women Voters last night, informing voters of the reasoning behind their opposition.

IDAHO

Idaho Seeks Parent, Teacher Feedback On Ed Reform
Idaho Statesman, ID, October 12, 2012
While campaigns on both sides gear up for a vote on the Students Come First laws, the State Department of Education is asking stakeholders across Idaho to help gauge the new laws’ effectiveness.

Foes Of Luna Laws Outspend Backers
Idaho Statesman, ID, October 12, 2012
Opponents of Superintendent Tom Luna’s 2011 education reforms reported raising through Sept. 30 more than twice as much as the reported effort of supporters of Propositions 1, 2 and 3.

ILLINOIS

Jean Claude Brizard out as CPS Chief
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 11, 2012
Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean Claude Brizard is out, to be replaced permanently by the school system’s chief education officer, a spokeswoman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Thursday.

Charter Expansion Could Include Turnarounds, New Operators
WBEZ, IL, October 12, 2012
Big changes are coming to Chicago public schools, and it’s more than just recess and a longer school day.

INDIANA

FWCS Talks Of Outfoxing Competitors
The Journal Gazette, IN, October 12, 2012
The school in the Fort Wayne Community Schools district that lost the most students to vouchers received an A under the state’s accountability rating.

IOWA

Iowa Educators Propose Higher Pay For New Teachers, Career Tier System
Altoona Herald, IA, October 12, 2012
Higher starting teacher salaries, a yearlong residency program for new educators, and expanded roles for veteran staff are key components of a $150 million school improvement proposal released Thursday by the state’s Task Force on Teacher Leadership and Compensation.

KANSAS

Candidates Talk Vouchers At USD 501 Forum
Topeka Capital Journal, KS, October 11, 2012
Shawnee County candidates for the Kansas House, Senate and Kansas State Board of Education gave their thoughts on school vouchers at a forum Thursday night, three days after a Republican committee chairman said they were sweeping the nation.

LOUISIANA

Educators Tout Another Option For Parish Students
The Daily Advertiser, LA, October 12, 2012
A group of local citizens are making a push to open a tuition-free, public charter school in north Lafayette by the beginning of the 2014-15 school year.

MASSACHUSETTS

Blackman Deal Shows Best Motives
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, October 12, 2012
The many critics of Gloucester’s Community Arts Charter School who might have questions the motives behind Tony Blackman’s exit from the executive director’s post sure didn’t find any smoking guns within the separation agreement reached between Blackman and the school’s Board of Trustees.

School, And Mayoral, Choices
Jamaica Plain Gazette, MA, October 12, 2012
The new school choice proposals for Boston Public Schools have become a battleground of mayoral ambitions. That’s not just good theater. It’s a good thing for the city and its students.

Not as Simple as A-B-C
Coulter Press, MA, October 12, 2012
It seems like alphabet soup, but, the vocabulary of education has changed recently, especially when it comes to measuring progress.

MICHIGAN

Most Parents Don’t Think DPS Is The Best Option For Their Children, Seek Alternatives
Detroit News, MI, October 12, 2012
Families in Detroit are fed up with poorly performing schools. And that dissatisfaction is driving an explosion of new charters and other options in the city as parents have chosen alternatives to Detroit Public Schools. Most residents believe DPS isn’t the best option for learning in the city.

MINNESOTA

Mpls. North High Is Reborn
Star Tribune, MN, October 11, 2012
New principal and staff must remake the school while competing with a nearby charter school that has a similar mission.

MISSISSIPPI

Parish School Board Says No To Charter School
Natchez Democrat, MS, October 12, 2012
The Concordia Parish School Board adopted Thursday a resolution opposing the granting of a charter for the Delta Charter School in Ferriday.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter School Supporters Urge State To Lift Moratorium
Hampton Union, NH, October 12, 2012
Charter school supporters intend to be vocal about the state Board of Education’s recent moratorium.

NEW JERSEY

Principal Evaluation Mandate Will Put Administrators Under Microscope
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, October 12, 2012
Some districts question the wisdom of rolling out new systems while teacher evaluation just getting underway

NEW YORK

What The UFT Owes New York’s Kids
New York Daily News, NY, October 12, 2012
There is a serious lesson to be learned from the United Federation of Teachers Charter School’s dismal ranking on its report card. That being:

South Buffalo Charter School Featured in TIME Magazine
WGRZ, NY, October 11, 2012
The students and two of their teachers were featured in Time Magazine, for a series of creative and informative videos they write, produce and upload, that help make classroom learning more fun.

NORTH CAROLINA

Multiplying Math-Science Success For Urban Kids
Charlotte Observer, NC, October 11, 2012
Take a charter school where low-income African American students shine at math and science. Add a university that specializes in urban education.

OHIO

Superintendent Evaluation Process Varies
Oxford Press, OH, October 12, 2012
While Race to the Top and other education reform movements are putting an emphasis on teacher and principal evaluations, there is no uniform method for evaluating superintendents.

OKLAHOMA

School Grades
Tulsa World, OK, October 12, 2012
Gov. Mary Fallin and a growing number of legislators say they support action by the state Board of Education that delayed approval of a controversial A through F grading system for local schools and school districts.

TENNESSEE

Everyone, Including Metro, Seems To Want School Choice. The Problem: Busing
Nashville Ledger, TN, October 11, 2012
If nothing else, the push to bring Great Hearts Academy to Nashville was a conversation starter for competition and choice in the Metro school marketplace.

VIRGINIA

Parents Voice Concerns On Charter School Plans
Fairfax Times, VA, October 12, 2012
Opponents and supporters of a proposed charter school for at-risk students spoke before the Fairfax County School Board on Tuesday night during a public hearing on the alternative school’s application.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Online School Provides Path To Success
ABC News4, SC, October 11, 2012
Challenges are mounting in our school systems. Bullying, peer pressure, distractions, learning disabilities. Those are just some of the reasons students can fall behind their peers.

Enrollment Increases At St. James Virtual School
Daily Comet, LA, October 11, 2012
Enrollment in St. James Parish’s online Virtual Academy not only has increased rapidly since its July opening, but school officials are fielding phone calls from parents outside the parish who are interested in the program.