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School Film’s Flaws
New York Post, NY, October 10, 2012
The Post has a right to endorse the movie “Won’t Back Down” (“ Hollywood ’s Teachable Moment,” Editorial, Oct. 7) and its anti-union message. But why not step back and consider the near-universal criticism by movie critics who noted the film’s significant flaws, rather than scapegoat the American Federation of Teachers and the United Federation of Teachers?

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

L.A. Schools Chief Gets One-Year Contract Extension
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 10, 2012
Supt. John Deasy did not achieve ambitious goals regarding third-grade reading scores, graduation rates and ninth-grade algebra that would have earned him a bonus. His salary remains at $330,000.

Woodland School Board To Consider Expansion Of Woodland Poly Charter
Daily Democrat, CA, October 10, 2012
The Woodland school district’s board of trustees will hear from the public Thursday regarding a proposed K-8 expansion of Woodland Poly – and supporters have been encouraged to show up en masse.

Yvonne Chan’s Charter School Empire Flourishes In Pacoima
Contra Costa Times, CA, October 12, 2012
Her empire stretches from the aging Vaughn Elementary School at one end to the state-of-the-art Global and Green Generation campus at the other.

At-Risk Students Deserve Our Help
San Francisco Examiner, CA, October 10, 2012
On Election Day, be sure to let Kelly and the union officials know that bullying has no place in our schools or at our school board meetings. Their attempt to railroad the Board of Education members who stood up to stop the teacher churn in underperforming schools is immoral, it is divisive, it will not be forgotten, it will not be forgiven.

FLORIDA

Florida’s Charter School Movement Gets Boost From State Leaders
WJHG, FL, October 10, 2012
With close to 180,000 students enrolled in charter school statewide this year, there’s no denying the charter school movement is growing. And with a new State Board of Education plan released Tuesday, it appears that trend will continue.

Charter Schools Costly To Taxpayers
Florida Times Union Blog, FL, October 11, 2012
Duval County School Board member Becki Couch recently raised a question that underscores yet another reason why charter schools, as good as some may be, can wind up undermining traditional public schools.

Poinciana Charter School Proposal Denied By School Board
The Ledger, FL, October 10, 2012
The Polk County School Board turned down a proposed K-8 charter school in the Poinciana area.

What’s in a Name?
Gainesville Sun, FL, October 11, 2012
Don’t be fooled about proposed state Constitutional Amendment No. 8. Or, as it has been grandly titled, the “Religious Freedom” amendment. It ought to be called the “Robbing Public Schools to Pay Private Religious Schools” amendment.

GEORGIA

Judge Allows School Officials’ Charter School Campaign Activity
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, October 10, 2012
A lawsuit alleging illegal campaigning by public education authorities opposed to a constitutional amendment on charter schools unraveled Wednesday in a Fulton County courtroom.

PTA Ejects Man At Anti-Charter School Summit
Cherokee Tribune, GA, October 11, 2012
One parent was asked to leave after distributing pro-amendment brochures at Tuesday night’s summit held by Georgia PTA to urge voters to say no to the proposed charter amendment.

Amendment Vote Involves Weighing The Unpopular
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA, October 10, 2012
Muscogee County school board members have made no secret of their opposition to the Georgia charter schools amendment that’s on the November ballot. The amendment would authorize state leaders to appoint a commission that can bypass local school boards to establish charter schools receiving state tax dollars.

State Charter Schools: Viable Option Or Plot?
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA, October 10, 2012
Charter schools established by the state over the objections of local school boards either are a way to offer poor parents an alternative to failing public schools or a plot to divert public education funds to private interests.

Charter School Referendum Not About Charters
Mariette Daily Journal, GA, October 10, 2012
Charter schools are all the buzz these days in Georgia because of the proposed constitutional amendment that is supposed to be about them. These public schools operate under negotiated rules in exchange for producing results; educational management companies and individuals petition local school boards to open charter schools which are then open to all students and funded with public monies.

Supporters Misinformed
Augusta Chronicle, GA, October 10, 2012
Despite the rhetoric, state Amendment 1 in the November election, regarding charter schools, does not authorize parental involvement, choice, certified teachers, better academic performance or a beautiful school with preppy uniforms.

LGC: Charter School Enrollment Tops 1,000
Cherokee Ledge, GA, October 10, 2012
According to information presented by Principal Vanessa Suarez, Cherokee Charter Academy reached 1,007 students on Sept. 26, which puts the school over the 995-pupil threshold that it used to budget the upcoming year. The school recently added a class of kindergarten students, and the waitlist stands at 117 students.

ILLINOIS

Charter Networks Being Urged To Take Over Troubled Schools In City
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 11, 2012
Chicago Public Schools officials have asked several charter networks if they would take over failing schools, for the first time making a direct connection between the city’s plan to shut down neighborhood schools while increasing the number of privately run charters.

INDIANA

Gary School Board Backs Charter School
Post Tribune, IN, October 10, 2012
The Gary Community Public School Corp. is working with Ball State University to establish a charter school. The School Board approved a resolution Tuesday that paves the way for the first district-sponsored charter in Northwest Indiana.

LOUISIANA

300 St. Tammany Parents, Teachers Attend School Board Forum To Rail Against Education Changes
Times Picayune, LA, October 10, 2012
About 300 parents and teachers attended a forum at Slidell High School on Wednesday to hear from their School Board members about how decreased state dollars and recent laws enacted by the state Legislature, including Gov. Bobby Jindal’s voucher system, have placed serious burdens on the school district.

Orleans Parish School Board Candidate Sarah Usdin Laps The Field In Fund-Raising
Times-Picayune, LA, October 10, 2012
It’s just not what you expect to see in a local school board election: generous donations from Joel Klein, the former New York City schools chief; Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix; and New Orleans ‘ own Walter Isaacson, the former Time magazine editor and author of a recent best-selling biography of Steve Jobs.

MARYLAND

State Chiefs’ Races Blend K-12 Issues, State Politics
Education Week, MD, October 10, 2012
School finance, the role of standardized tests, and local control of education policy are among the hot issues as candidates vie for the top school leadership spot in four states next month, with three incumbent state superintendents running hard on their records as they seek another term in office.

City To Pilot New Evaluations For All Teachers
The Baltimore Sun, MD, October 10, 2012
All 6,000 Baltimore educators will take part this year in testing a new teacher evaluation system that ties their effectiveness more closely to student performance, school officials announced this week. This system, tested in the city last year for 309 teachers, comes as preparation for the state’s implementation of more rigorous evaluations next year.

MICHIGAN

Poll: Detroit Parents Embrace School Choice
Detroit News, MI, October 11, 2012
Turner is not alone in her displeasure with DPS. Confidence in the city’s public school district has dropped so low that only one in five Detroiters believes DPS is the best educational option for their children, according to a comprehensive poll of residents’ attitudes about the city’s educational landscape and its leadership.

MISSOURI

Word Hard. Be Nice. Good Motto For Improving Schools.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, October 11, 2012
Charter school proponents, be they connected to the successful KIPP model, or the parochial ACCESS Academies model, are working hard. Lawmakers, some of them at least, are working hard at making sure state laws allow kids to have access to schools that are better than the ones near their homes that sometimes don’t meet state standards.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Committee Hears Charter School Denials About Money
Union Leader, NH, October 10, 2012
Without additional state money, the State Board of Education has been advised to deny all charter schools applications, the House Education Committee was told Wednesday.

Assuming Revenue Shortfall For Charter School Funding Is Wrong
Laconia Daily Sun, NH, October 10, 2012
The N.H. Board of Education has been turning down new charter schools on the basis of an assumed shortfall of funding. Charlie Arlinghaus’s recent op-ed did a very good job of explaining why this was not true.

NEW YORK

The UFT Proves A Point
New York Post, NY, October 11, 2012
File this under “TP” for Totally Predictable: A charter school run by the United Federation of Teachers isn’t cutting it — and may soon be shut down.

NORTH CAROLINA

Schools Await Funding Case Ruling
Shelby Star, NC, October 10, 2012
A judge heard closing arguments late Wednesday afternoon in the trial of a lawsuit between three area charter schools and the Cleveland County Schools system.

OHIO

Role Reversal
Columbus Dispatch, OH, October 11, 2012
Recent developments in Ohio ’s public schools make it clear that school boards should be more independent and watchful, not less, to guard against potential problems. More diligence by board members might head off problems such as the attendance-rigging scandal that has put all Ohio school districts, including honest ones, under a cloud of suspicion.

Grades Mixed On School-Choice Push
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, October 10, 2012
Cincinnati Public Schools has been working for more than two years to bring successful charter schools into its portfolio. But to date it has zero partnerships to show for it.

PENNSYLVANIA

We Need More Info, Not Less, About Pa. Charter Schools
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, October 11, 2012
SINCE ACT 22 enabled charter schools in the state 15 years ago, charters have expanded exponentially; Pennsylvania taxpayers now spend about $1 billion a year on 73,000 students enrolled in “bricks and mortar” and cyber-charter schools. With charters championed by lawmakers as a key alternative to traditional public schools, expect even more.

Two Propel Charter Schools Offer Constitutional Law Class
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 11, 2012
Jennifer Saint-Preux, a third-year student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, positioned her phone in front of her face and told the Propel Braddock Hills high school students in the constitutional law class that she’d be recording their mock argument.

Pa. Education Secretary Should Stop Accusations And Do His Job
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 11, 2012
Regarding “Pa. Districts Show Steep Drop in Test Scores” (Sept. 22): How dare Ron Tomalis, Pennsylvania secretary of education, accuse schools of cheating on previous PSSA tests due to a drop in 2012 results!

SOUTH DAKOTA

Education Reform: Take It From The Top
Aberdeen News, SD, October 10, 2012
When teachers complain about top-down education reforms, those outside the teaching profession often have little sympathy. My conservative friends in particular think that merit pay, standardized teaching assessments, uniform national standards and “accountability” are just what our schools need.

TENNESSEE

Petition Asks State To Reconsider $3.4 Penalty
NewsChannel5, TN, October 10, 2012
A petition with hundreds of signatures has been circulating on the internet asking the state not to penalize Metro School students after the school board’s decision against Great Hearts Academy .

Obstacles To Education Reform
Commercial Appeal, TN, October 10, 2012
Memphis needs passion and commitment to effect positive and lasting change in its public education system, members of a panel on education reform suggested Wednesday.

TEXAS

Vocabulary-Building Is Key To Closing Achievement Gap
Star Telegram, TX, October 10, 2012
Part of the value of big, thick government reports isn’t that they can double as doorstops but the hope that someone will read beyond their recommendations to the fine details. Deep into a recent audit of the Fort Worth schools’ curriculum are some findings that aren’t so much surprising as they are frustrating.

VIRGINIA

90 Area Schools Getting Help Improving Academics
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, October 11, 2012
A total of 90 schools in central Virginia are among 593 statewide that will get extra help achieving academic goals, the Virginia Department of Education announced Wednesday.

WASHINGTON

School Reform Ad’s Donors Undisclosed
Spokesman Review, WA, October 11, 2012
Idaho’s campaign finance disclosure deadline came and went Wednesday without any word on who funded a statewide TV ad campaign in favor of controversial school reform measures – and backers say they don’t plan to disclose their donors.

We Must Give Our Trust To Educators – But We Must Verify The Results
News Tribune, WA, October 11, 2012
What President Ronald Reagan liked to say about our relations with the Soviet Union – “Trust, but verify” – is also true of education. This is why I think the charter school initiative, I-1240, is a good idea: It strengthens our trust in schools, and it provides new ways to verify that this trust is deserved.

Group Behind Charter School Initiative Goes After Mcauliffe
Everett Herald, WA, October 11, 2012
Stand for Children is a national organization out to reshape how students are taught and how public schools are run in this country.

Academy In Federal Way District Is Similar To A Charter School
Seattle Times, WA, October 10, 2012
Supporters of Initiative 1240 often point to the success stories among the 6,000 charter schools that now exist in 41 states, when the reality is that high-performing charters are more the exception than the rule.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Can Online Education Tackle Achievement Gap?
NPR, October 10, 2012
The Khan Academy is a leading online education tool. Founder Salman Khan started the company after tutoring his niece who was struggling with middle school math. His new book is The One World Schoolhouse and he speaks with host Michel Martin.

Dallas District Will Partner With Cyber Charter School
Citizen Voice, PA, October 10, 2012
Dallas School District officials hope to expand students’ educational options through a partnership with a Western Pennsylvania cyber charter school.

Enrollment Increases At St. James Virtual School
Baton Rouge Advocate, 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.

District Up 612 Students, Mostly From Virtual Academy
Clarkston News, MI, October 10, 2012
After the Oct. 3 student count, Oxford Community Schools are up by 612 students from a year ago, making the total number of students 5,688.

Amphi’s Blended Learning Mixes Online, Classroom Instruction
Arizona Daily Star, AZ, October 11, 2012
Amphitheater Unified School District has implemented blended learning – in which students attend class two days a week and learn online the other three days – at Donaldson and El Hogar de la Paz Alternative Program. The district hired a teacher at Donaldson to coordinate the program there, and four teachers at El Hogar who tutor blended learning students at that school.

Op-Ed: Teacher Evaluation — What is the Primary Goal?
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, October 9, 2012
Any “teacher evaluation system” that does not have as its primary goal “teacher improvement” is a waste of time and money.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Taxpayers Win With School Choice
Chico Enterprise-Record , CA, October 10, 2012
Everyone wins by allowing parents to use their education taxes for school choice, including charters, parochial, private, home and public schools.

Deasy Gets Authority Over Approving Outside Control Of Schools
Los Angeles Times Blog, CA, October 9, 2012
L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy received broad authority Tuesday to renew or end agreements by which two outside organizations run traditional public schools, including a group of schools under the control of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Principals Approve New Evaluations But Object To Workload
Los Angeles Times Blog, CA, October 9, 2012
School officials on Tuesday formally approved a one-year agreement for evaluating principals in the Los Angeles Unified School District, but the head of the administrators union also asserted that principals will be overburdened by a new teacher-evaluation system.

LAUSD Board Member Steve Zimmer Asks Charter Operators To Halt Applications
New York Daily News, NY, October 9, 2012
Under fire for his proposal to freeze charter school growth, LAUSD school board member Steve Zimmer on Tuesday released a scaled-back plan to ask charter operators to voluntarily delay applications until the district tightens its oversight of the mushrooming movement.

CONNECTICUT

New Law Allows For Millions For West Hartford ‘ Diversity School ’ Construction
West Hartford News, CT, October 10, 2012
As legislation was just passed that will make millions available for construction at the Charter Oak International Academy, the West Hartford Board of Education already has a clearly defined schedule that could lead to breaking ground on the yet-defined project by spring 2014.

FLORIDA

School Board Takes Stand On Amendments
The Tampa Tribune, FL, October 10, 2012
Count the Hillsborough County school board among the opponents of highly controversial Amendment 8.

State Seeks To Double Enrollment In Charter Schools
Orlando Sentinel, FL, October 9, 2012
Florida education leaders want to double the number of children enrolled in charter schools in the next six years, while also expanding other school-choice options for students.

Charter Application for Harrison Center Is Denied
The Ledger, FL, October 9, 2012
For the first time since she’s been a student in Polk County schools, Breanne DiCesare said she feels that she finally belongs now that she attends the Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts.

Board Says No To Poinciana Charter School
News Chief, FL, October 10, 2012
If a group of four Poinciana community activists believed they had reason to be optimistic Tuesday, the Polk County School Boar disabused them of that feeling by turning down a proposed K-8 charter school.

Charter School: Enroll Here, Get A Free Nintendo Dsi
WTSP, FL, October 9, 2012
Would you transfer your child to a new school if it meant receiving a portable gaming system in return?

GEORGIA

School Board OKs Marietta’s Second Charter Application
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 10, 2012
After months of planning and collecting data, the Marietta City School Board unanimously approved Superintendent Dr. Emily Lembeck’s recommendation to submit the district’s second charter system application to the state by Nov. 1.

Advocates For A Dual School System Trying To Silence The Opposition
Macon Telegraph, GA, October 10, 2012
It’s hard to believe an issue could become more convoluted. What began as an effort to rewrite the state’s constitution to give the state powers that it already enjoys has turned farcical. Monday, charter school advocates filed suit against all 180 school systems — calling them part of the “Education Empire.” The suit says the school systems are part of a conspiracy to defeat Amendment 1. Oh really?

Ginn Says No To Charter Amendment; Quick May, Too
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, October 9, 2012
State Sen. Frank Ginn will vote against a proposed state constitutional amendment to create a new politically appointed commission to authorize charter schools.

Cherokee Mom Suing Ga. School Districts
Cherokee Tribune, GA, October 10, 2012
A parent of two children at Cherokee Charter Academy is one of five charter amendment supporters signing onto the lawsuit against Georgia’s 180 local school districts alleging illegal use of resources to campaign on the issue.

Opponents Of Charter Schools Amendment Raise Their Own Questions About Tactics Of Supporters
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, October 9, 2012
Saying what’s good for the goose is good for the governor, the Democratic Party of Georgia has accused Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens of overlooking what it sees as Gov. Nathan Deal’s illegal use of taxpayer resources to support the charter schools amendment.

Katrina Young: A Perspective On Public Education: The Charter School Amendment
Newton Citizen, GA, October 9, 2012
When local accountability shifts from local voters to a state-appointed body, it matters. When appointees of appointees can decide to place an unlimited number of schools in a school district without regard to the effect on taxpayers, it matters. When the state sets out to intentionally create a separate school system, it matters.

IDAHO

Voters to Decide on Education Laws
Magic Valley Times, ID, October 10, 2012
While Idaho educators and students continue to adjust to education reforms, voters will have their say next month.

Idaho Propositions 1,2,3 Donation Scrutinized
Idaho Statesman, ID, October 10, 2012
The refusal of a new nonprofit group to reveal the source of $200,350 contributed for TV ads backing Propositions 1, 2 and 3 is “under legal review,” the Secretary of State’s Office said.

ILLINOIS

Quest Academic Goals Exceed Assessment Test Projections
Journal Star, IL, October 10, 2012
Quest Charter Academy set academic goals with expectations that 85 percent of students will be proficient in reading and 90 percent will be proficient in math by the end of the school year – higher than their assessment tests project.

Teachers Union Suit Goes After Law Cracking Down On Public Pension Abuse
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 9, 2012
Fearing cuts to the pension benefits of its “ordinary” members, the Chicago Teachers Union filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court Tuesday that goes after a state law passed in January that was intended to crackdown on public pension abuses.

LOUISIANA

Louisiana Education Reform Shouldn’t Be Strangled In The Crib
Times Picayune, LA, October 9, 2012
Louisiana’s attempt to improve its public education has revved up this school year, the first in which the sweeping reforms approved by the legislature last spring are in force.

Superintendent Says Report Backs Voucher Program
Baton Rouge Advocate, LA, October 10, 2012
State Superintendent of Education John White joined faculty and students at Good Shepherd School in New Orleans on Tuesday, presenting a progress report on the Louisiana Scholarship Program to mark the program’s first quarter.

MARYLAND

School Transition Team Urges Review Of Achievement Gap, Discipline Policies
Baltimore Sun, MD, October 9, 2012
Baltimore County schools should work to more quickly eliminate achievement gaps and ensure that discipline policies are applied consistently to all groups of students, according to recommendations made by the transition team appointed by Superintendent Dallas Dance.

New Prince George’s County Teacher Evaluations Use Student Feedback
Baltimore Sun, MD, October 9, 2012
For the first time, Prince George ‘s County is using student feedback to evaluate teacher performance.
At most public schools in the county, evaluations are based on reviews of classroom instruction, teacher self-assessments and goal-setting conferences between teachers and principals.

MASSACHUSETTS

Teachers’ Contract Approval Paves Way For Cooperative Success
South Coast Today, MA, October 10, 2012
The newly ratified contract between the New Bedford School Committee and the New Bedford Educators Association is an important and needed tool for the city’s formidable education challenges.

MICHIGAN

Highland Park Schools Official Sues District’s EM
Detroit News, MI, October 9, 2012
Highland Park school board secretary Robert Davis filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the district’s emergency financial manager, Joyce Parker, saying she is exceeding her authority.

MINNESOTA

Northfield Closes Achievement Gap
Star Tribune, MN, October 9, 2012
The latest American K-12 school demographic statistics are in, and they contain a milestone: One out of every four children enrolled in the nation’s K-12 public schools is Latino, a record high, the Pew Hispanic Center recently reported.

MISSISSIPPI

Charter School Must Be Accountable
Natchez Democrat, MS, October 10, 2012
The assumed position of the Concordia Parish School Board on a proposed charter school in the area is entirely expected.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Reasons For Charter School Moratorium From NH Attorney General Being Sought
Union Leader, NH, October 9, 2012
The House Education Committee wants members of the Attorney General’s Office to explain their role in a moratorium on new charter schools.

NEW JERSEY

At Charter’s Grand Opening, Schools Chief Expresses ‘Hope’ For The Future
Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ, October 10, 2012
Breaking every tie should always be done “in the best interest of the students,” Education Commissioner Chris Cerf said during a speech Tuesday, just days after the local board of education deadlocked on a significant vote.

NEW MEXICO

Many Choices For Mid-School Parents
The New Mexican, NM, October 9, 2012
Little sends shudders down parents’ backs than the prospect of deciding which middle school is a fit for their child. With middle school the transition period between cute child and cranky teen, Santa Fe ’s peculiar set up — generally two grades only for middle school — can cause public school parents, in particular, to consider taking out a second home mortgage to find alternatives.

NEW YORK

Making the Grade in New York City
New York Times, NY, October 9, 2012
The latest progress reports for New York City elementary and middle schools came out last week, and many parents are baffled to see some of the city’s top-performing schools getting “C’s” and “B’s.”

Union Defends Charter School
Wall Street Journal, October 10, 2012
New York City teachers union officials on Tuesday defended a charter school founded by the labor union as the school undergoes a crucial review period that will determine whether the struggling institution stays open.

‘Labor’ Pain For School
New York Post, NY, October 10, 2012
It’s no lesson in leadership. The city teacher union’s bid to show it could run a charter school as well as any non-unionized shop has blown up in its face, the latest school results show.

Elmwood Village Charter School’s Waiting List Makes Success Bittersweet
Buffalo News, NY, October 9, 2012
A few years back, Elmwood Village Charter School Principal John W. Sheffield looked forward to lottery night, when the names of new students for the upcoming school year were drawn.

Teachers Are Testing The Evaluation System
Newsday, NY, October 9, 2012
What’s the point? To measure student growth in this new age of evaluating teachers, apparently one must test kids at the beginning of the school year, and then again once they’ve finished the class. The difference in scores will show the growth students have achieved.

NORTH CAROLINA

Charter’s Request To Expand A Strong Move
Mount Airy News, NC, October 10, 2012
Millennium Charter Academy has applied for permission to expand its offerings, from the current kindergarten through eighth-grade service to eventually offering classes through high school graduation.

OHIO

Why Secrecy?
Columbus Dispatch, OH, October 10, 2012
The Dispatch has filed a lawsuit against the Columbus Board of Education for a simple reason: Public meetings should be open to the public. The board has ignored repeated requests by the newspaper to honor that legal requirement.

OKLAHOMA

Delaying A-F grades for Oklahoma Public Schools Impedes Efforts to Address Shortcomings
The Oklahoman, OK, October 10, 2012
THE decision Monday by the state Board of Education to delay the release of A-F grades for public schools needlessly prevents parents from learning how their children’s schools are performing. It also impedes efforts to address shortcomings.

PENNSYLVANIA

Waynesboro Teachers To Be Evaluated According To Upcoming State Requirements
Herald-Mail, PA, October 9, 2012
Student performance on standardized tests will continue to be incorporated into Waynesboro Area School District teacher evaluations as the district eyes changed state requirements.

Education Funding: Charter School Reforms Are A Must
Patriot News, PA, October 10, 2012
Today in Pennsylvania , 105,000 students are getting their education through a charter school.

TENNESSEE

Metro Still Hoping For Change Of Heart Over Money
The Tennessean, TN, October 9, 2012
The Metro Nashville school board is taking a wait and see stance after again asking the state to reconsider withholding $3.4 million from the system this month.

TEXAS

Texas School Vouchers Idea Stinks
Houston Chronicle, TX, October 9, 2012
Regarding “School vouchers battle renewed” (Page A1, Friday), state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, is way off base in proposing the use of public tax dollars to fund private and religious schools.

VIRGINIA

Charter School Advocates Draw Fire in N.Va.
Washington Examiner, DC, October 9, 2012
Officials backing what would be Northern Virginia’s first public charter school defended their proposal Tuesday amid opposition from parents who fear the venture would take education funding from their children’s schools.

3rd District Candidates On The Role Of The Mayor In School Operations
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, October 10, 2012
Mayor Dwight C. Jones inserted himself in the campaign for the nine seats on the Richmond School Board in March, when he created a task force to examine school finances.

WASHINGTON

Charter School Campaign Receives Sizeable Donations
Seattle Times Blog, WA, October 9, 2012
The campaign to bring charter schools to Washington state received two big donations last week — $2 million from Bill Gates and $1.1 million from Alice Walton, daughter of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Charter Schools Doing Their Job
Lebanon Daily News, PA, October 10, 2012
Joe Zimmerman’s Sept. 28 letter, “Cyber, charter schools failing” was not only factually inaccurate but also misguided. The writer’s statement that only one cyberschool out of 12 made Adequate Yearly Progress according to the 2011-12 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment results is incorrect, a fact easily found by searching on the very website paayp.emetric.net/CharterSchools) the writer cited.

Pinellas School Board Narrowly Approves Online Charter School
Tampa Bay Times, FL, October 10, 2012
The Pinellas County School Board found a lot to dislike Tuesday about a proposed online charter school.

Two New Charter Schools Get OK From Collier Board
Naples News, FL, October 10, 2012
Collier County School Board members on Tuesday signed off on two charter schools that propose vastly different educational approaches — one that would blend online and face-to-face instruction and another that would employ classical teaching methods.

Orange and Seminole Reject Virtual Charter Schools
Orlando Sentinel, FL, October 9, 2012
For the second year in a row, school boards in Orange and Seminole counties have rejected a planned virtual charter school that had hoped to set up operations in the school districts.

DCE Blends Online, Classroom Learning
Wausau Daily Herald, WI, October 10, 2012
Blended learning is one of the hottest trends in education today, and many believe that the mix of traditional in-person teaching and online research and discussion will be an integral part of schools in the not-too-distant future.

Visalia Charter Independent Study’s Online Program Expands
Visalia Times-Delta, CA, October 10, 2012
As online learning continues to be a boon for students looking for alternatives to traditional classroom settings, public schools are quickly familiarizing themselves with the concept of distance learning.

The Imaginary Teacher Shortage
Wall Street Journal, October 9, 2012
Forty years and a million more teachers later, student performance is unchanged. Yet Obama and Romney both say schools need more staff

Next On School Reformers’ Agenda
Washington Post, DC, October 8, 2012
According to Michael Petrilli, executive vice president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and a research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, school reformers aren’t resting on their laurels and have some new goals in mind.

Paul Ryan Appears To Tear Up At Detroit Charter School, Mentions Auto Industry At Fundraiser
The Grand Rapids Press, MI, October 8, 2012
Before an evening rally in the Detroit suburbs, Republican vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan Ryan toured a Cornerstone charter school in Detroit and attended a fundraiser in Pontiac.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Preuss School Reflects Cofounder’s Passion For Teaching
San Diego Union Times, CA, October 8, 2012
So when she heard a UC San Diego provost at a luncheon years later talking about creating a school to prepare low-income students for the rigors of college, she wanted to help make the idea a reality.

FLORIDA

Amendment Stirs School Voucher Debate
Bradenton Herald, FL, October 9, 2012
There’s a reason you’ll find no mention of school vouchers when you read Florida’s proposed Amendment 8. If you believe the ballot initiative’s supporters, it’s because it has absolutely nothing to do with the state using tax dollars to pay for students to attend private schools. If you believe the opponents, it’s because it’s all a veiled effort to get private school vouchers approved and that if that succeeds in Florida, it will be attempted in more than 30 other states.

State Board Plans To Invest In Tech, Charter Schools
Tallahassee Democrat, FL, October 8, 2012
When it meets in Orlando today, the Florida Board of Education will take up an ambitious agenda to continue its transformation of the public school system and increase technology in the state’s classrooms.

Approve Harrison ‘s Charter Application and Preserve Arts Education
The Ledger, FL, October 8, 2012
Today the Polk School Board will vote on the application for Harrison School for the Arts to become a charter school. The Harrison Parents’ Association is dedicated to preserving and protecting the original intent and purpose of Harrison, which is to provide Polk County students the opportunity to be educated in a positive, rigorous environment of academics and arts excellence.

GEORGIA

Charter School Campaign Isn’t Going To End Well
The Alma Times, GA, October 9, 2012
The campaign on the charter school constitutional amendment seems destined to end up in a courtroom rather than a classroom.

School Boards Sued Over Charter Amendment Opposition
Athens-Banner Herald, GA, October 8, 2012
A lawsuit filed Monday claims that local school boards in the state have illegally spent taxpayer money to oppose a proposed state constitutional amendment about charter schools.

Gwinnett, Fulton School Districts Sued Over Charter Opposition
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, October 8, 2012
Threats gave way to action Monday as supporters of the charter schools constitutional amendment sued Georgia school districts, which they accuse of illegally using taxpayer resources to oppose the amendment.

Don’t Be Fooled
Rome News-Tribune, GA, October 8, 2012
When a campaign devolves into this level, as it has on the Nov. 6 ballot’s constitutional amendment to grant the state the power to create local public schools over the opposition of local citizen majorities and their elected representatives, it is intended to divert attention from the actual issue and its satanic elements. In this case those now “evil people” are the very ones who have dedicated their lives to educating children in the public schools.

INDIANA

Schools In Market For Students; No Aggressive Efforts So Far Locally
Daily Journal, IN, October 8, 2012
Two districts, Fort Wayne and South Bend , each spent about $30,000 this year on radio, television, print and Web ads, mailers and yard signs.

Effort To Survey Indianapolis Teachers Meets Resistance
Indianapolis Star, IN, October 8, 2012
Sound like good news? Not to Marion County school superintendents, who have become increasingly suspicious that such efforts are nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to erode public schools and steer parents and students to private and charter schools.

KENTUCKY

Court vs. School Choice
State-Journal, KY, October 9, 2012
We’ve seen that many in Kentucky’s legislature and teachers unions are adamant enemies of school choice in the commonwealth. The Kentucky Education Association has worked for years with powerful politicians to keep even the most rudimentary types of school choice – like the charter schools found in 41 other states and the District of Columbia – from winning out in Kentucky.

MAINE

SAD 22 School Board, Teachers Union Near Performance-Based Pay System
Bangor Daily News, ME, October 9, 2012
There has been no official deal yet, but after 14 meetings and 11 months of negotiations, members of the SAD 22 school board and the Tri-22 Teachers’ Association are poised to agree on a groundbreaking new contract.

MARYLAND

A Devastating Indictment
Baltimore Sun, MD, October 8, 2012
Allegations of financial mismanagement and lax oversight by the city school system threaten to diminish public support for Baltimore’s school reform effort

MISSISSIPPI

Charter School Issue Up For Vote
Natchez Democrat, MS, October 9, 2012
The Concordia Parish School Board will consider a resolution Thursday that could impact the future of a new charter school in Ferriday.

MISSOURI

Language Immersion Schools Make Strides In St. Louis Area
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, October 8, 2012
It is the third language immersion program offered at the public charter school in the city. Schools that focus on French and Spanish are now in their fourth year and are popular, with total enrollment more than doubling from two years ago to about 800 students this year. The schools, which are tuition-free, have a waiting list and now a second campus.

NEBRASKA

District Considers Big Change To Save School
KETV, NE, October 9, 2012
A committee of two parents, a community member and a staff member came up with a plan to turn all three Walnut schools into charters.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter School Supporters To Put Up A Fight
Portsmouth Herald, NH, October 9, 2012
Charter school supporters intend to be vocal about the state Board of Education’s recent moratorium. Representatives from the Seacoast High School of the Arts, a proposed regional charter high school in North Hampton, are expected to speak at the board’s next meeting on Oct. 17 in Concord . The meeting is open to the public.

New Law Could Cost School District Hundreds Of Thousands
Portsmouth Herald, NH, October 9, 2012
The law, SB 300, changes the state’s charter school statute and requires a student’s resident district to pay to transport a special education student when his parents send him to a charter school outside of the child’s home district, Parsons said Thursday night.

NEW JERSEY

New STEM School Builds on LEAP Academy’s Success
Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ, October 9, 2012
12.5 million school dedicated to teaching science, technology, engineering and math in the heart of downtown celebrates its grand opening beginning at 10 a.m. today with a host of speakers, led by state Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf.

NEW MEXICO

CCSD Teacher Union Pushes Back On Evaluation Program
Farmington Daily-Times, NM, October 8, 2012
The Central Consolidated Education Association filed a grievance against its own district last month with hopes of backing out of a statewide teacher and principal evaluation pilot program.

NORTH CAROLINA

Charter Schools vs. Cleveland County Board of Education
Shelby Star, NC, October 8, 2012
A $100,000 lawsuit involving area charter schools and the Cleveland County Board of Education is scheduled to go to trial today.

For Many, Educational Fabric Already Torn
Citizen –Times, NC, October 9, 2012
A new poll shows that the majority of North Carolina voters want more education reform options, including opportunity scholarships (funding which allows students to attend private schools). It also points to the need for eliminating a family’s income or geographical location as barriers to accessing a quality education.

OKLAHOMA

Building Woes Plague Okla. Charter Schools
News9 KWTV, OK, October 8, 2012
The number of charter schools and students who attend them in Oklahoma are growing, but officials say the potential of charter schools is being held back because of the high cost of school buildings and facilities.

PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania Eases NCLB Rules to Help Charter Schools
Washington Post Blog, DC, October 8, 2012
How is this for fair? Charter schools in Pennsylvania are now being assessed by easier rules than are traditional public schools when it comes to determining whether No Child Left Behind mandates have been met.

Charter Schools Outperforming Public, State Data Show
Reading Eagle, PA, October 9, 2012
A higher proportion of charter schools hit state-set educational benchmarks in 2012 than traditional public school districts, according to recently released data.

New Science, Technology School Might Open In Millcreek
Erie Times-News, PA, October 9, 2012
A new science and technology driven charter school might open in Millcreek Township for the 2013-14 school year.

Catholic School Foundation’s New Chief Starts His Job By Talking With Students
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 9, 2012
On his first day as chief executive of the foundation that is running high schools and special-education schools for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Samuel Casey Carter toured SS. John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School, speaking to students and observing some new technology-enabled classrooms.

Controversial Charter Access Provision Back Before Penna. Legislature
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 9, 2012
A controversial proposal that would deny public access to records of private managers of charter schools has surfaced again in the Pennsylvania legislature after it was rebuffed during the summer.

Gov. Corbett Must Step Up For Charter School Reform
Patriot News, PA, October 9, 2012
Gov. Tom Corbett celebrated two important education victories last spring: First, he passed an on-time budget that revamped our 40-year-old teacher evaluation system. Second, he expanded a scholarship system for Pennsylvania’s low-income students.

SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota Group Urging Voters To Vote No On Education Measure
KSFY, SD, October 8, 2012
In just 27 days you’ll head to the polls not just to pick a President but to also vote on some South Dakota measures and there’s one measure that has a local group fired up. The measure is called Referred Law 16. You’ll see it on your ballot in November. It’s an education reform act supported by South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard. The measure is from Daugaard’s education plan.

TENNESSEE

Education Chief Works To Support State Schools, Not Monitor Paperwork
The Tennessean, TN, October 9, 2012
Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman is celebrating reaching his goal of visiting every last one of the state’s 136 school districts, a commitment he made when Gov. Bill Haslam appointed him in April 2011.

County Commission May Refuse Funding To Municipal School Districts
Commercial Appeal, TN, October 8, 2012
In a legal document filed Friday afternoon, the County Commission indicated it may refuse to provide funds to proposed new suburban municipal school districts unless ordered to by the federal judge refereeing the battle over the structure of the county’s public schools.

State Dems, Ragan Trade Barbs Over Lawmaker’s Record
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, October 9, 2012
The Tennessee Democratic Party and state Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, are stepping up a war of words over the freshman lawmaker’s voting record, with Democrats now saying Ragan is “in the pocket” of the school voucher lobby.

TEXAS

Vouchers Face Long Odds In Legislature
Beaumont Enterprise, TX, October 8, 2012
Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, the new head of the Senate Education Committee, says public education in Texas needs “bold changes” and he’s vowing to bring them. He’s right in the general sense and in many specific areas too, like more charter schools.

UTAH

Martell Menlove Picked As State Schools Superintendent
Salt Lake City Tribune, UT, October 8, 20123
Martell Menlove, the state’s current No. 2 man in education, will become Utah ’s next state schools superintendent.

VIRGINIA

Parents Oppose Fairfax’s First Charter School
Washington Examiner, DC, October 8, 2012
Parents opposed to the construction of what would be Northern Virginia’s first public charter school say they fear that school board approval of the venture would end up diverting already-dwindling education funds away from their kids’ schools.

WASHINGTON

Support Charter Schools For Washington Families
Bellingham Herald, WA, October 9, 2012
Usually coming late to the dinner table means cold leftovers and the good stuff already is gone. Not the case with charter schools.

Vote Yes On Charter Schools
Everett Herald, WA, October 9, 2012
Public charter schools, like religion and politics, should not be discussed in polite company (or at a union hall, a PTA meeting or happy hour for wonky foundation staffers.) Advocates figure to bleed money from a tapped-out system and change the architecture of public education, opponents claim. Opponents are labor diehards unwilling to yield on an innovative, non-bureaucratic approach to K-12 education, supporters say.

For Kitsap Education Leaders, Impact Of Charter Schools Is Hazy In Details
Kitsap Sun, WA, October 8, 2012
If voters approve the charter school initiative on the Nov. 6 ballot, many questions remain about what it means for local students.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Dallas Board Approves Trial Agreement For Cyber-School Instruction
Times-Leader, PA, October 9, 2012
The Dallas School Board on Monday night approved a trial agreement for cyber-school services with Seneca Valley School District.

Pinellas Charter Recommended For Approval Despite Concerns
Tampa Bay Times, FL, October 9, 2012
A proposed online charter school that would hire a Virginia firm under investigation for using uncertified teachers is up for approval today before the Pinellas County School Board.

Senate Committee Monitoring Progress of ‘Virtual Schools’
Austin YNN, TX, October 8, 2012
The Senate Committee on Education heard testimony on so-called “virtual schools” Monday. It’s a program that takes students out of a classroom and puts them in front of a computer screen. The project is designed to allow students to work at their own pace, and supporters say it’s a good resource for students who struggle in school.

Should Texas Embrace Virtual Schools?
KUT, TX, October 8, 2012
The Texas Senate Education Committee is holding a hearing to address virtual education and its growing use in Texas . Committee members will hear testimony on virtual education and recommendations to improve programs that are underperforming.

Loopholes Seen at Schools in Obama Get-Tough Policy
New York Times, NY, October 6, 2012
With an agenda that Arne Duncan, the secretary of education, has described as a “quiet revolution,” the Obama administration has pushed rigorous new standards for a majority of the nation’s public schools as well as requirements that states and districts evaluate not just schools but individual teachers, in part by assessing their ability to improve student scores on standardized tests.

Obama Policies Working; Romney Ideas Need Vetting
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, October 6, 2012
We know what President Barack Obama’s educational policy would be – Race to the Top on steroids.

Hidden Rival of Charter School Growth
Washington Post, DC, October 7, 2012
Public charter schools are a hot topic among us education wonks. Charters have been growing rapidly. They enroll more than 2 million students. Research papers on them proliferate. Editorials worry over what this exodus of kids and their involved parents is doing to regular public schools.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Schools Urged To Use Up Technology Vouchers
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 7, 2012
About $66 million, including $10 million for LAUSD, remains from a state antitrust settlement with Microsoft, and officials want districts to use the vouchers before they expire during 2013.

Novato Charter School Plan Sparks Debate
Marin Independent-Journal, CA, October 7, 2012
As proponents of a new charter school in Novato prepare to file paperwork with the school district, a group of parents has organized in opposition, saying the charter would siphon funds from other schools.

Future of Desert Trails Still Being ‘Chartered’
Victorville Daily Press, CA, October 7, 2012
Desert Trails Elementary School in Adelanto is the closest any parents in the United States have gotten to executing a parent trigger, allowing parents to force a major overhaul of an underperforming school.

Teacher Evaluation Resolution Pulled From LAUSD Agenda
Daily Breeze, CA, October 6, 2012
School board member Steve Zimmer has pulled his controversial resolution on teacher evaluations from Tuesday’s board agenda because of concerns it could interfere with sensitive negotiations between the district and its teachers’ union.

Hanson Needs To Own Up To Charter Debacle
The Fresno Bee, CA, October 6, 2012
The next Fresno Unified board meeting should begin with an apology by Superintendent Michael Hanson for misleading the community about important facts in the New Millennium charter school debacle.

DELAWARE

Kuumba School May Expand Soon
News Journal, DE, October 8, 2012
A Wilmington elementary school with a focus on math might expand into middle school.

FLORIDA

With Record Number Of Charters Applicants, Duval School Board Takes A Stand
Florida Times-Union, FL, October 6, 2012
The number of organizations clamoring to start charter schools in Duval County continues to bloom.

Charter School Lobbies For Potential Miami-Dade Bond Money
Miami Herald, FL, October 7, 2012
As Miami-Dade schools chief Alberto Carvalho stumps for the district’s $1.2 billion bond proposal, schools and groups have started jockeying for potential dollars.

GEORGIA

Education Law Expert: Language Of Charter Schools Amendment Lesson In Subversion
Atlanta Journal Constitution Blog, GA, October 8, 2012
Attorney Thomas Cox represented Atlanta and DeKalb schools in the lawsuit that led to the abolition of the state-run charter schools commission. That 2011 legal victory by school systems prompted the current campaign to change the Georgia Constitution so the state can recreate the commission and go back to approving charters over the objections of local boards of education.

Trouble For Local School Boards?
Walton Tribune, GA, October 7, 2012
Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens said Thursday he is looking into whether or not local school boards violated state law when approving resolutions in opposition to the Nov. 6 ballot initiative related to charter schools. And what Olens determines to be legal will have an impact here, as both Walton County school systems passed resolutions opposing what is seen as supplanting local control of education.

IDAHO

Students Must Come First
Coeur d’Alene Press, ID, October 6, 2012
We will all be faced with a deciding vote on the first steps of education reform in November and it is important that everyone understand what is proposed and what is at stake. Idahoans will vote on three referenda aimed at repealing what may be one of the most sweeping education reforms in the country.

LOUISIANA

Public Has Right To Know Details Of State Voucher Program
American Press, LA, October 6, 2012
The state Education Department continues to trip over its own tongue in explaining why it is stonewalling the public about details of its voucher program.

MASSACHUSETTS

Proposed Charter Schools In Lawrence, Saugus, And Woburn Advance To Final Round
Boston Globe, MA, October 6, 2012
Proposals for three new charter schools in the region have advanced to a final application round, while four others were turned down.

Fitchburg Charter School Avoids Probation By Raising Exam Scores
Sentinel and Enterprise, MA, October 7, 2012
On the face of it, the North Central Charter Essential School appears to have undergone an overnight transformation.

Schools Will Use MCAS Data For Teacher Evaluations
Metro West Daily, MA, October 7, 2012
Administrators have spent months understanding and planning for the state’s new teacher evaluation system that, for many districts, goes into effect this school year – and the Massachusetts Department of Education has matched those efforts with accompanying updated technology.

MINNESOTA

Twin Cities Education Reformers To Coordinate Attack On Achievement Gap
Pioneer Press, MN, October 7, 2012
An uncommon mix of reformers are syncing up their efforts to fight the achievement gap in education.

MISSOURI

Charter Schools Must Focus On Academics And Fiscal Responsibility
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, October 6, 2012
Missouri’s education commissioner told charter school administrators Friday morning that academic and fiscal accountability are keys to quality as the state moves into a new era of growth and change in the charter movement.

MONTANA

Race For State Superintendent Of Schools Heats Up
Independent Record, MT, October 8, 2012
For Sandy Welch, the state superintendent of public instruction race essentially comes down to just one thing. “I’m focusing on student learning,” she said.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

New N.H. Law May Cost Seacoast School Districts Hundreds Of Thousands
Seacoast Online, NH, October 6, 2012
The law, SB 300, changes the state’s charter school statute and requires a student’s resident district to pay to transport special education students when their parents send them to charter schools outside their home district, Parsons said Thursday night.

Two Years After Zuckerberg’s $100 Million Gift, Newark Schools Have ‘A Long Way To Go’
NBC News, October 8, 2012
Two years ago, Mark Zuckerberg got the attention of the education world with his announcement of a $100 million gift of his personal Facebook stock to the public schools of Newark , N.J. After two years, how has the money been spent? As it did last year, NBC News visited Newark and its public schools to find answers to that question.

Hope School Decision ‘Unusual’ Defeat for Norcross
Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ, October 7, 2012
Nor does he lose easily: When Camden’s school board recently rebuffed a Norcross-backed bid to bring a Hope Act school to the city, the de facto leader of South Jersey Democrats quickly renewed the push for his goal.

NEW YORK

Big Change in Gifted and Talented Testing
Wall Street Journal, October 8, 2012
A new test for admission into New York City’s gifted and talented program will account for the bulk of a student’s score, upending a testing regime that a growing number of children had appeared to master.

Rochester Prep Charter School System Looks To Expand
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY, October 7, 2012
One of the city’s most successful charter schools is looking to expand its reach in Rochester , with a plan to open new schools that will give True North Rochester Prep Elementary School the capacity to serve nearly 10 percent of city students.

Bronx Charter School Soars to Success
DNAinfo, NY, October 8, 2012
Just a few years ago, the Bronx Charter School for Excellence (BCSE) was suffering from low test scores and in danger of becoming a failing school. But in a remarkable turnaround, the K-8 Parkchester school has spent the last two years rebuilding its curriculum and is now ranked first in test results for all New York City charter schools.

OHIO

Correct Numbers May Fuel Vouchers
Columbus Dispatch, OH, October 8, 2012
But if East High’s state report-card marks aren’t really as high as the district reported, his daughter might have qualified for a $5,000 tuition voucher. She also might not have to sit out a year to play basketball at her new school.

OKLAHOMA

Parent Trigger Law Proposed To Allow Parents To Overhaul Underachieving Schools
Tulsa World, OK, October 8, 2012
A parent trigger law – as portrayed in the new movie “Won’t Back Down” – may be on the horizon for Oklahoma .

Letter Grades Are A Starting Point For School Accountability
The Oklahoman, OK, October 8, 2012
WHEN the state releases its first letter grades for schools, the voices of reform and the voices of status quo won’t go away. In fact, they may get louder. Here’s our advice to parents, for whom the information is ultimately intended: A little common sense goes a long way.

PENNSYLVANIA

Potential Charter School Legislation Forthcoming
Times Herald, PA, October 7, 2012
Charter schools have grown in popularity in recent years. These schools do not have to follow the rigid state standards and are marketed as having the ability to provide students with a “better” education because the curriculum can be adjusted and potentially specialized.

Once Afraid, Parochial Converts Praise Kids’ New Public Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 8, 2012
WHEN the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced in January that it was closing St. Bridget’s elementary school in East Falls, Nancy DiGiovanni couldn’t imagine transferring her two children to the local public school.

World Communications Charter Awaits Outcome of Philadelphia Inquiry
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 8, 2012
The Philadelphia School District is investigating one of the oldest charter schools in the city for financial and management irregularities, problems that might eventually force the school to close.

No Area Public Schools Open For Opportunity Scholarships
Altoona Mirror, PA, October 8, 2012
Public schools are on the sidelines as private schools pioneer the state’s opportunity scholarship program in its first year, but public school officials aren’t ruling out their participation in the program next year to offer students of low-achieving schools more education options.

Spin Test: More Than Cheating Was At Work On Student Scores
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 8, 2012
The percentage of Pennsylvania schools that met federal standards on reading and math tests dropped precipitously this year, and that was bad enough. But equally shocking was Education Secretary Ron Tomalis’ conclusion that cheating was the reason.

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School’s $10M Hall Spurs Debate On Privatization
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 7, 2012
There are no sound-distorting right angles in the music practice rooms at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School’s new Alumni Hall. Built-in recording systems digitally preserve every rehearsal in the acoustically excellent space.

Easton to Bus Students to Arts Academy
Allentown Morning Call, PA, October 6, 2012
Although traffic would make the trip take longer than desired, the path can carry Easton Area students only 10 miles from district boundaries to the Arts Academy Charter School in Salisbury . And the fact that it exists is all that matters under Pennsylvania School Code.

RHODE ISLAND

Two Providence Schools Look To Become Charters, Teaming Up With Other Schools
Providence Journal, RI, October 8, 2012
Two elementary schools have applied to become district-run charter schools, which could set the stage for a new approach toward educating students.
The schools are Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School on the East Side and Frank D. Spaziano Elementary School on Laurel Hill Avenue.

SOUTH CAROLINA

School Choice A Good Idea, But Not A Simple Fix
Morning News, SC, October 7, 2012
Dr. Mick Zais, the state’s superintendent of education, says public schools in South Carolina are “tremendously varied.” The state is home to some of the nation’s finest schools. It is also home to the fabled “Corridor of Shame,” and other pockets of educational inequity that represent some of the poorest examples of public education around.

TENNESSEE

Memphis Teachers Seek Stronger Voice In Reforms
Commercial Appeal, TN, October 8, 2012
Still reeling from a host of education reforms and new job mandates, the Memphis Education Association is bracing for more difficult battles ahead on such issues as how teachers are evaluated and libraries are staffed.

Putnam Develops Charter School Policy
Herald Citizen, TN, October 7, 2012
There are no charter school applications in Putnam County just yet, but interest by a local group has prompted the Putnam County School Board to establish a charter school application review team.

Rapidly Growing Segment Provides Unique Learning Experiences
Commercial Appeal, TN, October 7, 2012
Rapidly growing segment provides unique learning experiences, chance for personal development

Lack of Choice Is ‘Old School’ in Memphis Area
Commercial Appeal, TN, October 7, 2012
This is what school choice looks like in a city that fewer than 10 years ago had essentially two choices — private or public schools. For a great majority of public school parents, the price of private schools meant there really was no choice.

TEXAS

New IDEA Mcallen Campus Part Of Broad Expansion Plan
The Monitor, TX, October 7, 2012
Eleven-year old Horacio Garcia Rojas said outside a pep rally for IDEA McAllen on Friday that, weeks into his first semester at the charter school, he was picking up faster on math — one of his toughest subjects.

WASHINGTON

Would Public Charter Schools Help, Hurt Our Kids?
The Columbian, WA, October 7, 2012
As an involved parent of students who attend public schools, and as an active member of the Parent-Teacher Association both locally and statewide, I’m a strong supporter of our public school system and its teachers. That’s why I support a “yes” vote on Initiative 1240, which will allow more public school options for parents, students and teachers in our state.

Let’s Get Rid Of Compulsory School Days
Seattle Times, WA, October 7, 2012
Abolishing compulsory school attendance in our state could unleash a wave of creative and innovative education programs, writes guest columnist Jim Strickland.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Virtual Schools
Toledo Blade, OH, October 8, 2012
Nearly 30,000 stu¬dents in Ohio, from kin¬der¬gar¬ten through 12th grade, take on¬line classes. Na¬tion¬ally, more than a mil¬lion stu¬dents en¬roll an¬nu¬ally in In¬ter¬net-based courses. But whether the rush to re-place teach¬ers with tech¬nol¬ogy is a good idea re¬mains an open question.

Plan To Expand Online Classes In Florida Meets Resistance
Miami Herald, FL, October 7, 2012
K12 Inc. wants to open virtual charter schools across the state, saying they would expand students’ options. The move has raised the ire of school district officials in some counties.

Do Students Behave Better In A Digital Learning Environment?
The Grand Rapids Press, MI, October 6, 2012
Do students behave better in a digital environment? People running “blended learning” schools seemed to think there is a link between students engaged in learning and a more disciplined school environment.

A Cutting-Edge Classroom
The Olympian, WA, October 8, 2012
Welcome to Tech Arts, a class where students use computer software programs to design the projects they want to build out of wood, plastic and other materials. “It used to be industrial arts,” said Morris, who has taught at the school for 28 years. “Now we’re incorporating technology.”

15 Must-Read Books About K-12 Education in the US
Christian Science Monitor, MA, October 4, 2012
What’s really going on in America ‘s public schools today? Here are 15 must-read books that provide a more nuanced perspective on the current state of US public education.

FROM THE STATES

COLORADO

Virtual School Opens Up To D50 Students
Our Colorado News, CO, October 4, 2012
Online learning is now available to all high school students within District 50. Westminster Virtual Academy opened this fall, and already 80 students have enrolled, choosing a technological route for their education.

CONNECTICUT

New Law Allows For Millions For West Hartford School Construction
West Hartford News, CT, October 5, 2012
Legislation that will make millions of dollars available for construction at the Charter Oak International Academy in West Hartford was recently passed, state officials announced at a West Hartford Board of Education meeting today.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. Debates New High School Graduation Requirements
Washington Post Blog, DC, October 4, 2012
The D.C. State Board of Education had hoped to finalize new high school graduation requirements by the end of the year, but now may wait until early 2013 to give the public more time to weigh in.

FLORIDA

Health Is The Focus At New Charter School
MyFox Tampa Bay, FL, October 4, 2012
It’s not every day you see kids wearing scrubs to school, but that’s what happens each day at King’s Kids Academy of Health Sciences. It’s a brand new charter school in Tampa .

Choice Schools’ Sibling Rule Up For Vote
Florida Today, FL, October 5, 2012
Families with students in some of Brevard County ’s most coveted public schools will learn Tuesday whether younger brothers and sisters will continue to go to the front of the line at enrollment time.

GEORGIA

Education Officials Vocal On Charter Schools
Reporter Newspaper, GA, October 5, 2012
Local school officials are speaking up about a proposed amendment that would allow the state to approve charter schools.

Olens’ Letter Doesn’t Shock School Board
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 5, 2012
Members of both the Cobb and Marietta school boards said they were not surprised by Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens’ letter to Georgia Superintendent Dr. John Barge advising school boards to not use public resources to come out for or against the charter school amendment that will be on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Olens To Offer More Legal Guidance On Charter Advocacy Do’s And Don’t’s
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, October 4, 2012
Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens said Thursday that he will have more to say, in the next couple of weeks, about whether local school boards violated state law when they approved resolutions opposing the charter schools amendment.

PTA Conducting Summit About Charter Schools
Cherokee Tribune, GA, October 5, 2012
The Georgia PTA is conducting an educational summit on the upcoming charter amendment at the new Clark Creek STEM Academy with a featured speaker who has made recent headlines for an incident at the state capitol.

ILLINOIS

Aldermen Want Hearings On School Closings
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 4, 2012
Although Chicago teachers have signed off on their new contract, the lingering anxiety about the future of the city’s public education system surfaced Thursday as aldermen stepped up a call for hearings on potential school closings.

INDIANA

Vouchers For Preschool Are On House Republican’s To-Do List
Indianapolis Star, IN, October 4, 2012
Enacting a fiscally responsible budget and improving job training and education, particularly early childhood efforts, are top priorities for Indiana House Republicans for the 2013 General Assembly.

LOUISIANA

Teachers Claim New Evaluation System Has Flaws
Baton Rouge Advocate, LA, October 5, 2012
Louisiana’s new method for evaluating public school teachers is flawed because some educators are getting failing marks even though their students are among the highest performing in the state, a Republican state lawmaker said.

MARYLAND

P.G. Students Rating Their Teachers In Pilot Program
Washington Examiner, DC, October 4, 2012
Some students in Prince George ‘s County will be rating their teachers this year as part of a Maryland pilot program spreading to all school districts.

Rothschild Proposes School Voucher Program In Carroll
Carroll County Times, MD, October 5, 2012
The ZIP code Carroll County parents live in may no longer be the deciding factor for where their kids go to school after a county commissioner proposed creating a three-year school voucher program for 180 kids.

MICHIGAN

Let Muskegon Heights New Charter Academy Do Its Job
The Muskegon Chronicle, MI, October 5, 2012
School has been in session just over a month and already a whisper of criticism is building about the new Muskegon Heights charter school academy.

MINNESOTA

Prickly Debate Over Contours of Minn. Teacher Evaluations
Minnesota Public Radio, MN, October 5, 2012
At the moment job evaluations are hit or miss for Minnesota teachers. Some school districts offer teachers regular reviews of their work while others do not, said Tom Dooher, the president of the state’s teachers union, Education Minnesota.

MISSOURI

In Closing, Kansas City Charter School Charts New Course
St. Louis Beacon, MO, October 5, 2012
Starting a charter school isn’t easy. But based on the experience of the Renaissance Academy Math & Science Charter in Kansas City, closing one is no picnic either.

NEW JERSEY

Panel Mulls the Landscape of Education in Madison
Madison Eagle, NJ, October 5, 2012
A distinguished panel of New Jersey legislators and educators fielded questions about the future of public education that included charter schools, funding and testing at the Board of Education meeting Tuesday night.

NEW YORK

Strain for Teachers Runs Deeper Than Budget Cuts
New York Times, NY, October 5, 2012
But stories like Ms. Peterson’s point to a deeper strain in Texas public schools, one that has more complex origins than 2011’s reduction in state financing. If the issues are not addressed, they could further frustrate efforts to attract and keep top teachers in public schools.

4 Decades After Clashes, Boston Again Debates School Busing
New York Times, NY, October 5, 2012
Nearly four decades after this city was convulsed by violence over court-ordered busing to desegregate its public schools, Boston is working to reduce its reliance on busing in a school system that is now made up largely of minority students.

NORTH CAROLINA

School Choice For Those In ‘The Middle’
Caroline Daily Journal, NC, October 5, 2012
Few North Carolinians realize that the state has extensive educational options for preschoolers and college students but little for children in the “middle” — the 1.5 million students in traditional K-12 public schools.

State Board Of Education Wants Money To Match Vision
News & Observer, NC, October 4, 2012
The State Board of Education plans to go its own way in crafting a budget request for North Carolina’s public schools for the next two years.

OKLAHOMA

School Leaders Have ‘No Confidence’ In Grade Plan
Tulsa World, OK, October 5, 2012
School administrators from across the state voiced frustration on Thursday with the lack of dialogue they have had with State Superintendent Janet Barresi and her administration – not only about the new grading system but every other policy affecting the state’s schools.

PENNSYLVANIA

New Hope Charter School Fight Draws Strong Words From Officials
York Daily Record, PA, October 4, 2012
The battle over the status of New Hope Academy Charter School drew harsh words from some elected officials Thursday, including York Mayor Kim Bracey, who accused the district of “fiddling while Rome is burning.”

Esperanza Gets $2M Grant To Form Middle School
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 5, 2012
A North Philadelphia charter high school is set to add a 635-pupil middle school to its burgeoning population by next year, thanks to a $2 million grant from the Philadelphia School Partnership.

Gillingham Charter School Awarded $360,000 Federal Grant
Republican & Herald, PA, October 5, 2012
Gillingham Charter School announced Tuesday that it has won a $360,000 Federal Charter School Implementation Grant.

SOUTH DAKOTA

S.D. Official Touts Education Proposal
Aberdeen News, SD, October 5, 2012
Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s education reform act has changed substantially since it was first introduced, in collaboration with teachers and administrators, the secretary of the South Dakota Department of Education said Thursday in Aberdeen .

TENNESSEE

Knox Charter School Proposal Would Convert Vine Middle School
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, October 5, 2012
Knox County officials have begun reviewing an application that if approved would convert the facilities at Vine Middle Performing Arts and Sciences Magnet School to a charter school.

Soulsville Charter School Only School Invited to Vice Presidential Debate
Memphis Daily News, TN, October 4, 2012
The Soulsville Charter School is the only school in the nation invited to the sole vice presidential debate of the election season Thursday, Oct. 11 at Centre College in Danville , Ky.

TEXAS

Education Gets High Priority In New Senate Chair Picks
Austin American-Statesman, TX, October 4, 2012
Shifting as expected to the conservative right, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst on Thursday dethroned a senior Democrat from her higher education leadership post and elevated a conservative voice for charter schools and vouchers to oversee public K-12 education policy in the Texas Senate.

New School Voucher Fight Looms
San Antonio Express-News, TX, October 4, 2012
A dormant battle to push school vouchers through the Legislature was revived Thursday when Lt. Gov. David Dewhurstnamed Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, to head the Senate Education Committee — virtually ensuring a ferocious fight when a new legislative session opens in January.

WASHINGTON

Seattle School Board Considers ‘Answer To Charter Schools’
KUOW NPR, WA, October 4, 2012
The Seattle School Board is scheduled to vote tonight on a way for schools to apply for waivers of district and union policies so they can try new teaching strategies. So–called “Creative Approach Schools” would try to narrow the achievement gap by using special curricula, trying different schedules or focusing on specific themes.

No Need Here For Charter Schools
Sammamish Review, WA, October 4, 2012
Once again, Washington voters are being asked whether charter schools should be allowed here, as they are in 41 other states. From some perspectives, a charter school run by a nonprofit with a goal of better education might make sense. But from the Sammamish perspective, charter schools are not needed. Test scores are among the highest in the state and 18 Sammamish residents from both school districts were recently named National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists.

Reject I-1185’s ‘Tyranny Of Minority,’ Allow Funding For Schools
Bellingham Herald, WA, October 5, 2012
The supermajority rule has directly contributed to making our education funding problem so severe that our state Supreme Court has declared that the state is now in violation of our constitution by underfunding education. That’s because the supermajority rule is really the mini-minority veto rule.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Study: Virtual Schools Show Poor Performance
Texas Tribune, TX, October 4, 2012
A new study from Raise Your Hand Texas says online classes for K-12 students may lower student performance and success and don’t provide cost savings for Texas .

There Are Online Options For LEUSD Students
Friday Flyer, CA, October 5, 2012
In an age when the average student is technologically savvy by the 3rd grade, schools, whether public, private or chartered, have learned that using computer programs to help students earn their high school diplomas are helping increase the high school graduation rate.

Fact check: On Education, Gains Difficult To Demonstrate
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 3, 2012
On education, President Obama correctly noted that his ideas for reform have been drawn from ideas championed by Democrats and Republicans, an overlap that also has drawn criticism in some quarters from allies of the president such as teacher unions.

Obama Declines To Support School Choice In Debate
Daily Caller, DC, October 4, 2012
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney reiterated his support for school choice when asked about education reform during Wednesday night’s debate with President Obama.

Why Teacher Training Fails — And How We Can Correct That
Washington Post, DC, October 3, 2012
American public elementary and secondary schools spend about $20 billion a year on what is called professional development — helping teachers do their jobs better. Many teachers will tell you much of that is a waste of time and money.

Former State Senator Addresses Charter School Bill and Military Families
WRWR, GA, October 3, 2012
Ember Reichgott Junge is a Former State Senator from Minnesota , she also is the author of the first bill in the nation addressing charter schools.

FROM THE STATES

ALABAMA

Questions Raised Over Tuition At Tech School
News Courier, AL, October 4, 2012
Limestone County School Board faced questions at Tuesday’s regular meeting as to why private and home-school students have to pay tuition to attend Limestone County Career Technical Center .

CALIFORNIA

A Missed Opportunity To Reform Teacher Evaluations
Ed Source, CA, October 3rd, 2012
Though not the only issue in Chicago , how to evaluate teachers and the role of standardized tests in that process has been at the core of the contentiousness in the Windy City . In California , we recently saw our own version of the teacher evaluation debate turn toxic with the demise of AB 5.

Chico School Board Votes To Have Inspire Share Campus With Chico High
Chico Enterprise-Record, CA, October 4, 2012
Inspire School of Arts and Sciences, the only charter school in the area directly tied to the Chico school district, has finally got a home.

‘Parent Trigger’ Law Divides Struggling School, Community
California Watch, CA, October 4, 2012
“The movie makes it look a lot easier than it really is,” said Diaz, who started drumming up support to overhaul her local public school more than a year ago.

Inglewood High Grad Takes Over City’s Troubled School District
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 4, 2012
Kent Taylor, who graduated from Inglewood High in 1982 and was recently an education official in Kern County , steps in to lead the state-controlled district.

CONNECTICUT

Wrong On School Vouchers
Hartford Courant , CT, October 4, 2012
In her op-ed “Dipping SAT Scores Show Need For Choice,” Lindsey Burke of the Heritage Foundation opines about low reading scores on the SAT [Sept 29, Opinion]. She mistakenly believes that vouchers will improve SAT scores.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. Considers Neighborhood Admissions Preference For Charter Schools
Washington Post Blog, DC, October 3, 2012
Should charter schools give admissions preference to families who live nearby? A D.C. task force convened Tuesday to begin studying that question, which has been made more urgent by the looming closure of an unknown number of traditional public schools.

FLORIDA

Lehigh Charter School Grows
Lehigh Acres Citizen, FL, October 4, 2012
Dr. Timothy J. Butts is the principal of the Lee Alternative Charter High School in Lehigh Acres (LACHS) where 167 students are studying daily and according to Butts, most of the student body is doing very well and the school is continuing to grow.

Amendment 8 Pits Religious Groups Against Backers Of Church-State Separation
Orlando Sentinel, FL, October 3, 2012
When voters go to the polls in November, they will be asked if they want to delete the so-called Blaine Amendment from Florida’s constitution. Also called the “no aid provision,” it prohibits state aid to religious institutions.

GEORGIA

Choice, Charters And The Children
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 4, 2012
With less than 40 days to the Nov. 6 elections, passions, tempers and misinformation are on the rise regarding a school choice question on the ballot in Georgia .

Read, Chapman Think Barge Firm On Charter Issue
Cherokee Tribune, GA, October 4, 2012
The Cherokee County school board chairman and vice chairwoman said they still believe State Superintendent Dr. John Barge is sticking to his opposition of the charter amendment, but local charter supporters remain mum following the Georgia Department of Education’s declaration of neutrality on the Nov. 6 vote

Choice On Charter School Amendment Is About Local Or State Control
Cherokee Tribune, GA, October 4, 2012
Charter schools are touted as the answer to the deficiencies in our public schools. But since supporters don’t trust local school boards or the state board of education to do the right thing, they want to amend the Georgia Constitution and empower a state commission to override local school boards.

Coke, Rhudy Differ On Charter School Issue
Times-Georgian, GA, October 4, 2012
The two Republican incumbents running for re-election to their Georgia House seats favor the charter school amendment that will be on the Nov. 6 general election, but the Democrat running against state District 18 Rep. Kevin Cooke sees the issue differently.

Olens Says School Boards Can’t Use Taxpayer Money To Oppose Charter Amendment
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, October 3, 2012
School boards are not permitted to use taxpayer money to oppose the charter schools amendment, Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens wrote in a letter to Superintendent John Barge Wednesday.

IDAHO

New Idaho Schools Ad Launched
Spokesman Review, WA, October 4, 2012
The latest statewide TV commercial to air in the battle over Idaho’s controversial school reform laws comes from opponents of the laws and focuses on what may be their toughest sell in the right-to-work state: Proposition 1, which restricts collective bargaining rights for teachers.

ILLINOIS

Teachers Give Contract Big Thumbs Up
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 4, 2012
Chicago’s public school teachers overwhelmingly approved a contract agreement in a vote taken earlier this week.

Testing, Graduation, and the Numbers Behind Charter Schools in Chicago
Chicago Magazine, IL, October 3, 2012
The Chicago teachers strike was settled relatively quickly, but it’s almost certain that it was merely a preview of issues to come: school closings, pensions, and the expansion of charter schools, for example. Ben Joravsky has been writing about the last of these for awhile, and he takes another shot across the bow this week on what’s certain to be a point of contention in the coming years.

LOUISIANA

School Board Must Act
Monroe News Star, LA, October 4, 2012
It’s amazing that some school board members were surprised by the Neville charter group’s intention to move forward with its charter application and to seek a Type 2 charter from the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Louisiana Education Department Turns Down Records Request For Second Time
Alexandria Town Talk, LA, October 4, 2012
After saying last August that a public records request would be fulfilled, Louisiana’s education department is again refusing to provide The Associated Press with records on how schools were chosen to participate in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s new statewide voucher program.

Jefferson Parish School Board Changes Admissions Testing Procedures For Advanced Academies
Times Picayune, LA, October 3, 2012
The Jefferson Parish School Board on Wednesday approved a new slate of adjustments to its advanced academy admissions policy, changing entrance testing procedures for young students, students new to the district and students who narrowly missed the cutoff on their first testing attempts.

MASSACHUSETTS

Proposed Brockton Charter School Enters Final Round Of Review
Boston Globe, MA, October 4, 2012
The proposal for the International Charter School of Brockton is one of 12 statewide that will now progress to the final round of review by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

MICHIGAN

Former Gov. John Engler On Panel Discussing Role Of Business In Public Education
The Grand Rapids Press, MI, October 3, 2012
Former Michigan Gov. John Engler is part of a panel discussion debating whether schools can be run as a business but stay true to their humanitarian vision.

Metro Detroit School Districts Offer Incentives For Fall Count Day
Detroit News, MI, October 4, 2012
Public school districts across Michigan offered a variety of incentives Wednesday to persuade students to show up for the fall Count Day.

Student Counts Increase At Area Charter Schools, Steady At Traditional Schools
The Muskegon Chronicle, MI, October 3, 2012
Enrollment at some Muskegon County charter schools has increased substantially this year, while student populations at traditional school districts have remained more or less steady, Wednesday’s student counts show.

MISSISSIPPI

Nelson Kicks Off State Senate Run
Desoto Times Tribune, MS, October 4, 2012
In his bid for the open State Senate District 19 seat, State Rep. Pat Nelson, R-Southaven, said he will make education funding a major cornerstone of his campaign.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Nashua School Board Eyes Grant To Revamp Curriculum, Upgrade Evaluations, Make Data Accessible
Nashua Telegraph, NH, October 4, 2012
If awarded a federal Race to the Top grant, the district would focus on revamping school curriculum, creating more effective teacher-evaluation systems and making data more accessible to teachers.

NEW MEXICO

Governor Still Pushing Education Reform Bill
New Mexican, NM, October 4, 2012
Gov. Susana Martinez said Wednesday that she intends to continue to push the Legislature for a “no social promotion” bill as part of her educational reform platform for New Mexico.

NEW YORK

Schools Eyed for Possible Closure
Wall Street Journal, October 3, 2012
New York City has put a record number of elementary and middle schools on a watch list for closure, as Mayor Michael Bloomberg attempts to make a lasting impact during his last full year in charge of city schools.

Syracuse School District Poised To Experiment With Bonus Pay For Teachers
Post-Standard, NY, October 3, 2012
Teacher pay, always a hot topic, is poised for a trial change in the Syracuse school district, bankrolled by millions of federal dollars.

OHIO

Skewed Priorities
Columbus Dispatch, OH, October 4, 2012
An interim report from Ohio Auditor Dave Yost confirms that officials at 10 Columbus middle schools altered school-attendance records without explanation, bolstering suspicions that school officials cooked the books to falsely improve attendance numbers and the schools’ academic performance scores.

OKLAHOMA

In Oklahoma Education Debate, Funding And Reform Must Be Included
The Oklahoman, OK, October 4, 2012
DUE to the recession, state education spending has taken a hit and there are legitimate arguments for increasing appropriations in the coming year. Unfortunately, many of those urging greater funding are the same people who oppose sensible reforms that benefit students, thus hurting their cause.

PENNSYLVANIA

Teachers In The State’s Public Schools Have Higher Targets To Meet And Less Money To Do It
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 4, 2012
The release of the 2012 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment scores last week provided some shocking results: The number of districts making adequate yearly progress, known as AYP, statewide fell from 94 to 60.9 percent and the number of districts in Allegheny County that failed to make the mark increased from four in 2011 to 17 in 2012.

Group Files Claim Against Philly School Closings, Charging Bias
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 4, 2012
Charging that the Philadelphia School District’s school closings have disproportionately targeted African American students, a group of parents and community members has filed a federal claim hoping to temporarily halt further closures.

RHODE ISLAND

Funds To Charter School, Kids, Do Benefit Lincoln
Valley Breeze, RI, October 3, 2012
I was very disappointed to read that Lincoln School Department’s Business Manager, Lori Miller, described the money following Lincoln students to charter schools was, “$1 million out of the district not benefitting the kids in the district.”

R.I. Launches New System For Teacher Evaluations
Brown Daily Herald, RI, October 4, 2012
The Rhode Island Board of Regents had already mandated that every district in the state develop a teacher evaluation system similar to the one desired by Obama.

TENNESSEE

Study Up On School Choices
The Tennessean, TN, October 4, 2012
And, these days, parents have a growing array of options. In Middle Tennessee, public, private, charter, magnet and home schooling are all possible selections, making the process even more complex.

Online Petition Started Against Metro School’s $3.4M Penalty
NewsChannel5, TN, October 3, 2012
A online petition has been created to ask The Tennessee Department of Education not to withhold the $3.4 million in funding from Metro Nashville Public Schools because of the district’s decision to deny charter status to Great Hearts Academy.

Rick Smith Says No To Vouchers
Times Free Press, TN, October 4, 2012
Superintendent Rick Smith doesn’t support public school vouchers or efforts to take public charter school approval away from local school boards, the Hamilton County Schools chief told parents and educators Wednesday.

TEXAS

IDEA’s Records Show Kids From Across District
Austin Chronicle, TX, October 4, 2012
With the first class seated, IDEA Allan teachers know what kids they are teaching this year. New figures show that the campus is serving fewer East Austin students than planned, but the charter school group argues that it’s bringing college opportunities to an underserved population.

UTAH

Three Finalists Vying To Become Utah’s Next Schools Boss
Salt Lake Tribune, UT, October 3, 2012
Three finalists have been named as candidates to replace retiring State Superintendent Larry Shumway as Utah’s top education official, the State Board of Education announced on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON

Plan For Innovative Schools In Seattle Approved, Again
Seattle Times Blog, WA, October 3, 2012
The Seattle School Board approved an amendment Wednesday that board members believe will address legal problems with the district’s plan to allow a number of schools to pursue new, innovative approaches to learning. The vote was 5-2.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Wallington Students Will Have Chance To Take Online Classes
The Record, NJ, October 4, 2012
Wallington High School has found ways to diversify its available courses by offering students the chance to take online classes, according to Superintendent Albert Pecora.

Online Schools Face Backlash As States Question Results
Reuters, October 3, 2012
Virtual public schools, which allow students to take all their classes online, have exploded in popularity across the United States , offering what supporters view as innovative and affordable alternatives to the conventional classroom.

‘Virtual Academy ‘ Shows Promise
Herald Argus, IN, October 3, 2012
A new online class program at La Porte High School is already starting to show promise, said program coordinator Jamie Ulmer during a school board meeting last night.

Virtual Academy Students Love to Learn
KTXL, CA, October 3, 2012
About 50 students at the El Dorado Unified High School District are learning their lessons on-line rather than a typical classroom. It’s the Virtual Academy at Shenandoah.

Rethinking What Leads To Success In Education
USA Today, October 3, 2012
After decades of failed education policies, scientists, economists and educators are beginning to rethink their basic ideas about what it takes to succeed in school. They’re beginning to look at so-called “non-cognitive skills” — grit, perseverance, conscientiousness and optimism, for instance — and wondering if they might be as important as cognitive skills.

Arne Duncan Tries To Smooth Relations With Teachers
Washington Post, DC, October 2, 2012
Education Secretary Arne Duncan made a careful effort Tuesday to smooth relations with teachers, saying the Obama administration understands that many educators feel besieged by the national push for new evaluations and faster improvements in student achievement.

Will Obama Duck ‘Won’t Back Down’?
Wall Street Journal , October 3, 2012
With five weeks to go before election day, Hollywood has just released a drama starring Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal as gritty moms fighting injustice in a hardscrabble Pittsburgh neighborhood.

What Obama and Romney Say About Education: Not Much
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 2, 2012
It’s hard to guess whether the topic of education will come up in this week’s presidential debate, or any of the others. With the economy and the whole 47% debacle on everybody’s mind, there hasn’t been much talk about the public schools, even though they’re at a critical juncture.

Tying Students’ Test Scores To Teacher Evaluations Still A Matter Of Debate
Desert News, UT, October 2, 2012
Cities and states are starting to rely heavily on students’ test scores as indicators of their teachers’ success, but educators worry current tests do not provide a fair gauge of their actual effect on student progress

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Veto Pits Charter School Autonomy Against Affordable Meals
San Diego Union Tribune, CA, October 3, 2012
Arguing that he did not want to “erode the independence and flexibility” of charter schools, Gov. Jerry Brown last weekend vetoed legislation that would have required charters to provide low-income students free or reduced-price meals.

A Potential Charter School Crisis
San Jose Inside Blog, CA, October 2, 2012
A comprehensive plan must be developed to chart the best course for the ever-expanding charter school movement—before it is too late. Like urban sprawl, the unplanned process will be disastrous. I believe there is still time for a win for our students, a win for the teachers and a win for our region.

CONNECTICUT

New Legislation Makes Millions Available For Construction at Charter Oak International Academy
West Hartford News, CT, October 2, 2012
Legislation that will make millions of dollars available for construction at the Charter Oak International Academy in West Hartford was recently passed, state officials announced at a West Hartford Board of Education meeting today.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. Receives Zero Fast-Track Charter School Applications — So Far
Washington Post Blog, DC, October 2, 2012
Experienced charter school operators have yet to take advantage of the District’s new fast-track approval process, which would allow school leaders with a record of success in other cities to open doors here a full year ahead of the regular timetable.

FLORIDA

School Board OKs Nearly Year-Round Charter School
Gainesville Sun, FL, October 2, 2012
A nearly year-round charter school may open its doors in June after the Alachua County School Board unanimously approved the school’s application Tuesday.

Measure Opens Door To Tax Support For Church Schools
Orlando Sentinel, FL, October 3, 2012
No matter what we hear about the benefits of Amendment 8, I can only shudder at the unintended consequences that may erupt if it passes in November. I anticipate greater erosion of the public school system as we know it, the same public school system that our state leaders tout as one of the most improved and highly rated, progressive and accountable state education systems in the country.

GEORGIA

Defeat Charter Amendment, Push for Rewrite
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 3, 2012
When you go to the polls on Nov. 6, you will be asked to vote on an Amendment to the Georgia State Constitution. Amending our state Constitution should be done rarely and only with the consequences fully understood.

Choice On Charter School Amendment Is Local Or State Control
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 3, 2012
Charter schools are touted as the answer to the deficiencies in our public schools. But since supporters don’t trust local school boards or the state board of education to do the right thing, they want to amend the Georgia Constitution and empower a state commission to override local school boards.

Tea Party Hears Push for Charter Vote OK
The Citizen, GA, October 3, 2012
State Rep. Jan Jones (R-Milton) at the Sept. 27 meeting of the Fayette County Local Issues Tea Party had her say on the upcoming Nov. 6 statewide referendum on the charter schools amendment. Jones is largely responsible for the having the proposed amendment included on the ballot.

Sides Dig In On Charter Issue
Times-Georgian, GA, October 3, 2012
A Villa Rica resident who has been vocal about an education issue on the November ballot has taken local superintendents to task on their stance on the charter school amendment.

Georgia School Boards Group Accused Of Anti-Charter Efforts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, October 2, 2012
During what were supposed to be training sessions, the Georgia School Boards Association instructed school board members on how to oppose the charter schools amendment, some school board members have complained.

Charter Schools Group To Honor Local Lawmakers
Cherokee Tribune, GA, October 03, 2012
Two elected officials from Cherokee who are strong proponents of charter schools will be honored by the Georgia Charter Schools Association in Atlanta this week.

State Education Agency Neutral On Charter Vote
Jackson Progress-Argus, GA, October 3, 2012
With the state education chief under pressure for opposing an amendment on charter schools, the Georgia Department of Education has declared its neutrality on the Nov. 6 vote.

Brad Smith: Charter Schools Should Be Supervised By Local School Boards
Newton Citizen, GA, October 2, 2012
On Nov. 6, you will have the opportunity to vote on an amendment to the state Constitution about Charter Schools. In my capacity as a member of the Rockdale County Board of Education, I have had the chance to really examine the issue so I can make informed decisions as a voter.

ILLINOIS

Charter Backers Rally As Teachers Vote On Contract
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 3, 2012
Chicago teachers voted on a tentative contract agreement Tuesday as the battle over the future of the city’s public schools ratcheted up with a large and boisterous rally in support of privately run charter schools.

INDIANA

Keep Control Local
Journal Gazette, IN, October 3, 2012
The State of Education address delivered by Indiana’s superintendent of public instruction last week lacked the specific proposals one might expect from a candidate facing re-election, but a reference to taking over entire school districts should be the clue that the state has gone too far in wresting control from local officials.

MARYLAND

School Board Member Questions Charter School Scrutiny
Maryland Gazette, MD, October 3, 2012
When the Montgomery County Board of Education approved the county’s first charter school, it only was after careful scrutiny of the school’s application.

MASSACHUSETTS

Many May Be Forced To Switch Schools In Boston
Boston Globe, MA, October 3, 2012
Proposed changes to the way Boston assigns students could force thousands of children already attending schools to move to new ones in two years, stirring unease among parents and prompting officials to quickly seek a remedy.

Science Charter School Would Serve North Shore
Salem News, MA, October 3, 2012
A proposal to open a new charter school serving the North Shore that emphasizes science and math has made it to the final round of selection before the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

MICHIGAN

Charter School Contract Addresses Student Achievement, Mosaica’s Fees And More
The Muskegon Chronicle, MI, October 3, 2012
When charter school officials went to work building a new district in Muskegon Heights , they had their work cut out for them in a series of specific student achievement goals and curriculum requirements.

Washtenaw County Charter Schools Boost Enrollment By More Than 28 Percent
Ann Arbor, MI, October 3, 2012
Early enrollment figures show an increase of more than 28 percent in the number of students attending Washtenaw County charter schools compared to last year.

MINNESOTA

St. Paul School Harbors Environment Where Girls Excel
CBS Minnesota , MN, October 2, 2012
In fact, studies show that in math and science girls do not do as well as boys. But a public charter school in St. Paul is changing that. Laura Jeffrey Academy is a school made for girls and it’s a great example of what’s working in our schools.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Nashua Charter School Organizers File Appeal Of Moratorium
Nashua Telegraph, NH, October 3, 2012
Organizers of the Gate City Charter School for the Arts are hoping they won’t have to wait much longer to be authorized, filing an appeal with the Department of Education to move the process forward.

N.H. Charter Freeze Triggers Fierce Backlash
Education Week, October 2, 2012
A recent decision by the New Hampshire board of education to place a moratorium on new charter schools drew an angry response from elected officials and parents—and underscored recurrent tensions among state and local officials across the country about how to fund those schools and manage their growth.

The BOE’s Ridiculous Charter School Moratorium
Union Leader, NH, October 3, 2012
Two weeks ago, the state Board of Education denied every charter school application before it, citing a financial problem that did not exist.

NEW JERSEY

Grant To Boost Quality Of Staff
Asbury Park Press, NJ, October 3, 2012
Improving teacher and principal quality in Lakewood, Asbury Park and two other districts is the focus of a $39 million federal grant awarded to Rutgers University — and officials say the grant will help jump-start school reform measures in those districts.

NEW YORK

Bloomberg Blocks Teacher Ratings
New York Daily News, NY, October 3, 2012
Since Mayor Bloomberg took control of the school system, more than 67,000 teachers — the equivalent of the entire teaching forces of Los Angeles and Chicago combined — have left our schools.

NORTH CAROLINA

Some North Carolina Charter School Applicants Rated Inadequate
NBC 17, NC, October 2, 2012
The plans for some of the recently approved charter schools were rated “inadequate,” according to documents obtained by NBC-17 from the North Carolina Justice Center .

OHIO

Urban School Districts Targeting Data System In Attendance Tampering Probe
Ravenna News-Leader, OH, October 3, 2012
Ohio’s eight largest big-city school districts say they have experienced numerous problems understanding and using the computer system that’s at the center of a statewide data-tampering investigation.

OKLAHOMA

Lawmakers Oppose ‘Parent Trigger’ Idea
KOCO, OK, October 3, 2012
State Superintendent Janet Baressi said it inspired her, and that’s why she’s supporting Sen. David Holt’s new “parent trigger” legislation.

PENNSYLVANIA

Community Group Fights Against School Closures
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, October 3, 2012
THERE SHOULD BE a moratorium on closing public schools in the city because the Philadelphia School District’s plans disproportionately affect black students, a community group will allege in a federal complaint.

TENNESSEE

School Vouchers Fail Public
Times Free Press, TN, October 3, 2012
Public schools in Hamilton County — indeed, in all of Tennessee — must improve if students are to compete in a world where a sound, broad-based education is the prerequisite for well-paying jobs that allow men and women to lead productive lives and to provide for their families. Such improvement has been slow to arrive. Supporters of taxpayer-funded private school vouchers believe they have a remedy for current problems. They are short-sighted — and wrong.

TEXAS

Most Texans Say They’d Back Tax Boost To Raise Teacher Pay
San Antonio Express-News, TX, October 3, 2012
Nearly three-quarters of state registered voters would be willing to pay more in taxes to raise teacher pay, according to a poll released Tuesday by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Texas Lyceum leadership group

With Help of Andre Agassi’s Fund, KIPP Will Bring a Charter Elementary to Westmoreland and Camp Wisdom Next Year
Dallas Morning News Blog, TX, October 2, 2012
No doubt you recall the firestorm that erupted at Dallas City Hall earlier this year, when charter-school-operating Uplift Education asked the city to form that corporation that would allow it to sell $85 million worth of bonds for a planned expansion that includes that newly opened Deep Ellum campus.

WASHINGTON

School Reform Becomes Personal
Spokesman Review, WA, October 3, 2012
Here’s how fiery the debate over school reform has gotten in Idaho : After a forum at the City Club of Boise on Tuesday, state Rep. Brian Cronin, D-Boise, accused state schools Superintendent Tom Luna of grabbing his arm after his opening remarks and berating him.

Charter Schools Hurt Funding To Community Schools
Bellingham Herald, WA, October 3, 2012
We can all agree about the need to improve public education in northwest Washington. But a charter schools measure on the November ballot is a bad move. Initiative 1240 forces the state to spend millions on unproven ideas for a few, while ignoring proven solutions that will benefit all of Washington’s schoolchildren.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

State Lawmaker Introduces Charter And Cyber School Funding Reform Bill
The Patriot-News, PA, October 2, 2012
State Rep. James Roebuck introduced legislation Tuesday limiting the amount of money public school districts pay to charter and cyber schools.

FL School Districts Look To Model Lee School
ABC-7, FL, October 2, 2012
The successes of the Lee Virtual School have other school districts around the state looking to model their program like Lee County.

More Students Enrolling In AP Math, Science
USA Today, October 1, 2012
Woodside, a large arts magnet school in this industry-rich peninsula an hour’s drive southeast of Richmond, is among a group of schools nationwide that is pushing to expand access to advanced math and science courses to match those of more affluent suburban schools.

If Chicago Took On Teachers Unions . . .
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, October 2, 2012
It is hard for education reformers to be too optimistic about the post-strike prospects for Chicago schools. The resulting contract significantly boosts teacher pay in exchange for some modest changes such as a lengthened school day and improved teacher testing.

Study: Obama Turnaround Plans Force ‘Schools To Run Like Corporations’
Grand Rapid Press, MI, October 1, 2012
President Obama’s School Improvement Grant program should be overhauled because it works on the assumption that educational improvement can come from market-based reforms, “forcing schools to run like corporations,” according to a new report from a union-backed think tank.

No Child Left Behind A Key Issue As Voters Weigh Obama’s And Romney’s Plans
Hattiesburg American, MS, October 2, 2012
No Child Left Behind a key issue as voters weigh Obama’s and Romney’s plans to help improve country’s educational system

Faith Leaders Sound Off On Role Of Church In Public Education
CNN Blog, October 2, 2012
Dozens of faith leaders from across the country recently gathered to attend The Stand Up Education Policy Summit in Atlanta, Georgia , to talk education reform. The daylong conference was hosted by education organizations Students First, founded by Michelle Rhee and Stand Up, led by her husband, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. The purpose of the event was a call for action for clergy to take part in the national movement to transform public education.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Jerry Brown’s School Bailout
Wall Street Journal, October 2, 2012
Democrats howl about bank bailouts, but then they also treat public schools as if they’re too big to fail. As a case in point, California Governor Jerry Brown is throwing the Inglewood school district in Los Angeles’s South Bay a $55 million lifeline in the name of “saving” 14,000 kids. But as with most government bailouts, the real intended beneficiaries are the unions.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Charter Schools’ Role In Serving Neighborhoods To Be Examined
Washington Examiner, DC, October 1, 2012
D.C. schools officials are set to discuss Tuesday whether charter schools should give preference to children who live nearby, as DC Public Schools prepares to close some neighborhood schools.

FLORIDA

Sarasota School Board To Weigh In On Amendment 8
Herald Tribune, FL, October 1, 2012
Sarasota County public schools could join the ranks of several districts across Florida opposing a controversial state amendment on the Nov. 6 ballot.

GEORGIA

BOE Opposes Charter Amendment
Douglas County Sentinel, GA, October 1, 2012
As expected, the Douglas County Board of Education (BOE) voted to officially oppose a Nov. 6 amendment to the Georgia Constitution underlining the state’s authority to approve charter schools.

Out-Of-State Donors Active In Georgia Charter School Campaign
Augusta Chronicle, GA, October 1, 2012
Out-of-state donations and business groups continue to fuel much of the campaign for changing the Georgia constitution so a panel of state appointees could issue operating charters to schools over the objections of local school boards.

Geiser: Charter Vote About Educational Choice
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, October 1, 2012
On Nov. 6, Georgia voters will be asked to decide on the following question: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?”

ILLINIOS

Teachers Poised To Vote On New Contract
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 2, 2012
Chicago teachers Tuesday will vote on whether to accept a contract agreement and end a contentious labor battle that culminated in a seven-day strike last month.

INDIANA

Charter School Switching Gears
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN, October 2, 2012
The founding board of the Thurgood Marshall Leadership Academy believes its work starting a new charter school is done and hopes to bring a new 11-member governing board to handle oversight.

Crowd Supports Charter Proposal
Palladium-Item, IN, October 1, 2012
A larger crowd than expected — about 70 people — attended Monday an Indiana Charter School Board public hearing on a proposed high school for adults in Richmond .

IOWA

Urbandale Modifies Teacher Evaluation Process
Des Moines Register, IA, October 1, 2012
The superintendent of the Urbandale Community School District is seeking to improve the quality and performance of staff by creating a new evaluation process — and the idea has the support of the Iowa Department of Education.

Iowa City Schools Failing To Meet Targets
Iowa City Press-Citizen, IA, October 2, 2012
A new report from the Iowa Department of Education highlights concerns about the way the federal government measures classroom progress.

KANSAS

Kansas Schools’ Achievement Gap Widening, But Less Than Originally Thought
Wichita Eagle, KS, October 1, 2012
The achievement gap between minority and non-minority students in Kansas schools is widening, but not as dramatically as state education officials thought.

LOUISIANA

State to Overhaul pre-K
The Advocate, LA, October 2, 2012
State education leaders are about to announce plans to revamp Louisiana’s sprawling pre-kindergarten programs.

MAINE

A Maine First: 60-Student Cornville Charter School Opens
Kennebec Journal, ME, October 1, 2012
An American flag from the closed Cornville Elementary School was raised and then lowered Monday morning in a ceremony marking the opening of the new Cornville Regional Charter School .

MARYLAND

Teachers, Principals Volunteer For Evaluation Pilot
Baltimore Sun, MD, October 1, 2012
New teacher and principal evaluation systems mandated by the state don’t take effect until next year, but 129 Howard County teachers and 23 principals have volunteered to participate in a pilot evaluation: a test run that places more emphasis than ever on student achievement.

MASSACHUSETTS

Proposal for New Fall River Charter School Advances
Herald News, MA, October 2, 2012
A charter school proposed to serve secondary education students in the city will take its next step toward becoming a reality.

Blackman’s Drastic Cut Shows Need For Charter Reforms
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, October 1, 2012
The drastic step by Gloucester Community Arts Charter School Executive Director Tony Blackman to cut his own job to save the school some $80,000 toward a $550,000 budget deficit indeed shows his commitment to the school, which never could have opened without his efforts and those of several parents in the late summer and fall of 2010.

Community Charter School of Cambridge Celebrates MCAS Scores
Boston Globe, MA, October 1, 2012
Students and faculty at the Community Charter School of Cambridge took a short break from classes Monday to celebrate MCAS scores that placed the school at the top of public school systems and charter schools throughout the state this year.

MICHIGAN

Student Count Will Go Beyond Count Day
Detroit News, MI, October 2, 2012
School districts across Michigan are gearing up for Count Day on Wednesday, when students in seats equal dollars for the year.

NEW JERSEY

State Gives Preliminary Go-Ahead to Two New Charter Schools
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, October 2, 2012
The Christie administration continues to be picky about new charter schools, with just two applications approved in the latest round announced yesterday — one in Newark and one in Camden .

Newark Parochial School Is First To Use N.J. Law To Become Charter School
Star-Ledger, NJ, October 1, 2012
An Episcopal day school serving students in Newark will become the first in New Jersey to take advantage of a law allowing parochial schools to convert to charter schools, officials from the state Department of Education announced today.

Charter School Advocates Speak Up
Cherry Hill Courier-Post, NJ, October 2, 2012
Advocates for Hope Act schools stepped up the pressure on the city’s school board Monday, with Mayor Dana Redd saying board members “missed a chance” to help local youngsters when they rejected all Hope School applicants last week.

NEW YORK

Schools’ Failure to Improve May Lead to More Closings
New York Times, NY, October 2, 2012
New York City’s Education Department may step up its efforts to close schools after more than 150 of them posted a third straight year of mediocre results on their annual progress reports.

Schools Flunk Out
New York Post, NY, October 2, 2012
Posted: 2:16 AM, October 2, 2012
The number of public elementary and middle schools that could face closure or other major overhauls has nearly doubled since last year, to 217, based on A-through-F letter grades released by the city yesterday.

NORTH CAROLINA

Pender Board of Education Settles Lawsuit
Star News, NC, October 1, 2012
The Pender County Board of Education settled a lawsuit brought against it by a local charter school, board members announced at their Tuesday meeting.

Charter School Tentatively Agrees To Repay Federal Money For Lunch Program
Winston-Salem Journal, NC, October 1, 2012
Quality Education Academy, a Winston-Salem charter school, has tentatively agreed to pay back $52,000 in federal money after the N.C. Department of Public Instruction accused the school of mishandling its federal child-nutrition program last year.

OKLAHOMA

Triggering The Necessary Change In Schools
Edmond Sun, OK, October 1, 2012
I saw a special preview of the movie “Won’t Back Down” last week. It’s a powerful movie with a powerful message. Based on true events, the movie details the fight of one parent, mired in poverty, who wants a better learning environment for her academically struggling daughter. She finds an ally in a teacher, who is also the parent of a struggling student. The two fight through incredible adversity at many levels to open a school. It was inspiring.

OREGON

Portland School Board To Hold Public Hearings For Two Charter Schools
The Oregonian, OR, October 1, 2012
The Portland School Board tonight will have a hearing on two charter schools vying for approval to open within the district in 2013.

PENNSYLVANIA

Penn Gets $2.5M Boost For Charter School Partnership
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 2, 2012
The University of Pennsylvania’s partnership with the national network of KIPP charter schools is getting a big financial boost.

Head Of National Teachers Union: Touring Philadelphia Schools, Assessing Political Obstacles
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 2, 2012
Walking and driving around Philadelphia on Monday, Randi Weingarten was struck by the vibrant, dynamic city she saw.

Propel Looks Into Charter School In Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood Section
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 2, 2012
Since 2006, Hazelwood has been without a public school, but Propel Schools wants to change that by starting a K-8 charter school next fall.

Court Says Charter School Signatures Are Legit
Courier Times, PA, October 1, 2012
The group that proposed a twice-denied charter school for the Bensalem School District can move forward to the Pennsylvania Charter School Appeal Board following a recent decision in Bucks County Court.

Pa. Must Pull Parent Trigger To Save Education
Pottstown Mercury, PA, October 2, 2012
But what happens when parents don’t get the final word, what then of their reality? Sadly, in the case of their children’s education, thousands of Pennsylvania parents have been held hostage by economic and political realities undergirded by poor, unimaginative policies yielding negative or negligible returns.

TENNESSEE

Parents, Students Must Be Empowered To Aid Schools
The Tennessean, TN, October 2, 2012
Parent trigger laws are heavily backed by a powerful and well-funded network of education reform advocacy organizations (ERAOs) that support more school choice, charter schools, test-based accountability and aggressive interventions such as school closings. None of these strategies has any demonstrated record of effectiveness, and yet they represent the narrow menu of options to which parent decision-making is limited under such laws.

Most In Tennessee Races Say Keep Charter School Decisions In ‘Local Hands’
Times Free Press, TN, October 2, 2012
Most Southeast Tennessee legislative candidates are giving a thumbs down to the possibility of cutting local school boards out of the decision-making process when it comes to approving public charter school applications.

Charter Schools Pressing For Free Space In Memphis
Commercial Appeal, TN, October 2, 2012
Two kinds of charter schools exist in Memphis. One gets free rent and one does not. The schools that don’t have 15 to 30 percent less money to spend on students and teachers, creating a new layer of haves and have nots in public education.

Accelerated Students Already Have Options
The Tennessean, TN, October 2, 2012
She said that includes students from both public and private schools; those who were home schooled; and those who excel in art, math, science or the humanities.

TEXAS

19 Kids Move To Schools Meeting Federal Marks
Times Record, TX, October 2, 2012
Nineteen elementary students in the Wichita Falls Independent School District began classes at a different school Monday than the one where they began the school year, and most of them will require district-provided transportation.

WASHINGTON

I-1240 Gives Parents More Options On Education
Bellingham Herald, WA, October 2, 2012
Owing to this record of success, I am voting yes on Initiative 1240 this November to bring charter schools to our state.

WISCONSIN

Tougher Report Cards Set To Debut In Eau Claire School District
Leader-Telegram, WI, October 2, 2012
Eau Claire school officials say they’re anxiously awaiting Monday, when Wisconsin schools will receive new, tougher report cards from the state.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Yuma School Illustrates How To Seize The Day
Arizona Republic, AZ, October 2, 2012
We’ve all heard bad things about Arizona’s education system. But Yuma’s Carpe Diem High School is being held up as a national model for integrating technology into the classroom.