The Center for Education Reform, Author at The Center for Education Reform

Daily Headlines for January 3, 2013

January 3, 2014 By The Center for Education Reform

Click here for Newswire, the latest weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else – spiced with a dash of irreverence – from the nation’s leading voice in school reform.

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Alexander Says Obamacare Is Creating More Substitute Teachers For Schools
Chattanoogan, TN, January 2, 2014
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, a former U.S. Secretary of Education, Thursday said that as school starts back up in 2014, Obamacare is forcing cuts in hours for employees, such as substitute teachers, in at least 11 Tennessee school districts “and likely many more,” harming students’ education in the process.

Taking an Ax to Traditional Forest Management
Opinion, Wall Street Journal, January 1, 2014
But instead of continuing to try to tweak the ossified bureaucracy, we should borrow an idea from public-education reformers: Create “charter forests,” like charter schools.

STATE COVERAGE

ALASKA

Prepare for huge cuts in education spending, legislative panel warns
Alaska Dispatch, AK, January 2, 2014
Following passage of the oil-tax cut last session, Alaska schools will have to learn to get by with less — perhaps much less, according to a special legislative panel.

ARKANSAS

Thursday night line: Charter school in a nutshell
Arkansas Times Blog, AR, January 2, 2014
The state Board of Education next week will hear the application for the Quest Charter School, a middle school for an upscale white neighborhood where parents at the existing Roberts Elementary in the Little Rock district aren’t happy with public school options as their kids move up — middle schools with heavy minority and poor populations and test scores to match those typically found in schools with 90 percent poverty rates.

COLORADO

Charter school touts foreign language immersion
Colorado Springs Gazette, CO, January 2, 2014
At Global Village Academy, up to 95 percent of a student’s day is spent learning about reading, writing, math, history, science and other subjects in a second language.

CONNECTICUT

UConn Study Supports New Teacher Evaluation System
The Hartford Courant, January 2, 2014
A University of Connecticut report on the pilot for the state’s new teacher evaluation system finds that it provides more guidance for teachers, but raises questions about whether educators have enough time to carry out the demanding assessments.

FLORIDA

Charter Applicant Appeals to State to Overturn Denial by Polk County School Board
The Ledger, FL, January 3, 2014
A charter school applicant is asking the state to overturn its denial by the Polk County School Board.

Charter school lobbyist hired to do political work for Senate’s top education budget-writer
Florida Times-Union, FL, January 2, 2014
A lobbyist who until recently represented a host of charter-school organizations has been hired to do political work for the Senate’s top education budget-writer, state Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton.

Pines charter schools to face more challenges in the new year
Sun Sentinel, FL, January 3, 2014
A tumultuous year for Pembroke Pines charter schools has left the system on rocky ground and facing major challenges in the new year.

Program helps at-risk students
Sun-Sentinel, FL, January 3, 2014
Plantation High School is working to reduce dropout numbers and help at-risk students get their diploma.

IDAHO

Will Common Core survive legislators?
Idaho Statesman, ID, January 3, 2014
It was overshadowed by the Students Come First debate — by the marathon public hearings, packed committee meetings and Statehouse rallies centered around Tom Luna’s education bills.

LOUISIANA

Louisiana public school enrollment grows slightly, to more than 713,000
Times-Picayune, LA, January 2, 2014
Education Department spokesman Barry Landry said one reason for the increase is that more students are staying in school. “Our dropout rate is decreasing,” he said, which led in 2013 to the state’s all-time highest graduation rate of 72 percent.

Parents form public schools advocacy group
The Advocate, LA, January 3, 2014
Two Lafayette Parish public-school parents, who fought last year against for-profit charter operators opening schools here, have organized a new watchdog group called Power of Public Education Lafayette.

MASSACHUSETTS

BTU supported Martin Walsh because of his agenda
Letter, Boston Globe, MA, January 3, 2014
ON THE matter of whether the Boston Teachers Union did or did not know about the American Federation of Teachers’ $480,000 expenditure, all we can state is that the BTU and its leadership had no prior knowledge of the AFT’s donation towards ads that highlighted the positive aspects of the Martin Walsh campaign (“BTU jumped into race without member meeting,” Letter, Jan. 2).

MICHIGAN

Expand vouchers to include private, parochial schools
Opinion, Detroit Free Press, MI, January 3, 2014
Compared to students in other countries, U.S. teenagers fell from 25th to 31st in math and from 11th to 21st in reading, according to the latest assessment of international students conducted by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.

MINNESOTA

High-quality charter schools eligible for expansion, replication grants
Insight News, MN, January 2, 2014
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has named 24 top-performing charter schools that are eligible to apply for grants from Minnesota’s Federal Charter Schools Program Grant Project to expand and/or replicate their education model.

NEW YORK

New schools boss declines to take stand on charters
New York Post, NY, January 3, 2013
Carmen Fariña on Thursday visited her first school as Mayor de Blasio’s chancellor, and dodged questions about how she would carry out his promised policy to restrict charter schools.

New Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña to focus on middle schools in first year
New York Daily News, NY, January 3, 2014
On her first full day on the job, the new city schools boss said she’ll spend her first year in office focusing on the city’s struggling middle schools. Fariña spent Day 1 having ‘many conversations’ with officials at the Department of Education’s headquarters and visiting MS 223 in the South Bronx.

N.Y. gets waiver to limit middle-school math exams
Journal News, NY, January 3, 2014
New York was granted a federal waiver to cut back on mathematics testing for students in 7th and 8th grades, Education Commissioner John King said Thursday.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma education head declines meeting with teacher group
The Oklahoman, OK
January 2, 2013
State Superintendent Janet Barresi says she has no plans to meet with an Oklahoma association that represents about 35,000 teachers, school staff and retirees.

TENNESSEE

Education ideas need evaluation
Editorial, Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, January 2, 2014
Once again, education reform is shaping up to be one of the key issues for the state Legislature in 2014, but lawmakers should take a measured approach to ideas such as charter schools and school vouchers.

TN education reform lobby reloads, seeking wins this time
The Tennessean, TN, January 3, 2014
After a string of defeats at the Tennessee General Assembly last year, out-of-state education reform groups have reloaded as they look for wins that proved elusive even in a Republican-controlled legislature thought to be receptive to their policies.

WISCONSIN

Belief in student ability key to success at Milwaukee charter school
Fox News, WI, January 2, 2014
Bruce Guadalupe Community School, an independent charter school in Milwaukee, serves students from age 3 to eighth grade. The school is 97 percent Latino and 80 percent of the students’ families meet low-income requirements for free and reduced-price lunch.

ONLINE LEARNING

Horry County Schools to begin first phase of digital initiative with iPad distribution
Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC, January 3, 2014
Horry County Schools will launch its personalized digital learning initiative Monday by distributing iPads to students at Myrtle Beach Middle School.

Making virtual schools sustainable and accountable
Opinion, TC Palm, FL, January 3, 2014
Virtual schools are as varied in their approach and their results as are traditional brick-and-mortar schools.

Regional project-Andover’s eCademy brings learning closer to home
St. John News, KS, January 2, 2014
There aren’t many schools that have grown almost 1,000 percent in four years. But Andover’s eCademy has, and the unique program still has room to grow.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

Postcards From the Past – NO. 6

January 2, 2014 By The Center for Education Reform

Postcards from the Past
A new, occasional blog post in commemoration of CER’s 20 years in business and the historical events that have taken place during our history and the history of the education reform movement.

This time last year brought reflections on the major developments in education policy at the state level during 2012, and the need to be ‘uncompromising’ when it comes to the education of our kids.

Now another year has passed, and 2013 unfortunately produced the same sort of compromise seen in previous years. Look no further than Maine and Mississippi, where lawmakers in both states could have significantly improved state charter school laws, but balked at the opportunity.

Unions have taken to the courtrooms to challenge newly implemented reforms such as the voter-approved charter law in Washington State, teacher-based reforms and opportunity scholarships in North Carolina, and the Louisiana Scholarship program remains under attack from the Department of Justice.

These attempts to undermine progress in schools fly in the face of the poll-driven evidence that the public supports proven reforms rooted in choice and accountability.

Meanwhile, reformers will seek to ensure that lawmakers Deliver the Promise so that 2014 is more uncompromising than ever.

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso Tagged With: Postcards from the Past

Morning Politico Education 2014 Predictions

January 2, 2014 By The Center for Education Reform

Politico Morning edition featured a roundup of possibilities from education experts in the year 2014. Below are some predictions for the coming year:

WHAT WILL 2014 BRING FOR K-12?: We’re not in the prediction business, but a roundup of possibilities from education experts: (Watch for more in Friday’s edition of Morning Education.)

COMMON CORE WILL STAY RED-HOT: Education historian and activist Diane Ravitch predicts public opposition will grow as more states give standardized tests aligned to the new standards — and proficiency rates plunge.

–Neal McCluskey of the Cato Institute gets even more specific: Indiana will officially dump the Common Core, and the Obama administration won’t try to stop it from happening.

–Charles Barone, policy director of Democrats for Education Reform, predicts that the anti-Common Core coalition will move on to try to kill unrelated reforms, such as tougher teacher evaluations. “We’ll see a lot of money poured into Common Core messaging,” he adds, but the decisive events determining the standards’ future will occur at the local level — “where supporters are least prepared to make their case.”

–Vicki Phillips, director of U.S. programs for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has a rosier crystal ball; she calls this “the year of collaboration” and predicts progress in giving teachers better professional development and new ways to work together to implement the Common Core.

–Joel Klein, CEO of Amplify, is another glass-half-full Nostradamus: “Despite a few hiccups and headaches here and there,” he says, “we’ll see strong support for the Common Core in 2014.”

–From Sir Michael Barber, chief education adviser at Pearson: “The central challenge for U.S. education will be for the Common Core assessments to prove themselves — if they do, the U.S. in time will be able to get off the plateau where it has been stuck in international comparisons such as PISA.”

–From an state education commissioner who wished to remain anonymous: “Forty states fully implement the Common Core State Standards by the fall, 25 states participate in year one of the testing consortia, 10 states pass superfluous ‘the Feds can’t tell us what to do….’ legislation, and all sides claim victory.”

PROGRESS ON PERKINS?: American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said she thinks career and technical education could make for some common congressional ground in 2014. In an interview on C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers,” (also featuring Pro Education’s Caitlin Emma) she said there’s real potential for a renewal of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. Weingarten also called 2014 “the year of reckoning” for the education reform movement. The full interview: http://cs.pn/1d49de1

A GRAB BAG OF OTHER PREDICTIONS:

–Michael Petrilli, vice president at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, predicts that states will continue to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards, even red states…. even though they promote the teaching of evolution and climate change.

–Kara Kerwin, president of the Center for Education Reform, looks at polling that shows Americans dissatisfied with state education policy and eager for schools to be held accountable and predicts that education will overtake the economy as the top issue in at least half of 2014’s 36 gubernatorial elections.

–Andy Smarick, a partner at Bellwether Education, expects several states to seize control of struggling urban districts and begin moving to a system dominated by charter schools, a la New Orleans.

–Anne Hyslop, a policy analyst with New America Foundation, foresees a new bit of jargon entering the edu-lexicon: The ex-waiver-waiver … which she describes as a “creative solution” that the Education Department will come up with to soften the blow for states that lose or refuse to renew their NCLB waivers… but still don’t want to comply with NCLB as written.

Filed Under: CER in the News

Goodbye Mr. Mayor

January 2, 2014 By The Center for Education Reform

As we say farewell to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, we hope the education reforms he enacted during his tenure are as durable as the Styrofoam cups he sought to ban.

Over the past decade, New York City has become one of the nation’s laboratories for charter school expansion in the United States. With a lack of options like vouchers or virtual learning, New York charter schools became an integral part of shifting the educational landscape so that all students have access to a quality education that meets their needs.

And by and large, the experiment has paid off, yielding student achievement gains and placing kids in more positive learning environments.

As just one example, The Center for Education Reform toured Democracy Prep Endurance Charter School in Manhattan to see firsthand the type of positive and uplifting environment charters are capable of sustaining. In a building shared with a traditional public school, the shift in atmosphere upon entering the charter school section became abundantly clear. Detailed, colorful banners lined the hallways, and students in the classrooms were noticeably more engaged. And this is a trend seen in charter schools all across the five boroughs.

Bloomberg has not left the education scene for good, evidenced by his continued involvement in the Young Men’s Initiative, aimed at reducing crime and increasing graduation rates in high-poverty neighborhoods.

But now that the Bloomberg era has come to a close and the reign of Bill de Blasio is about to begin, many wonder what is to become of the progress made in creating viable educational options for kids.

This week, charter operators expressed wariness at Carmen Farina, de Blasio’s pick for Schools Chancellor. Farina is urging cooperation and parental engagement, but it remains to be seen what exactly that entails.

De Blasio’s mayoral campaign message was based off of the Dickensian ‘Tale of Two Cities’ theme to describe the juxtaposition between the city’s very well to do and the underserved. We hope the ‘best of times’ are still ahead for New York City, and the ‘age of wisdom’ in delivering more and better schooling opportunities for kids won’t be followed by the ‘age of foolishness.’

Filed Under: Commentary, Edspresso

Daily Headlines for January 2, 2014

January 2, 2014 By The Center for Education Reform

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Federal government backs NC schools’ progress
Editorial, News & Observer, NC, January 1, 2013
The whole notion of grants from the federal government in the Race to the Top program came about because public school systems had some work to do to bring all schools up to a better level. So it wouldn’t be fair to pronounce North Carolina’s participation in the program as unsuccessful just because some goals weren’t met.

GED test gets overhaul; some states opt for new exam
Associated Press, January 1, 2014
The GED test, for decades the brand name for the high school equivalency exam, is about to undergo some changes.

The conservative battle over Common Core
Deseret News, UT, January 2, 2014
The controversy over Common Core State Standards for K-12 education adopted by 45 U.S. states and the District of Columbia divides both major political parties as well as faith communities and educators.

U.S. students must narrow gap
Opinion, The Tennessean, TN, January 1, 2014
Much has happened in public education in the United States during the past 10 years. There have been increasing demands for high standards and accountability systems to ensure the higher standards are being met.

STATE COVERAGE

ARIZONA

Scottsdale-based private school chain BASIS plants flag in Silicon Valley with San Jose purchase
Phoenix Business Journal, AZ, January 1, 2014
The company behind some of the country’s highest ranked public charter schools is making its first move into private schools — and it’s starting with San Jose, Calif., and Brooklyn, New York.

CALIFORNIA

As schools give students computers, price of L.A.’s program stands out
Los Angeles Times, CA, January 1, 2014
Districts nationwide are replacing textbooks with computers, but many are finding less costly ways than L.A. Unified’s $768 per device.

CONNECTICUT

Achievement Gap Not Caused By Money
Letter, Hartford Courant, CT, January 1, 2014
Regarding the op-ed “Despite Our Wealth, Connecticut Schools Fall Short” [Dec. 28]: Where is the evidence that the achievement gap is caused by state action or inaction, and that my tax dollars must be increased to remedy it?

DELAWARE

What happens after ‘Race to the Top’ goes away?
Delaware News Journal, DE, January 2, 2014
Delaware is doing just that. As the spending deadline approaches, Delaware is expected to ask the federal government for a little extra time to allocate the state’s Race to the Top money. That allocation is probably in the area of $10 million to $12 million, with a couple of million here or there still held by Delaware’s school districts.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Two D.C. Council members oppose Gray’s pick for state superintendent of education
Washington Post, DC, December 31, 2013
Two D.C. Council members are opposing Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s nominee for state superintendent of education, arguing that Gray’s pick — former city parks director Jesús Aguirre — lacks the experience and management skills needed for the job.

U.S. education officials lobbied against Starr for New York City schools post
Washington Post, DC, December 31, 2013
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and at least one other Education Department official urged New York Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio and his team not to choose Montgomery County Schools Superintendent Joshua P. Starr as the city’s next schools chancellor, according to several people knowledgable about the selection process.

GEORGIA

Charter schools fighting plan to fund pensions
Cherokee Tribune, GA, December 30, 2013
Georgia charter schools are fighting a proposal that would require the independent public schools to contribute money toward pension debt for the traditional public education system.

ILLINOIS

Critics knock process for more charter schools
Chicago Tribune, IL, January 1, 2014
With Chicago’s Board of Education set to vote this month on proposals for 21 new charter campuses, the district’s efforts to gather community input has done little to satisfy critics of the privately run schools.

MASSACHUSETTS

Argosy Collegiate Charter School deserves Fall River’s support
Opinion, Fall River Herald News, MA, January 1, 2014
The purpose of this piece is to encourage support for the establishment of the Argosy Collegiate Charter School for Fall River, whose mission is to prepare students for college, career, and life.

Teachers Union says it didn’t know of PAC ad
Boston Globe, MA, January 2, 2013
The Boston Teachers Union denied Wednesday any involvement in a massive television advertisement buy in the final days of the Boston mayoral race by its national affiliate that is believed to have helped propel Martin J. Walsh to victory over Councilor John R. Connolly, a longtime adversary of the union.

Walsh’s education test
Opinion, Boston Globe, MA, January 1, 2013
WATCH WHAT they do, not what they say, runs one piece of cautionary advice.
The American Federation of Teachers and the Boston Teachers Union, its local affiliate, have now demonstrated why they should be viewed through those skeptical spectacles.

MICHIGAN

Dissolve troubled school districts with care
Editorial, Detroit News, MI, January 2, 2013
This is a tactic to be used sparingly; additional costs to state, other districts should be considered

MISSISSIPPI

Teacher salaries to get attention
Column, Clarion Ledger, MS, January 2, 2014
In the upcoming legislative session, a pay raise for teachers is expected to be debated.

NEW YORK

Evaluating Teachers
Opinion, New York Times, NY, January 1, 2013
Your article describing the extra work for principals in New York City as a result of the new teacher evaluation system was revealing (“New Evaluation System for City’s Schoolteachers Has a Bumpy Start,” news article, Dec. 23).

Fariña’s test
Opinion, New York Daily News, NY, January 1, 2014
Bill de Blasio has filled the critical post of schools chancellor — second in importance only to police commissioner — by convincing a veteran educator to come out of retirement and lead the nation’s largest public education system.

Newark superintendent pushes charter school reforms
Editorial, New York Post, NY, January 2, 2013
Here in New York, we’re all waiting to see what the incoming mayor and his schools chancellor will mean for charter schools. While we’re waiting, it may be worth looking at New Jersey to see how another big city trying to reform its troubled schools is looking at charters.

NORTH CAROLINA

Charter high school could open in Morrisville
News & Observer, NC, January 1, 2014
A group of residents from western Wake County is trying to open what would be Morrisville’s first public high school – a charter school with a Montessori theme and a focus on art and technology.

More school choices will create better K-12 education system
Opinion, Charlotte Observer, NC, January 1, 2014
As I travel around the state, I am sometimes asked by well-meaning skeptics: “Instead of providing additional options to students, why not build it within our existing traditional public school system?” This question is understandable

SOUTH CAROLINA

Don’t let reform make more problems
Editorial, Greeneville News, SC, January 2, 2014
South Carolina needs to reform the formula it uses to fund public education. Gov. Nikki Haley has repeatedly and correctly pointed that out. With at least one education funding reform bill in the Legislature, it is likely lawmakers will have the opportunity to address the issue.

Scoppe: What’s the difference between building charter schools, growing government?
Opinion, The State, SC, January 2, 2014
I’M NOT ONE of those people who lump charter schools in with tax-credit and voucher schemes designed to funnel tax dollars into private schools.

TENNESSEE

As Jesse Register’s reign winds down, the political maneuvers to determine Metro schools’ next chief are just beginning
Nashville Scene, TN, January 2, 2014
He stood stiff at the podium, face to face with at least 200 people staring at him moments after the mayor called stories of his school district’s financial struggles a series of myths.

Charter school committee reviewing companies
Robertson County Times, TN, December 31, 2013
The move to open a charter school in Springfield continues to take shape as the steering committee narrows down just who will run the school, according to the committee’s chairperson Raymond Francis.

VIRGINIA

Some urge Suffolk to change its alternative education
The Virginian-Pilot, VA, January 2, 2014
The Suffolk public schools’ alternative-education programs are struggling to help academically challenged students catch up with their peers, and some community leaders are calling for an early-intervention model such as the nonprofit An Achievable Dream Academy.

ONLINE LEARNING

Millions in state aid go to online charter schools in Oklahoma
The Oklahoman, OK, December 31, 2013
While other states have taken action to prevent them from opening to the public, the number of online charter schools is set to grow significantly in Oklahoma.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

Daily Headlines for December 31, 2013

December 31, 2013 By The Center for Education Reform

NATIONAL COVERAGE

AFT hinders urban education
Opinion, Worcester Telegram, MA, December 31, 2013
This month, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) gave American parents an unwelcome holiday gift: a failing report card. Our students rank behind kids in Estonia, Vietnam, and Latvia in the critical subjects of science and math. Against our rivals in Western Europe and Asia, we additionally lag well behind in reading.

Why do the feds meddle with school choice?
Editorial, Chicago Tribune, IL, December 31, 2013
School choice advocates cheered last month when the U.S. Department of Justice dropped its bid to halt Louisiana’s tuition voucher program, but this battle isn’t over. The feds are still intent on meddling with a program that’s designed to give children more options for their education.

Zero-tolerance stupidity at school
Column, USA Today, December 30, 2013
Last week, the Wall Street Journal’s Alison Gopnik reported on research from professors Jacqueline Wooley at the University of Texas and Paul Harris at Harvard that showed a surprising degree of sophistication among preschool kids. Apparently, though they spend a lot of time in fantasy pursuits, they’re actually quite good at distinguishing fantasy from reality:

STATE COVERAGE

ARIZONA

Charter-schools chief reflects on entrepreneur award
Arizona Daily Star, AZ, December 31, 2013
Raena Janes, founder and director of La Paloma Academy charter schools, recently was presented with a bronze Stevie Award for Women in Business.

CALIFORNIA

Sacramento-area school trustees boost their own pay, send the wrong message
Editorial, Sacramento Bee, CA, December 31, 2013
Trustees of the Sacramento region’s three largest school districts are teaching students some bad lessons: Make sure to look out for number one. Don’t fret too much about being frugal in tough times.

DELAWARE

For some students, early decision options a faster way to secure college goals
Delaware News Journal, DE, December 31, 2013
The 17-year-old was excited, but he didn’t let it change his typical routine at The Charter School of Wilmington. He went to after-school activities and by the time he arrived home and had something to eat it was 6 p.m. His parents huddled nearby as he logged on to the computer.

GEORGIA

Petition for charter school cluster to be resubmitted
Neighbor New Newspaper, GA, December 30, 2013
A group comprised of parents, teachers and principals in DeKalb County are disappointed in the recent board of education’s denial of a charter school cluster, but the members say they are not giving up yet.

ILLINOIS

Bruce Rauner ad promotes charters, but CPS clout call dogs him
Chicago Sun-Times, IL, December 30, 2013
In a new ad, GOP gubernatorial contender Bruce Rauner talks about the benefits of charter schools in Illinois, merit-based pay for teachers and his role as an education reformer.

Rahm creates a process to endorse his plan for more charter schools
Chicago Reader, IL, December 31, 2013
Combatants in the great charter school debate went toe-to-toe a couple of weeks ago in a bout that should have been broadcast live on TV.

KANSAS

Education advocates challenge poll on school finance
Lawrence Journal-World, KS, December 30, 2013
A recent poll by a conservative lobby group suggests that a large number of Kansans oppose the idea of courts determining how much money should be spent on public schools.

MISSISSIPPI

Miss. Charter School Board Gets $125K in Grants
Jackson Free Press, MS, December 31, 2013
The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board has accepted $125,500 in grants.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Stories that Endure: No easy answers for school choice fix
New Hampshire Gazette, NH, December 30, 2013
School choice has been a controversial subject in Massachusetts since the 1980s: This story has some long legs that will continue to stretch into the new year and beyond.

NEW YORK

Bill de Blasio’s choosing Carmen Fariña as schools chancellor will revolutionize city’s schools
Column, New York Daily News, NY, December 31, 2013
The Mayor-elect’s decision to put a veteran educator and daughter of Spanish immigrants in charge of the New York City’s public schools speaks volumes about his intention to break away from the policies of the Bloomberg era.

Charter school officials fret over Fariña appointment
Capital New York, NY, December 30, 2013
Anti-Bloomberg education activists and union leaders had the expected effusive praise for Carmen Fariña, but one group’s concern over her appointment as schools chancellor stood out – charter school operators and advocates.

De Blasio and Farina should call a school reform truce

Opinion, New York Daily News, NY, December 31, 2013
Bill de Blasio’s decision to name experienced educator Carmen Farina as schools chancellor received praise from both Success Academy charter network founder, Eva Moskowitz (albeit with a caveat) and the influential education historian Diane Ravitch.

De Blasio Recognizes Obstacles Standing in Way of Schools Plan
New York Times, NY, December 31, 2013
As he announced his choice of Carmen Fariña as the next chancellor of New York City schools, Bill de Blasio suggested on Monday that he would depart drastically from the policies of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

NORTH CAROLINA

Durham Public Schools looks to address needs aside from superintendent
Opinion, Durham News, NC, December 31, 2013
The graduation rate has increased but the achievement gap persists, two out of three students are not reading at grade level, suspension rates of black and disabled students have led to lawsuits and the system faces growing competition from charter and private schools.

Urgent wake-up call from NC teachers
Opinion, News & Observer, NC, December 30, 2013
How times have changed. We need to take a page from SAS and return our trust to those most capable of finding answers to the challenges in education. And just as SAS is the envy of many companies in the U.S., our goal should be that public education in N.C. be the envy of other states in the nation.

Wake County schools dealing with end of Race to the Top grant
News & Observer, NC, December 30, 2013
With the federal funds running out next summer, the Wake County school system will have to decide what to do with the Renaissance Schools program.

OHIO

Cleveland schools still have nearly 50 classrooms without teachers
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, December 30, 2013
The Cleveland school district still had nearly 50 classrooms without a regular teacher as it headed into holiday break.

The Common Core, new state report cards and Cleveland schools start a transformation plan: Education news in 2013
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, December 30, 2013
Major school “reform” efforts dominated education news in 2013, as Cleveland’s plan to improve city schools started to take effect and several statewide initiatives gathered momentum.

PENNSYLVANIA

Green, possible SRC chief, gives views on schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 31, 2013
Is Bill Green interested in becoming chair of the School Reform Commission? Sources say he is a finalist for the job; Green is mum on the subject.

UTAH

Utah’s high school grad rate still suffers achievement gap
Editorial, Salt Lake Tribune, UT, December 29, 2013
The percentage of Utah high school students who earn diplomas has been steadily rising over the past five years, from below 70 percent in 2008 to 81 percent this year. By any standard, that increase is to be celebrated.

WASHINGTON

Sunnyside charter school group seeks supporters at forum
Daily Sun News, WA, December 30, 2013
A hearing will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 8, in Yakima by the Washington State Charter School Commission to learn more about the proposal from Charter Schools of Sunnyside to open a school in Sunnyside.

ONLINE LEARNING

Shannon schools add online program to help failing students
Clarion Ledger, MS, December 31, 2013
The Lee County School District has adopted a credit-recovery policy that allows students who have failed a class or a state test to take an online course.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

Florida Virtual School Offers Flexibility for Students Who Need It

December 30, 2013 By The Center for Education Reform

Mary C. Tillotson, Watchdog.org

When Allie Schnacky, 13, was cast as Pippi Longstocking in a play, her public elementary school wouldn’t allow her to be absent as often as she needed to perform.

Her parents pulled her from the school and enrolled her in Florida Virtual School, an online public school that allows for more flexibility — so she can pursue what she loves.

“When I was at my regular school, they’d get mad at me and tell me I wasn’t allowed to miss anymore, but (theater) is my passion,” she said.

This is her fourth year with Orlando-based FLVS, and this year she performed in “A Christmas Carol.” She hopes to attend The Julliard School and perform on Broadway.

What’s a normal day like for her?

“I wake up around 8:30, and I go and eat breakfast, then check my calendar to see what I have to do today. Then I finish all my lessons for the day, then I go to dance and go to my theater,” she said. “I catch up with my work on the weekends.”

Students can attend FLVS full-time or part-time, and many full-time students are athletes or artists or entrepreneurs, or struggling with a severe medical problem that keeps them, between home and hospital, out of the school building, said Tania Clow, community relations specialist for FLVS.

About a quarter of part-time students are supplementing their homeschool curriculum. Others may be traditional public school students taking an FLVS class their school doesn’t offer, or taking a core class through FLVS to free up their schedule for an elective their school does offer.

Students get more individual attention at FLVS than at a traditional school, said Shawn Wigg, who teaches Algebra 1 and intensive math for FLVS.

Many students have an initial fear of math, he said, but because of the virtual environment, he can chat with students one-on-one and help them relax and open up to the subject.

“That helps lead them to a point of mastery. We’re not confined to any sense of time – it’s about their mastery of a concept. They understand that coming in – that comfort level, their ability to go at their own pace.”

Students who struggle can move through the lessons more slowly, mastering one concept before moving on to the next. Students who are more talented in that area don’t have to sit in class, bored, while the teacher explains a concept they already understand.

Students can complete courses quickly or slowly, and the school receives funding when students successfully complete courses, Clow said.

Wigg communicates to his students through email, phone, text message, social media and other means. When several students are struggling with the same concept, he’ll offer live lessons, where a group of students gathers online to learn the subject and discuss it. He offers them frequently to keep group sizes small.

“It helps them realize they’re not alone, so they can help each other. I find a lot of times when I do those sessions, they say something in a different way than I say it, and they learn from each other,” he said.

Student assessment data is available immediately, so teachers know exactly how students are doing and whether they are ready to move on to the next concept.

“I don’t want them to just take a lesson and walk away. I want them to leave with mastery of the concept,” he said. “At FLVS, teachers have the independent freedom to be able to know our students and their needs and make the best instructional decisions we need to to make sure they’re successful.”

Teachers usually average about 150 students at a time — the same as teaching six periods with 25 students each in a traditional school. They’re available to students from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, and do discussion-based assessments of students at least once a month, which help find red flags — for example, if a student gets an A on an exam but can’t answer the question on the phone.

Kim Schnacky, Allie’s mother, said she’s been grateful for the skills Allie has learned on top of the standard academic knowledge.

“I’ve seen her learn motivational skills and plan her day, what time she has to get up. I see her being a lot more independent and responsible for her time because of Florida Virtual,” she said.

Allie has three siblings — Noah, 16, Ella, 9, and Noelle, 6. Allie and Noah attend FLVS, while the younger two still attend their traditional elementary school. All four are heavily involved in the arts.

Kim said she plans to keep the younger kids in the traditional school until the school won’t tolerate their absences.

She wants them to have the classroom experience, she said, and the younger students aren’t old enough to be home without parents and handle school independently.

“The two older ones are capable of managing lessons and times themselves. If the little ones were home, it’d be a free-for-all,” she said.

She said she’s been grateful for the opportunities provided by FLVS.

“This program has been a blessing. It allowed our kids to be able to excel academically and in performing arts. This was definitely the route we needed to go.”

Filed Under: Online Learning

Daily Headlines for December 30, 2013

December 30, 2013 By The Center for Education Reform

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Urban schools are still segregated
Op-Ed, Baltimore Sun, MD, December 30, 2013
“Why do no white kids go to school here?” A 14-year-old ninth-grader asked me this question earlier this semester about the school she attends and where I teach. Smart and genuinely curious, she asked the question without any of that world-weary irony and moral casuistry that often attends questions from teenagers and, more generally, questions about school segregation in present day America.

Teachers find home visits help in the classroom
Associated Press, December 30, 2013
In days gone by, a knock on the door by a teacher or school official used to mean a child was in trouble. Not anymore, at least for parents and students at Clay Elementary School.

Top-down approach won’t work in education reform
Editorial, Memphis Commercial Appeal, TN, December 29, 2013
The drive to raise classroom standards is, for the most part, well intentioned and useful. More than a quarter of American students tested below the basic proficiency level for mathematics, for example, on the most recent Program for International Student Assessment.

STATE COVERAGE

ARIZONA

Foundation: Charter school plan needs more support
Yuma Sun, AZ, December 28, 2013
A Phoenix-area organization warns it may drop plans to build a charter high school here unless residents show more support for the project.

CALIFORNIA

School spotlighted in new reform documentary
Victorville Daily Press, CA, December 28, 2013
A documentary film that campaigns for more school options for students and their parents nationwide will highlight California’s controversial Parent Trigger law and its execution at the former Desert Trails Elementary School.

CONNECTICUT

Charter schools aren’t always the answer
Letter, The Day, CT, December 29, 2013
One would hope that the opinion piece by the CEO of ConnCAN, “New London students deserve tools for success,” (Dec. 22), also paid the fees associated with other Day advertisements.

FLORIDA

Grade divide baffles Florida parents
Miami Herald, FL, December 28, 2013
The year 2013 was a record-setting time for Florida schools — but in a way that may leave confused parents scratching their heads.

GEORGIA

Race to the top: Expensive strings
Editorial, Savannah Morning News, GA, December 28, 2013
BEWARE OF federal dollars that come with strings attached. They can get expensive. And bind.

ILLINOIS

Illinois unions’ strength will be put to test in year ahead
Column, Chicago Sun Times, IL, December 29, 2013
Over the last year, public unions in Illinois saw some miserable times: massive public school closings in Chicago, teacher layoffs and a pension reform package that’s certain to see a court challenge.

INDIANA

An ‘F’ for Bennett
Editorial, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN, December 30, 2013
Indiana lawmakers placed great faith in Tony Bennett’s education agenda. The confidence the former basketball coach exuded in espousing his school reform expertise was convincing enough to push the most expansive package of education bills in the state’s history: Charter school expansion? Check. Taxpayer-funded vouchers? Check. Performance-based teacher evaluations? Check. Lower standards for teacher education? Check. A-F letter grades for schools and districts? Check.

LOUISIANA

Deslatte: La. school voucher program does not ensure a quality education
Opinion, Opelousas Daily World, LA, December 30, 2013
Louisiana’s voucher program that provides taxpayer-financed private school tuition for thousands of students is reshaping how the state spends its education dollars and which options are available to parents.

Voucher program not living up to promises
Column, The Advocate, LA, December 29, 2013
Imagine if the law required voucher schools to be “academically acceptable,” as the legislative auditor has recommended.

MASSACHUSETTS

Fitchburg’s would-be charter school to present its case
Worcester Telegram, MA, December 29, 2013
Academy for the Whole Child Charter School co-founders are holding their last scheduled meeting on the proposed elementary-level school and are hoping those in opposition also attend to ask questions.

Some chafe at charter school’s low pay for tutors
Boston Globe, MA, December 30, 2013
Now a dispute over the minimal pay for long hours of public service offers a rare glimpse into labor unrest at a charter school, where workers usually make less than their peers in traditional public schools and rarely belong to a union.

MICHIGAN

Michigan’s school recovery district at crossroads
Detroit News, MI, December 30, 2013
The Education Achievement Authority — battling sliding enrollment and political controversy amid an uncertain future with its university partner — should rethink its strategy in educating students as it intervenes to reform failing schools, education experts say.

NEW YORK

Brooklyn schools narrowing achievement gap
Norwich Bulletin, NY, December 29, 2013
According to the state’s latest method of quantifying school and district performance, Brooklyn schools are exceeding expectations and have closed an achievement gap.

De Blasio to Tap Fariña as Schools Chancellor
Wall Street Journal, December 29, 2013
New York City Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio on Monday will choose a veteran New York City educator Carmen Fariña to lead the nation’s largest school district, said a person familiar with the matter.

Mark-Viverito leads charter-halt suit
New York Post, NY, December 30, 2013
A group of public-school parents and politicians — led by council speaker front-runner Melissa Mark-Viverito — is suing to block Mayor Bloomberg’s last-minute approval of dozens of charter-school locations.

NORTH CAROLINA

Race to the Top spending hasn’t translated to most classrooms
News Observer, NC, December 29, 2013
The state has used most of the $400 million federal Race to the Top education grant it won three years ago to upgrade technology, revamp teacher training, and change teacher and principal evaluations.

Republicans give teacher pay a second look
Opinion, Fayetteville Observer, NC, December 30, 2013
Dan Forest says he has a plan to boost North Carolina teacher pay to the highest in the country.
We don’t really need to challenge New York’s nearly $75,000-a-year average to establish an excellent statewide K-12 system. And Forest, North Carolina’s lieutenant governor, says we won’t: The pay plan will be indexed to cost of living, and New Yorkers pay a lot more than we do for just about everything.

Unhappy teachers
Editorial, Greenville Daily Reflector, NC, December 29, 2013
South Carolina educators already are unhappy with a new teacher performance evaluation system started by state Superintendent of Education Mick Zais. Now lawmakers are considering a competing plan.

OKLAHOMA

Tulsa Public Schools considering options to alleviate crowding
Tulsa World, OK, December 30, 2013
Tulsa Public Schools is eyeing solutions to persistent crowding in eastside elementary schools.

PENNSYLVANIA

Charter school reform needs due diligence
Editorial, The Mercury, PA, December 30, 2013
There’s a certain irony that while Edward Grisillo was collecting honors recently as the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year in Harrisburg, not far away the state Senate was debating the merits of a controversial overhaul of charter schools in the state.

Duquesne charter school plan considered
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA, December 29, 2013
Duquesne Charter School is unprepared to take on the education of city children, according to the district’s chief recovery officer, Paul Rach.

Look for restructuring, charters in Erie education
Erie Times-News, PA, December 29, 2013
All of that and more will happen against the backdrop of the new Common Core academic standards and continuing competition from charter schools.

Where’s charter accountability?
Letter, Philadelphia Daily News, PA, December 30, 2013
ACCORDING to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, ” accountable” means “required to be responsible for something.” Let’s apply this definition to state Senator Williams’ fervent support for SB 1085, which seeks to hold charter schools accountable.

TENNESSEE

Year in education sees new faces, controversies
The Tennessean, TN, December 29, 2013
School news this past year foreshadowed continued growth but also resulted in significant conflict over textbooks, testing and new models of education. Here are some of the top Williamson County education stories from 2013:

WISCONSIN

As new teacher evaluation mandate nears, sticky questions remain
Journal Sentinel, WI.=, December 30, 2013
In 2009 when the federal government announced the requirements for states to compete for billions of dollars of school reform grants, Wisconsin’s name came up — but not in the context state leaders wanted.

ONLINE LEARNING

Copy-and-paste: S.C. digital learning
Opinion, Savannah Morning News, GA, December 28, 2013
Gov. Haley, you (and we) owe it to our children to prepare them via digital learning — and to not hit “delete” on their future.

Florida Virtual School Offers Flexibility for Students Who Need It
Sunshine State News, FL, December 30, 2013
Her parents pulled her from the school and enrolled her in Florida Virtual School, an online public school that allows for more flexibility — so she can pursue what she loves.

Stories of the Year: Virtual schools on hold
Kane County Chronicle, IL, December 28, 2013
This year, Virtual Learning Solutions applied to open an online-only charter school in the Fox Valley that would have spanned 18 districts.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

Rethinking Education For Military Children

December 27, 2013 By The Center for Education Reform

Orlando Montoya, GPB News

Two Georgia Army bases are part of a nationwide study that could expand military charter schools.

The Defense Department is re-thinking education for military children.

About 23,000 students attend schools run by the military at bases in the 50 states.

The study will take into account test results, graduation rates and parent and community comments to decide which schools need a big makeover.

Martha Brown of the Department of Defense Education Activity says some schools could remain as they are or be turned over to be run by local districts.

“DODEA requested this study to look at options available for the education of military dependents and examine those options through the lens of maintaining the highest of quality while at the same time maximizing efficiency,” Brown says.

Kara Kerwin of the Washington, D.C. based Center for Education Reform says the effort could lead to more charter schools.

“There are just under ten charter schools already across the country that are on military bases,” Kerwin says. “And part of that process came as a result of similar assessments in previous years.”

Similar studies in the past have been used to turn some schools into charters.

The review at 16 bases is expected to be complete by next summer.

Filed Under: CER in the News

Daily Headlines for December 27, 2013

December 27, 2013 By The Center for Education Reform

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Rethinking Education For Military Children
Georgia Public Broadcasting, GA, December 26, 2013
Two Georgia Army bases are part of a nationwide study that could expand military charter schools.

Student test scores depend on accountability
Opinion, Washington Post, DC, December 26, 2013
This month, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development released its review of global educational achievement. The Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, is one of the most comprehensive global school surveys, assessing half a million 15- and 16-year-olds every three years.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Lower enrollment at once-crowded Belmont High brings mixed results
Los Angeles Times, CA, December 26, 2013
The student population began falling and test scores went up. But school traditions and character have eroded, educators say.

FLORIA

Wary of competition, Pinellas school system offers new programs and considers opening more
Tampa Bay Times, FL, December 25, 2013
Richard Litzenberger has a nickname for those few days in January when parents vie for open seats in Pinellas County’s most coveted public schools. He calls it “open season.”

GEORGIA

Pay for teacher performance begins next year
Savannah Moring News, GA, December 26, 2013
Next year, Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools teacher pay will be determined by how well teachers fare on the new Teacher Keys evaluation system.

KANSAS

Much rides on the future of Kansas public school funding
Editorial, Kansas City Star, MO, December 26, 2013
A decision by a three-judge panel hit with a boom on Jan. 11 of this year, and has reverberated ever since in Kansas political and educational circles.

LOUISIANA

Jindal questions voucher report
The Advocate, LA, December 25, 2013
White and black students enrolled in Louisiana’s voucher program are likely to be assigned to a school in which their race is overwhelmingly represented in the student body, according to an expert’s report filed in the federal lawsuit challenging the program.

MASSACHUSETTS

Homeless teens battle odds to stay in school
Boston Globe, MA, December 26, 2013
Although he has a temporary place to sleep on a friend’s couch in Salem, Helberg is still considered homeless by the state and falls into a fast-growing category that he would prefer not to belong to: He is one of an estimated 6,000 students attending high school who lack a permanent residence.

Leave politics out of charter school debate
Opinion, Herald News, MA, December 25, 2013
It is often said that Massachusetts is home to the best public schools in the nation and there is a considerable amount of evidence to support this claim. Whether one examines the recent Program for International Student Achievement or the National Assessment of Educational Progress test results, the Bay State’s students and schools are undeniably world-class.

Mayor: Lead the way
Editorial, Boston Herald, MA, December 26, 2013
Here’s a contradiction in need of fixing: Boston boasts some of the best charter schools in the country. But fewer kids in the Hub are enrolled in charters as a percentage of the overall student population than in dozens of other cities, thanks to arbitrary and onerous restrictions that serve no one but the ideological opponents of these independent public schools.

MINNESOTA

St. Paul’s teacher mentoring program combines coaching, evaluation to help teachers succeed
Twin City Daily Planet, MN, December 24, 2013
As one of the St. Paul district’s 15 PAR [Peer Assistance and Review] teachers, it’s Rademacher’s job to mentor, coach and evaluate teachers, most of whom are in their second year in the district.

MISSISSIPPI

Truant students could lose their driver’s licenses under bill in state House
Michigan Radio, MI, December 26, 2013
A state lawmaker says the threat of losing driving privileges would be a good way to discourage kids from skipping school.

NEW YORK

A Gift to East Harlem Children
Wall Street Journal, December 27, 2013
Now billionaire philanthropists Jim and Marilyn Simons will try to blur the line by making a $15 million challenge gift to the East Harlem Tutorial Program, which operates charter schools and after-school programs for grades K-12. The program hopes to raise a matching $15 million in a year and begin construction on a new building.

Altering teacher evaluations
Albany Times Union, NY, December 25, 2013
In hindsight, Berne-Knox-Westerlo Superintendent Lonnie Palmer will tell you, the way his district rolled out its new teacher evaluation system last year didn’t make that much sense.

NY charter schools worry about mayor –elect’s plans
Associated Press, December 25, 2013
Operators of New York City’s publicly financed, privately run charter schools are bracing for changes promised by Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio – including the possibility of having to pay rent – that they worry could reverse 12 years of growth enjoyed under Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

School reform can’t wait
Editorial, Albany Times-Union, NY, December 26, 2013
A bonfire is expected this state legislative session, and it’s likely to be the Board of Regents’ so-called “reform agenda” being roasted. But before the fire is stoked, let’s consider what’s fueling it.

NORTH CAROLINA

‘As the world turns, so does education’
Commentary, Asheville Citizen-Times, NC, December 27, 2013
Given the plight of our family, communities and the impact of a new global economy, why should we ‘expect’ for our traditional public schools, solely, to wrestle with these challenges alone? Now more than ever, we as citizens must be open to new ideas, innovation – and may I dare say, change.

Public education, vouchers: Can the two coexist?
Opinion, Burlington Times News, NC, December 26, 2013
School vouchers are back in the news, just in time for the arrival of 2014.
The topic returned to the headlines earlier this month when an opposition group, including state education leaders, filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court challenging the so-called Opportunity Scholarships scheduled to go into effect next year.

Tenure-bonus plan ‘potentially divisive and harmful’
Column, Herald Sun, NC, December 25, 2013
The teachers of Club Boulevard Humanities Magnet School are committed to developing all of our students into thoughtful and responsible life-long learners.

OHIO

Columbus school board seeks OK of selective-admissions plan
Columbus Dispatch, OH, December 26, 2013
The Columbus school district wants to continue giving special access to its top-rated schools to children who are considered gifted, have good grades or have been taking private art lessons.

RHODE ISLAND

School reformers ignore struggle at bottom
Letter, Providence Journal, RI, December 26, 2013
Regarding “Public-school reform will take time,” by James Kadamus (Commentary, Dec. 24): The writer leaves out an essential element to the resistance he seems to know so much about.

TENNESSEE

Education priorities askew in the legislature
Editorial, Memphis Commercial Appeal, TN, December 27, 2013
If knee-jerk opposition among some Tennessee lawmakers to expanding prekindergarten were not so serious, the creative ways they come up with to explain themselves would be entertaining.

Failed Education Bills to Return in New Session
Memphis Daily News, TN, December 27, 2013
Proponents of revamping education laws in Tennessee cite a recent report that ranked the state’s students tops in the nation in academic improvement as proof that recent reforms are working and more should be considered.

TEXAS

Charter fallacy: Traditional public school still the best place to learn
Editorial, Longview News-Journal, TX, December 26, 2013
For years, but particularly since the rise of the tea party fad, public schools in Texas have been under attack.

Charter school freedoms don’t exempt them from accountability
Editorial, Austin American-Statesman, TX, December 26, 2013
At their inception, charter schools represented a type of compact between taxpayers, students and the state.

Year in Review: Public Education
Texas Tribune, TX, December 26, 2013
Let’s say this outright: 2013 ranks as one of the most significant years for public education policy in Texas in the last two decades.

UTAH

Utah senator’s education proposals: too much or too little?
Salt Lake City Tribune, UT, December 25, 2013
Education » Senator wants the state to leave private schools alone; would require signed contracts for those who choose public education.

VIRGINIA

Good omens
Editorial, Richmond Times Dispatch, VA, December 27, 2013
When asked about the differences between high-performing specialty high schools and low-performing comprehensive ones, Bedden stressed options. “You have to offer choice,” he said.

WASHINGTON

Charter school hopefuls to pitch proposals at hearing in Yakima
Yakima Herald-Republic, WA, December 27, 2013
Backers of charter schools in Yakima and Sunnyside will present their educational visions — and take public comment and questions — at a hearing early next month.

ONLINE LEARNING

Alternative digital school makes opportunities for high achievers and home schoolers
Dodge City Daily Globe, KS, December 26, 2013
There aren’t many schools that have grown almost 1,000 percent in four years. But Andover’s eCademy has, and the unique program still has room to grow.

Funding, charter petition concerns for city BOE
Times-Georgian, GA, December 26, 2013
Advocating for Carrollton City Schools in the upcoming legislative session, the system’s superintendent has asked lawmakers for some forewarning if a change is in the air relative to the system’s applying to become a charter system.

Learning for the digital world
Dodge City Daily Globe, KS, December 26, 2013
The first graders sat quietly mouthing words to themselves like “cat” and “hat” before taking swipes at the screens of their tablet computers to create 10-page e-books of rhyming words illustrated with clip art.

Math teacher flips class, to do lessons at home and homework at school
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, December 26, 2013
Matthew Richards, a seventh- and eighth-grade math teacher at St. Rita’s Catholic school in Solon, Ohio, has “flipped” his math classes.

Phila. district joins field with own cyber school
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 26, 2013
For six years, Alessandra Mullin excelled at Masterman, one of the top schools in the state. But when she heard about a new cyber venture of the Philadelphia School District, she was intrigued.

Seasoned educators join virtual public school
Porterville Recorder, CA, December 24, 2013
Central California Connections Academy, a tuition-free virtual public school, has added nine new hires — seasoned educators — as it continues to grow and expand its staff.

Filed Under: Daily Headlines

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