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

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Teacher Training’s Low Grade
Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2013
U.S. colleges of education are an “industry of mediocrity” that churns out teachers ill-prepared to work in elementary and high-school classrooms, according to a report by a nonprofit advocacy group that represents the first comprehensive review of such programs.

U.S. education slipping in world rankings: report
Washington Post, June 18, 2013
The U.S. education system is not as globally competitive as it used to be, a study by the Council on Foreign Relations revealed on Monday.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Horizon Charter School faces board vote amid complaints
Modesto Bee, June 18, 2013
The fate of Horizon Charter School and its 2,700 students is in the hands of Western Placer Unified’s school board after allegations of fiscal mismanagement and complaints from parents.

COLORADO

Child tutoring franchises expand in Denver, nationwide
Denver Post, June 18, 2013
Parents’ desire to see their children succeed in school and life is providing the opportunity for franchises in the supplemental education industry to rapidly expand.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

The problem(s) with D.C. school reform bills
Washington Post Blog, June 18, 2013
David Catania, the chairman of the D.C. Council’s Education Committee, has introduced seven school reform bills that, according to this Post story, could reshape the city’s public education system. Among other things, it calls for increasing funding for poor students, giving principals more power, altering the school lottery system, and ending social promotion.

FLORIDA

Activist for Anti-Charter School Group Now Supporting Charter School for Her Kids
Sunshine State News, June 18, 2013
In a historic move last week, parents at Rowlett Elementary School in Bradenton overwhelmingly voted to turn their public magnet school into a charter, but one of the parents leading the effort is a longtime activist for an organization that opposes charter schools and “Parent Empowerment” legislation.

Private schools lack oversight, accountability
Sun Sentinel, June 18, 2013
I used to be a supporter of school vouchers because I believed that some of our public schools were failing our kids, and private schools would provide a better education.

Pines to vote to contract with Charter Schools USA to manage schools
Sun Sentinel, June 17, 2013
Parts of the city’s nationally recognized charter school system may be privatized as early as this week and more than 300 teachers could lose their jobs.

Big changes at two Escambia schools
Pensacola News Journal, June 18, 2013
One struggling Escambia County elementary school will be revamped as a primary school next fall, and another will try to make its own way as a private school.

Governor Signs “Partial Fix” For Teacher Evaluations But Union Still Suing
NPR StateImpact, June 18, 2013
Florida teachers will no longer be evaluated – and have their pay based on – the performance of students they don’t teach.

GEORGIA

Charter schools group makes pitch
Augusta Chronicle, June 18, 2013
Officials with the Georgia Charter Schools Association visited Augusta on Monday to give their pitch as to why residents should be open to the concept of charter schools and what they can do to help launch one here.

Georgia Supreme Court weighs charter-school funding
Rome News-Tribune, June 18, 2013
In a case that could impact all charter schools in Georgia, the Georgia Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on how local school districts divvy up their funds between charter schools and traditional campuses.

INDIANA

The case remains for Excel
Opinion, Palladium Item, June 18, 2013
When Palladium-Item education reporter Brian Zimmerman returned from Anderson in the fall of 2012 after spending time at an Excel school, a charter school designed to give high school dropouts a second chance to complete diploma requirements, there was a deserved air of excitement.

LOUISIANA

Bobby Jindal signs RSD ‘parent trigger’ bill into law
Times-Picayune, June 17, 2013
Parents will have more control over what entity has authority for their child’s school under a bill signed into law by Gov. Bobby Jindal on Monday. The legislation allows parents to petition to shift control from some failing Recovery School District schools back to the local system, if certain benchmarks are met.

MARYLAND

More spending on education doesn’t necessarily mean better schools
Letter, Baltimore Sun, June 17, 2013
Mr. Norris says he wants “greater funding” for public education in America — as if more money necessarily means better education. Does it? Perhaps he needs to do some “analysis and research” at the “institute” he directs. The facts might surprise him.

MINNESOTA

As Minneapolis district touts new school plan, protesters plead for ousted charter school
Star Tribune, June 17, 2013
Minnesota School of Science supporters accused the district of acting hastily against a school they say has educated children better than other programs that have been housed at Cityview in north Minneapolis.

MISSOURI

Teacher evaluations, budget concerns, school choice on forefront of education reform
Missouri Times, June 17, 2013
With a fresh push at re-examining how public school teachers are evaluated and a new state Supreme Court ruling on school choice, education reformers across the state are eying the upcoming year as a major turning point for public education.

Area schools prepare to accept students from failing districts
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 18, 2013
After turning away kids for years, school superintendents say they plan to begin accepting transfer requests this summer from the first of what could be hundreds — if not thousands — of students seeking to leave two unaccredited districts in north St. Louis County.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Judge rules portion of ed tax credit program unconstitutional
Nashua Telegraph, June 18, 2013
A New Hampshire judge ruled Monday that the state’s education tax credit program could not provide scholarships to students to attend religious schools, calling that portion of the program unconstitutional.

NEW JERSEY

Christie Administration Censures Another Batch of Charter Schools
New Jersey Spotlight, June 18, 2013
Without much — if any — fanfare, the Christie administration yesterday said it has put another three charter schools on probation and issued warning letters to 11 others as it seeks to further raise standards for the alternative schools.

NEW YORK

South Buffalo Charter School undeterred by ECIDA setback
Buffalo News, June 18, 2013
South Buffalo Charter School officials pledged Monday to go forward with a new building on South Ogden Street, despite failing to win tax breaks for the project from the Erie County Industrial Development Agency.

Graduation Gains Begin Leveling Out
Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2013
New York City’s high-school graduation rate dipped slightly in 2012 for the second consecutive year to 60.4% as it became tougher to qualify for a diploma, according to state data released Monday.

Destroying good schools
Opinion, New York Post, June 18, 2013
None of the Democratic candidates for mayor has a plan for the city schools other than not being Mike Bloomberg. That’s it.

NORTH CAROLINA

Charter high school with arts focus opening in downtown Raleigh
Midtown Raleigh News, June 18, 2013
More than 200 students have enrolled in a new arts-focused high school that will open its doors in downtown Raleigh this fall.

OHIO

Teachers”value-added’ ratings and relationship to student income levels questioned
Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 18, 2013
Value-added was supposed to be the great equalizer — a measure of schools that would finally judge fairly how much poor students are learning compared with their wealthier peers.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma City School Board votes to expand attendance boundaries for new charter school
The Oklahoman, June 18, 2013
The Oklahoma City School Board voted Monday night to expand the attendance boundaries for the new downtown charter school, John W. Rex Elementary Charter School.

OREGON

Progress made in local schools
Herald and News, June 18, 2013
Last year, Mills was one of three local schools identified as a “Focus school,” or rating in the bottom 15 percent of the state.

PENNSYLVANIA

Keep an eye on charter schools
Editorial, Pocono Record, June 18, 2013
Monroe County is zero for three when it comes to leadership at its charter schools. On June 13, Dennis Bloom of Mount Pocono pleaded guilty to federal tax fraud for failing to report $180,000 in income in 2006, when he was chief executive officer of the Pocono Mountain Charter School, and evading $57,813 in taxes.

Program at Kensington CAPA guides seniors toward college
Philadelphia Inquirer, June 18, 2013
Aside from providing encouragement, the program, which served more than 250 students this year, also provided help with the college-application process, which might be foreign to first-generation college attendees.

TENNESSEE

Charter school applications face tall task
Daily News Journal, June 18, 2013
If charter schools are to take hold in Rutherford County, they’ll have to make a better impression than The Tracey Darnell Montessori Academy did here last week.

WISCONSIN

Tax deductions for private-school tuition wrong
Editorial, Appleton Post Crescent, June 18, 2013
Most of the discussion about K-12 public education in the state budget has been about three issues: how much money K-12 schools will get from the state, how much money K-12 schools will be able to spend and whether the state’s voucher school program will be expanded. But another issue has come up recently — and it would have a major impact.

Wisconsin Democrats courting GOP moderates to change their voucher vote
Journal Sentinel, June 17, 2013
Democratic leaders publicly solicited the votes of moderate Republican state senators to switch sides on the budget debate during a news conference Monday aimed at defeating the expansion of school voucher programs

ONLINE LEARNING

Suburban districts spend $320,800 opposing online charter school plan
Daily Herald, June 17, 2013
The appeal process for a proposed suburban virtual charter school was cut short last week — but not before 18 suburban school districts spent more than $320,800 in legal fees on the issue.

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

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Private Preschools See More Public Funds as Classes Grow
New York Times, June 14, 2013
According to the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University, about one-third of students enrolled in state-financed preschool programs attend classes conducted outside the public schools.

Raising the bar
The Economist, June 13, 2013
HERE’S a multiple-choice question: if the federal government penalises states where pupils do badly in school, but lets the states themselves set the pass mark, will the states a) make the tests harder; or b) dumb them down?

Assumptions of education reformers falling apart
Opinion, Connecticut Post June 13,2013
It has been five years since Bill Gates wrote to the Washington Post concerning his beliefs regarding education reform in this country. At that time, he cited how high schools needed to be improved by the utilization of standardized test scores as his version of accountability and progress.

Homeschooling and Charter Schools Growing, Give Families Options
Christian Post, June 13, 2013
Our education system is broiling with two major, conflicting trends: Centralization and school choice. The most rapidly growing trend is the explosion of growth over the past decade of enrollment in charter schools and homeschooling.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Deasy and new board member Ratliff laud teacher report
Los Angeles Times, June 13, 2013
Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy on Thursday broadly endorsed proposals from an outside group for attracting and retaining teachers, including more money for those who take on difficult assignments and deliver measurable academic gains.

State committee gives Chino charter another chance
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, June 13, 2013
A charter school that was previously denied three times may get the green light to serve students in the 2014-15 school year.

COLORADO

St. Vrain Valley School District toughens charter contracts
Longmont Weekly, June 14, 2013
The St. Vrain Valley School District is cracking down on charter schools’ financial reports.

DELAWARE

G.A. should pass H.B. 165 to reform charter school law
Letter, Delaware News Journal, June 14, 2013
As a parent of two children attending two of Delaware’s 22 charter schools, I implore our legislators to pass the charter school reform bill, House Bill 165, on Tuesday when it moves to the floor of the Delaware House of Representatives for consideration.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. teachers union president faces challenge in runoff election
Washington Post, June 13, 2013
Washington Teachers Union President Nathan Saunders will face challenger Elizabeth Davis in a runoff election for his seat, union officials said.

FLORIDA

Steele-Collins Charter academy seeks to solve ‘crisis’ among young men
Tallahassee Democrat, June 14, 2013
One of Florida’s longest-running charter schools took steps toward becoming an all-boys school on Thursday, in what its leaders described as an effort to stem a mounting “crisis” among young men.

Pasco charter school may get 15-year extension
Tampa Tribune, June 14, 2013
A charter school that has earned an A rating from the state seven years in a row could be getting a 15-year contract extension with the Pasco County School Board.

Don’t let failing schools off the hook
Editorial, Tampa Bay Times June 13, 2013
The argument that Imagine Charter School in St. Petersburg should not be closed for poor student performance because other failing public schools are doing even worse is not persuasive.

Bill to pay private school fees resurfaces
Times Union, June 14, 2013
A bill that would reimburse parents who send their special-needs children to private schools is surfacing in the Legislature, almost a year after a similar measure was vetoed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

ILLINOIS

Teachers union, charter schools rail at CPS budget cuts
Chicago Tribune, June 13, 2013
As principals got a better sense this week of their school’s budget for the coming year, officials with the Chicago Teachers Union and privately run charter schools — which rarely agree on anything — both sounded an alarm over the effects of potential funding cuts.

LOUISIANA

Supporters of breakaway school still hopeful
The Advocate, June 13, 2013
Days after falling short for the second time, supporters of creating a breakaway school district in southeast Baton Rouge asked the nearly 150 people gathered Thursday night whether to try a third time in the Legislature or work to create a new city in the area.

MARYLAND

Teacher Group Calls For End To Pay-For-Performance
WYPR, June 13, 2013
Only 11 percent of Baltimore city teachers would vote for their current contract again, according to a survey released today.

MASSACHUSETTS

Charter school’s absence at Marlborough meeting criticized
Metro West Daily News, June 14, 2013
Some city councilors on Wednesday night criticized officials from the Advanced Math and Science Academy after no one from the school showed up at an Urban Affairs Committee meeting to discuss the school’s plan to move its Marlborough facility.

MICHIGAN

House approves legislation to allow dissolving Buena Vista, Inkster school districts
Grand Rapids Press, June 14, 2013
The future of Buena Vista Schools and Inkster Public Schools became clearer minutes before midnight Thursday when the Michigan House voted largely along party lines to give the state superintendent and state treasurer the authority to dissolve the districts.

MISSOURI

Supreme Court provides hope for children in failing schools
Editorial, St. Louis Post-Dispatch June 13, 2013
In 1812, the writers of Missouri’s territorial charter, a document that would later guide statehood, wrote this: “Knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of public education shall be encouraged and provided for.”

NEVADA

New regulations for evaluating Nevada teachers win approval
Las Vegas Sun, June 14, 2013
The Nevada Board of Education unanimously adopted legislative changes to a new teacher evaluation system rolling out this fall.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Chamber honors Great Bay Charter School
Portsmouth Herald, June 14, 2013
Great Bay Charter School was awarded this year’s Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year Award for education/non-profit, a great achievement for the small school who only recently became involved with the chamber.

NEW JERSEY

Newark Proposes New Charter Admissions Policy
Wall Street Journal, June 13, 2013
Charter-school operators often have to defend themselves against accusations that they find ways to admit only the best students who apply, leading to higher test scores.

Atlantic City charter school needs to register 135 pupils
Press of Atlantic City, June 14, 2013
The new Atlantic City Community Charter School, or ACCCS, has until the end of the month to register at least 135 students in grades kindergarten through 5 for the 2013-14 school year.

NEW YORK

Charter director retires after creating ‘what a school should be’
Buffalo News, June 14, 2013
King Center Charter School on Thursday paid homage to its founding director, Claity P. Massey, by giving her a very spirited, heartfelt send-off into retirement.

Dezoning plan, blasted by upper Manhattan parents, is working great in the Bronx, officials say
New York Daily News, June 13, 2013
District 7 in the neighboring borough has had positive experiences with ‘choice’ plan. Upper Manhattan lawmakers and residents oppose it.

NORTH CAROLINA

School voucher bill included in N.C. House budget
Winston-Salem Journal, June 13, 2013
The budget proposal passed by the North Carolina House Thursday included more than some legislators bargained for. House Republicans included a controversial private school voucher proposal in what was otherwise the most public education-friendly of the state’s budget proposals.

PENNSYLVANIA

Teachers union, education official spar over funding
Reading Eagle, June 14, 2013
Public schools in Pennsylvania are facing a funding crisis, and the impact will be felt statewide, according to a report by the state teachers union.

SOUTH CAROLINA

School-choice debate looms in SC budget talks
The State, June 13, 2013
A debate over how much private school “choice” S.C. taxpayers should subsidize looms as lawmakers work to adopt a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

WISCONSIN

Wisconsin schools chief blasts voucher expansion
Journal Sentinel, June 13, 2013
State Superintendent Tony Evers and public school district leaders spoke out Thursday against the state budget proposal to expand the voucher school system statewide in the next budget, saying the expansion is costly for children and public schools across the state.

ONLINE LEARNING

Study Gauges Value of Technology in Schools
New York Times, June 14, 2013
With school districts rushing to buy computers, tablets, digital white boards and other technology, a new report questions whether the investment is worth it.

Teachers learn to integrate technology
The Ledger, June 14, 2013
“One thing that’s happening (is) it’s not a traditional classroom anymore,” Moyer said. “It’s a hybrid. Online (resources) extend the classroom.”

New blended learning charter high school graduates first senior class
Grand Rapids Press, June 13, 2013
Nexus Academy of Grand Rapids, the new blended learning charter high school launched this school year, graduated its first class of three seniors Thursday, June 19.

Nevada Virtual Academy offers an alternative, graduates 148
Reno Gazette-Journal, June 14, 2013
For the fourteen virtual students — some of which had never met their classmates before — gathered at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center with family, friends and guests to celebrate their accomplishment, the reasons for choosing a nontraditional high school education varied.

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

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Tea Party Groups Mobilizing Against Common Core Education Overhaul
Washington Post, DC, May 30, 2013
Tea party groups over the past few weeks have suddenly and successfully pressured Republican governors to reassess their support for a rare bipartisan initiative backed by President Obama to overhaul the nation’s public schools.

Rotten To The Core
Washington Times, DC, May 30, 2013
President Obama wants to be involved in drafting the curriculum in our local schools. It’s part of an initiative called “Common Core,” the brainchild of state educational bureaucrats crying out for more centralization. This administration is more than happy to advance this because it means a larger role for the federal government.

Ex-D.C. School Chief Rhee Urges Action To Fix Education ‘Crisis’
Detroit News, MI, May 30, 2013
America must face the fact that education needs to be fixed, school reform advocate Michelle Rhee said Thursday during her keynote address at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference.

STATE COVERAGE

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Gray Administration Wants To Establish Unified Lottery For D.C. Public And Charter Schools
Washington Post, DC, May 30, 2013
The Gray administration is seeking to establish a unified enrollment lottery for the city’s traditional and charter schools in time to determine admissions for the 2014-15 school year, officials said Thursday.

GEORGIA

Mixed Marks On State Charters’ First Report Card
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA, May 30, 2013
The first performance assessment of Georgia’s state-run charter schools is out, and it’s hard to say whether it’s good news, bad news or really no news at all.

Charter Council Projects Budget Shortfall Because Of Tax Payment
Cherokee Tribune, GA, May 30, 2013
The Georgia Charter Education Foundation Local Governing Council for Cherokee Charter Academy has projected a shortfall for this year’s budget due to an unanticipated property tax payment.

INDIANA

IRT Managing Director Exits For Charter-School Role
Indianapolis Star, IN, May 30, 2013
Indianapolis Repertory Theatre managing director Steven Stolen is taking a new job as regional director for charter school company Rocketship Indiana.

LOUISIANA

Senate Panel Rejects Teacher Review Delay
The Advocate, LA, May 30, 2013
A bill that would delay the major impact of Louisiana’s new teacher evaluations for one year failed in a state Senate panel Thursday.

MASSACHUSETTS

Time To Lift Limits On Charter Schools
Boston Herald, MA, May 31, 2013
Today, Massachusetts leaders face another moral dilemma as they consider legislation that would lift the cap on charter public schools in the commonwealth’s lowest-performing school districts. Thus far, the courage Robert Kennedy referred to is sorely lacking.

MICHIGAN

Education Key To Michigan’s Economy
Detroit News, MI, May 31, 2013
It’s not a new message: If Michigan is going to compete in an increasingly competitive global economy, schools here must do a much better job preparing their students. But it’s an important message, and education reformer Michelle Rhee emphasized it once again Thursday morning.

Detroit Charter School Students Told To Teach Themselves
MichiganLive, MI, May 30, 2013
Nicole Conaway, a teacher at Catherine Ferguson Academy for Young Women since 2006, says the new format is failing, teachers aren’t allowed to teach, and students are essentially left to fend for themselves without guidance.

MISSOURI

KIPP Charter School Wants To Build On Success
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, May 31, 2013
For four years, they went to school from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., then completed two hours of homework each night. They attended classes on Saturdays. Their school years started in July, cutting one month off their summers.

NEW JERSEY

Charters Aren’t Causing Newark’s School Budget Woes:
Star-Ledger, NJ, May 31, 2013
In recent weeks, Newark Superintendent Cami Anderson has come under fire over a $57 million budget shortfall, projected for the school district next year. The blame should not rest on Anderson. Outdated state policies make it challenging for her to enact real reform that would solve the troubled school district’s systemic problems.

State Schools Takeover: All Quiet on the Camden Front
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, May 30, 2013
For all of the melodrama that went with Gov. Chris Christie’s March announcement that the state planned to take control of Camden public schools, the culmination of those plans is generating fewer decibels and taking place more behind the scenes.

NEW YORK

Mandating Teacher Evaluations Is A King-Size Job For State Education Commissioner
New York Daily News, NY, May 31, 2013
Now is the time for state Education Commissioner John King to step up for New York City’s 1.1 million school children.

State Education Officials To Reveal New Teacher Evaluation System Saturday
New York Daily News, NY, May 31, 2013
The new state-imposed system to evaluate teachers and principals comes after competing plans from the city and unions were reviewed in the wake of the city losing $260 million in state funding.

NORTH CAROLINA

Charlotte Secondary School Hopes To Add Charter High School
Charlotte Observer, NC, May 31, 2013
A south Charlotte property company has filed a rezoning application with the city so that a charter middle school can add a high school.

PENNSYLVANIA

Mindless Matrix: Master’s Degrees And Master Teachers
The Intelligencer, PA, May 31, 2013
In addition to inflation increases, teachers receive salary increases for experience (vertical steps) and advanced education (horizontal steps). The current Council Rock matrix is illustrative. The most egregious abuse occurs in the additional compensation teachers are paid for worthless master’s degrees and educational credits.

Erie School Board Denies Charter For 2nd Time
Erie Times-News, PA, May 31, 2013
The founder of a proposed charter school is considering taking his case to the state Charter Appeal Board after the Erie School Board again denied the application for the school.

SOUTH CAROLINA

New Charter High School Readies To Open This Fall
Sun News, SC, May 30, 2013
Coastal Leadership Academy officials on Thursday welcomed guests to their new building, which was a countertop and surfacing warehouse a mere three weeks ago.

Bill Would Force Closure Of Failed Charter Schools
WACH, SC, May 30, 2013
South Carolina senators have advanced a bill making it easier to shut down a failing charter school.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Changes Ahead For Education
Rapid City Journal, SD, May 30, 2013
No Child Left Behind is finally being left behind. South Dakota is joining other states in adopting new education initiatives, new curriculum, new standardized tests and school accountability standards, and new methods for teacher and principal evaluations.

TENNESSEE

Metro Nashville Tries To Reduce School Hopping
The Tennessean, TN, May 31, 2013
Metro officials are exploring ways to reduce the number of students who exit their schools midyear as a spat rages over the departure of kids from Nashville’s charter schools prior to spring TCAP testing.

UTAH

Dixie Montessori Academy: State-Approved Charter Proceeds Despite School District Opposition
St, George Dixie Press, UT, May 30, 2013
More than a year away from opening its doors, the Dixie Montessori Academy charter school has already drawn support and opposition from educational peers in its quest to offer Washington County students and parents a new option.

WASHINGTON

Look To Colorado For Education-Reform Advice
Seattle Times, WA, May 30, 2013
Colorado is briskly reforming its public-education system. Washington state should take note.

WISCONSIN

Voucher Expansion Deal Appears Close
Wisconsin Radio Network, WI, May 31, 2013
A deal appears very close on an expansion of taxpayer-funded private school vouchers in Wisconsin. Statements from Republican leaders on Thursday indicated a deal was still in the works, but Senator Luther Olson, a Republican who had problems with the original proposal to expand private school vouchers to nine districts beyond Milwaukee and Racine, said he got a handshake from Governor Scott Walker.

ONLINE LEARNING

Data Support Disruption Theory As Online, Blended Learning Grow
Forbes, May 30, 2013
When Disrupting Class hit the bookstores five years ago, it contained a prediction that stunned many: by 2019, we said, 50 percent of all high school courses would be delivered online in some form or fashion.

Separate And Unequal Treatment For Cyber-Charter Students
Patriot News, PA, May 30, 2013
My child is a second-class student. This school year, the budget for my child’s public education is almost a third lower than the education budget for his peers in our school district. That’s because my child attends a public cyber school.

Key to Virtual High School Student’s Success Is Flexibility
Daily Commercial, FL, May 30, 2013
Anna White can’t say much about her high school because it doesn’t exist. There is no bricks-and-mortar building, since the school only exists in cyberspace.

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

NATIONAL COVERAGE

In Raising Scores, 1 2 3 Is Easier Than A B C
New York Times, NY, May 30, 2013
Educators, policy makers and business leaders often fret about the state of math education, particularly in comparison with other countries. But reading comprehension may be a larger stumbling block.

GOP Talks Up School Choice As Good Policy And Good Politics
Washington Times, DC, May 29, 2013
A Republican Party still reeling from the November elections is hoping that advocating for school choice can help the GOP recapture moderate voters, arguing that the issue provides a natural link between their limited-government philosophy and the average voter’s desire for good local schools.

Jeb Bush: ‘We Embrace School Choice Across The Board’
Detroit Free Press, MI, May 29, 2013
It was a speech that hit many of the right notes for a potential Republican presidential candidate. Kicking off the Mackinac Policy Conference today, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush talked about the need for education reform free of the constraints imposed by teachers unions.

Public, Charter Schools Team Up In Cleveland
CBS Evening News, May 29, 2013
For years, public schools in Cleveland had some of the worst test scores in America; only 7 percent of their students went on to college. But a unique partnership between traditional schools and high-performing charter schools is turning that around.

Education Is For Parents Too
Washington Post, DC, May 29, 2013
There was none on this exact point. A record 69 percent of Hispanic high school graduates in the class of 2012 enrolled in college that fall. But this was the only bright spot in the Pew survey.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Did New Charter Fake Community Outreach?
Riverdale Press, CA, May 30, 2013
Arturo Toscanini Charter School doesn’t plan to open its doors before September 2014, but community leaders have already given it poor marks for community outreach.

LAUSD Submits Amended Application For No Child Left Behind Waiver
Long Beach Press-Telegram, CA, May 29, 2013
In response to concerns raised by federal regulators, Los Angeles Unified and eight other school districts have filed an amended application for a waiver from a federal law requiring that all students be proficient in English and math by 2014.

COLORADO

District, Union Clash Over Market-Based Salary Plan In Douglas County
Denver Post, CO, May 30, 2013
Douglas County School District administrators and teacher union representatives are at odds over a recently approved plan that injects $15.7 million into pay raises, bonuses and other compensation next school year.

CONNECTICUT

Education Reform Aims To Give Districts Some Room
The Day, CT, May 30, 2013
An education reform bill that passed the Senate 33-0 Wednesday builds on a 2012 law that strengthened statewide teacher evaluation requirements but provides some flexibility for local school boards.

Charter School Celebrates All Seniors Going To College
WTNH, CT, May 29, 2013
It’s a pretty impressive number, 100 percent of graduates at a New Haven high school will be going to college. This is the fourth year in a row the charter school is celebrating their students’ successes.

DELAWARE

Del. Budget Panel Discusses Charter School Funds
Star Democrat, DE, May 29, 2013
Members of the legislature’s budget-writing committee have rejected a Democratic lawmaker’s request to stop allowing charter schools to keep unspent student transportation funds.

FLORIDA

Pasco’s Dayspring Academy Charter School Seeks To Expand
Tampa Bay Times, FL, May 29, 2013
Pasco County’s oldest and most academically successful charter school is seeking an expansion. Dayspring Academy, co-founded by state Sen. John Legg and others in 2000, has informed Pasco school district officials of its intent to apply to open new campuses in Holiday and Hudson in 2014.

GEORGIA

About 1 In 3 Georgia Charter Schools Outperform Districts
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, May 29, 2013
Roughly one out of every three schools chartered by the state scored better in Georgia’s new ranking than the districts those schools are located in, the State Charter Schools Commission learned Wednesday.

ILLINOIS

Teachers Union Files Suit To Halt Closings
Chicago Tribune, IL, May 30, 2013
The Chicago Teachers Union filed a lawsuit Wednesday that seeks to keep 10 schools from being shuttered, the third such action aimed at reversing the Board of Education’s approval last week of closing 49 elementary schools and a high school program.

SD 227 Officials: No Further Legal Action Against Charter School
Southtown Star, IL, May 29, 2013
Legal action and heated arguments over funding have marked the relationship between Rich Township High School District 227 and Southland College Prep Charter High School since before the charter school in Matteson opened nearly three years ago.

Chicago Simmers Over School Closings. Is That Bad For Mayor Emanuel?
Christian Science Monitor, MA, May 29, 2013
The Chicago Teachers Union said it was filing a lawsuit protesting the school closings, adding to two filed by parents last week. Critics say they suspect Mayor Emanuel is paving the way for charter schools.

INDIANA

Nearly $5 Million To Be Returned To Indiana Public Schools From Voucher Program
Evansville Courier & Press, IL, May 30, 2013
Indiana’s voucher program could return just under $5 million to the state’s schools this year — nearly $800,000 more than last year, the state’s top school finance officer said Wednesday.

LOUISIANA

State School Board May Stop Landry/Walker Merger 2 Months Before New School Year
Times-Picayune, LA, May 29, 2013
Inching past the 11th hour, a committee of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted Wednesday to consider delaying or stopping an unpopular merger between the West Bank high schools L.B. Landry and O. Perry Walker, two months before students are supposed to start.

Teacher Evaluation Change Clears Committee
The Advocate, LA, May 29, 2013
A bill that would prevent public school teachers from facing sanctions before their job evaluations are complete won approval Wednesday in the Louisiana House Education Committee.

MARYLAND

Staffing Frederick Classical Charter School
Frederick News-Post, MD, May 30, 2013
The Frederick Classical Charter School, by definition and intent, differs from the standard-model Frederick County Public Schools elementary school. FCCS’ curriculum, teaching methods and educational environment are designed to promote learning via a classical three-stage “trivium” consisting of grammar, logic and rhetoric.

Give Consumers Control Of School Spending
Baltimore Sun, MD, May 29, 2013
It’s easy to bash Baltimore schools for wasting federal money on extravagant chicken dinners when that money was supposed to serve some of the neediest children in the state, but this type of behavior, in a slightly more tame fashion, is routine (“Audit faults schools over federal funds,” May 23).

Baker Addresses Community About Prince George’s Schools Plan
Washington Post, DC, May 29, 2013
Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III apologized Tuesday for surprising residents and state lawmakers with his plan to take over the county’s struggling schools but said he does not regret offering the proposal.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Derry Charter School Hits Its Target Of 30 Students For First Year
Union Leader, NH, May 30, 2013
There will be a full house at the Next Charter High School when it opens its doors for the first time this fall.

NEW YORK

Why Charter School Myths Are Spreading
New York Daily News, NY, May 30, 2013
With Bloomberg on his way out, opponents hope this is a moment to slow a transformational education reform movement

Teach-Eval Final Debate
New York Post, NY, May 30, 2013
The state’s education boss is set to impose a new evaluation system for city teachers and principals by Saturday — now that a last-ditch deadline for a deal has come and gone.

NORTH CAROLINA

N.C. House Dems Blast Voucher Plan
New & Observer, NC, May 29, 2013
House Democrats panned the plan to offer parents vouchers send their children to private schools, saying it was an irresponsible use of tax money and a step in dismantling public schools.

OHIO

Charter School To Open In Former Goodyear Headquarters In East Akron
Akron Beacon Journal, OH, May 29, 2013
A charter school operator who touts its extended school days, longer school year and relatively high-performing classrooms is expanding into Akron and plans to open in the former Goodyear headquarters.

PENNSYLVANIA

Know Facts About Local Charter School
Pocono Record, PA, May 29, 2013
As a former administrator at Pocono Mountain Charter School, 2007-2011, I apologize for some facts you have not heard or may have forgotten. First, the teachers at the school work for 40 percent less while traveling from five counties. That’s about $20,000 per teacher savings.

School Officials Blast Education Funding Formulas
Delaware County Times, PA, May 29, 2013
Local school officials and education policy officials voiced concerns about problems with current public education funding formulas during a Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee hearing Wednesday.

Pittsburgh Public Schools Principals Believe Evaluations Are Helping Teachers To Improve
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, May 29, 2013
An A+ Schools report dated today shows that 49 city principals surveyed believe the district’s evaluation system is helping teachers to improve rather than just being punitive.

TENNESSEE

Ex-Lobbyist: Public Education Endangered
Oak Ridger, TN, May 29, 2013
From school vouchers to charter schools, a former Tennessee Education Association lobbyist painted a verbal portrait of an endangered public education system at a recent “Lunch with the League” meeting.

WASHINGTON

Spady Continues His Pursuit Of Charter-School Success
Everett Herald, WA, May 30, 2013
No name is more synonymous with charter school fights in Washington the past two decades than Spady.

WISCONSIN

Charter Schools, Voucher Plan Hit Snags
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, May 29, 2013
Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to create a statewide charter school board has hit a roadblock as lawmakers are considering removing it from the next two-year budget.

Wait For Test Data Before Expanding Vouchers
Journal Times, WI, May 29, 2013
The state’s Joint Finance Committee was scheduled Wednesday to take up the controversial budget provision that would expand school vouchers to communities beyond Racine and Milwaukee. However, lawmakers have not been able to reach a consensus on what to do and, for the time being, this proposal is at a standstill.

ONLINE LEARNING

Head Of Virtual Charter Group Resigns With School’s Fate In Limbo
Beacon News, IL, May 29, 2013
The woman who headed a nonprofit trying to bring a virtual charter school to 18 school districts in the Fox Valley area has resigned.

Fate Of Charter Appeal Uncertain
Daily Herald, IL, May 29, 2013
When Gov. Pat Quinn signed a one-year moratorium on the establishment of new virtual charter schools into law, suburban administrators expected an end to the appeal process currently under way for one such school.

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Ray Fisman: Do Charter Schools Work?
Twin Falls Times News, ID, May 29, 2013
On June 4, 1991, Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson signed into law a bill that set in motion one of the most significant — and controversial — education reform movements in modern history. Minnesota’s charter school law allowed educators and other concerned individuals to apply to the state for permission to operate a government-funded school outside of the public education system.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Parent Trigger Group In Watts Votes For ‘Choice’ School
San Bernardino Sun, CA, May 28, 2013
The third group of parents to successfully use California’s parent trigger law has chosen to turn their Watts school into a “school of choice.”

COLORADO

What Lobato Lawsuit Did For Colorado Schools
Denver Post, CO, May 29, 2013
The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision declaring the state’s education funding system passes constitutional muster was the right call, but it should not be the last word on how Colorado pays for schools.

CONNECTICUT

No Local Charter School For Bridgeport
CT Post, CT, May 28, 2013
There will not be a local charter school in the city next year. By a rare unanimous vote, the nine-member school board on Wednesday rejected an application that would have allowed a plan to create a locally funded charter school, using a Montessori education model, in the former Whittier School on the city’s west side.

DELAWARE

Appeal Over Charter School Bus Funds Prompts Legislative Rule Tweak
Delaware News Journal, DE, May 29, 2013
A Democratic lawmaker urged the budget-drafting Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday to change the rules for funding transportation at Delaware charter schools, arguing the current system lacks transparency and is at odds with other education funding provisions.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Maya Angelou Charter School Wipes Out Zeros For Students
Washington Examiner, DC, May 28, 2013
A student at Maya Angelou Public Charter School can fail to complete any assignment or even not show up at school and still get a 40 percent for the quarter under a new grading policy.

IDAHO

Proposed Charter School Seeking State Approval
Idaho Mountain Express Guide, ID, May 29, 2013
Syringa Mountain School, a charter school proposed for Blaine County, has now filed its petition for approval with the Idaho Public Charter School Commission.

ILLINOIS

Embattled UNO Charter School Leader Steps Aside, Stops Short Of Resigning
WBEZ, IL, May 28, 2013
UNO announces it is shaking up its boards of directors and will adopt tougher oversight and procurement measures amid scandal.

CPS High School Graduation Rates Continue To Rise
Chicago Tribune, IL, May 29, 2013
A week after his hand-picked Board of Education approved the contentious closing of 49 elementary schools, Mayor Rahm Emanuel touted rising graduation rates as a sign that the district is on the right track.

MASSACHUSETTS

Message To Take From High Ratings? Teachers Can’t Do It All
Boston Globe, MA, May 29, 2013
I FIND it curious that the Globe reports as a problem that under the new state teacher evaluation system, 92 percent of Boston teachers are rated as proficient (“Ratings high for most Hub teachers,” Page A1, May 24).

Charter School Support Could Cost Connolly
Boston Herald, MA, May 29, 2013
City Councilor John R. Connolly’s support for charter schools — an issue that could boost his appeal to Boston parents as he runs for mayor — seems to have doomed his shot at netting the backing of the powerful Boston Teachers Union and its 3,500 Hub-voting teachers.

MICHIGAN

EAA Says Tests Show Student Academic Performance Improving
Detroit News, MI, May 29, 2013
The head of the beleaguered Education Achievement Authority touted test results released Tuesday as showing “phenomenal” progress in the state-run recovery district.

NEW YORK

The $20,000 Public School
Wall Street Journal, May 28, 2013
Admitting out-of-district students for a fee isn’t unusual in New York—the state sets the amount—but it typically goes on without public outreach by the school districts.

UFT, PBA Bosses Say Billions Owed In Back Pay For Union Members
New York Daily News, NY, May 29, 2013
The 94,000 members of his union have not had a raise in 4 1/2 years, he says, since the last teachers contract expired in 2009. A teacher earning $54,000 in 2009 might now be pulling down an additional $7,000 annually if the city had signed a new labor pact.

NORTH CAROLINA

White Flight Worries Durham School Leaders
Durham News, NC, May 28, 2013
The percentage of white students in the Durham Public Schools has dwindled to less than 20 percent, and school system leaders say it is a concern.

Vouchers Bill, Which Would Help Send Students To Private Schools, Passes Critical Test
News & Observer, NC, May 29, 2013
A plan to provide taxpayer money for low-income children to attend private schools cleared a significant hurdle Tuesday after hours of arguments about parental choice and the impact on public schools.

Voucher Plan A Bad Idea For North Carolina
Herald Sun, NC, May 28, 2013
The best argument supporters make about a voucher system proposed in the North Carolina House of Representatives is that it would improve public schools by creating competition.

Lawmakers’ Disastrous Path To An Inferior NC Education
News & Observer, NC, May 28, 2013
I am a proud North Carolinian – proud to be a product of public schools, proud to have spent a career in public education, proud to have served as state superintendent of Public Instruction for two terms and proud of the broad-based leadership that made our state’s public schools the envy of many others.

OHIO

Columbus School-Levy Bill Advances In Legislature
Columbus Dispatch, OH, May 29, 2013
After hearing testimony from two Columbus school-board members and others, the Ohio House Education Committee voted 16-3 today to send a bill to the full House that would require a school district property-tax issue on the November ballot.

Fulfilling Its Obligation
Columbus Dispatch, OH, May 29, 2013
Give the Reynoldsburg Board of Education credit for doing what a sponsor of a charter school is supposed to do: hold the school responsible for good academic performance and clean operation, and take action when it doesn’t measure up.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma City School Board Votes To Close Charter School
The Oklahoman, OK, May 29, 2013
The Oklahoma City School Board voted 6-2 to close Marcus Garvey Leadership Charter School during a meeting that lasted into the night Tuesday.

PENNSYLVANIA

New Pa. Bills For City School Shortfall
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 29, 2013
As the Philadelphia School Reform Commission prepares to vote on a doomsday budget with massive cuts, a state senator Tuesday announced legislation that would funnel more funds to the schools by giving the city new powers to crack down on delinquent taxpayers.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Pickens County Youth Leadership Academy Prepares For Larger Class Next Year
Greenville News, SC, May 28, 2013
As the first year at the Youth Leadership Academy comes to a close, leaders are hard at work preparing for the charter school’s second year where they will welcome a larger sixth grade class in light of demand.

TENNESSEE

Study Highlights Chattanooga Region’s Education Gap
Times Free Press, TN, May 29, 2013
A child’s shot at success in Hamilton County Schools is largely based on where he gets on the bus each morning.

TEXAS

IDEA Public Schools Reach New Graduation Milestone
San Antonio Business Journal, TX, May 28, 2013
IDEA Public Schools celebrated the seventh-consecutive year whereby 100 percent of its senior class plan to attend college in the fall.

VIRGINIA

24 Virginia Schools Apply For Third-Grade Testing Waivers
Washington Post, DC, May 28, 2013
Two dozen Virginia elementary schools, including one in Alexandria, have applied for waivers from the state Board of Education to free schools from mandatory state testing requirements in science and social studies for third-graders so they have more time to develop reading skills.

WASHINGTON

Gates Foundation Funds Group To Help Charter Schools
Seattle Times, WA, May 29, 2013
In November, Washington became the 42nd state to allow the independent public schools. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has now pledged nearly $800,000 to start a charter-school incubator for help with planning.

WEST VIRGINIA

State Rolls Out Teacher Evaluation System
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, May 29, 2013
Educators across West Virginia are going to spend the summer preparing for a new method of evaluating teachers.

Failing Education Strategies Need To Be Abandoned
Journal News, WV, May 29, 2013
No Child Left Behind, the federal school reform law launched with much fanfare, proved to be an enormous flop. Now that West Virginia has been formally excused from complying with NCLB, the question is whether its state-engineered replacement will be any better.

WISCONSIN

School Voucher Talks ‘At An Impasse’ With Committee Set To Vote
Green Bay Press-Gazette, WI, May 28, 2013
Green Bay School District officials remain hopeful an expansion of the private school voucher program to Green Bay will be removed from state budget talks.

ONLINE LEARNING

Florida Virtual School: Terrorism Stems From ‘Low Self-Esteem’
Washington Times, DC, May 28, 2013
A Florida virtual school that offers classes on Christianity and Islam is under fire for claiming that one reason that terrorists attack is due to low self-esteem — and that fundamentalist Christians are akin to fundamentalist Muslims in that respect.

Blended Learning Academy To Start Next School Year At East Hall
Gainesville Times, GA, May 29, 2013
Around 60 students will be the introductory class to what is currently being described as a blended learning academy, beginning next school year at East Hall High School.

Purcell’s New Method Of Teaching Math
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, May 28, 2013
Purcell Marian High in East Walnut Hills plans to try it in a big way next year. It will be one of the few traditional high schools in Greater Cincinnati mandating that every math class – from algebra to calculus – become a blended-learning class.

Technology And The Classroom: Girls Face Greater Challenges Balancing Digital Learning With Social Lives
Mercury News, CA, May 28, 2013
It might be tolerable if online drama only played out after school. Now, the already complex dynamics of girls’ friendships are even more complicated by increased technology in the classroom.

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NATIONAL COVERAGE

Caution and the Common Core
New York Times, NY, May 28, 2013
The rigorous Common Core learning standards that have been adopted by 45 states represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the United States to improve public schools nationally, bringing math, science and literacy education up to levels achieved by high-performing nations abroad.

Some States Push Back Against New School Standards
Associated Press, May 28, 2013
Some states are pushing back against a set of uniform benchmarks for reading, writing and math that have been fully adopted in most states and are being widely put in place this school year.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

‘Miracle’ L.A. School Board Triumph: She Thought Of Her Students
Los Angeles Times, CA, May 27, 2013
‘Fifth-grade teacher’ was underdog candidate Monica Ratliff’s ballot designation. It resonated with voters, who propelled the 43-year-old to victory over heavily favored Antonio Sanchez.

GEORGIA

New Magic Johnson Dropout Recovery Program Opens In Savannah
Savannah Morning News, GA, May 26, 2013
A new charter school program designed to get dropouts to graduate has opened in Savannah.

ILLINOIS

Legislation Requiring Younger Students To Attend Class Clears House
Southern Illinoisan, IL, May 28, 2013
Students would be required to start school sooner under a proposal endorsed by the Illinois House Monday.

How to Save UNO
Chicago Tribune, IL, May 28, 2013
The United Neighborhood Organization, one of the most influential community groups in Chicago and one of the largest charter school operators in the city, has been lurching through a crisis of its own making.

LOUISIANA

After Voucher Ruling, Online Course Plan Pared
The Advocate, LA, May 27, 2013
A state program to offer public school students online courses provided by colleges or private companies is being scaled back.

MARYLAND

Middle-Class Parents Closely Watching Changes In Prince George’s Public Schools
Washington Post, DC, May 26, 2013
With Maryland’s second-largest school system poised for a leadership overhaul and a reconfigured school board next week, one of the major challenges facing County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) is how to convince the county’s middle class that his approach to fixing the schools will be successful enough to lure their children back into the public schools.

New Report Card System Frustrates Montgomery County Parents
Washington Post, DC, May 27, 2013
Montgomery County sent home a new elementary school report card this year, with ES as the top mark, officially representing “exceptional” work. But parent Chuck Thomas thinks there is a different meaning for ES. “Elusive Secret,” he said. “That is probably more accurate.”

School System May Override Charter’s Hiring Picks
Frederick News-Post, MD, May 28, 2013
Frederick County Public Schools officials may force a new charter school to hire teachers of the county’s choosing instead of the school’s preferred candidates, according to the school’s president.

MASSACHUSETTS

Common Core Education Is Uncommonly Inadequate
Wall Street Journal, May 28, 2013
Unfortunately, Massachusetts dropped its own standards in 2010 to join 44 other states (and the District of Columbia) in adopting the flawed standards of the Common Core.

School Choice A Boon For Local Districts
Metro West Daily News, MA, May 26, 2013
With the cost to educate students steadily rising every year, several area school districts are utilizing School Choice funds to make improvements in their districts and avoid cuts to staff and programs.

MICHIGAN

Michelle Rhee’s Message Is Kids Come First, But Is Michigan’s?
Detroit Free Press, MI, May 26, 2013
Depending on whom you ask, Michelle Rhee is either the Joan of Arc of the education reform movement — a relentless warrior whose inspiration is divinely and exclusively about the kids — or the devil.

NEW JERSEY

Perseverance At A Newark School Following Midyear Teacher Turnover
Hechinger Report, May 28, 2013
More than half the instructional staff of 66 was new in the fall at Quitman, a long-struggling school in Newark’s impoverished Central Ward.

NEW MEXICO

Praise For Charter Schools
Albuquerque Journal, NM, May 28, 2013
There is an old saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that is the case, then charter schools in Albuquerque have a lot to be proud of.

Data Show Why N.M. Needs Education Reform
Albuquerque Journal, NM, May 25, 2013
Nationally, the education establishment has loved to hate the federal No Child Left Behind act since it was adopted in 2001. More than a decade later, the same attitude unfortunately applies to New Mexico implementing the necessary reforms to make NCLB’s rigid standards go away in favor of new ways to boost and measure student achievement.

NEW YORK

Teacher Evaluations, Down The Rabbit Hole
New York Daily News, NY, May 26, 2013
The New York City public schools and the United Federation of Teachers have been locked for months in a battle over the design of a new teacher evaluation system. The main bones of contention: the role that student test score improvement, or lack thereof, will play in evaluating individual educators, and what the consequences of those evaluations will be.

NORTH CAROLINA

Let’s Help Parents Open School Doors
Fayetteville Observer, NC, May 28, 2013
When it comes to who should be the ultimate decision maker and most accountable for a child’s education, the answer is not only obvious, but has been reaffirmed year after year: a strong majority of voters believe parents should ultimately have the decision-making power regarding how to best educate a child, according to a recent Survey USA poll. That’s accountability at its best.

Support Rural Charter Schools
Durham News, NC, May 27, 2013
Public charter schools in rural North Carolina present an opportunity for more school choice options and economic development in the state’s 85 rural counties.

PENNSYLVANIA

Fresh Thinking For City Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 27, 2013
The headlines coming out of the School Reform Commission meeting a couple of weeks ago were predictable: five charter-school renewals approved, one denied; protesters urging the SRC to halt charter-school expansion; others decrying the closing of public schools. All this against the backdrop of another multimillion-dollar funding shortfall and the specter of a “doomsday” budget.

A Tough Sell For Tax Increases To Help Phila. Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 26, 2013
Mayor Nutter and City Council are about to enter the backstretch of the budget season debating a menu of tax increases, offered to bail out the struggling schools, that are both unpopular and politically challenging.

Blame The Charter Schools
North Penn Reporter, PA, May 27, 2013
In response to a recent Sound Off attempting to explain how charter school funding will not impact the North Penn School District, the author’s theory sounded good in principle, but contains a flaw.

Pittsburgh Student Allowed To Transfer Schools For AP Courses
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, May 28, 2013
Policy provides students the opportunity to take advance classes elsewhere

TENNESSEE

Williamson County-Created Bill Gives Top-Rated Schools Flexibility
The Tennessean, TN, May 27, 2013
The next step in the implementation of the High Performing School Districts Flexibility Act — a bill drafted by Williamson County Schools to free Tennessee’s top-performing school districts from certain statewide mandates — is for Williamson and other such districts to formally declare their status.

TEXAS

Legislature Oks Bills Expanding Texas Charter Schools, Cutting High-Stakes Tests
Dallas Morning News, TX, May 26, 2013
Opening the door to a new wave of independent charter schools in Texas, the Legislature voted Sunday to gradually lift the longtime limit on the number of charter school operators in the state and to give the Texas Education Agency new authority to clean up troubled schools.

Logjam Breaks On Texas Education Reforms
Star-Telegram, TX, May 27, 2013
With just hours to spare, a political logjam that threatened to block Texas’ biggest education reform in years appeared to break late Sunday to allow its passage.

Charter School Bill Is Step In Right Direction
Austin American Statesman- TX, May 26, 2013
On May 17th, the Texas House passed Senate Bill 2, a massive charter-school reform bill that will, among other measures, increase the number of public, open-enrollment charter schools in the state by 10 per year, starting in 2014-2015.

UTAH

Utah International Charter School Seeks Diverse Students For Inaugural Year
Deseret News, UT, May 27, 2013
For three years, advocates for education reform and underserved populations have been quietly plowing the ground for the Utah International Charter School.

WASHINGTON

Mom Launches Effort To Open A Charter School In Tacoma
KING 5, WA, May 27, 2013
Calyn Holdaway of Gig Harbor wants to open a charter school in Tacoma.
“I recognize that there is a lot of opposition and I am not afraid of that.” said Holdaway.

WISCONSIN

We Must Resist Private School Voucher Expansion
Sheboygan Press, WI, May 28, 2013
Voucher advocates mask their reasons for expansion with statements such as, “parents should have greater choice” or “we want reform from the status quo.” On the surface, it is difficult to argue against those premises, but if you peel back the voucher onion, there are many issues to make your eyes water.

ONLINE LEARNING

Bill Would Revise Charter School Law
New Castle News, PA, May 28, 2013
A state lawmaker has proposed that all special education services for cyber school students be funneled through the state’s regional educational intermediate units.

School Districts Save Money Through Cyber School
The Sentinel, PA, May 27, 2013
In the constant battle to balance budgets, school district officials often identify one particular cost they believe should be addressed through reform — cyber school funding.

Online Learning Needs A Statewide Focus
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, May 26, 2013
Take for example the Virginia Virtual Academy. As a program of Carroll County Public Schools, the Virginia Virtual Academy offers Virginia students in grades K-8 an exceptional learning experience with individualized learning approaches online.

Charter Class Of Seniors
Augusta Chronicle, GA, May 27, 2013
Congratulations to the Class of 2013! “Lucky 13” is our first graduating class of seniors from Georgia Connections Academy, our state’s free public virtual charter school.

Georgia Parents, Students And Teachers Get Access To 70,000 Online Resources
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, May 27, 2013
The Internet age came a step closer to education in Georgia this month as the state put online its catalog of 135 digital courses and 20,000 instruction resources.

State Bans New Online Charter Schools For 1 Year
Chicago Tribune, IL, May 27, 2013
New law follows rejection by several school districts in western suburbs of nonprofit’s proposal for online program

Move Cautiously On Virtual Teaching
Mississippi Daily Journal, MS, May 27, 2013
More and more parents choose to home school their children. National statistics show the number of home schooled children grows about 7 percent each year.

Legislature OKs Expanding Virtual Course
My Fox FW, TX, May 28, 2013
The state Legislature has passed a wide-ranging overhaul of high school standardized testing and curriculum standards, while also dramatically increasing the number of charter schools in Texas.

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

Is K-12 Blended Learning Disruptive?
Forbes, May 23, 2013
Today the Clayton Christensen Institute published its fourth major paper on K–12 blended learning, titled “Is K–12 blended learning disruptive? An introduction to theory of hybrids.” Clayton Christensen joined Heather Staker, who has authored all four of our papers, and me in writing this paper, which takes a different approach from our past discussions of blended learning.

STATE COVERAGE

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. Opens A Door For Charter Schools
Washington Post, DC, May 23, 2013
A LAW on the books in the District since the mid-1990s gives charter schools first priority to vacated public school buildings.

FLORIDA

Special Events Boost Charter Schools
Sun Sentinel, FL, May 24, 2013
For the city-run charter schools in Pembroke Pines, raising money to keep them running is an uphill battle.

ILLINOIS

Ex-Judge: Charter-School Operator UNO Needs ‘Robust’ Policy Against Conflicts
Chicago Sun Times, IL, May 23, 2013
The United Neighborhood Organization needs to adopt “robust conflict-of-interest” policies in the wake of a scandal that’s jeopardized tens of millions of dollars of state funding for UNO’s network of charter schools in Chicago, a retired federal judge hired by the politically influential group urged Thursday.

LOUISIANA

Slaughter Charter School Shows Gains
The Advocate, LA, May 23, 2013
The Slaughter Community Charter School made academic progress in its second year of operation, the school’s director told parents attending an awards program Thursday.

Move To Stop Common Core In Schools Fails
Alexandria Town Talk, LA, May 24, 2013
Senators on Thursday rejected a tea party-backed move to prevent implementation of a new course of study known as Common Core standards in public schools.

MAINE

Maine Panel Rejects Two LePage Education Bills
Portland Press Herald, ME, May 23, 2013
The panel votes not to support student transfers out of struggling schools or more than 10 charters.

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston Teachers Receive High Ratings
Boston Globe, MA, May 24, 2013
The Boston Public Schools has rated 92 percent of all teachers as proficient or exemplary under a new evaluation system, according to a School Department analysis that officials held up as evidence that most students are receiving quality instruction in the classroom.

MICHIGAN

Is Teacher Merit Pay What’s Best For Michigan?
Michigan Radio, MI, May 23, 2013
As the 2012-2013 school year winds down, one of the issues occupying the attention of state lawmakers is teacher pay. In essence: what should determine teacher salaries in Michigan?

32 New Michigan Charter Schools Set To Open In Fall 2013
Michigan Radio, MI, May 23, 2013
This fall, 32 new charter schools are scheduled to open in Michigan. According to MAPSA, there are currently 232 charter public schools in Michigan with over 100,000 enrolled students.

Grand Valley State University Is Growing Its Charter Schools
Grand Rapids Press, MI, May 23, 2013
Six of 32 new charter schools scheduled to open this fall, including Covenant House Academy Grand Rapids, will be authorized by Grand Valley State University (GVSU).

Detroit School Reform Agency Embellished Bid To Get $35M In Funds
Detroit News, MI, May 24, 2013
Education Achievement Authority officials overstated their authority to take over failing schools across Michigan in a bid to win a $35.4 million federal grant — six weeks before they began operating in September.

MISSOURI

Only A Few Students Defy A School’s High Turnover Rate
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, May 24, 2013
Nikiya Phillips was all jitters, as most 12-year-olds would be, before delivering the speech this week at her sixth-grade promotion at Cote Brilliante Elementary School.

NORTH CAROLINA

The Tipping Point: Arapahoe Charter, Pamlico Schools, And ‘Choice’ In Rural NC
WUNC, NC, May 24, 2013
This is a story about choice. And it starts in the lunch line at Arapahoe Charter School in Pamlico County when students choose between pizza and french fries.

NORTH DAKOTA

Standardized Testing Not The Best Way To Educate Students
Williston Herald, ND, May 24, 2013
We support accountability. There has to be some standard to ensure students are taught the basic requirements before they move on. For generations, a handful of schools across the country moved students through without giving them an education. So finding a way to ensure all students receive a good education is important. But the AYP standards are clearly not the right way to do it. When more than half the schools in North Dakota failed to make adequate progress, it’s a sign that something is wrong.

OHIO

Columbus Schools Proposals Go Before Lawmakers
Columbus Dispatch, OH, May 24, 2013
State lawmakers spent time today getting details about a plan to create an independent auditor for Columbus City Schools and share the district’s property taxes with charter schools.

PENNSYLVANIA

Charters Join Phila. School District In Seeking Aid
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 24, 2013
The drumbeat for more money for Philadelphia’s taxpayer-funded schools continued to rumble across the city Thursday. At a West Philadelphia rally, leaders from more than 20 city charter schools, who at times have been at odds with the district, joined its campaign to obtain more state and city aid to cover a looming $304 million shortfall.

VIRGINIA

Home Schooling On The Rise In Virginia
Fairfax Times, VA, May 24, 2013
Across the United States, a growing number of parents like Wilson have chosen home schooling as an alternative to public schools. In Virginia, the number of home-schoolers has increased by more than 50 percent over the past decade, according to the Virginia Department of Education.

WASHINGTON

Tacoma School Board To Hold Off On Charter Start-Ups
Bellingham Herald, WA, May 24, 2013
The Tacoma School Board opted out of the charter school business Thursday night — at least for now. Board members, who voted 4-0 with one member absent, said they might reconsider their decision in the fall. But they said there are too many unknowns for them to meet the July 1 deadline established by the state Board of Education for school districts to apply to become charter authorizers.

WISCONSIN

Voucher Program Expansion Should Not Be In Budget
Green Bay Press-Gazette, WI, May 23, 2013
Two years ago the Joint Finance Committee tried to include the Green Bay School District in the expansion of the voucher school program. The inclusion wasn’t part of Gov. Scott Walker’s 2011-13 budget proposal; the committee added it late in the process. It was eventually removed after loud, bipartisan opposition.

Dollars Grease Skids For School Choice
LaCrosse Tribune, WI, May 24, 2013
Wisconsin has long played a pivotal role in the national movement to redirect taxpayer dollars to private, often parochial, schools. And money — much of it from out-of-state — has played a huge part in that process.

ONLINE LEARNING

Rising Cyber-Charter Costs Fuel Push For Statewide Reform
Philadelphia Notebook Blog, PA, May 23, 2013
Even as funding for Pennsylvania public schools has dwindled, the cost of sending students to independent, online charter schools has risen in more than three-quarters of Pennsylvania’s 500 traditional school districts.

Fayetteville Contracts With A+ Online Learning Program
News Democrat, NC, May 24, 2013
In order to compete with the growing trend of students choosing an online education over public schools, Fayetteville-Perry’s Board of Education approved the purchase of a five-year contract with A+ Online Learning for under $28,500 at the May 16 board meeting. Superintendent Raegan White said the contract will help Fayetteville-Perry compete with online universities,

APS Drops Digital Academy Sponsorship
West Side Leader, OH, May 23, 2013
The charter school started by the Akron Public Schools (APS) in 2002 to capture some of the students leaving to study online will no longer be associated with the APS.

Canon Online Academy Students Graduate From Program
Canon City Daily Record, CO, May 23, 2013
Families of middle school and high school students have a number of options to get a solid education and enter college or join the workforce.