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FROM THE STATES

ALABAMA

Common Core Controversy
Times Daily, AL, February 28, 2013
More than 100 people crowded into the Alabama House chamber for a public hearing Wednesday on legislation that would repeal education standards known as Common Core, previously adopted by the state school board for the public schools.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

DC Public Schools Start Campaign To Hang Onto Students
Washington Examiner, DC, February 27, 2013
DC Public Schools has started an “aggressive” campaign to persuade parents whose children attend one of 15 schools being closed not to abandon the school system for charter or private schools.

Plan Approved For D.C.’s Largest Charter School
Washington Examiner, DC, February 27, 2013
The DC Public Charter School Board has approved what could become the District’s largest charter school.

FLORIDA

Seminole: New Evaluations Imperil Good Teachers’ Jobs
Orlando Sentinel, FL, February 27, 2013
Seminole County schools are among the highest performing in the state. Yet hundreds of Seminole teachers could end up with poor job reviews next year under Florida’s proposed system for calculating teacher evaluations.

Florida Democrats Seek To Cushion Expected Changes To Charter School Law
Tampa Bay Times Blog, FL, February 27, 2013
Majority Republicans in the Florida House and Senate have made no secret of their desire to expand the reach of charter schools in the state, with legislation filed to give charters more access to construction funds and to allow even more growth of the publicly funded, privately run schools.

GEORGIA

Jerguson Recommended For Charter Council
Cherokee Tribune, GA, February 28, 2013
Former state Rep. Sean Jerguson was recommended to fill a recently vacated seat on Cherokee Charter Academy’s Local Governing Council during its meeting Wednesday.

IDAHO

Idaho Legislature Considers Overhaul Of State’s Charter School Law
Boise State Public Radio, ID, February 28, 2013
Idaho lawmakers are considering a re-write of the state’s charter school law. Thursday they’ll hear from the public.

Committee Advances Charter School Funding Bill
Coeur d’Alene Press, ID, February 27, 2013
A House committee has taken a step toward putting Idaho’s collection of charter schools in a better financial position to pay their monthly building and maintenance bills.

ILLINOIS

CPS Cracks Down On Underperforming Charters
Chicago Tribune, IL, February 27, 2013
The Chicago Public Schools board indicated it plans to place more scrutiny on the academic and financial performance of charter schools, approving plans Wednesday to gradually close two charters and warning six others that they’ll have to shape up or face the same fate.

INDIANA

New Charter Approved If Requirements Met
The Journal Gazette, IN, February 28, 2013
The Indiana Charter School Board voted 5-1 Wednesday to approve a Carpe Diem Indiana charter school for Fort Wayne – with some conditions.

Imagine Says Ball State Is Not Communicating
The Journal Gazette, IN, February 28, 2013
Imagine MASTer Academy board President Pat Sheean expressed frustration during a meeting Wednesday about the lack of communication with Ball State University, which is the charter school’s authorizer until June.

Charter Schools Could Be The New Educational Battle Ground
WIBC, IN, February 27, 2013
While the state awaits a decision from the Indiana Supreme Court on the legality of its school voucher program, the new education battle ground may be charter schools.

LOUISIANA

Education Superintendent John White Will Present Alternative Funding Method For School Vouchers
Times-Picayune, LA, February 28, 2013
State Education Superintendent John White said on Wednesday that he will float a voucher-funding proposal Thursday that could sidestep the law’s pending appeal to the state Supreme Court.

Jindal’s Charter Authority Expansion Initiative Falls Flat In First Year
Times-Picayune, LA, February 27, 2013
It was one of the more controversial provisions of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s 2012 education reform package: allowing local nonprofits, public agencies and colleges to grant charters to schools. But when the deadline passed last week for interested entities to submit a letter of intent, not a single group wanted in.

MASSACHUSETTS

State OKs School Charter A Second Time
Haverhill Gazette, MA, February 28, 2013
When students at teachers at Silver Hill Horace Mann Charter School returned from February vacation, a surprise was waiting for them.

NEVADA

The Doral Academy Is An Example Of How To Create An ‘Arts-Integration’ Charter School In A Lot Of Not Particularly Easy Steps
Las Vegas City Life, NV, February 27, 2013
Whoever heard of something rising from the ashes of a phoenix? That’s what’s taking place just off the 215 Beltway on the far west side of town. Doral Academy of Nevada charter school is moving into a former University of Phoenix campus and plans to hold its first classes in August.

NEW JERSEY

Charter-School Reform, On Back Burner, Starts to Heat Up Again
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, February 28, 2013
Talk of revising the state’s charter-school law is picking up again, with one major player now saying that he plans to have a bill ready by spring or early summer.

PENNSYLVANIA

Reading Board Denies Application For Charter Middle School
Reading Eagle, PA, February 28, 2013
An application to create a new charter middle school in Reading was denied Wednesday night by the Reading School Board.

Pittsburgh School Board Rejects 2 Charter Schools; 3rd Tabled
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, February 28, 2013
The Pittsburgh Public Schools board Wednesday night rejected two applications to open charter schools this fall and tabled a third, effectively denying it because of requirements to act within a certain time window.

Lehigh Valley Superintendents Implore Lawmakers For Charter, Special Education Funding Reforms
Lehigh Valley Express-Times, PA, February 27, 2013
A group of Lehigh Valley superintendents today detailed the impact of state budget cuts on their districts and implored Democratic legislators to reform Pennsylvania’s charter school laws.

RHODE ISLAND

Teacher Evaluations Too Lengthy; Won’t Help
Valley Breeze, RI, February 27, 2013
The new teacher evaluation system in Rhode Island requires too much of a teacher’s time to implement and requires teachers to change many of their long-held teaching techniques. Many teachers feel that this new system will burn them out and decrease their effectiveness.

TENNESSEE

TN Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman Says Charters Can Serve Better
The Tennessean, TN, February 28, 2013
Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman thinks most school systems are big bureaucracies that waste money that should be spent on students. At least that is what he told an audience of about 60 people Wednesday at Vanderbilt University.

Charter Schools Hurt MNPS
The Tennessean, TN, February 28, 2013
Charter schools are not the answer to the problems of the Metro Nashville Public Schools.

TEXAS

Big School Reforms Should Be The Goal, Jeb Bush Says
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TX, February 27, 2013
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush urged Texas to swing for the fences when overhauling public education, telling state senators Wednesday that he was able to transform foundering schools in his home state with big — if often unpopular — ideas.

WASHINGTON

Coalition Files Legal Challenge To State Charter-Schools Law
Seattle Times, WA, February 27, 2013
A coalition of educators and community groups on Wednesday filed a legal challenge with the state attorney general, questioning the constitutionality of Washington’s new charter schools law.

Washington Attorney General Plans to Follow Voters’ Will on Charter School Law
KNDO, WA, February 28, 2013
Washington State’s Attorney General says his job is to follow the will of the voters when it comes to the charter school law.
And that’s what he plans to do in response to a legal challenge to that voter-approved charter schools law.

Any Charter School Is One Too Many For State Teachers’ Union
MyNorthwest, WA, February 27, 2013
The Washington Education Association is challenging the law voters approved last fall to create up to 40 charter schools in the state within the next five years.

WEST VIRGINIA

Education Bill May Be On Fast Track In Senate
The Herald-Dispatch, WV, February 28, 2013
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s public education reform bill — introduced only three days ago — is considered to be on the fast track in the West Virginia Senate. But Sen. Erik Wells, D-Kanawha, predicted Wednesday that the Senate Education Committee will be preparing a committee substitute before sending it to the Senate Finance Committee.

WISCONSIN

More than 120 Schools Plan to Participate in Voucher Program in the Next School Year
WUMN, WI, February 27, 2013
The state Department of Public Instruction says 123 private nonsectarian and religious schools have registered to accept students in the coming school year, as part of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Another 13 schools have registered to participate in the school choice program in Racine.

Scott Walker’s Plan Would Give Charter Schools More Autonomy
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, February 27, 2013
Wisconsin school boards would have less control over their own charter schools under Gov. Scott Walker’s state budget proposal.

ONLINE LEARNING

Bill To Incentivize Year-Round School, Blended Learning Clears Committee
Deseret News, UT, February 27, 2013
More schools may consider implementing a year-round schedule or blended learning in classrooms if a bill advanced Wednesday by the Senate Education Committee becomes law.

Senate Approves Online Charter School Moratorium
Associated Press, February 28, 2013
New Mexico would impose a temporary moratorium on new fully online charter schools under a proposal approved by the Senate.

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

Biggest Study Ever Says KIPP Gains Substantial
Washington Post Blog, DC, February 27, 2013
KIPP, previously known as the Knowledge Is Power Program, has had more success than any other large educational organization in raising the achievement of low-income students, both nationally and in the District. But many good educators, burned by similarly hopeful stories in the past, have wondered whether KIPP were for real.

KIPP Students Show Major Improvement, Study Finds
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 27, 2013
A Princeton-based research firm’s analysis of the KIPP national network of charter schools found KIPP middle-school students made substantial gains in core subjects over a three-year span.

Choice In Education
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 27, 2013
America’s public schools have played a role in reducing inequality and increasing the bonds between people of diverse backgrounds.

Colo. Democrat Visits Miss. To Offer Insights On Charter Schools
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, February 27, 2013
Peter Groff is likely a name few have heard, but back in Colorado he was one of the state’s leaders for education reform. The former Colorado lawmaker was a strong voice for school choice, equitable funding and providing more freedom for individual districts and schools.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Deasy Group Aids 3 School Board Candidates
Los Angeles Times, CA, February 26, 2013
A coalition that wants to bolster support for the L.A. schools superintendent has raised more than $3.2 million on behalf of its preferred candidates. Teachers oppose two of them.

Short-Sited: How Horizon Charter School’s $800,000 Investment Went Wrong
Auburn Journal, CA, February 27, 2013
But this blemish on one of the state’s longest running charter schools, one of the largest nonprofits in Placer County – its $19 million revenue stream funded by more than 99 percent of public money – is still fresh in the minds of some parents and teachers who invested themselves in one of Horizon’s more popular programs.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Board Votes To Allow California Nonprofit To Open Up To 8 DC Charter Schools By 2019
Washington Post, DC, February 27, 2013
A Washington charter school board has voted to allow a California nonprofit to open up to eight charter schools in the district.

D.C. Clamps Down On Low-Performing Charter Schools, Approves Rocketship
Washington Post, DC, February 26, 2013
One struggling D.C. charter school will shrink at the end of this academic year, another will be acquired by a high-performing school and a third will close if it fails to show improvement over the next several months, the D.C. Public Charter School Board decided Monday.

FLORIDA

Somerset Parents, Neighbors Unhappy With School’s Plans To Move Campus To Kendall
Miami Herald, FL, February 26, 2013
Somerset Academy is drawing the ire of both parents and neighbors in Coral Gables and Kendall as it expands its charter school empire.

IDAHO

Things To Think About Before Starting A Charter School
Magic Valley Times-News, ID, February 27, 2013
Charter schools are an interesting idea. They form because a dedicated group of parents and teachers decide that a certain model of education is worth exploring. From the moment they open their doors, they benefit from something typical public schools lack: automatic parent and student buy-in. They are blessed with students who chose to attend the school and teachers who believe in the mission.

Committee Advances Charter School Funding Bill
Idaho Statesman, ID, February 26, 2013
Idaho charter schools would be eligible for state funding to cover a portion of their facilities and maintenance costs under a bill advanced by the House Education committee.

ILLINOIS

Measuring Up: How Should A Charter School’s Success Be Measured?
Medill Reports: Chicago, February 26, 2013
Walk through Auburn Gresham just north of the Dan Ryan Woods and you’ll find a striking building that looks as if it was imported from Rome a century or so ago – four columns facing 80th Street.

INDIANA

New Charter Met With Opposition At Meeting
The Journal Gazette, IN, February 27, 2013
Officials from a charter school hoping to locate south of downtown were met with hostility Tuesday during a public hearing.

Fort Wayne Needs To Move ‘Debate’ About Charter Schools To More Productive Area
News-Sentinel, IN, February 27, 2013
Fort Wayne Community Schools board president Mark GiaQuinta asked, during his time to speak during a public meeting about a potential charter school that would be located on the former campus of Taylor University, that the Indiana Charter Schools Board delay its potential authorization vote scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday.

KANSAS

Committee Rejects Plan To Hold Back Third-Graders
Topeka Capital-Journal, KS, February 26, 2013
Two Topeka legislators joined four colleagues on the Senate Education Committee in rejecting Gov. Sam Brownback’s plan to hold back third-graders who struggle with reading.

KENTUCKY

Persistently Low-Acheiving Schools Could Become Charters Under Kentucky Senate Bill
WKYU, KY, February 26, 2013
Kentucky’s persistently low-achieving schools would be able to become charter schools to improve performance and test scores under a bill discussed Tuesday in the state Senate Education Committee.

MASSACHUSETTTS

Charter Schools See Big Surge In Mass.
Boston Globe, MA, February 27, 2013
State education officials this week approved five new charter schools and expansion of 11 existing schools, extending an enrollment surge since the state passed a landmark education ¬reform bill in 2010.

State Approves Controversial Charter School
Salem News, MA, February 27, 2013
The state education board yesterday approved a controversial new charter school in Saugus whose district will include Salem, Peabody, Danvers and Lynn.

MICHIGAN

Grading Detroit Schools: Volunteers Make Mark On Classrooms
Detroit News, MI, February 27, 2013
Wells was leading a team of reviewers from Excellent Schools Detroit, a coalition of Detroit’s education and community leaders that has developed a citywide education plan for all Detroit children to be in “excellent” schools by 2020.

NEVADA

Fixing Teacher Evaluations Key
Reno Gazette-Journal, NV, February 27, 2013
Every student deserves a great teacher, and every teacher deserves to be treated like a professional. To realize these goals in Clark County, we have to do more to support our teachers. The first step is implementing a useful teacher evaluation system — one that gives teachers clear expectations, regular feedback, chances for professional growth and recognition of exceptional work.

NEW JERSEY

NJ Pilot Program Would Offer Choice Of Better School
Asbury Park Press, NJ, February 27, 2013
Sidestepping the ongoing legislative battle to pass the Opportunity Scholarship Act, Gov. Chris Christie announced he would publicly fund a $2 million pilot program to offer students from failing school districts a chance to attend a better school.

Christie Won’t Give Up on School Voucher Program
NJ Spotlight, NJ, February 27, 2013
Despite coming close to being passed on occasion, a school voucher program is the one major piece of Gov. Chris Christie’s education agenda that he’s never been able to push through — unlike tenure reform, charter schools, and performance pay for teachers.

Christie Budget Includes $97M More For N.J. Schools, But Critics Warn It’s Far From Enough
The Record, NJ, February 26, 2013
But the New Jersey Education Association — the state’s largest teachers union — and other critics immediately complained that the increase was insufficient and would result in cuts to programs, staff and services at a time when schools face costly mandates for updating teacher evaluations and gearing up for new standardized tests.

NEW MEXICO

Panel To Challenge Skandera’s Authority Over Charter Schools In Court
The New Mexican, NM, February 26, 2013
The state Public Education Commission voted unanimously Tuesday afternoon to appeal Secretary of Education-designate Hanna Skandera’s recent approval of two charter schools to District Court.

NEW YORK

Union-Run School Wins Short Reprieve
Wall Street Journal, February 27, 2013
February The New York City teachers union has two years to fix academic and administrative problems in its Brooklyn charter school or it will be shut down, state officials said Tuesday.

A Charter Snowball
New York Post, NY, February 27, 2013
A whopping one-third of the children enrolled in kindergarten in Harlem these days attend charter schools — an under-appreciated yet critical fact, and perhaps the hinge upon which the future of public-school choice in New York City swings.

NORTH CAROLINA

Bill Would Have State Treat Charter Schools As Governments For Land Transactions
WRAL, NC, February 26, 2013
County governments and school districts would be able to sell or lease buildings for less than fair-market value to charter schools under a bill that cleared the Senate State and Local Government Committee Tuesday.

Superintendents Speak Out On Privatization, Grading Schools
News & Observer, NC, February 26, 2013
School superintendents oppose any plan that would use public money to support private K-12 education, and warned legislators Tuesday that privatization would set up a two-tiered education system based on class, both funded with taxpayer money.

PENNSYLVANIA

Expand Charters To Help Those In Closing Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 27, 2013
In light of the concerns raised by the announcement of school closings in the city, our colleagues at Philadelphia Charters for Excellence (PCE) want School District officials and families to know that we are here, standing by to welcome more students into our schools.

Harrisburg School Board Approves CASA Charter Application
Patriot News, PA, February 26, 2013
Right now, Harrisburg has an $11 million budget deficit and is expecting its charter school tuition payments to more than double from $6 million to $14 million next year.

Best Practices: Pittsburgh’s Schools Can Learn From Each Other
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, February 27, 2013
Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Linda Lane is a realist. The latest demonstration of her straightforward approach to leading the region’s largest public school district is her decision to hold a meeting with officials from city charter schools.

TENNESSEE

Test-Based Teacher Pay Considered
The Dickson Herald, TN, February 26, 2013
Research conducted by a new analytics team within the Tennessee Department of Education reveals that teachers with multiple degrees do no better at teaching than those with less experience and education.

Tennesseans Split On School Voucher Plan
The Tennessean, TN, February 27, 2013
Tennesseans remain split on Gov. Bill Haslam’s plan to spend state money on private schooling for poor children in failing public schools, but views differ sharply by race, according to a new poll from Middle Tennessee State University.

Democrats Push To Improve Education
The Tennessean, TN, February 26, 2013
Like many of you, we firmly believe that a first-rate system of public education is the cornerstone of a prosperous, free and just society. But we are all too aware that thousands of children in Tennessee are trapped in persistently failing schools that are part of troubled school systems.

TEXAS

GOP Leaders Of Texas House, Senate Underscore Divide In School-Voucher Debate
Dallas Morning News, TX, February 26, 2013
House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst painted a clear contrast in their stances on school choice Tuesday, with Straus warning that a school voucher bill is unlikely to pass the House.

VIRGINIA

Loudoun County Rejects Proposal For Math, IT Charter School
Washington Post, DC, February 26, 2013
Loudoun County School Board members, many of whom campaigned to expand school choice, turned down their only pending charter school application Tuesday night after months of scrutiny and a storm of allegations that the applicants have hidden ties to a Muslim preacher.

WASHINGTON

State Schools Chief Talks Charter Schools, Education Funding
Q13 FOX, WA, February 26, 2013
Charter schools were approved by voters last fall and many supporters had hoped they would start as soon as this fall. But, it’s now clear things are moving slower than planned. In fact, the first charter schools won’t open until the fall of 2014 at the earliest.

WEST VIRGINIA

Legislators Should Pass The School Reform Bill
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, February 27, 2013
As state Senate President Jeff Kessler pointed out to Mannix Porterfield of the Register-Herald in Beckley, the state has devoted 60 percent to 65 percent of its general revenue budget to education for 30 years.

WISCONSIN

Fix School Funding Rather Than Expanding Vouchers
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, February 27, 2013
Education is getting next to nothing in Gov. Scott Walker’s budget. To the governor’s credit, the budget targets extra money for some schools rather than just throwing money in the pot. Only he missed the target by pumping state money into unaccountable private voucher schools.

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.

Report: Low Graduation Rates Mean Billions In Missed Income For Dropouts, State Budgets
Washington Post, DC, February 25, 2013
High school dropouts are costing some $1.8 billion in lost tax revenue every year, education advocates said in a report released Monday.

Teachers Not Gung-Ho On Guns At School
USA Today, February 26, 2013
The online survey of 10,661 teachers and administrators from all 50 states, due out Wednesday, was conducted in late January by the School Improvement Network.

FROM THE STATES

ALASKA

Three ‘Maybes’ And Two ‘Maybe Nots’
Juneau Empire, AK, February 26, 2013
The discussion on school choice or education vouchers has me wondering if, maybe, I should embrace this idea.

ARIZONA

Online Tool Shows How Proposed Performance Funding Affects AZ Schools
Capital Times, AZ, February 26, 2013
A new online tool is designed to help parents, students, teachers and school leaders around Arizona see how newly-proposed performance funding will benefit their local schools.

CALIFORNIA

Black Students’ Learning Gaps Start Early, Report Says
Los Angeles Times, CA, February 26, 2013
African American pupils are far less likely to take college prep classes and more likely to miss school because of suspensions, a group finds, calling for strong intervention.

Parents Claim Families Breaking Residency Rules To Enroll Kids In Popular Studio City School
CBS Los Angeles, CA, February 25, 2013
Some parents claim families are breaking residency rules in order to enroll their children in a popular Studio City charter school.

FLORIDA

Cape Charter Schools Asking For Lee Co. Money
NBC2 News, FL, February 25, 2013
Cape Coral Charter Schools’ top boss is asking for what he calls a “fair share” of district money. Monday night he took his case to city leaders in hopes they’ll back him.

IDAHO

Why Idaho May Be Headed For A Fight Between School Districts And Charter Schools
Boise State Public Radio, ID, February 25, 2013
Tuesday lawmakers in Idaho’s House Education Committee hear from the public and vote on a bill to give more money to charter schools.

ILLINOIS

Chicago Public Schools Under The Wire With Increasing Charter Schools
Examiner.com, February 25, 2013
During President Obama’s recent visit to Chicago he spent much time, publicly touting the ways, and even the possible means, to address the physical safety of the nation’s children, “When a child opens fire on another child, there is a hole in that child’s heart that government can’t fill.

INDIANA

FWCS Draws Line On New Charters
The Journal Gazette, IN, February 26, 2013
With one member objecting, the Fort Wayne Community Schools board Monday approved a resolution in opposition to any new charter schools planning to conduct classes within the district’s boundaries.

State’s Voucher Bill Devalues Sacrifice
The Journal Gazette, IN , February 26, 2013
The Indiana school voucher program is unfair to thousands of Hoosier parents who are getting hosed.

LOUISIANA

KIPP Leaders Track Recent 70-Student Loss
The Lens, LA, February 25, 2013
KIPP’s New Orleans enrollment has dropped by 70 students, with an estimated half of those moving out of the area and others moving to other local schools.

MAINE

LePage Voucher Plan For Low-Income Pupils Is Met With Concerns
Portland Press Herald, ME, February 26, 2013
Some lawmakers say Maine is already cutting school funding, so it doesn’t make sense to siphon off more money.

MARYLAND

Montgomery County Teachers Union Might Fight State About Evaluations
Maryland Gazette, MD, February 25, 2013
Montgomery County’s teachers union might be preparing to fight the Maryland State Department of Education regarding the department’s new requirements for teacher evaluations.

Board Members Seek Input, Expertise During Process To Open Carroll’s First Public Charter School
Carroll County Times, MD, February 26, 2013
Board members from the nonprofit Sustainable Futures, Inc. made a request for expertise at its first public meeting Monday night. The group is working on an application to open a Montessori public charter school in Carroll County, the first of its kind.

MASSACHUSETTS

Renaissance Charter School On Probation
Boston Globe, MA, February 26, 2013
State officials placed the Boston Renaissance Charter School on probation Monday, formally putting the school on notice that it must improve student academic performance or risk closure when its charter comes up for renewal in two years.

Committee Approves A Plan That Would Restrict Choice
Boston Globe, MA, February 25, 2013
After a year of deliberations, a special committee convened by the mayor proposed a new student-assignment system in Boston that would allow more children to attend school in their own neighborhoods while still allowing an element of choice.

NEBRASKA

Nebraska Education Chief Slams Charter School Bill
World-Herald, NE, February 26, 2013
Nebraska Education Commissioner Roger Breed came out swinging Monday against a bill that would allow limited charter schools to be created in Omaha.

NEW MEXICO

Dispelling Charter School Myths
Albuquerque Journal, NM, February 26, 2013
For the next couple of months in this column, I am going to focus on dispelling some of the myths about charter schools. Although charter schools have been in existence in many states for many years, and in New Mexico since 1999, they remain somewhat of a mystery to many people.

NEW YORK

City Revises Figures for Parent Involvement
Wall Street Journal, February 26, 2013
In September, it seemed that the Department of Education wasn’t living up to its promise to get parents more involved in schools: An annual statistical report from Mayor Michael Bloomberg showed steep drop-offs in the number of parents attending meetings and workshops, and administration critics said it reflected deep dissatisfaction among parents.

UFT’s Own Charter In Trouble
New York Post, NY, February 26, 2013
A charter school run solely by the city teachers union could be shut down after state education officials identified a slew of serious academic, financial and management failures.

Citing ‘Urgency,’ Georgia Governor Ousts 6 Members of DeKalb County School Board
New York Times, NY, February 26, 2013
Gov. Nathan Deal removed six members of the DeKalb County School Board on Monday, trying to save the state’s third-largest school system by exercising a relatively new power in Georgia that allows him to supersede the choice of voters.

OHIO

Panel Selects 4 State Superintendent Finalists
Columbus Dispatch, OH, February 26, 2013
A State Board of Education subcommittee yesterday named four finalists for state school superintendent.

PENNSYLVANIA

Pittsburgh Charter And City Schools To Meet
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, February 26, 2013
Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent Linda Lane is trying to thaw the deep freeze in relations between the school district and charter schools.

Bear Creek Charter Fleshes Out Details Of Project
Times Leader, PA, February 25, 2013
It was another lengthy meeting for the Bear Creek Community Charter School board of trustees on Monday as it continued to drill down on the details of a $10 million new-school project.

Millcreek School Board Rejects Biosciences School
Erie Times-News, PA, February 26, 2013
The members of the Millcreek School Board turned down plans for a proposed new school in Millcreek Township, saying organizers did not have an adequate site and their curriculum was too similar to the Millcreek Township School District’s.

TENNESSEE

Herenton Says School Board Delaying On His Memphis Charter Requests
Commercial Appeal, TN, February 25, 2013
Former mayor Willie Herenton says the school board is purposefully dragging its feet on a decision to allow him to turn Northside High and Orleans Elementary into charter schools.

TEXAS

Not So Fast On More Charter Schools
Austin American-Statesman, TX, February 25, 2013
It was the “say what?” provision in the ambitious bill filed last week by state Sen. Dan Patrick to overhaul Texas’ charter school law: require public school districts to lease unused or underused buildings to charter operators for $1. By week’s end, Patrick, deflecting the backlash by blaming the provision on a clerical error, promised a rewrite.

Trustee: School Vouchers Hurting HCISD Funding
Valley Morning Star, TX, February 25, 2013
When the Harlingen School Board voted recently to oppose vouchers for private school attendance, they said they were trying to protect an already underfunded public school system.

School Districts Expanding Choices Of Students, Parents
Star-Telegram, TX, February 25, 2013
Public school districts are mobilizing to show that “school choice” is more than private-school vouchers and charter school startups.

Grand Prairie School-Choice Program’s Applications Double In Second Year
Dallas Morning News, TX, February 25, 2013
As Texas school funding is squeezed, districts like Grand Prairie ISD are using creative ways to address the problem by expanding educational choice.

WEST VIRGINIA

Teachers Unions Blast Tomblin School Reform Bill
Charleston Gazette, WV, February 25, 2013
West Virginia teachers union leaders swiftly denounced Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s sprawling education reform bill Monday, saying the legislation punishes teachers and does little to raise student achievement.

ONLINE LEARNING

Hill Recognized For Support Of Online Learning
Redmond Reporter, WA, February 25, 2013
Members of Washington state’s Digital Public Schools Alliance, who gathered at the state Capitol to lobby on behalf of online public schools, honored state Sen. Andy Hill with their “Pioneer Award” for his work on behalf of digital schools.

‘Flipped’ Classroom Boosts Achievement In St. Charles County Schools
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, February 25, 2013
Not many days will you find April Burton lecturing to her French classroom at Francis Howell Central High School. Instead, she gives students lessons at home, via videos posted online.

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.

Capitol Hill Education Consultant Helps Parents Navigate D.C. School Choice
Washington Post, DC, February 24, 2013
When Capitol Hill mom E.V. Downey went into business as an education consultant, she thought she’d cater to parents angling for advice on admission to private schools.

Ms. Rhee Is Tied to the Wrong Party
Wall Street Journal, February 24, 2013
Regarding Naomi Schaefer Riley’s review of Michelle Rhee’s “Radical” (Bookshelf, Feb. 19): Michelle Rhee is to be commended on her efforts to right the wrongs of our nation’s failing school system, but her largest impediment to ultimate success is her inability to make a clean break from the Democratic Party that she is so at odds with.

FROM THE STATES

ALASKA

Alaska School ‘Choice’ Amendment Is Legislative Malpractice
Alaska Dispatch, AK, February 24, 2013
Apparently before any real conversation is allowed on the flow of public money to private and religious education, the case is closed.

CALIFORNIA

Bloomberg’s Meddling In L.A. Unified Races Is Paying For Junk Ads
Los Angeles Times, CA, February 23, 2013
The wealthy New York mayor’s $1-million contribution to the Coalition for School Reform is helping fund attack ads in L.A. that distort the truth and misinform voters.

Bill Would Open The Door To Undergraduate Teaching Credentials
Ed Source, CA, February 25, 2013
For the first time in decades, aspiring teachers in California would be able to major in education as undergraduates and get both a preliminary teaching credential and a baccalaureate degree in four years if a bill in the Legislature becomes law.

COLORADO

Charter School: What Is It Really?
Reporter Herald, CO, February 23, 2013
Colorado, more than 80,000 students are enrolled in the state’s 190 charter school campuses this school year.

FLORIDA

Remedial Lessons On Charter School Expansion In Florida
Tampa Bay Times, FL, February 23, 2013
Theoretically, the role of a state legislator is simple. You are in Tallahassee to look out for the people back home. Special interest groups, lobbyists, political parties? In a perfect world, that’s just drama and noise.

Parent Trigger Bill Not Needed if Parents Got Involved in Schools
News Chief, FL, February 24, 2013
Sometimes a really nice person comes up with a really crazy idea. Such is the case of one state senator, Kelly Stargel, [R-Lakeland], and her idea of the Parent Trigger bill. This concept in effect believes that the parents of a child attending a school that receives a grade of F for two straight years is able to have a say in the specific turnaround option for that school. What?

County Issues $10.5 Million In Bonds For Charter School
Palm Beach Post, FL, February 25, 2013
Palm Beach County has pledged to help a nonprofit charter school sell $10.5 million in mostly tax-exempt bonds so it can open a new campus in Juno Beach — a move that has upset County Commissioner Paulette Burdick, who questions whether the county should aid privately run charters that pull students away from the public school district.

Cape Coral Charter Schools: Send Money
News-Press, FL, February 25, 2013
Cape Coral charter school parents have been sending emails to Lee County school board members for an urgent need: more money.

GEORGIA

Parents Pitch Charter School For Languages
Forsyth News, GA, February 25, 2013
A group hoping to launch a multi-language charter school in Forsyth County is holding a town hall meeting Tuesday night at Fowler Park.

ILLINOIS

CPS Countdown
Chicago Tribune, IL, February 25, 2013
Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett and her staff have taken an earful from concerned — OK, irate — parents, teachers, students and community leaders across the city. At public meeting after meeting on school closures, there has been emotional testimony about why a particular half-empty school should not be closed. Why students didn’t get a fair break. Why it would be dangerous to move kids. And so on.

School Closings: Combining CPS Schools Could Pose Security Challenge
Chicago Tribune, IL, February 25, 2013
When KIPP charter school was given space inside Penn elementary in North Lawndale nearly four years ago, charter students were bused from all over the West Side to a school in the heart of the “Holy City,” home turf of the Vice Lords street gang.

UNO Charter Schools Backers Support House Speaker Madigan With Campaign Cash
Chicago Sun Times, IL, February 25, 2013
Illinois House Speaker and state Democratic Party leader Michael Madigan — long a friend to Chicago’s United Neighborhood Organization — had a campaign fund-raiser last Oct. 30 hosted by the influential group’s chief executive, Juan Rangel, and its lobbyist, attorney Victor Reyes.

MASSACHUSETTS

Everett School Serves All And Isn’t Guided By Any Religious Network
Boston Globe, MA, February 25, 2013
THE GLOBE’S article (“Turkish charter schools growing,” Metro, Feb. 21) created inferences about the Pioneer Charter School of Science that are without merit.

Charter School Proposal Passed Over By State
Boston Globe, MA, February 23, 2013
A proposal to build a charter school in Brockton has failed to make the short list being recommended to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for approval on Tuesday.

MICHIGAN

EMU Official Criticizes Report Ranking Charter School Authorizers; State Official Calls For More Oversight
Ypsilanti Reporter, MI, February 25, 2013
The president of the Michigan State Board of Education is calling for more oversight of charter schools after a report said Eastern Michigan University-authorized charter schools are the second-worst performing in the state.

NEVADA

Audit Finds Suspicious Spending at Quest Academy
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV, February 24, 2013
Quest Academy has cleaned house after substantiating complaints of corruption by those at the charter school’s helm, but the punishment could continue for recently fired Principal Connie Jordan.

A Missed Opportunity For State’s Schools
Las Vegas Sun, NV, February 24, 2013
On Monday, education advocates and activists from across the state will meet at the Legislature for Education Awareness Day. Organized by the Nevada Education Coalition, the day is branded as a chance to bring attention to the idea that “a great education for all is the most effective means of ensuring equal opportunities for everyone.”

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter Schools, Vouchers Financially Linked by Gov. Hassan
Portsmouth Herald, NH, February 25, 2013
When it comes to education policy in New Hampshire, little is cut and dry and there is no shortage of interconnected budget complications.

NEW YORK

Silver Calls for Reversing Cuomo’s Cut in School Aid
New York Times, NY, February 25, 2013
In a rebuke to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s plan to withhold $260 million in school aid from New York City because it missed a deadline to finalize a system to evaluate teachers, the Legislature’s top Democrat said on Sunday that he would push to restore the money.

Better Charter Schools in New York City
New York Times, NY, February 23, 2013
From a national standpoint, the 20-year-old charter school movement has been a disappointment. More than a third of these independently run, publicly funded schools are actually worse than the traditional public schools they were meant to replace.

NORTH CAROLINA

Wake Commissioners Bid For School Ownership Heads To Legislature
News & Observer, NC, February 25, 2013
A push by the Wake County Board of Commissioners to take over school ownership and construction from the county school board will make its way to the state Capitol on Monday when county representatives meet with potential sponsors, including state Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam.

Legislature Focused On Education Reform
Winston-Salem-Journal, NC, February 25, 2013
Just one month into its general session, North Carolina’s state legislature has already proposed more than 30 bills related to education.

OHIO

Catching Charter-School Cheaters
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, February 23, 2013
Recent criminal charges filed against officials at Cleveland’s Lion of Judah Academy charter school for allegedly shifting $1.2 million in federal and state money to a personal business suggest Ohio’s monitoring of charter-school cheaters is as leaky as ever.

PENNSYLVANIA

Proposed West Easton School Lacks Defined Partners
The Morning Call, PA, February 25, 2013
When the founders of the first charter school proposed in the Wilson Area School District started searching for partners with an entrepreneurial spirit, they didn’t need to look far to find Tony D’Angelo.

Status Quo Can’t Continue
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 25, 2013
WE ALREADY know what will happen to the School District of Philadelphia if no school closures happen this year.

Nine More Philadelphia School Face Overhauls Or Conversion To Charter Status
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 24, 2013
Three more low-performing city schools will be given to charter school operators in the fall, and six more will be overhauled under Philadelphia School District management, officials said Friday.

Listen And Change
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, February 25, 2013
Regarding the Feb. 19 article “Wilkinsburg School Board Discusses Borrowing $3 Million to Maintain Cash Flow,” it’s unfortunate that some school district officials chose to blame charter schools for their own mismanagement.

Pennsylvania Invests In Training School Administrators
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA, February 23, 2013
A new state law requires that public school teachers be evaluated based on uniform standards, so the Department of Education is spending about $2 million to use an online system to train and assess administrators who would do so.

TENNESSEE

California-Based Charter School System Works To Win Over Parents Ahead Of Memphis Opening
Commercial Appeal, TN, February 24, 2013
Game night Friday was a church carnival collection of photo booth, sack races, musical chairs and treats in the cavernous Hanley Elementary. Children frolicked between stations, then turned their tickets in for prizes. Winners got purple Hanley ASD T-shirts. The rest got school supplies.

Capitol Hill Conversation – Voucher Time
Nashville Public Radio, TN, February 25, 2013
Governor Bill Haslam vaguely referenced school vouchers in his State of the State speech last month, and now his limited proposal is up for debate in the legislature. Committees begin their work on the bill this week.

Does More Choice Absolve Our Responsibility?
The Tennessean, TN, February 24, 2013
The Tennessee legislature is considering the latest in our fad cures: vouchers for families to spend tax dollars at an educational institution of their choice, and also an end run around the local school boards that have not embraced the full measure of what charter schools can do for us.

UTAH

Lawmakers Tackle Utah’s Large Class Sizes
Salt Lake Tribune, UT, February 25, 2013
Proposal » With no new funds, schools fear smaller K-3 class sizes would result in sacrifices elsewhere.

VIRGINIA

Va. Budget Funds State Takeovers Of Failing Schools
Virginian-Pilot, VA, February 24, 2013
The state budget adopted Saturday by the General Assembly includes start-up money for a new state entity that would be empowered to take over failing local schools – potentially including three in Norfolk.

WASHINGTON

Activists, Teachers Apply For Charter Schools Panel
The Columbian, WA, February 24, 2013
Education activists, teachers, lawyers, a PTA leader and a woman who used to work with charter schools in California are among the applicants to the new state commission that is expected to approve some of Washington’s first charter schools.

WISCONSIN

Scott Walker’s Budget Proposal Could Increase Charter School Growth
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, February 23, 2013
Just what is a charter school? That’s the question I get most often when I talk to people in the general public. It’s a good question. What’s going on with charter schools around here is both important and tough to grasp.

Vouchers Provide Important Choice
La Crosse Tribune, WI, February 25, 2013
In Thursday’s Tribune, there were articles from Sen. Jennifer Shilling and Rep. Jill Billings complaining about the state’s school voucher program.

Some Approve Of School Choice
Beloit Daily News, WI, February 23, 2013
Not surprisingly some parents whose children attend Rock County Christian School are in strong support of school choice, and not just for academic reasons.

WYOMING

In Wyoming, A Bare-Knuckle Fight For Control Of Education
WTAQ, WY, February 24, 2013
Thinly populated Wyoming is embroiled in debate over how to manage a school system that has achieved only moderate gains in test scores despite having one of the top five highest rates of education spending in the nation.

ONLINE LEARNING

Disputes Editorial, Defends Charter Schools
Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, PA, February 24, 2013
The Feb. 17 editorial, “Cyber schools and charter schools hurt local districts,” presents misperceptions on public charter schools in Pennsylvania.

Cyber School Plans Teaching Center In Dickson City
Scranton Times-Tribune, PA, February 25, 2013
Cyber charter school students will soon be able to leave their computer and go to a dedicated space for club meetings, science experiments and tutoring.

Online Education Creates Another Option For Students
Midland Daily News, MI, February 24, 2013
Although virtual coursework is nothing new in Midland County, the offerings have recently provided expanded opportunities for students across districts.

New ‘Flipped Classroom’ Learning Model Catching On In Wisconsin Schools
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, February 25, 2013
On a typical school night, while most chemistry students are solving homework problems, Verona High School junior Alison Ford is watching her teacher lecture on her iPod Touch.

Virtual Learning Will Open Doors
Albuquerque Journal, NM, February 24, 2013
Mexico families deserve the opportunity to choose virtual public education options for their children that are available to families in 30 other states.

Digital Learning Has Arrived For Bay Area Students, Teachers
San Jose Mercury News, CA, February 24, 2013
As politicians and academics debate the future of higher education, it is already happening — in dorm rooms, off-campus apartments and living rooms around the world.

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

Test Scores of Hispanics Vary Widely Across 5 Most Populous States, Analysis Shows
New York Times, NY, February 22, 2013
Of all the changes sweeping through the American public education system, one of the most significant is simply demographic: the growing population of Hispanic students.

Education Secretary Decries Sequestration
USA Today, February 21, 2013
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan came out swinging Thursday, directing his harshest words at congressional lawmakers before what he calls “increasingly likely” mandatory spending cuts for “real kids, real teachers and real classrooms” from sequestration this March.

Charter Schools, Through The Prism Of Economics
Detroit News, MI, February 22, 2013
How long would an organization stay in business if it continually produced a product that failed to meet standards of quality? For too long has our nation’s educational system been insulated from competition and has stagnated, failing our most marginalized children.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Charter School’s Appeal Rejected
Merced Sun-Star, CA, February 22, 2013
Almond Grove Charter School proponents are pondering their next move. Earlier this week, the Merced County Board of Education denied an appeal of a plan previously rejected by McSwain trustees to allow a charter school in their area.

Most Closed Schools Don’t Stay That Way For Long
Sacramento Bee, CA, February 21, 2013
If the Sacramento City Unified school board votes to close 10 schools tonight, chances are many will reopen soon as specialty or charter schools.

COLORADO

Charter School Wants ‘Fair Share’ Of Mill Levy Override Money
9 News, CO, February 21, 2013
When Principal Jay Cerny was asked by Cherry Creek School District leaders to support the passage of a $25 million mill levy last fall, he says he thought his school would receive more funding if successful. The measure passed. The money didn’t come.

CONNECTICUT

New Haven Charter Panel Urged Not To Endorse Elected School Board
New Haven Register, CT, February 21, 2013
One of the largest and most dividing proposed changes put forth in public hearings is to elect members to the Board of Education. They are currently appointed by the mayor. The mayor also serves as a member on the Board of Education.

DELAWARE

State Monitors Flunk Pencader, Revoke School’s Charter
News Journal, DE, February 22, 2013
Although parents and students had urged state officials to give them one more chance, the state Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to close Pencader Business and Finance Charter School.

FLORIDA

Decision In T-U Lawsuit Over Teacher Evaluations At Least Two Weeks Away
Florida Times Union, FL, February 21, 2013
The judge hearing The Florida Times-Union’s lawsuit to obtain the state’s controversial value-added teacher performance data won’t make a decision for at least two weeks.

Somerset Kindergartners in Coral Gables in Limbo for Next School Year
Miami Herald, FL, February 21, 2013
A month into the school year, when Somerset Academy Gables called to say a coveted seat had opened up, Jorge Guerra pulled his 5-year-old son George out of South Miami K-8 Center and placed him in the charter school’s kindergarten campus.

Two Florida Civil Rights Groups Oppose Parent Trigger Bill
State Impact, FL, February 21, 2013
Two civil right groups have teamed up to write resolutions against the proposed Parent Empowerment in Education bill in Florida.

IDAHO

Charter School Funding Bill Introduced
Magic Valley Times News, ID, February 22, 2013
Idaho charter schools would be eligible for state funding to help pay for building improvements and operations under a bill making its way through the House.

Don’t Look At Them As ‘Education’ Bills
Coeur d’Alene Press, ID, February 22, 2013
When Idaho voters roundly rejected Propositions 1, 2 and 3 – Superintendent Tom Luna’s “Students Come First” education reforms – it was a stinging blow to both Luna and Gov. Butch Otter. After having their proverbial hats handed to them, both promised to start over and gather professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives to craft a plan to improve K-12 education in Idaho that would have broad support.

ILLINOIS

New Schools Meet Old School Cronyism …
Chicago Tribune, IL, February 22, 2013
The United Neighborhood Organization runs some of the more innovative and effective charter schools in Chicago. UNO schools offer students, many from working-class Hispanic families, a choice, an alternative to lackluster neighborhood schools.

Chicago Public Schools Proposes Closing 2 Charter High Schools
Chicago Tribune, IL, February 21, 2013
Chicago Public Schools officials will recommend that two charter high schools be closed this year because of poor performance, officials said Thursday.

INDIANA

Failing Grade For The State’s New Grading System
News-Sentinel, IN, February 22, 2013
What a difference a year makes. Gov. Mitch Daniels and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett are gone, and the reforms they pushed through aren’t safe even with their fellow Republicans having a supermajority in both the House and Senate.

Mayoral Charter Fees Are Fair, Says Councilman
Indianapolis Recorder, IN, February 21, 2013
In his Feb. 15 opinion piece, Abdul-Hakim Shabazz criticized my recent proposal for the Indianapolis mayor to collect a nominal administrative fee from charter schools he authorizes. Unfortunately, he omitted some very important information.

Schools Chief To Keep Voucher Power
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN, February 22, 2013
GOP House Speaker Brian Bosma killed a bill Thursday that would have cut the Democratic superintendent of public instruction out of the state voucher program.

Voucher Squabble Doing Disservice To Hoosier Families
Evansville Courier Press, IN, February 22, 2013
The Indiana House Education Committee voted along party lines on Wednesday 7-4 to take oversight of the state voucher program away from the state’s new superintendent of public instruction, Democrat Glenda Ritz, and turn it over to the state’s Office of Management and Budget, which is controlled by Republican Gov. Mike Pence.

LOUISIANA

Lawmaker, Union Blast Education Changes
The Advocate, LA, February 22, 2013
State lawmakers should substitute teach for at least 40 hours a year in a school rated a “C” or lower to understand the plight of classroom teachers amid sweeping state educational reforms, a state representative said Thursday.

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston Charter School Faces Probation
Boston Globe, MA, February 22, 2013
One of Boston’s oldest and largest charter schools is facing possible probation because of declining academic achievement, a rarely ¬imposed sanction that could lead to the school’s closing.

MONTANA

Changes Could Derail School Bill
Great Falls Tribune, MT, February 21, 2013
Proposed last-minute amendments to an education funding bill by state Sen. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, before it hits the Senate floor today or Saturday could mean the death of a bill that has received broad bipartisan support early in Montana’s legislative session.

NEW JERSEY

Majority of NJ Schools Opt for Widely Used Teacher-Evaluation Method
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, February 22, 2013
As New Jersey public schools get ready for next school year’s newly mandated teacher-evaluation system, a majority of them are opting to use a system created by a Princeton-based firm.

Fort Lee Board of Education Objects to Charter Schools
Fort Lee Suburbanite, NJ, February 22, 2013
Prompted by years of parental prodding, the Board of Education agreed Feb. 11 to draft a resolution that would formally object to the formation of charter schools in Fort Lee.

NEW YORK

Judge Blocks Cuomo Cuts for Schools
Wall Street Journal, February 22, 2013
A judge temporarily blocked Gov. Andrew Cuomo from withholding $260 million in state aid from New York City, saying students shouldn’t be punished for the failure of the city and its teachers union to reach a deal on a new evaluation system.

Schools Fix Is In
New York Post, NY, February 22, 2013
So now it’s up to state Education Commissioner John King and his band of Albany bureaucrats to chum up an effective New York City teacher-evaluation system?

Brownsville Academy Co-Location Plan Withdrawn
News 12 Brooklyn, NY, February 21, 2013
The Department of Education (DOE) has withdrawn its plans to co-locate a charter school with another charter school, after months of fighting between the school and the DOE.

NORTH CAROLINA

Study Up on School Choice
Carolina Journal, NC, February 22, 2013
North Carolina conservatives have embraced parental choice and competition as indispensable elements of education reform for decades. Now that conservatives are in the majority in state government, you can expect more proposals to expand choice and competition as part of a larger reform strategy that includes higher academic standards, rigorous testing, and greater autonomy for local schools and districts to hire, retain, and compensate educators on the basis of performance.

OHIO

Ohio Federation Of Teachers Members Take Concerns About Teacher Evaluations To State Legislators
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, February 21, 2013
Members of the Ohio Federation of Teachers fanned out across the offices of state legislators today to air their concerns about new teacher evaluations and other changes in Gov. John Kasich’s proposed budget.

Charter School Opposition Flawed
Tribune Chronicle, OH, February 22, 2013
I found the recent article about the League of Women Voters forum on the costs of charter schools interesting but was disappointed that while the forum included those against charter schools, it did not include charter school proponents or parents who have chosen charter schools. The public really needs to hear all the facts before coming to a conclusion that charter schools are negative for our community.

PENNSYLVANIA

Harrisburg School District Expenses Could Grow To $180 Million
Patriot News, PA, February 22, 2013
And it means a student body down by 762, or 11 percent, in traditional classrooms citywide as 1,099 more opt to attend charter schools.

Boarding School Group Will Bring Charter Back To Erie School Board
Erie Times-News, PA, February 22, 2013
Bishop Dwane Brock’s proposed Eagle’s Nest College Preparatory Charter School was unanimously voted down by the Erie School Board Wednesday, but Brock is still optimistic his school will open in the fall.

Protesters Interrupt A Meeting To Decry Proposed Philadelphia School Closings
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 22, 2013
As the march toward the largest mass school closing in Philadelphia history continues, the voices of detractors grow louder.

TEXAS

Patrick’s Bill Could Improve Charter Schools
Dallas Morning News, TX, February 21, 2013
Let’s make this clear at the outset: There’s no magic formula for raising the achievement levels of Texas’ 5 million students, but state legislators and school districts can take various steps to give young Texans greater opportunities for a better education. One way is providing enough high-performing charter schools.

Charter School Proposal Is Being Studied
San Antonio Express, TX, February 21, 2013
Lawmakers heard hours of testimony Thursday on a bill to expand the charter school system that was introduced this week by the Senate Education Committee chairman, Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston.

Education Is Under Attack In Our State
El Pasco Times, TX, February 22, 2013
On Saturday, Texans will march down Austin’s Congress Avenue converging upon the State Capitol to advocate in the Save Texas Schools Rally.

WISCONSIN

State Superintendent Opposes Walker’s School Voucher Plan
WTAQ, WI, February 22, 2013
The state superintendent of schools says Governor Walker’s proposal to expand a voucher program needs to be reined in.

ONLINE LEARNING

West Aurora Questions Plan For Online Charter School
The Beacon-News, IL, February 21, 2013
An online charter school based in St. Charles has approached several area school district’s about the program it plans to launch in the fall.

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

Revamped GED Faces First Big Challenge
Wall Street Journal, February 21, 2013
Oldest High-School Equivalency Test Adapts to New Education Standards, With Other For-Profit Firms Quick on Its Heels

Satisfaction Tumbles For Teachers, Principals; Job Interference, Cuts Add Pressure
Washington Times, DC, February 21, 2013
The job satisfaction of teachers has plummeted to its lowest level in a quarter-century as shrinking school-district budgets take a toll on the psyche of American educators, a major study shows.

School Choice: We Can’t Help The Poor By Helping Only Them
Atlanta Journal Constitution Blog, GA, February 21, 2013
Opponents of school choice measures such as vouchers or tax-credit scholarships love to do a little two-step.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Michelle Rhee Group Donates $250,000 To Candidates In LAUSD Races
Los Angeles Times, CA, February 20, 2013
from StudentsFirst, led by the former District of Columbia schools chancellor, will benefit races of board President Monica Garcia and two other candidates.

Not Measuring Up?
Santa Maria Sun, CA, February 19, 2013
The message “S.O.S. Save Our School”—emblazoned in white on red T-shirts worn by teachers, parents, and faculty association representatives—appeared on a quarter of the crowd at a Feb. 13 school board meeting in Santa Maria.

More Students Taking And Passing Advanced Placement Exams
Los Angeles Times, CA, February 21, 2013
Nearly one-third of high school graduates nationwide took at least one of the tests and nearly one in five had passing scores in 2012, the College Board reported.

GEORGIA

DeKalb School Board To Face Charges By Accrediting Agency
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, February 20, 2013
When a private accrediting agency downgraded the DeKalb County school district last year, it said its allegations were built on “significant and irrefutable evidence.

INDIANA

Senate Panel Gives ‘F’ To School Letter Grades
Northwest Times, IN, February 20, 2013
The Senate Education Committee approved legislation Wednesday that could end Indiana’s A-F school grading system, permit some illegal immigrants to continue receiving in-state college tuition and give certain school corporations a say in whether new charter schools can open.

Bill Would Allow Some School Corps. To Approve Charters
Post Tribune, IN, February 20, 2013
School corporations that have a high number of charter schools could get more input on whether a new charter school is established within their boundaries.

Just How Scared Is Indiana GOP Of School Supt. Glenda Ritz?
Journal and Courier, IN, February 20, 2013
Say what you will about Tony Bennett, Indiana’s one-term, whirling education reform dervish. But he made a historically weak state school superintendent position strong enough that his fellow Republicans fear the woman who took him down in the 2012 election.

Bill To Ban Teacher Union Deductions Advances
South Bend Tribune, IN, February 21, 2013
Republicans sparked protests from teachers and union officials Tuesday by pushing legislation through a House committee that would bar Indiana schools from automatically deducting union dues from teacher paychecks, an issue that critics thought was off the table this year.

Republicans Seek To Take Ritz’s Power
WISHTV, IN, February 20, 2013
There’s a power struggle underway at the Statehouse and State School Superintendent Glenda Ritz is in the middle of it.

IOWA

Iowa Education Reform Bill Advances
Quad City Times, IA, February 20, 2013
The Iowa House pushed through Gov. Terry Branstad’s education reform package on a party-line vote Wednesday, moving the debate over how teachers are recruited, paid, evaluated and promoted to the Iowa Senate.

LOUISIANA

Special Education Plan May Be Illegal
Monroe News Star, LA, February 21, 2013
A plan concentrating the state’s focus on special education students and ultimately improving their graduation rates has many education stakeholders concerned that the plan may not be what’s best for the children while some say parts of it may be illegal.

MARYLAND

Test Scores A Valid Way To Gauge Teachers
Maryland Gazette, MD, February 21, 2013
As many of the state’s 24 school systems continue to struggle with crafting teacher and principal evaluations that reliably measure effectiveness, the pressures on local officials continue to mount.

‘Hybrid’ School Board Bill Defeated In State Senate Delegation
Baltimore Sun, MD, February 20, 2013
The state Senate’s latest attempt to add representation to Baltimore County’s Board of Education died again Tuesday morning when Sen. Ed Kasemeyer withdrew his support for the bill, causing a 4-4 deadlock in the Baltimore County delegation’s vote.

MASSACHUSETTS

Turkish Charter Schools Growing As Some Question Cleric Ties
Boston Globe, MA, February 21, 2013
A group of Turkish-born educators running Everett’s Pioneer Charter School of Science is poised to open another school, adding to a growing number of math- and science-focused charter schools across the country operated by Turkish-Americans.

MICHIGAN

Judge Restores Some Power To DPS Board Of Education
Detroit News, MI, February 21, 2013
For at least the next five weeks, Detroit Public Schools emergency financial manager Roy Roberts must consult with the Detroit Board of Education on a host of issues, including academics, school security and temporary school closings, under a court ruling Wednesday.

Graduation Rates Should Spark Fundamental School Reforms
Battle Creek Enquirer, MI, February 20, 2013
It’s important that we have a handle on how many high school students are graduating on time, but it’s far more important that we understand who is succeeding, who isn’t and why.

MONTANA

Several Bills Undermine Local Schools
Billings Gazette, MT , February 21, 2013
Montanans love their public schools. So it is astonishing to see several bills at the Legislature undermining taxpayer money for schools.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Hassan Hurts Poor Families By Eliminating Tuition Tax Credits
Union Leader, NH, February 20, 2013
In her budget address before the Legislature last Thursday, Gov. Maggie Hassan pledged to repeal the nascent Opportunity Scholarship Act (OSA). The law grants tax credits to businesses that help low- and middle-income students afford independent and home schooling.

NEW YORK

Plan Would Let State Take Control of City’s Teacher Evaluation System
New York Times, NY, February 21, 2013
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo proposed a measure on Wednesday that would establish a new teacher evaluation system for New York City if the Bloomberg administration and the teachers’ union remained at odds over adopting one.

Second Stanford Report Finds Gains for NYC Charters
WNYC Schoolbook, NY, February 20, 2013
Students in New York City charter schools make larger learning gains, on average, in both reading and mathematics, according to a new report from Stanford University researchers. But the gains are much more pronounced in math.

DOE Changes Plan To Co-Locate Transfer School With Charter Elementary School
NY1, NY, February 20, 2013
Dozens of public school students suing the Department of Education over a proposal to co-locate a charter school at say the city handed them a victory Wednesday night.

OHIO

Districts Try To Recover Money Lost To Charter Schools
Hamilton Journal News, OH, February 20, 2013
Area school districts are taking different approaches to recoup the millions of dollars they are losing to charter schools each year.

OREGON

Senate Education Committee To Discuss Private-School Tax Credits Bill Today
Statesman Journal, OR, February 20, 2013
An Oregon lawmaker wants to ask voters to allow tax credits to pay for tuition at private and religious schools.

PENNSYLVANIA

High Pay For School ‘Chef’ An Unappetizing Move
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 21, 2013
Even though LEAP’s food budget is mostly paid through funds received from the federal school breakfast and lunch programs, it is unsettling to see its chef being paid so much.

Pa. Took $8.7 Million From Philadelphia School District, Gave It To Charters
Philadelphia Inquirer Notebook Blog, PA, February 20, 2013
The Philadelphia School District’s losing fight to limit enrollments at individual charter schools has a new price tag: $8.7 million and counting.

No Need For Charter Schools Here
The Reporter, PA, February 20, 2013
No need for charter schools The North Penn School District does not need three, two, or one charter school(s). Let the folks interested in starting the charter schools find a school district that is really struggling.

City School Board Says No to Championship Academy
York Dispatch, PA, February 21, 2013
Championship Academy of Distinction has been denied in its efforts to become the sixth charter school in the York City School District.

Erie School Board Rejects Two Charter School Proposals
Erie Times-News, PA, February 21, 2013
The Erie School Board rejected applications for two proposed charter schools Wednesday night.

RHODE ISLAND

‘You Come First,’ Almond Assures School Officials During BV Prep Lease Talks
Valley Breeze, RI, February 20, 2013
With multiple people talking at once, and even the use of the superintendent’s “teacher voice,” the special Lincoln School Committee meeting last Wednesday was more animated than usual as members and officials discussed the future of Fairlawn School, and how charter schools affect the district.

TEXAS

Charter-Friendly HISD Doesn’t Like Sen. Dan Patrick’s Charter School Bill
Houston Press Blog, TX, February 21, 2013
Sen. Dan Patrick’s charter school bill has drawn the ire of the one school district that probably would have been the most favorably inclined to support it: Houston.

WISCONSIN

Expert: Walker’s School Choice Plan Could Spark Another Act 10-Style Battle
Dubuque Telegraph Herald, WI, February 20, 2013
Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposal seeking to expand Wisconsin’s voucher and charter schools could serve as another political lightning rod in the charter school movement, possibly bringing a return to massive Capitol demonstrations, according to a national charter education expert.

New Open Enrollment Law Makes School Choice Easier
Lacrosse Tribune, WI, February 21, 2013
Tiffany McGathy couldn’t leave the Onalaska School District without knowing her son and two daughters could stay at the local schools.

K-12 Education Budget Would Target How Schools Perform
Wisconsin State Journal, WI, February 20, 2013
Much of the roughly $277 million in new money for K-12 education is focused on performance measures — bonuses for top-rated public schools, voucher and independent charter school expansion for districts with low-rated schools, and funding for mandatory ACT and 4K-2 reading tests and teacher evaluations.

ONLINE LEARNING

Cape Cod Educators Get Rundown On Virtual Schools
Yarmouth Register, MA, February 20, 2013
About a dozen Cape and Islands educators learned more about what the new Commonwealth Virtual Schools Act would mean for their school systems during a presentation by the VHS Collaborative at the Cape Cod Collaborative in Osterville last Friday.

Group: Districts Overpay For Cyber Schools
Chambersburg Public Opinion, PA, February 20, 2013
Local school districts pay too much under state law to fund cyber charter schools, according to a new organization dedicated to reform.

Cyber Academy Continues To Evolve With Technology
Rio Rancho Observer, NM, February 20, 2013
If you want to learn first-hand the way a bill comes about, you go to the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.

Oregon’s Largest Charter School Miseducated Student For Years, Graduated Her Unable To Read Or Write
The Oregonian, OR, February 20, 2013
Katherine Brafford is a young woman of sparkling intellect whose interests span from genetics to Gregorian chant. She also has a rare vision impairment that has worsened to the point that she needs the same services as someone who is blind.

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NATIONAL COVERAGE

Education Panel: To Close Achievement Gap, Urgent State, Federal Action Needed
Washington Post, DC, February 19, 2013
The nation must act urgently to close the achievement gap between poor and privileged children by changing the way public schools are financed, improving teacher quality, investing in early-childhood education and demanding greater accountability down to the local school board level, according to a report issued Tuesday by an expert panel.

Closing Education Achievement Gap: Blue-Ribbon Panel Offers Blueprint
Christian Science Monitor, MA, February 19, 2013
Better teacher training, accessible early-childhood education, and school-finance reform are key components to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students, says a report.

MAP: States Pass Parent Trigger Laws
Columbian Missourian, MO, February 19, 2013
According to National Conference of State Legislatures, seven states have enacted a version of the parent trigger law.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

San Jose Unified To Sue County School Board Over Rocketship Education
San Jose Mercury News, CA, February 19, 2013
Anxious about its ability to plan where to locate schools, the San Jose Unified School District plans to sue the Santa Clara County Board of Education for allowing Rocketship Education to build a K-5 charter school next to the Tamien light rail station in San Jose.

Huge Spending Gaps Between School Districts, Report Finds
Los Angeles Times Blog, CA, February 19, 2013
Vast inequities still exist in education funding across the nation, contributing to an academic achievement gap that separates the students at well-funded schools from those who attend campuses with fewer resources, according to a report released Tuesday.

Campaign Finance Reporting Should Include School Boards
Silver City Sun News, CA, February 20, 2013
The reason we have campaign finance reporting is so voters can know who is trying to influence both the election and also the activities of those in office after the election is over.

FLORIDA

A Look At How Charter Schools Work
WWSB ABC 7, FL, February 1, 2013
Charter schools have become a popular choice for parents and students across the Suncoast, and many say that’s because of their non traditional teaching style.

Charter Schools: Still Sucking After All These Years
Orlando Weekly, FL, February 19, 2013
As Florida’s public education system continues its corporate-sponsored descent into the proverbial meat grinder, to the misguided chants of “choice,” you should probably know that your elected friends in Tallahassee are busy greasing that grinder so that your kids’ minds are minced that much more quickly.

GEORGIA

Dekalb County School Board Sues To Avoid Suspension, Eliciting Outrage From Parents And Employees
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, February 19, 2013
The DeKalb County school district filed a lawsuit Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to derail a process that could unseat all nine members of the school board.

IDAHO

Beware Motives Of Education Reform
Idaho Mountain Express and Guide, ID, February 20, 2013
Perhaps you haven’t heard that ALEC has come to Idaho. The American Legislative Executive Council claims to be a nonprofit charity with one of its missions to “improve education.” But don’t be fooled. This national organization of businesses and legislators brought us the Luna laws of 2012. Its interest is in influencing our legislators to pass laws to benefit corporations—for example, for out-of-state businesses to sell computers to Idaho schools.

DaVinci Charter School in Garden City to Close Friday, Impacting 130 Students, 18 Staff
Idaho Statesman, ID, February 19, 2013
Due to a budget shortfall, a charter school that has been operating in Garden City since the fall of 2006 will close its doors on Friday, school officials said.

ILLINOIS

Chicago Teachers Union Members To Run Against CTU President Karen Lewis’ Leadership Team
Chicago Tribune, IL, February 20, 2013
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis successfully tapped into the wrath of frustrated members and took on Mayor Rahm Emanuel last September when she led the city’s first teachers strike in 25 years.

Chicago Charter School Enrollment Climbs, Still Behind Many Other Major Cities
Chicago Magazine, IL, February 19, 2013
One of the ongoing tensions in the Chicago school closure debate has been the fear that the closing of public schools isn’t just a response to declining enrollment in neighborhoods that have shed school-age population (and most, though not all, are):

INDIANA

School Voucher Oversight May Change
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN, February 20, 2013
Indiana’s new Democratic state schools superintendent would no longer oversee the private school voucher program that she has opposed under a proposal approved Tuesday by a Republican-controlled legislative committee.

Failing Schools Would Face State Takeover More Quickly Under House Bill
Indianapolis Star, IN, February 19, 2013
Struggling schools could face state takeover much more quickly under a wide-ranging bill to overhaul the state’s A to F grading system for schools.

Rise of a Shadow School
Journal Gazette, IN, February 20, 2013
Carpe Diem charter school appears to have no local student or parent interest, but it does have a plan to collect as much as $550,000 a year in rent from Indiana taxpayers. With three Fort Wayne charter schools set to close, efforts are under way to keep the money flowing to schools promising more than they so far have delivered.

State Board Visits Marshall Academy
The Journal Gazette, IN, February 20, 2013
The Thurgood Marshall Leadership Academy board heard a report Tuesday from the Indiana Charter School Board about its accountability system for charter schools.

IOWA

House GOP Debates Education Reform Package, Vote To Come Wednesday Morning
Radio Iowa, IA, February 20, 2013
Members of the Iowa House debated a variety of education reform ideas for almost five and a half hours Tuesday evening, including a proposal to raise beginning teacher salaries. House Republicans settled on $32,000 as the minimum salary for rookie teachers.

LOUISIANA

Council Demands Reform From School Board
Opelousas Daily World, LA, February 20, 2013
Of the system’s six failing schools, five are in Opelousas. Creswell Elementary, in its fourth consecutive failing year, will close May 24 after the school board voted unanimously to do so after the state Recovery School District made a recommendation to take over the school.

Orleans Parish School Board President Fails To Win Support For Controversial Moves
Times-Picayune, LA, February 19, 2013
In the first full Orleans Parish School Board meeting of 2013, new President Ira Thomas tried to exercise his power on several fronts. In the end, though, all of his controversial moves were blocked.

Time Ticking For Charter School
Monroe News Star, LA, February 20, 2013
The Rev. Roosevelt Wright and members of the group representing Excellence Academy Inc. will travel to Cincinnati to meet with the Internal Revenue Service to ensure the charter school meets a deadline set by the Monroe City School Board.

Parent Group Prepares New Fight Against SBR School District
The Advocate, LA, February 20, 2013
Leaders of a Baton Rouge parent group formed a year ago to oppose the creation of a new Southeast Baton Rouge school district told an audience of about 45 people Tuesday night that they are gearing up to do it all over again.

MASSACHUSETTS

Chester’s Choices
Worcester Telegram, MA, February 20, 2013
State Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester last Friday gave his blessing to five charter school proposals, meaning that nearly 1,600 additional Boston children will have greater educational opportunities, along with hundreds of kids in Chelsea, Everett and Springfield.

MICHIGAN

Battle Over DPS Control Headed To Court Today
Detroit News, MI, February 20, 2013
Officials with Detroit Public Schools will be in court Wednesday morning searching for a legal resolution over day-to-day academic and financial disputes in the district.

MISSOURI

Children Living In Poverty Need Well-Funded Public Schools
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, February 20, 2013
I read the article “Charter success” (Feb. 17) with great interest and am delighted that this particular charter school has been successful in ways that other charter schools have not. I found a balance to the reporting as the concern, which I deeply feel, about the lack of funding for our city public schools, and the disadvantage to the children who live in poverty and whose parents are not savvy enough to either value education or to advocate for quality education for their own children.

NEW JERSEY

Two Newest Paterson Charters Are Well Connected — With Established Networks
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, February 20, 2013
The latest charter schools approvals may indicate the state is leaning toward providers with proven track records

NEW JERSEY

Gov. Cuomo Must Produce A Solid Teacher Evaluation Plan
New York Daily News, NY, February 20, 2013
While the terms are not yet public, Gov. Cuomo appears to be moving toward imposing a teacher evaluation system on the city that would avoid all the tricks and traps sought by the United Federation of Teachers.

NEW YORK

State To Speed Up Its Intervention In City’s Teacher Evaluations
New York Daily News, NY, February 20, 2013
After Mayor Bloomberg and the teachers union missed a deadline last month for an evaluation scheme, Cuomo pulled more than $240 million in state funding for city school. A source says the new evaluation system could be put in place by July 1.

NORTH CAROLINA

Plagiarism Charge Leveled Against Prospective Charter School
Charlotte Observer, NC, February 19, 2013
A Charlotte charter school’s plan to open in August could be derailed by accusations that the operators copied another school’s application. The dispute raises questions about North Carolina’s readiness to deal with a deluge of requests to create new, nontraditional public schools.

Wake School Board Opposes Giving Up School Ownership
News & Observer, NC, February 19, 2013
Amid heated debate over whether it would cause more harm than good, the Wake County school board passed a resolution Tuesday opposing the transfer of school ownership to county commissioners.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma School For The Blind Relieved To See Charter School Bill Fail
News On 6, OK, February 19, 2013
Supporters of the school for the blind are breathing a sigh of relief, after a senate committee shot down a proposal they say would have threatened the school in Muskogee.

PENNSYLVANIA

LEAP Academy Parents Show Support Amid Chef Controversy
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 20, 2013
Trustees of the LEAP Academy University Charter School heard an outpouring of praise from parents Tuesday for the difference the Camden charter has made in the lives of children enrolled there, despite questions raised this week about a $24,000 raise for the school’s executive chef.

New Philly District Plan Spares 11 Schools From Closing
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 20, 2013
Eleven city schools once headed for closure, merger, or relocation will be spared under new recommendations issued Tuesday by Hite. During the course of two months, Hite said, he heard a lot of good ideas and, “naturally, those led to an amended set of recommendations.”

Harrisburg School Board Denies Charter Bid by Capital Area School for the Arts
Patriot-News, PA, February 19, 2013
Harrisburg School District officials voted down an application Tuesday for charter school status from the Capital Area School for the Arts.

TENNESSEE

Nashville Foes Win Delay In Charter Authorizer Fight
The Tennessean, TN, February 19, 2013
Tennessee lawmakers stepped back from a controversial proposal to create a new state authorizer for school charters following a backlash from officials in Nashville and Memphis.

Dean Must Not Cave In To State On Charter Process
The Tennessean, TN, February 20, 2013
Metro is the envy of the state — successful and forward-focused. The state legislature loves messing in Metro’s business. Evidence the recent passage of a bill to invalidate Metro contracting policies.

Big Changes Could Be Coming To Charter Schools Bill
News Channel 5, TN, February 19, 2013
A bill in the state legislature giving charter schools a way to bypass school boards in Nashville and Memphis is under renovation.

TEXAS

Senate Bill Would Allow Charter Schools To Multiply
American-Statesman, TX, February 19, 2013
The number of charter schools in Texas could explode under a new bill being pushed by Senate Education Committee chief Dan Patrick, R-Houston.

Charter Schools Lost In Lawsuit, Hope To Win In Legislature
KUHF-FM, TX, February 19, 2013
In the latest lawsuit over Texas school funding, charter schools got their day in court. They didn’t get the ruling they wanted earlier this month — but charter schools still hope to win in the state Legislature.

VIRGINIA

Real Consequences For Va.’s Failing Schools
Washington Post, DC, February 19, 2013
CRITICS OF A PLAN by Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) that would allow the state to take over chronically failing schools argue that local officials should be given more time to get things right.

WISCONSIN

Walker’s Voucher Plan Goes Too Far, Too Fast
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, February 19, 2013
We have long supported choice in public education. We still believe that, despite its flaws, the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program should have a place in the cafeteria of publicly funded options for city parents.

School Voucher Expansion Proposal Flawed
Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, WI, February 19, 2013
Republicans in the state Legislature have walked in lockstep with Gov. Scott Walker on virtually every major issue since he took office in January 2011. Whether it is collective bargaining, a new mining bill or tax cuts for the middle class, party lawmakers are on board with the governor.

ONLINE LEARNING

Canton Considers Cyber Charter School Reform
Daily Review, PA, February 20, 2013
Some cyber charter school funding reform bills were discussed at the recent Canton Area School Board meeting. A copy of a legislative report from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) that board members reviewed at the meeting lists two reform bills.

Lawmakers Delay Vote On Nullification, Advance Virtual Schools Regulation
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, February 20, 2013
A proposal to tighten enrollment requirements at online-only schools passed a House committee on Tuesday after an amendment failed that would have allowed school districts to close failing schools.

Wauwatosa School District To Launch Online Program
FOX6Now, WI, February 19, 2013
The Wauwatosa School District will launch a tuition-free statewide virtual learning program for the 2013-2014 school year.

‘N.M. Virtual Schools Day’ at Capitol
Albuquerque Journal, NM, February 20, 2013
Kyla Anderson’s 14-year-old son had tried traditional public school and private school before he enrolled in the fully online New Mexico Virtual Academy.

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

K-5 Teacher Overload: Too Many Trained, Not Enough Jobs
USA Today, February 18, 2013
The nation is training twice as many K-5 elementary school teachers as needed each year, while teacher shortages remain in the content specific areas of math, science and special education.

Union Fights Mike in LA
New York Post, NY, February 19, 2013
Mayor Bloomberg and teachers union boss Randi Weingarten are going head-to-head again — this time in a high-stakes, bitter national fight over school reform in Los Angeles.

Forthright Case For Merit Pay
Republican American, CT, February 19, 2013
There are three fundamental arguments for merit pay for public school teachers. First, it’s the American way — hard-working, intelligent, competent people with substantial academic and professional attainments tend to earn more than their less accomplished peers.

Devil’s Advocate: NCLB Policies Leave Whole Schools Behind
Daily Titian, CA, February 19, 2013
No Child Left Behind has left whole schools and school districts behind. Standardized tests with little to no real world applicability are being weighed more than skills that don’t have a multiple choice answer. Instead of teaching children why, we have resorted to only teaching them how.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

3 Top Oakland Schools At Risk Of Closure
San Francisco Chronicle, CA, February 18, 2013
Three of the highest-performing schools in the state are on the verge of being shut down by the Oakland school board, a decision that will pit passionate students and parents against district officials trying to safeguard taxpayer cash.

COLORADO

Sen. Mike Johnston Unveils Bill To Revamp School Finance In Colorado
Denver Post, CO, February 19, 2013
Colorado’s first major school finance bill in nearly 20 years would trigger new ways to calculate how state and local money pays for education and — if voters approve — add additional revenue for items like full-day kindergarten for all and preschool for at-risk kids.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C.’s Only All-Boys Public School To Close
Washington Examiner, DC, February 18, 2013
The District’s only all-boys public school plans to close at the end of the school year, sparking concerns among parents about what will become of the school’s 230 students.

FLORIDA

Charter Schools Say Their Teachers Will Be Evaluated The Same As District Teachers
StateImpact, FL, February 18, 2013
The way charter school teachers are evaluated has become a source of conflict for teachers and for lawmakers in Tallahassee.

Could Proposed Teacher Pay Hikes Get Performance Tie?
WOKV, FL, February 18, 2013
As Florida Governor Rick Scott works to shore up support from education officials for his proposal on teacher pay raises, he may need to answer some questions from lawmakers who have final say on the action.

GEORGIA

Dekalb’s Eugene Walker To Relinquish School Board Chairmanship
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, February 18, 2013
Days before a showdown that could lead to the ouster of the DeKalb County school board, the leader of the embattled group announced he is relinquishing his role as point man.

INDIANA

School Voucher Expansion Scaled Back
Palladium-Item, IN, February 18, 2013
Republican lawmakers scaled back a proposal Monday that could have opened Indiana’s private school voucher system to thousands of more students.

Slowing School Vouchers? Not Quite
Journal & Courier, IN, February 18, 2013
On Feb. 5, the Journal & Courier published an editorial advising Indiana lawmakers to slow down the push to expand the school voucher program.

IOWA

Branstad Says He’s OK With House Making Education Reform Voluntary
Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA, February 18, 2013
That’s what Democrats said happened to Gov. Terry Branstad’s education reform initiative last week when House Republicans took the centerpiece of the plan and made it voluntary.

KENTUCKY

Southern Kentucky School System in Line for State Takeover
WKU Public Radio, KY, February 18, 2013
The State Board of Education will meet in special session Wednesday to consider taking over management of a southeast Kentucky school system. The Monticello Independent school district has waived its right to appeal a state takeover. The problems plaguing Monticello schools are not academic.

LOUISIANA

Vouchers, Teacher Evaluations Discussed By Baton Rouge Education Panel
Times-Picayune, LA, February 18, 2013
A group of Louisiana teachers, lawmakers and education experts met in Baton Rouge Monday night to discuss the state of education as an ongoing battle with Gov. Bobby Jindal’s education overhaul advances to the state’s Supreme Court.

Orleans Parish School Board Looks To Nullify Contracts Of Interim Superintendent, Charter Schools Chief
Times-Picayune, LA, February 18, 2013
In a surprise move, the Orleans Parish School Board is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to nullify the contracts of interim Superintendent Stan Smith and the board’s deputy superintendent for charter schools, Kathleen Padian. The information came out when the board’s agenda was released 24 hours before its monthly meeting.

MICHIGAN

Michigan Ranks Fourth In Charter School Strength
Central Michigan Life, MI, February 18, 2013
The Center for Education Reform ranks Michigan fourth among the 43 states with charter schools for strength of charter school laws in 2013.

MONTANA

Empower Parents By Offering Effective Charter Schools
Montana Standard, MT, February 19, 2013
As I write this, I am sitting in a high school classroom, filling in as a substitute for the regular classroom teacher. My students are precious treasures, full of potential and of great value. I love working with them, and it grieves me at how badly we are failing them.

NEW JERSEY

Two Paterson Charter Schools Get Tentative Nod
The Record, NJ, February 19, 2013
Two elementary charter schools received preliminary approval to open during the next two school years as part of the state’s mission to expand educational choices in the city, the state Department of Education said.

N.J Charter Schools Decry Lack Of Public Funding For Facilities
Asbury Park Press, NJ, February 18, 2013
The New Jersey Charter Schools Association highlighted the facilities issues plaguing the state’s charter schools in a report it released in January.

NEW YORK

Independent Teachers Group Demands Albany Eval Plan
New York Post, NY, February 19, 2013
A group of reform-minded city teachers is taking to the airwaves today to demand the state impose a teacher-evaluation system on the Big Apple soon, The Post has learned.

Peekskill’s Assumption May Become Charter School
Journal News, NY, February 18, 2013
A founding board has started the process of getting state education approvals to house a charter school in the Assumption School building.

How Many Ineffective Teachers Are Actually Out There?
Washington Post Blog, DC, February 19, 2013
How many New York City public schoolteachers are so incompetent that they should be fired? That’s the 250-million-dollar question that must be addressed by both sides wrangling over what kind of teacher-evaluation system the city is going to build.

OHIO

Charter-School Operators Want Local Tax Money
Columbus Dispatch, OH, February 19, 2013
A group of charter-school operators voiced support for receiving a share of Columbus City Schools’ tax money before Mayor Michael B. Coleman’s Education Commission yesterday, and several panel members were receptive.

OKLAHOMA

Students’ Futures Should Guide Every OKC School Board Policy
The Oklahoman, OK, February 18, 2013
THREE new members of the Oklahoma City School Board are about to learn something their predecessors learned the hard way: The job is more difficult and change is harder to come by than they ever imagined.

TENNESSEE

Capitol Hill Conversation – State Charter Authorizer vs Local Control
Nashville Public Radio, TN, February 19, 2013
Charter schools have returned to the state legislature’s front burner. A proposed bill that is facing some bi-partisan resistance would allow the state to authorize new charters.

Opponents Speak Out Against Charter Authorizer Bill
NewsChannel 5, TN, February 18, 2013
Members of the State Legislature, and Metro School board and Council are uniting in an effort to defeat a bill that would give the state the final authority to approve charter schools in both Nashville and Memphis.

Metro Officials Pan Authorizer Bill
The Tennessean, TN, February 18, 2013
Members of the Metro Council, the school board and the state legislature panned a bill that would take away Nashville’s ability to review new charter schools and urged Mayor Karl Dean and House Speaker Beth Harwell to walk away from it.

TEXAS

Bill Looks To Remove Charter School Cap
Longview News-Journal, TX, February 19, 2013
The head of the Texas Senate Education Committee has filed a bill lifting the cap on the number of charter schools allowed to operate statewide, and authorizing them to receive public facilities funding.

Senator Patrick Files Charter School Reform Bill
Your Houston News, TX, February 18, 2013
Senator Dan Patrick (R-Houston) filed his charter school reform bill as Senate Bill 2 in Austin on Monday, Feb. 18.

VIRGINIA

GAFFNEY: How Muslim Proselytizing Creeps Into Public Schools
Washington Times, DC, February 19, 2013
The Loudoun County School Board is reaching the denouement of a multiyear deliberation about an application for a charter school that has strong ties to Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish Islamist. His followers have already started some 135 American charter schools. Their focus is to promote an increasingly Shariah-dominated Turkey.

Senate Spikes Proposed Amendment On Failing Schools
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, February 19, 2013
A bid to amend the Virginia Constitution to allow a proposed statewide school division to take over struggling schools appears dead for the year.

WASHINGTON

State Board of Education Sets Feb. 26 Hearing On Charter Rules
News Tribune, WA, February 18, 2013
The Washington State Board of Education will hold a public hearing on draft rules governing the state’s first public charter schools when it meets Feb. 26 in Olympia, at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

WISCONSIN

Scott Walker Proposes Expanding Voucher School Program, Raising Taxpayer Support
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, February 18, 2013
Gov. Scott Walker is proposing increasing by at least 9% the taxpayer funding provided to private and religious voucher schools – an increase many times larger in percentage terms than the increase in state tax money he’s seeking for public schools.

Parents Urge Governor To Stop Special Needs Vouchers
Wisconsin Radio Network, WI, February 19, 2013
The governor’s proposal to create a school choice voucher program for special needs students doesn’t sit well with everyone.

McKinley Charter School Grades Well In Report
Leader Telegram, WI, February 18, 2013
The Eau Claire school board Monday praised McKinley Charter School for pushing its graduates to further their education after high school.

ONLINE LEARNING

Parents Seeking To Keep STREAM Academy Cyber Charter School
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, February 19, 2013
When the board of the STREAM Academy cyber charter school voted in December to close its program as of June 30 after just four months of operation, officials blamed a projected budget deficit and low enrollment for the decision.

Virtual Schools Day at the Roundhouse
Albuquerque Journal Blog, NM, February 18, 2013
Last week, I wrote about a bill that would prevent private, for-profit companies from managing charter schools in New Mexico. That bill, currently in the House Education Committee, is in some ways a response to state education chief Hanna Skandera’s decision to allow a new all-virtual charter school to open next year.

‘Flipping’ Class Gaining Momentum Among Educators
Sacramento Bee, CA, February 18, 2013
Tyler Johnstone handed his Algebra I students sheets of paper one day last week emblazoned with a letter and separated them into groups. He asked one student to find the greatest common factor.

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

How Charter Schools Choose Desirable Students
Washington Post Blog, DC, February 16, 2013
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools says this about charter schools on its Web site:

FROM THE STATES

ALASKA

Senate Leaders Bypass Education Committee On School-Voucher Measure
Anchorage Daily News, AK, February 16, 2013
In a demonstration of how politics have changed in Juneau since the last election, Senate leaders last week declared that a proposed constitutional amendment that would completely restructure public education in Alaska should bypass the Senate Education Committee.

ARKANSAS

Rural, Poor, Successful: Every Arkansas KIPP Delta Grad Accepted Into College
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, February 16, 2013
Diamond is 6 years old and in kindergarten. Her matter-of-fact approach that college is an expected step is what the charter school in downtown Helena, Ark. — KIPP Delta Public School — constantly preaches. And then it provides its 1,150 students the necessary education and guidance to make that goal attainable.

CALIFORNIA

S.F. District Raises Charter School Rent
San Francisco Chronicle, CA, February 15, 2013
Imagine renting a 1,000-square-foot San Francisco apartment for $950 – a year.

Deasy Wants 30% of Teacher Evaluations Based On Test Scores
Los Angeles Times, CA, February 16, 2013
Move surprises the teachers union president, who said such a plan had been pulled in order for L.A. schools and the teachers to reach a recent agreement.

California Gov. Jerry Brown Wants Local Control For School Districts
Contra Costa Times, CA, February 17, 2013
Jerry Brown is pushing an appealing idea: Local control for local schools. Bucking a national trend, the governor wants to back the state away from making schools account for their spending and for punishing them if their students lag in achievement.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Keeping Funds From D.C. Charter Schools Challenged
Washington Times, DC, February 17, 2013
At least two D.C. Council members say they would not support efforts by the chairman of the Committee on Education to deliberately withhold funds from public charter schools in order to slow their growth amid rising demand.

GEORGIA

Private School Tax Credit: A $170 Million Tax Diversion That Georgia Lawmakers Cloak In Secrecy. Why?
Atlanta Journal Constitution Blog, GA, February 17, 2013
State Rep. Edward Lindsey, R-Atlanta, met with the AJC Friday for a general discussion on education issues in the state.

IDAHO

Legislature’s Auditor Defends Teacher Report
Idaho Statesman, ID, February 18, 2013
With feelings still raw over voter repeal of Students Come First, the Legislature’s Office of Performance Evaluations reopened the wound for key proponents last month.

ILLINOIS

Charter School Freeze Hurts Kids
Chicago Sun Times, IL, February 17, 2013
A proposed moratorium on charter schools being considered by the Chicago City Council puts on hold the hopes of thousands of families.

IOWA

Iowa’s Education Reform Plan Goes Optional
Quad City Times, IA, February 18, 2013
Gutted. That’s what Democrats said happened to Gov. Terry Branstad’s education reform initiative last week when House Republicans took the centerpiece of the plan and made it voluntary.

KENTUCKY

Louisville Black Ministers Lobby For Charter Schools To Replace Low-Performing Schools
Louisville Courier Journal, KY, February 15, 2013
A Louisville group of African-American ministers said Friday that it wants charter schools to replace the 18 low-performing Jefferson County public schools that have been ordered to undergo overhauls.

LOUISIANA

State Forges Rapprochement
The Advocate, LA, February 18, 2013
After years of being at odds, the state of Louisiana is slowly forging a common approach with parish and municipal school districts, particularly East Baton Rouge, to give these districts greater say in the selection and placement of new charter schools.

Book: Solutions Elusive for New Orleans Schools
USA Today, February 18, 2013
In the months following Hurricane Katrina’s path of destruction through New Orleans in 2005, state officials took control of nearly all of the city’s 117 schools.

MASSACHUSETTS

For Teachers, A New Attention To Evaluations
Boston Globe, MA, February 18, 2013
Across Massachusetts, administrators are increasingly visiting classrooms this year and amassing a stockpile of notes, lesson plans, and examples of student work as they carefully judge the effectiveness of more than 68,000 teachers statewide.

Education Chief Backs Expansion Of Chinese School
Boston Herald, MA, February 17, 2013
The state education commissioner has recommended that a western Massachusetts Chinese immersion school be permitted to open a high school.

Five New Charter Schools Get Initial Nod
Boston Globe, MA, February 15, 2013
Proposals to open five new charter schools and expand 11 existing ones across Massachusetts won coveted recommendations from the state’s education commissioner Friday as part of an effort to provide more students with ¬high-caliber educational opportunities, officials announced Friday.

MICHIGAN

Teacher Unions Race To Ratify Contracts
Detroit News, MI, February 18, 2013
Less than six weeks before Michigan’s controversial right-to-work law takes effect, teachers unions across the state are clamoring to get new contracts approved, in what some observers say is an effort to get around the measure and keep dues flowing into union coffers.

MISSISSIPPI

Focus On Charter Schools: A Competition For Education
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, February 16, 2013
Almost 30,000 Mississippi students attend classes in districts where their only school options are graded D or F. About 129,000 students, roughly 26 percent of Mississippi’s public school population, are enrolled in D or F districts. But the majority of these students will never see the inside of a charter school if lawmakers approve a bill this session authorizing them.

MISSOURI

Charter School’s Success Boosts City Neighborhoods
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, February 17, 2013
They left Webster Groves in 2011 so their two young boys could get into City Garden Montessori, a charter school in the Botanical Heights neighborhood — an area once known for drug sales and murders, not stellar education.

MONTANA

Bills Would Strip Public Schools Of Needed Funds
Billings Gazette, MT, February 17, 2013
It is shocking that some Montana legislators want a corporate model for our Montana public school system. Defunding public schools by diverting education funding into a charter corporate model is the pattern across the nation that has left poor and troubled students trying to survive in abandoned and desolate public schools, while those children whose parents have money and can afford better are able to attend private and charter schools.

NEW JERSEY

Camden Charter’s Chef Gets $24,000 Raise, Drawing Scrutiny
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 18, 2013
A March 2012 menu feature at Camden’s LEAP Academy University Charter School was grilled cheese, tomato soup, peas, and fresh fruit. This month, the menu features grilled cheese, tomato soup, and strawberry applesauce.

NEW MEXICO

2 New To APS Board Have Charter School Ties
Albuquerque Journal, NM, February 16, 2013
There will be two new faces on the Albuquerque school board next month, and both new members have ties to the charter school community.

NEW YORK

School Bus Drivers End Strike, in Win for New York Mayor
New York Times, NY, February 16, 2013
The main union for New York City’s school bus drivers ended its monthlong strike Friday, handing a victory to the Bloomberg administration, which had refused to give in to the union’s demands for job protections.

It’s an East Harlem DREAM Come True: a New Charter School Beneath Affordable Housing
New York Daily News, NY, February 17, 2013
Ground has been broken for a Harlem RBI DREAM charter school, with inexpensive apartments above it, on a lot in the middle of NYCHA’s Washington Houses

NORTH DAKOTA

North Dakota Determined To Get No Child Waiver
Grand Forks Herald, ND, February 17, 2013
North Dakota is standing firm in negotiations to get a waiver that would swap a state-designed education improvement plan for provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind law.

PENNSYLVANIA

Hite Right To Adjust Plans
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 17, 2013
Philadelphians have gotten used to rallying to save public schools targeted for closure – typically to no avail.

Some Charters Make It Hard For Poor, Disabled To Get Admitted
Allentown Morning Call, PA, February 17, 2013
Students may be asked to submit a 15-page typed research paper, an original short story, or a handwritten essay on the historical figure they would most like to meet. There are interviews, exams. And pages of questions for parents to answer, including: How do you intend to help this school if we admit your son or daughter?

Under Charter Proposal, What Happens to the York City School District
York Daily Record, PA, February 16, 2013
The advisory committee looking at the future of the York City School District has yet to really evaluate a radical proposal to convert to an all-charter school system, but questions raised about the idea include what would happen to the school district.

TENNESSEE

Haslam’s Voucher Plan Is Gearing Up In TN Legislature
The Tennessean, TN, February 18, 2013
Tiffany Clay says she wants to give her sons the best education possible, and that’s why the Memphis mother favors a proposal to create a school voucher program in Tennessee.

VIRGINIA

Alexandria School Leaders Resist State Takeover Of Struggling School
Washington Post, DC, February 15, 2013
Alexandria city officials have ramped up efforts in recent years to improve the stubbornly dismal academic performance of Jefferson-Houston School. They brought in a new principal and a group of new teachers; they hired an outside turnaround consultant and math coaches; they instituted extra tutoring, drew up blueprints for a state-of-the-artmakeover and scheduled the longest school day in the city.

WASHINGTON

Disturbing Trend: Making Schools A Partisan Issue
Bellingham Herald, WA, February 17, 2013
Should every Washington public school be assigned a letter grade, similar to the grades students past and present have been given by their teachers?

WEST VIRGINIA

Principals Need To Be Able To Hire The Best
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, February 18, 2013
With spending per student above the national average and academic achievement at or near the bottom, West Virginia needs to dramatically improve its public schools system.

This Is The Year For Education Reform Action
The Herald-Dispatch, WV, February 18, 2013
Education is a process, and a very complex one at that. So, it is understandable that educators, parents and the public spend much of their time focused on the process — from school hours to teacher training and course work to extracurricular activities. But we also have to look at the results.

WISCONSIN

Union Blasts Gov. Scott Walker’s Boost In School Aid
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, February 17, 2013
Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to increase funding for voucher and public charter schools as well as his plan to create a new stream of funding to allow special-needs children to attend private schools drew immediate criticism Sunday from the state’s largest teacher union, public school advocates and a major disability rights group.

ONLINE LEARNING

Cyber Schools And Charter Schools Hurt Local Districts
The Sunday Dispatch, PA, February 17, 2013
Pittston Area superintendent Mike Garzella and Pittston Area School Board President Charlie Sciandra were in Harrisburg Tuesday as Governor Tom Corbett announcement his plan to privatize the state liquor system.

Summer Shelton: Criticisms Of Grading At Online School Unfounded
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, February 16, 2013
Earlier this week, the House education subcommittee met at the state Capitol to discuss new public school options. The room was packed with teachers, parent and students from the Tennessee Virtual Academy (TNVA) who came to support their public school.

Schools Seek Virtual Learning Blend
Gainesville Times, GA, February 17, 2013
As technology provides more avenues for learning, local school systems continue to explore ways students can use it to personalize their education.

Proposed Charter School Would Offer ‘Blended Learning’
Colorado Springs Gazette, CO, February 18, 2013
A proposed James Irwin charter school would bring together several education concepts

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NATIONAL COVERAGE

Charter Schools Put Parents To The Test
Reuters, February 15, 2013
Charter schools pride themselves on asking a lot of their students. Many ask a great deal of parents, too.

Give School Choice Back To Parents, Teachers
Washington Times, DC, February 14, 2013
No one who truly cares about education (as opposed to the politics of education) should shed a tear if the waivers granted by the Obama administration to 34 states and the District of Columbia expire with congressional reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind law.

D.M. District Actions On Gateway School Reflect Flawed Vision
Des Moines Register, IA, February 15, 2013
Next week the Des Moines school board will vote on whether to close a school it opened just three years ago. And though that’s twice as long as the Des Moines Charter School, which met its demise last year, was given, it hardly seems enough time for the Gateway Secondary School to have proved itself.

FROM THE STATES

ALABAMA

Alabama Legislature: House OKs School Flexibility: Waivers Will Give Local Boards More Control Over Their Budgets, Curriculum
Montgomery Advertiser, AL, February 15, 2013
The House of Representatives has approved a measure that would allow schools to apply for waivers from certain state laws, including the competitive bid law.

ARKANSAS

Little Rock District Appealing Lawsuit On Charter Schools
Today’s THV, AR, February 14, 2013
Board members voted Thursday night 5 to 2 to move forward with their challenge to the US Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. The district argues charter schools violate the state’s desegregation settlement.

CALIFORNIA

For L.A. School Board
Los Angeles Times, CA, February 15, 2013
The teachers union once had a virtual lock on the Los Angeles Unified school board, and the results weren’t pretty. Truly awful schools operated without accountability; the board worked harder to please teachers than to protect students.

Raising Quality In School Choice
Orange County Register, CA, February 15, 2013
California has long embraced the notion of ensuring that parents have more school choice options. The Associated Press recently reported, for example, that California added 81 public charter schools during the 2012-13 school year, pushing the state’s total number of publicly funded autonomous schools to more than 1,000 – the most in the nation.

LASD Calls For ‘Pause’ In Litigation With Bullis
Mountain View Voice, CA, February 14, 2013
The head of the Los Altos School District’s board of has proposed halting all litigation between his district and Bullis Charter School, at least temporarily, so that the two organizations can focus on negotiations. The suggestion appears to be a non-starter with the charter school.

Union Wins Right To Represent Valley Charter School
Los Angeles Times Blog, CA, February 14, 2013
The Los Angeles teachers union announced Wednesday night that it has won the right to negotiate a contract for teachers and counselors at a West San Fernando Valley charter school.

COLORADO

Colorado Education Board Reviews Report On Turnaround Schools
Denver Post, CO, February 15, 2013
Working with partners to bring in experienced school turnaround professionals is the most important component of successfully reshaping a failing school, a new report says.

Financial Trouble Puts Some Charter Schools In Danger Of Closing
9NEWS, CO, February 14, 2013
What many don’t realize is their child’s school could be in danger of closing before they graduate.

CONNECTICUT

Danbury Parents Want School Choice
Danbury News Times, CT, February 14, 2013
Seven hundred twenty-two Danbury parents signed up their children for 42 seats next year at the Western Connecticut Academy for International Studies elementary magnet school.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C.’s Odd Resistance To More Charter Schools
Washington Post, DC, February 14, 2013
ONLY 34 PERCENT of D.C. public-school students are in top-quality schools. The District — particularly struggling neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River — is in urgent need of schools that can perform. So one would think that the city would be clamoring to welcome a renowned charter nonprofit that wants to bring its record of educational success with disadvantaged students to the nation’s capital.

D.C. Will Invest More In Schools Next Year, Gray Says
Washington Post, DC, February 14, 2013
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) wants to give the city’s schools more money next year, raising the basic allocation for each student from $9,124 to $9,306.

FLORIDA

Students Do Not Excel In Merit-Pay Plan Schools
News-Press, FL, February 15, 2013
For months Exxon/Mobil aired a series of commercials which claim that on standardized tests in math and science U.S. students rank 17th and 25th in the world respectively.

School Supt. Encourages White Springs To Pursue Charter School
Suwanee Democrat, FL, February 14, 2013
White Springs Vice Mayor Walter McKenzie, on behalf of Mayor Helen Miller, addressed the Hamilton County School Board on Monday, Feb. 11 regarding the charter school denial that was voted on by the board on Jan. 28.

ILLINOIS

UNO Hires Ex-Judge To Review Charter-School Spending
Chicago Sun Times, IL, February 14, 2013
United Neighborhood Organization officials said Thursday they have hired former U.S. District Judge Wayne Andersen to conduct a review of how their charter-school network selected companies to build new schools with state grant money.

Will Boosting Public Funding For Charter Schools Be Smart Money?
Medill Reports: Chicago, February 14, 2013
Is a bill to increase charter funding fair, as its supporters say, or a blank check, as its critics insist? This is a question Chicagoans will need to ask themselves after a prominent charter network came under scrutiny for its spending of state money.

INDIANA

East Allen Explores Sponsoring Johnson Charter School
Fort Wayne Daily News, IN, February 15, 2013
The East Allen School Board is exploring the possibility of becoming the new authorizer for the Timothy L. Johnson Charter School.

IOWA

Branstad’s Education Reforms Scaled Back
Des Moines Register, IA, February 15, 2013
Big changes to Gov. Terry Branstad’s education reform package approved during a late-night debate Wednesday won cheers from Republicans and jeers from Democrats on Thursday.

Iowa Poll: Teacher Pay Is Best Use For Surplus, Iowans Say
Iowa City Press-Citizen, IA, February 14, 2013
Most Iowans believe that paying more to beginning teachers and to successful teachers who take on mentoring roles would make a major difference in the quality of instruction students receive, according to a new Iowa Poll.

LOUISIANA

Schools Expo Aims To Introduce Families To Options For Kids
Times Picayune, LA, February 14, 2013
The seventh annual New Orleans Schools Expo takes place Saturday at the Superdome from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature 75 public, private and parochial schools and charter groups.

MARYLAND

Test Scores Critical In Achievement Gap Struggle
Maryland Gazette, MD, February 15, 2013
As many of the state’s 24 school systems continue to struggle with crafting teacher and principal evaluations that reliably measure effectiveness, the pressures on the local officials continue to mount.

MASSACHUSETTS

Charter Sell-Off A City Opportunity
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, February 15, 2013
It’s interesting to note that the state’s Department of Education is working with the Board of Trustees of the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School to ensure all is on the up-and-up regarding a pending sell-off of the school’s furniture, computers and other equipment to pay the bankrupt schools creditors.

MICHIGAN

More Is Less In Snyder’s School Funding Plan
Detroit News, MI, February 15, 2013
A proposed 2-percent increase in public education spending next year could in reality leave many school districts with less money than they’re getting this year.

MINNESOTA

State Approves Process To Establish Tech Charter Schools In Southern Minnesota
Mankato Free Press, MN, February 14, 2013
The Minnesota Department of Education has approved a charter authorizing the opening of several technical-focused, project-based public charter high schools in southern Minnesota.

MISSISSIPPI

Charter Schools Prevent Reform
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, February 15, 2013
As we embark on our journey toward charter schools, we need to examine likely outcomes.

MONTANA

Senate Approves School Choice Bill Creating New Tax Credit
Ravalli Republic, MT, February 14, 2013
The state Senate Thursday advanced one of the session’s major school choice bills, which creates a new state income-tax credit for donating to “scholarship organizations” that help students attending private schools.

NEBRASKA

Private Schools Offer Great Choices
Omaha World-Herald, NE, February 15, 2013
Earlier this month more than 3,600 events were held across the country commemorating National School Choice Week — including four events in Omaha alone.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter School Funding Fix Moves Forward In House
Nashua Telegraph, NH, February 14, 2013
A bill that aims to end the moratorium on new charter schools took another step forward Tuesday, passing through the House Education Committee.

NEW MEXICO

‘Trojan Horses’ Undermine Schools
Albuquerque Journal, NM, February 15, 2013
This is an apt metaphor for how public education in New Mexico is being privatized. With roughly $8,000 allocated annually for each student attending public schools, there is a big economic incentive for education businesses to figure out how to access these public funds.

NEW YORK

How To Make New Evaluations Stick
New York Daily News, NY, February 15, 2013
Last month, Gov. Cuomo offered a new plan to break the impasse between New York City and the United Federation of Teachers over a new teacher evaluation system. Make a deal soon, he said, or you’ll be forced to use a plan designed by the state.

Schools Firm on Deposits
Wall Street Journal, February 14, 2013
New York City private schools won’t delay their deadline for requiring deposits—even though it falls two days before the city notifies students about their acceptances to public high schools, officials said Thursday.

Parents Want Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School to Expand
YNN, NY, February 14, 2013
The Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School is relatively new to the area, but parents of the students who go there say it has had made a big impact on their children.

Powerful State Lawmakers Push for a New Public-School Scholarship Program
New York Times, NY, February 15, 2013
A scholarship to help those students trapped in failing public schools to attend a school of their choice is near the top of the legislative agenda for several top lawmakers.

PENNSYLVANIA

MaST Charter School Officials To Appeal Neshaminy Denial
Courier Times, PA, February 15, 2013
MaST Community Charter School officials plan to appeal the denial of their application to open a school in the Neshaminy School District, officials said Thursday

Scranton Teachers Now Evaluating Principals
Scranton Times Tribune, PA, February 15, 2013
Scranton teachers are grading more than papers. Some are now grading their principals.

Yorkcounts Group Elaborates On All-Charter Proposal For City School District
York Daily Record, PA, February 14, 2013
Representatives of YorkCounts explained more Thursday about why they think an all-charter school system is the “only viable, doable option” for transforming the York City School District.

SOUTH CAROLINA

SC Senate: Let Governor, Not Voters, Choose State Schools Chief
The State, SC, February 14, 2013
S.C. voters would decide whether they want to elect the state’s schools chief or have the governor appoint a superintendent and oversee that post if a state Senate proposal becomes law.

VIRGINIA

Schools Struggling To Match State For Teacher Raises
The Virginian-Pilot, VA, February 15, 2013
It looked pretty good, at first. The governor announced in December he would back a 2 percent raise for school employees – the first state funds for a teacher pay raise in five years.

WEST VIRGINIA

Tomblin Says Education Bills Should Be Introduced In Legislature Next Week
Charleston Gazette, WV, February 14, 2013
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said Thursday initial legislative response to his proposals for public education reform has been “pretty positive,” and said the legislation should be introduced in the House and Senate by the end of next week.

State Board Ready To Tackle Tomblin’s Education Priorities
Charleston Gazette, WV, February 14, 2013
West Virginia Board of Education members say they’re ready to work with Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to help reform the state’s public schools.

ONLINE LEARNING

Educators Discuss Virtual Schools At Natick Forum
MetroWest Daily News, MA, February 15, 2013
Local education leaders Thursday received a primer on the state’s new virtual school initiative as representatives from the nonprofit VHS Collaborative discussed ways to expand districts’ on-line education.

Online School Grade Changes Scandalous
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, February 15, 2013
“Horrified” was the word state Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, used to describe an email that the Tennessee Virtual Academy vice principal sent in December directing middle school teachers to delete September and October student grades.