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By Mary C. Tillotson, Watchdog.org It shouldn’t come as a surprise that 86 percent of Americans support greater accountability in public schools. Specifically, they support the ability to fire poorly performing teachers, according to a survey by the Center for Education Reform. “That’s huge. There’s no other issue that 86 percent of the public can agree […] Read more »

Katie Ash, Education Week The North Carolina Association of Educators and the North Carolina Justice Center have sponsored a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a voucher program passed by the legislature earlier this year. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday against the state, asserts that the public was not given enough time or opportunity to provide feedback about the program […] Read more »

Alison DeNisco, District Administration New York City’s expansive charter school network may be in trouble. Mayor Bill de Blasio, who takes office this month, says he plans to charge charters rent for using space in school buildings and to stop new charters from opening. De Blasio says he will focus instead on improving traditional public […] Read more »

The latest international test scores, released Tuesday, show U.S. students sliding further behind their global counterparts in math, reading, and science. Read more »

One of the greatest challenges for proponents of school choice is simply educating parents that they have a choice. “If we’re going to really have parents engaged in knowing what all their options are, someone’s got to go and tell them,” said Jonathan Butcher, education director at Goldwater Institute. Read more »

by Mark Lerner Examiner.com October 11, 2013 My wife Michele and I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Center for Education Reform’s 20th anniversary Gala and Awards Show Wednesday evening. The Washington Hilton ballroom was filled with a who’s who of education reformers on both the local scene and national stage. At one end […] Read more »

But new figures from the Kansas State Department of Education show that the number of charter schools — quasi-independent schools that receive public funding but are usually managed by outside boards or private companies — is rapidly declining in Kansas, with only 11 still operating this year. Read more »

by Elizabeth Harrington Washington Beacon September 18, 2013 Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R.) said the Justice Department (DOJ) “must stand down” from its lawsuit that attempts to block his state’s school voucher program, which allows students to flee failing schools. On Aug. 24 the DOJ filed a petition in federal court to obtain a permanent […] Read more »

by Kathryn Watson Watchdog.org September 16, 2013 Gov. Bob McDonnell said Virginia’s teachers are underpaid in December when he announced his educational agenda for the 2013 General Assembly session. Are they really? The Virginia Department of Education said public classroom teachers earned $52,096 in the 2011-2012 school year, claiming that was less than the national […] Read more »

While many consider Jack Markell an “education reform” governor, a recent national report gives Delaware a squarely average ranking on reform efforts – and Markell’s office is backing away from embracing the label. Read more »