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Daily Headlines: December 27, 2011

Teacher Evaluation Reform Spreading Across The Nation
The Oklahoman, OK, December 25, 2011

Oklahoma is not the first state to adopt a teacher evaluation system based in part on student test results, but is part of a growing trend across states and schools to move to the growth or value added evaluation models.

STATE COVERAGE

ALASKA

Charter School Becomes A Success Story
Anchorage Daily News, AK, December 26, 2011

Turning berry picking into a math lesson is one example of an approach that is helping students at the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School make remarkable gains in achievement scores.

ARIZONA

Arizona School System Braces For Biggest Shake-Up In Decades
Tucson Citizen, AZ, December 24, 2011

Arizona is putting in place some of the biggest changes in public schools in two decades. Over the next three years, the reforms will shake up what students learn and when they are promoted, as well as how teachers are evaluated and schools are graded.

CALIFORNIA

Charter School Plans Filed With City
North County Times, CA, December 26, 2011

Santa Rosa Academy in the last few weeks has taken another step toward building its new school in the heart of Menifee.

Teachers Union Sues Sacramento City Schools Over Seniority Rights In Layoffs
Sacramento Bee, CA, December 25, 2011

The Sacramento City Unified School District is fighting a civil lawsuit filed by its teachers union over teacher seniority rights in rehiring after layoffs.

DELAWARE

STEM Charter High School Planned at DSU
News Journal, DE, December 26, 2011

The model they saw in action on their visits is known as “Early College High School .” And if the state approves its charter school application, DSU will open the first school of that type in Delaware on its Dover campus by the fall of 2013.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Keep a Watchful Eye on High Cost of School Reform
Washington Times, DC, December 25, 2011

There’s a nasty little trend coursing throughout America , and while I hardly want to toss a bucket of cold water on your warm holiday spirits, a warning is in order as federal, state and local governments broach the inevitable passionate debates about education funding in 2012.

FLORIDA

Parents Trying To Bring Charter Schools To Unincorporated Boynton Beach
Palm Beach Post, FL, December 24, 2011

Parents who are trying to bring their own charter middle school to the unincorporated Canyons area of western Boynton Beach are also trying to create a charter high school, saying the available option the district has given them is simply too far away.

Education Will Be A Hot-Button Issue in Florida Primary
Tallahassee Democrat, FL, December 25, 2011

No matter which presidential candidates survive the early eliminations in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina next month, Florida Republicans will have an opportunity to register their feelings on federal education policy — and whether there should even be a national policy — next month.

New Evaluations For Teachers Ready In Collier And Lee, But Some Say It’s Rushed
Naples News, FL, December 26, 2011

Teachers and administrators want more time. More time to test out the system. More time before observations and a complicated equation determines how effective a chemistry, physical education or fifth-grade teacher is at his or her job.

GEORGIA

Area Schools Bracing for Change in 2012
Gainesville Times, GA, December 26, 2011

The first major change involves a bill passed under former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue’s term. By 2013, all school systems must convert to either a charter system or an Investing in Educational Excellence, or IE2, system, according to the bill.

INDIANA

Michigan School Bill Boosts For-Profits
South Bend Tribune, IN, December 27, 2011

The passage recently of Michigan Senate Bill 618 by a vote of 58-49 has proven once again that the Republicans in Lansing are more concerned with profit for corporations than they are for providing for the future education of our children and the will of their constituents

Add Count Dates For Fair Support
Northwest Times, IN, December 26, 2011

The launch this year of Indiana’s school voucher program — the biggest debut of any voucher program so far — has been a success. Nearly 4,000 students are in private schools as a result.

Urban League Begins Search For Charter School Leader
News Sentinel, IN, December 27, 2011

For Fort Wayne Urban League President Jonathan Ray, now the hard work begins. Ray said that with the approval of the Urban League’s proposed charter school, his top priority is finding a strong leader for the school, which supports the Urban League’s goal of educating all students regardless of race and economic status.

Thurgood Marshall’s Mission: Success for All
News Sentinel, IN, December 27, 2011

The charter school movement is a lightning rod of controversy for many in the education community, while the debate over charter schools often appears to be driven by theory and ideology, with little information on how the reform itself is affecting students.

IOWA

Glass Says Iowa Education Reforms Will Take Time
Chicago Tribune, IL, December 25, 2011

The director of the Iowa Department of Education said he’s willing to be patient with his plan to overhaul the state’s public school system, acknowledging that many people aren’t ready for changes he thinks are essential.

LOUISIANA

Charter School Grades Lagging Traditional Schools
The Daily Advertiser, LA, December 26, 2011

The present governor wants to expand the use of charter schools throughout the state by seeking the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s approval instead of gaining the approval of local school districts. Charter schools may not be the miracle we’ve been lead to believe.

You’ll Hear More On School Reform In Coming Year
Opelousas Daily World, LA, December 26, 2011

Education reform. Those two words are likely to be the hottest political issue of 2012. “Why?” you ask. “Who wouldn’t favor improving education? Aren’t we at or near the bottom when it comes to a national comparison of student performance?”

MASSACHUSETTS

Overlooked City School Creates A Buzz
Boston Globe, MA, December 25, 2011

The first time she brought her 4-year-old to Mendell Elementary School, Ellen Shattuck Pierce braced herself for disappointment.

MICHIGAN

Schools Spend Thousands on Marketing to Attract Students
Jackson Citizen Patriot, MI, December 25, 2011

With about $7,000 per student in state aid attached to every student, it’s easy to see why area school districts spend money on marketing and advertising their schools.

Schools of Choice Law Has Led to Massive Movement Across School District Lines
Jackson Citizen Patriot, MI, December 25, 2011

Last school year, the number of children who lived in the Jackson Public Schools district but attended other public or charter schools was more than the total student count at any other school district in the county.

NEW JERSEY

The Pushback Against Charter Schools In The Suburbs
Star-Ledger, NJ, December 27, 2011

As charter schools begin to spread beyond the urban districts where they first took root, they are provoking a political backlash in the suburbs that could weaken support for the overall movement. We’ve seen the brush fires in Cherry Hill, East Brunswick, Millburn, Montclair and Princeton.

NEW YORK

School Spending Under Microscope
Wall Street Journal, December 27, 2011

The New York City lawyer who helped win a landmark court ruling in 2006 that ordered billions of dollars more spent on schools has been quietly building a new case to show that even after more than a decade of litigation, the state still may be failing its most impoverished students.

Charter Schools Are Not The Solution: The Widow of Famed UFT Leader Albert Shanker Blasts ‘Reformers’
New York Daily News, NY, December 26, 2011

Are charter schools the answer for public education? If what you know about charters comes from last year’s ballyhooed film “Waiting for Superman,” you probably think so. But the answer is, in fact, much more complex.

NORTH CAROLINA

After Split, New Charter School Group Forms
News & Observer, NC, December 27, 2011

Eddie Goodall, a former state senator, is forming a new charter school organization after a split a few weeks ago with the charter alliance he ran as president.

OKLAHOMA

Teacher Evaluation System Retreats From Reform, Lawmaker Says
The Oklahoman, OK, December 25, 2011

Rep. Ed Cannaday, who served on the commission tasked with developing the state’s new teacher evaluation system said the state Education Board went against state law by allowing districts to select from three evaluation models.

PENNSYLVANIA

NJ Education Chief: Be Tougher On Failing Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 26, 2011

As New Jersey ‘s acting education commissioner, Christopher Cerf is charged with carrying out Gov. Chris Christie’s plans to overhaul some aspects of the state’s public education system.

Real School Reform Finally?
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 26, 2011

But we can’t deny the power of the changes under way. Looking five years into the future, it is easy to imagine an educational system very different from today’s, and vastly changed from 2000’s.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Plans on Track for Charter School to Open in Jasper County in August
The State, SC, December 27, 2011

Jasper County’s first charter school is set to open in August, and its founders urge parents interested in sending their children there — whether they live in the county or not — to apply soon.

TENNESSEE

A Time Out for Teachers
Commercial Appeal, TN, December 26, 2011

Evaluating the way teachers are evaluated is the correct response to the flood of complaints.
A time out for teachers

TEXAS

Pflugerville School District Finds Success With Teacher Training, Performance Compensation Program
Austin American-Statesman, TX, December 25, 2011

The performance-based compensation program, which is based on a national version developed by the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, offers performance pay, peer collaboration, classroom evaluations, campus-based professional development and opportunities for promotion while remaining a teacher.

WISCONSIN

Teens Say Challenge Academy Changed Their Lives
Fox 11, WI, December 26, 2011

Their military-style salutations are just one indicator of the changes they’ve made in the Academy. Liebenstein, 19, and Tetzlaff, 17, both from Wisconsin Rapids, graduate today from the 22-week program for at-risk teens.

VIRTUAL EDUCATION

Tough Times on Virtual Learning?
Boston Globe Blog, MA, December 26, 2011

Back at the start of December, I blogged on the need for both an open door to online learning and also a greater focus on accountability for those who would operate in that space.

Alexandria Debates Adult Education
Washington Post, DC, December 26, 2011

Alexandria’s schools chief aims to raise the city’s low graduation rate by offering struggling students a new education experience that is self-paced, flexible and largely online.

Teacher Warns of Failings of Cyberschools
Daily Press & Argus, MI, December 25, 2011

Aldecoa said that boy, nor any she taught during those years, would be good candidates for cyberschools — those in which students learn at home online through a teacher in another location.

Online Schools Play Essential Role
Denver Post, CO, December 25, 2011

There are few choices parents will make that are more important than how to educate their children.

The State of Charter Schools: What We Know – and What We Do Not – About Performance and Accountability

Download or print your PDF copy of The State of Charter Schools: What We Know – and What We Do Not – About Performance and Accountability

Daily Headlines: December 23, 2011

Charter Schools: The Debate Continues
CNN Blog, December 22, 2011

With recent statistics indicating that more students than ever are enrolled in charter schools, there’s no end in sight to the ongoing debate over which is more effective in educating our kids: Traditional public or charter schools. A newly released report offers potential talking points for both sides.

After Missing Out Last Year, 7 States to Share Almost $200 Million in Education Grants
New York Times, NY, December 23, 2011

Seven states that narrowly lost out in last year’s Race to the Top school improvement competition will share nearly $200 million in the latest round of winners announced Thursday by federal education officials.

Schools Look to Donors
Wall Street Journal, December 23, 2011

Wealthy donors have created a fund to pay the salary of a new Bridgeport school superintendent, ushering in hopes of a new era of private money for reform efforts in Connecticut’s most troubled school system.

STATE COVERAGE

Is Menino The Education Mayor Or Not?
Boston Globe, MA, December 23, 2011

IF MAYOR Menino passes over an educator like Meg Campbell for an open seat on the Boston School Committee, he should turn in his credentials as the education mayor.

Eva Moskowitz vs. Cobble Hill
Amsterdam News, NY, December 23, 2011

It looks like controversial charter school operator Eva Moskowitz is moving into one of the more posh New York City neighborhoods, with the aid of the New York City Board of Education.

In D.C. Charter Schools, A Wide Variety Of Challenges
Washington Post, DC, December 22, 2011

At D.C. Prep Edgewood Middle School, one of the city’s top-ranked charter schools, showing up without a belt as part of your uniform gets you a half-hour detention at the end of the day. So does getting to your seat a minute late, at 8:01 a.m.

Two Charter Schools Recommended For Closure
Washington Post Blog, DC , December 22, 2011

Two long-time public charter schools are candidates for closure because of poor academic records and management issues, the D.C. Public Charter School Board said Monday night.

In Support of Community Schools For D.C.
Washington Times, DC, December 22, 2011

The article implies that hiring D.C. residents would be a better use of the money, and it stresses that schools should focus only on academics, not on the other factors that hinder our children’s success. Unfortunately, several details in the piece’s underlying argument completely ignore all research to the contrary.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools Could Lose $4.6 Million
News Observer, NC, December 23, 2011

A proposed charter school could cost the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools $4.6 million in 2012-13, its first year of operation, according to the district’s assistant superintendent for support services.

Charter School Undergoes Major Management Changes In Hopes To Stay Open
WPBN, MI, December 22, 2011

Major changes scheduled for a charter school in Antrim County tonight, and those changes are bringing mixed reactions from parents and students.

New IPS Starts With Shifting Funds, Granting Autonomy
Indianapolis Star, IN, December 22, 2011

This week, The Mind Trust released a plan to transform Indianapolis Public Schools into a national model of success. The plan has already generated community conversation, and we look forward to more in depth conversations in the months ahead.

Six New Charter Schools Approved in Indiana
WIBC, IN, December 23, 2011

The Indiana Charter School Board approved six charter applications out of the nine they considered during the Fall Term. Four of those schools will be in Indianapolis , with others planned for Anderson and Fort Wayne .

Some Worry School Vouchers Could Cause Reverse Migration
Post Tribune, IN, December 22, 2011

Private schools that saw enrollment swell this year because of Indiana’s sweeping school voucher program fear they could see some of those gains erased next year as parents paying their own way instead enroll their children in public school so they can qualify for a voucher the following year.

Teachers Accused of Cheating Still Working In Schools
Chicago Tribune, IL, December 23, 2011

Educators often jump to other districts as cases languish in Springfield

Teaching Poor Children
Chicago Tribune, IL, December 22, 2011

New Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard is already fond of saying that more than 123,000 Chicago school children are in “underperforming schools” and that he “will not allow this failure to continue.”

The Agony of Madison Prep
Isthmus Daily Page, WI, December 22, 2011

The whole agonizing conflict over Madison Preparatory Academy did not end on Monday night, when the school board voted 5-2 against allowing the African American charter school to open next fall. Now comes the lawsuit.

How Many Generations Of St. Louis Children Will We Fail?
St. Louis Post Dispatch, MO, December 23, 2011

That might be possible now that Missouri Baptist University has pulled its sponsorship from two city charter elementary schools run by the Virginia-based for-profit entity Imagine Schools Inc.

Suburbs Brace For Kansas City Students
NPR, December 22, 2011

Kansas City, Mo., schools are losing their accreditation on Jan. 1. Missouri law allows students from unaccredited districts to enroll for free in nearby school systems, so the suburban districts outside Kansas City are bracing for an influx of students.

State Fares Poorly — Again — in Race to the Top Effort
The Oklahoman, OK, December 23, 2011

As in Oklahoma’s past failures, the state’s education system still will benefit through the application process, which caused educators to examine areas that needed improvement. Round two last year produced an improved evaluation system for educators, which in the long run should lead to more effective schools.

Idaho Ends Certification Stipend For Teachers
Idaho Statesman, ID, December 22, 2011

Idaho is ending a stipend for teachers earning National Board certification and some fear the loss of that incentive will result in fewer educators completing the rigorous program, which can take up to three years to finish.

Charter Schools Group Urges Closure Of Four Sacramento-Area Campuses
Sacramento Bee, CA, December 23, 2011

A list of 10 schools the California Charter Schools Association would like to see closed – including four in the Sacramento area – has caused an uproar within the charter school movement.

Legislative Plea, Amendment For Fulton Science Academy Rejected
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, December 23, 2011

A nationally acclaimed charter school whose contract was cancelled by the Fulton school board is running out of options to keep their doors open past June 30.

Bill Would Require Transparency In Charter School Management
The Miami Herald, FL, December 22, 2011

The measure, submitted by state Sen. Larcenia Bullard, D-Miami, would require the schools to be transparent about who manages them and how much they are paid.

I ‘Champion’ High-Quality Schools For All Students
The Miami Herald, FL, December 22, 2011

While I have never sponsored legislation on behalf of charter schools, I am an unapologetic supporter and champion of not only high-performing charter schools, but all high-performing public schools throughout Florida.

VIRTUAL EDUCATION

Bill Levels Field For Cyberschool Graduates Who Want To Join Armed Forces
Patriot News, PA, December 23, 2011

Cyberschools appear to have won a long-running battle with the Department of Defense.

Minnesota Education Commissioner Weighs Bluesky Charter School’s Fate
Pioneer Press, MN, December 22, 2011

Two drastically different pictures of BlueSky charter school’s operations were presented to Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius on Thursday as she heard the details about her department’s effort to close the online school.

New District Virtual School A Success, Says Administrator
Montrose Daily Press, CO, December 23, 211
What started as a way to capture potential students who were using outside online education programs has evolved into so much more, according to Montrose County School District officials.

Enrollment Cap Change Leads To Rapid Growth For Oregon’s Virtual Schools
OPS News, OR, December 22, 2011

Online public schools in Oregon are ending a year that saw a steep increase in enrollment.

** The next edition of the Daily Media Clips will be on Tues. December 27.  Happy Holidays.

Award-Winning Charter Targeted

“Top charter targeted as poor schools linger”
Opinion
By Kyle Wingfield
Atlanta Journal Constitution”
December 21, 2011

One of the nation’s best schools may have to pack up its chalkboards and lock its doors come June because of a fight that would appear to concern money.

But the bottom-line problem with the Fulton County school board’s refusal Tuesday to grant an extension of the contract for the Fulton Science Academy isn’t really the acclaimed charter school’s bottom line.

It’s this: While adults argue about the length of the contract for one particular school, the worst schools throughout Georgia have perpetual contracts with scant chance of ever losing them due to poor performance, fiscal mismanagement, cheating scandals — you name it.

Like a lot of big school systems, Fulton has some schools that are stars, and others that are so pitiful, you’d be forgiven for thinking you can’t spell education without “dud.”

Four of Fulton’s 23 middle schools, including Fulton Science Academy, ranked in the top 10 statewide for standardized test scores, according to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation’s 2010 Report Card for Parents.

But four others were on the wrong end of the spectrum, landing in the lower fifth of those same rankings. Two of them failed to make “adequate yearly progress,” determined by the federal No Child Left Behind law, four times since 2007.

The Fulton system as a whole has failed to make AYP each year since 2008. Unfortunately, it’s not alone: The Atlanta, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Paulding systems are in the same category.

Yet, there is no debate about shutting down the underperforming schools — one of which is even a charter school and should be easier to close. Instead, the only school that faces closure is Fulton Science Academy, which was designated this year as a national Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.

Nor is there serious debate about shutting down any of the 44 Atlanta schools in which teachers and principals were found to have cheated to make sure students passed the state’s standardized test.

Ditto for Dougherty County in South Georgia, where just this week state investigators announced similar test cheating took place at 11 schools.

Last year, more than one in four schools in Georgia failed to meet the federal standard. The state’s reaction was to seek a waiver from No Child Left Behind. That could be a boon if it allows for more detailed and nuanced measurement of students’ progress and teachers’ effectiveness — or a farce if it merely leads to protecting schools and teachers that perform poorly.

Even if the state takes the high road, it’s unlikely any of the laggard schools will be closed to make way for better options for students. Compare that to the record for charter schools. The Center for Education Reform reports that, nationwide since 1992, about 15 percent of charter schools have been shut down, for a variety of reasons.

You will never see that kind of accountability among traditional public schools.

And, yes, charter schools are public schools: They’re publicly funded and are governed ultimately by public institutions. Which brings us to a point that will become very important in less than three weeks when the General Assembly reconvenes.

Ever since the Georgia Supreme Court’s decision last spring overturning the state’s strongest charter-schools law, there has been much talk but few specifics about how the Legislature might set things right again.

The belief among many, including yours truly, is that a constitutional amendment is necessary if the state is to get back in the business of approving charter schools.

However, almost as many people share the fear that it’s unrealistic to think two-thirds of legislators will sign onto such a measure. Both Speaker David Ralston and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, in separate interviews with me during the past few months, questioned the odds of success for a charter-schools constitutional amendment.

I have my doubts about the political feasibility, too. But there could be no better argument for choice measures than the cases of cheating in Atlanta and Dougherty County, and the recent school-board fights over charter contracts in Fulton and Gwinnett.

If not now, when?

Daily Headlines for December 23, 2011

Charter Schools: The Debate Continues
CNN Blog, December 22, 2011

With recent statistics indicating that more students than ever are enrolled in charter schools, there’s no end in sight to the ongoing debate over which is more effective in educating our kids: Traditional public or charter schools. A newly released report offers potential talking points for both sides.

After Missing Out Last Year, 7 States to Share Almost $200 Million in Education Grants
New York Times, NY, December 23, 2011

Seven states that narrowly lost out in last year’s Race to the Top school improvement competition will share nearly $200 million in the latest round of winners announced Thursday by federal education officials.

Schools Look to Donors
Wall Street Journal, December 23, 2011

Wealthy donors have created a fund to pay the salary of a new Bridgeport school superintendent, ushering in hopes of a new era of private money for reform efforts in Connecticut’s most troubled school system.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Charter Schools Group Urges Closure of Four Sacramento-Area Campuses
Sacramento Bee, CA, December 23, 2011

A list of 10 schools the California Charter Schools Association would like to see closed – including four in the Sacramento area – has caused an uproar within the charter school movement.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

In D.C. Charter Schools, A Wide Variety Of Challenges
Washington Post, DC, December 22, 2011

At D.C. Prep Edgewood Middle School, one of the city’s top-ranked charter schools, showing up without a belt as part of your uniform gets you a half-hour detention at the end of the day. So does getting to your seat a minute late, at 8:01 a.m.

Two Charter Schools Recommended For Closure
Washington Post Blog, DC , December 22, 2011

Two long-time public charter schools are candidates for closure because of poor academic records and management issues, the D.C. Public Charter School Board said Monday night.

In Support Of Community Schools For D.C.
Washington Times, DC, December 22, 2011

The article implies that hiring D.C. residents would be a better use of the money, and it stresses that schools should focus only on academics, not on the other factors that hinder our children’s success. Unfortunately, several details in the piece’s underlying argument completely ignore all research to the contrary.

FLORIDA

Bill Would Require Transparency In Charter School Management
The Miami Herald, FL, December 22, 2011

The measure, submitted by state Sen. Larcenia Bullard, D-Miami, would require the schools to be transparent about who manages them and how much they are paid.

I ‘Champion’ High-Quality Schools For All Students
The Miami Herald, FL, December 22, 2011

While I have never sponsored legislation on behalf of charter schools, I am an unapologetic supporter and champion of not only high-performing charter schools, but all high-performing public schools throughout Florida.

GEORGIA

Legislative Plea, Amendment For Fulton Science Academy Rejected
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, December 23, 2011

A nationally acclaimed charter school whose contract was cancelled by the Fulton school board is running out of options to keep their doors open past June 30.

IDAHO

Idaho Ends Certification Stipend For Teachers
Idaho Statesman, ID, December 22, 2011

Idaho is ending a stipend for teachers earning National Board certification and some fear the loss of that incentive will result in fewer educators completing the rigorous program, which can take up to three years to finish.

ILLINOIS

Teachers Accused Of Cheating Still Working In Schools
Chicago Tribune, IL, December 23, 2011

Educators often jump to other districts as cases languish in Springfield

Teaching Poor Children
Chicago Tribune, IL, December 22, 2011

New Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard is already fond of saying that more than 123,000 Chicago school children are in “underperforming schools” and that he “will not allow this failure to continue.”

INDIANA

New IPS Starts With Shifting Funds, Granting Autonomy
Indianapolis Star, IN, December 22, 2011

This week, The Mind Trust released a plan to transform Indianapolis Public Schools into a national model of success. The plan has already generated community conversation, and we look forward to more in depth conversations in the months ahead.

Six New Charter Schools Approved in Indiana
WIBC, IN, December 23, 2011

The Indiana Charter School Board approved six charter applications out of the nine they considered during the Fall Term. Four of those schools will be in Indianapolis , with others planned for Anderson and Fort Wayne .

Some Worry School Vouchers Could Cause Reverse Migration
Post Tribune, IN, December 22, 2011

Private schools that saw enrollment swell this year because of Indiana’s sweeping school voucher program fear they could see some of those gains erased next year as parents paying their own way instead enroll their children in public school so they can qualify for a voucher the following year.

MASSACHUSETTS

Is Menino The Education Mayor Or Not?
Boston Globe, MA, December 23, 2011

IF MAYOR Menino passes over an educator like Meg Campbell for an open seat on the Boston School Committee, he should turn in his credentials as the education mayor.

MICHIGAN

Charter School Undergoes Major Management Changes In Hopes To Stay Open
WPBN, MI, December 22, 2011

Major changes scheduled for a charter school in Antrim County tonight, and those changes are bringing mixed reactions from parents and students.

MISSOURI

How Many Generations of St. Louis Children Will We Fail?
St. Louis Post Dispatch, MO, December 23, 2011

That might be possible now that Missouri Baptist University has pulled its sponsorship from two city charter elementary schools run by the Virginia-based for-profit entity Imagine Schools Inc.

Suburbs Brace For Kansas City Students
NPR, December 22, 2011

Kansas City, Mo., schools are losing their accreditation on Jan. 1. Missouri law allows students from unaccredited districts to enroll for free in nearby school systems, so the suburban districts outside Kansas City are bracing for an influx of students.

NEW YORK

Eva Moskowitz vs. Cobble Hill
Amsterdam News, NY, December 23, 2011

It looks like controversial charter school operator Eva Moskowitz is moving into one of the more posh New York City neighborhoods, with the aid of the New York City Board of Education.

NORTH CAROLINA

Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools Could Lose $4.6 Million
News Observer, NC, December 23, 2011

A proposed charter school could cost the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools $4.6 million in 2012-13, its first year of operation, according to the district’s assistant superintendent for support services.

OKLAHOMA

State Fares Poorly — Again — in Race to the Top Effort
The Oklahoman, OK, December 23, 2011

As in Oklahoma’s past failures, the state’s education system still will benefit through the application process, which caused educators to examine areas that needed improvement. Round two last year produced an improved evaluation system for educators, which in the long run should lead to more effective schools.

WISCONSIN

The Agony of Madison Prep
Isthmus Daily Page, WI, December 22, 2011

The whole agonizing conflict over Madison Preparatory Academy did not end on Monday night, when the school board voted 5-2 against allowing the African American charter school to open next fall. Now comes the lawsuit.

VIRTUAL EDUCATION

Bill Levels Field For Cyberschool Graduates Who Want To Join Armed Forces
Patriot News, PA, December 23, 2011

Cyberschools appear to have won a long-running battle with the Department of Defense.

Minnesota Education Commissioner Weighs Bluesky Charter School’s Fate
Pioneer Press, MN, December 22, 2011

Two drastically different pictures of BlueSky charter school’s operations were presented to Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius on Thursday as she heard the details about her department’s effort to close the online school.

New District Virtual School A Success, Says Administrator
Montrose Daily Press, CO, December 23, 2011

What started as a way to capture potential students who were using outside online education programs has evolved into so much more, according to Montrose County School District officials.

Enrollment Cap Change Leads To Rapid Growth For Oregon’s Virtual Schools
OPS News, OR, December 22, 2011

Online public schools in Oregon are ending a year that saw a steep increase in enrollment.

** The next edition of the Daily Media Clips will be on Tues. December 27. Happy Holidays.

About 15 Percent of Charter Schools Shut Down, Group Says

By Sean Cavanagh
Education Week: State EdWatch
December 21, 2011

About 15 percent of the nation’s charter schools close—and that’s not a bad thing, according to a newly released report, which argues that those shutdowns are proof that the system weeds out institutions that can’t cut it for one reason or another.

Of roughly 6,700 charter schools that have opened in the United States, 1,036 have closed since 1992, says a report unveiled today by the Center for Education Reform, in Washington.

In addition, about 500 other charter schools opened, but were consolidated back into their school districts—or received charter status, but were unable to open or decided not to do so, the report estimates.

The center, which advocates for charters and school choice, bills its report, “The State of Charter Schools,” as the “first-ever national analysis” of the charters that have closed shop over the past two decades.

It says that the numbers should dispel a few myths: that poor-performing or otherwise inept charter schools are allowed to remain open indefinitely, and that the vast majority of charters are poor-quality. In fact, weak charters regularly close their doors, which, in the center’s view, shows that they’re held to high standards—in many cases, higher than traditional public schools.

“[N]ot only do charters deliver on student achievement, but a substantial percentage of charter schools are closed from year to year for reasons that any school should be closed,” the report states. “Far from condemnation, these data points suggest a movement that has been amenable to course correction and closure since its inception.”

So why do charter schools close?

The greatest portion of them, 41.7 percent, go under for financial reasons, the center found. Mismanagement—which could be misspending, failure to provide adequate programs or materials, or an overall lack of accountability—is the next most likely reason, at 24 percent, followed by academic problems, at 18.6 percent.

Of the rest, 4.6 percent close because of problems with their facilities. “District obstacles” are another barrier, at 6.3 percent. The report maintains that in those cases, school systems may saddle charters with unrealistic paperwork or regulatory burdens or treat them with outright hostility.

While there are examples of charters that close because of conflicts with local school boards, the report says, many have closed because of their own shortcomings, such as a lack of oversight by authorizers.

The center’s favored method for holding charters to account is to have strong state laws that have “multiple, independent authorizers” of charters to provide oversight and which are empowered to close poor schools. States with multiple authorizers are home to nearly 80 percent of the nation’s 5,400 charters, according to the report, authored by the center’s vice president of research, Alison Consoletti.

School districts and state departments of education are poorly equipped to serve as authorizers, as the center sees it, because charter duty typically is a secondary duty, handled by staff who are overwhelmed with other responsibilities.

“Performance-based accountability is the cornerstone of charter schools,” the report says.

Daily Headlines: December 22, 2011

Charter Schools Must Succeed Or Close
Washington Times, DC, December 21, 2011

Unlike their traditional counterparts, charter schools aren’t guaranteed an endless existence. And that, supporters say, is a good thing.

Charter Schools Rarely Closed For Academic Performance: Report
Huffington Post, December 21, 2011

In nearly two decades, only 3 percent of charter schools have ever been closed for underperforming, according to a new report released Tuesday.

Reducing Inequality in Our Schools
New York Times, NY, December, 22, 2011

Helen F. Ladd and Edward B. Fiske are right to remind us of the disadvantages faced by poor children in our high-stakes educational system (“Class Matters. Why Won’t We Admit It?,” Op-Ed, Dec. 12).

Gingrich, Romney, Obama — Education Triplets
Washington Post, DC, December 21, 2011

The battle for the White House 2012 has little to do with selecting an education president. That issue is almost never mentioned on the campaign trail. Some candidates don’t even bother to include it on their Web sites.

States Expand ‘Disadvantaged’ Category To Address Racial Gap
Washington Times, DC, December 21, 2011

A number of states struggling with vast racial achievement gaps in schools may have found a way around the problem: Lump blacks and Hispanics with handicapped and poor children.

Segregated Charter Schools Evoke Separate But Equal Era in U.S.
Bloomberg, December 22, 2011

Six decades after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down “separate but equal” schools for blacks and whites; segregation is growing because of charter schools, privately run public schools that educate 1.8 million U.S. children. While charter-school leaders say programs targeting ethnic groups enrich education, they are isolating low-achievers and damaging diversity, said Myron Orfield, a lawyer and demographer.

The Paradox of Merit Pay
American Thinker, December 22, 2011

A recent study from The American Enterprise Institute and The Heritage Foundation compared teacher salaries to their counterparts in the private sector and concluded that teachers deserve even less than what they get.

STATE COVERAGE

Top Charter Targeted As Poor Schools Linger
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, December 21, 2011

One of the nation’s best schools may have to pack up its chalkboards and lock its doors come June because of a fight that would appear to concern money.

Two More Charter Schools on The Chopping Block
Washington Examiner, DC, December 21, 2011

The D.C. Public Charter School Board is moving to shutter two more charter schools, including one of the oldest in the District, after closing 12 in the last three years for floundering finances and struggling academics.

Study: Eleven Area Charter Schools Closed Since ’92
Sacramento Business Journal, CA, December 21, 2011

The Sacramento region has lost 11 charter schools since 1992, according to a national report on the state of charter schools.

Charter School Merits Chance At Stability After New Green Light
Gloucester Times, MA, December 22, 2011

December On one hand, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has now cleared the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School for at least another year of operation.

Lincoln’s School Quality Could Make Exploration of Charters Unnecessary
Valley Breeze, RI, December 21, 2011

As a father of two children who attend Lincoln Central Elementary School, and spouse to a Lincoln teacher, I recently read with interest that our school committee and municipal leaders have engaged in a dialogue to explore the role of charter schools in education.

Union Has To Bend
Buffalo News, NY, December 21, 2011

Little in the Buffalo School District is more influential or troubling than the disastrous relationship between administrators and the Buffalo Teachers Federation.

Councilman Proposes Replacing SRC With School Board
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 22, 2011

The newly reconstituted School Reform Commission has been impaneled only a month – with high praise from Mayor Nutter – but City Councilman Bill Green said Wednesday it was time to change how the district is governed.

Next Assignment: Select A Superintendent
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 22, 2011

With its membership finally complete, it’s good to see the Philadelphia School Reform Commission begin to map out how it plans to choose a new superintendent.

York City Board Hears Two More Charter School Proposals
The York Dispatch, PA, December 22, 2011

The more, the merrier. That seems to be the unofficial motto of charter schools in York City , with the school board hearing two more charter proposals on Wednesday.

Give Charter School Time, Not Money
Maryland Gazette, MD, December 221, 2011

The Frederick County Board of Education has been wonderfully supportive of school choice.

Campus Community To Shutter Program
Delaware News Journal, DE, December 22, 2011

Despite a last-ditch fundraising effort, Campus Community charter school in Dover will shut down its high school program at the end of the academic year.

Editorial: KIPP Poised To Expand
‎Memphis Commercial Appeal, TN, December 22, 2011

At a much earlier point in its history, an expansion plan at the KIPP Academy in Memphis might have been viewed with some level of concern.

Charter-School Family
Miami Herald, FL, December 21, 2011

The Gibson Charter School , which Academica helped establish 10 years ago, has become a jewel in Overtown.

Teachers Worry About Evaluation Fairness
News Sun, FL, December 21, 2011

Picklesimer agreed with Dr. Rodney Hollinger, deputy school superintendent, that the two sticking points are salary and the new teacher evaluation system.

Can Charter Schools Legally Turn Away Kids With Severe Disabilities?
NPR StateImpact , FL, December 21, 2011

This month, an investigation by StateImpact Florida revealed that more than 86% of Florida charter schools don’t serve a single student with a severe disability, compared to half of traditional public schools.

Group Opposes Defunding of Charter Schools
Morning Journal, OH, December 22, 2011

The Ohio Coalition for Quality Education is opposing the Lorain Education Association’s call to end public funding of charter schools. President Ron Adler voiced his opinion on the topic a week after David Wood, president of LEA, asked at a school board meeting support for ending state vouchers.

Charter School Charades
Journal Gazette, IN, December 22, 2011

The push to expand school choices for Indiana students has unseen consequences for taxpayers and, ultimately, the students themselves.

Sposato Relents On NW Side Charter School
Chicago Tribune, IL, December 22, 2011

A freshman Northwest Side alderman on Wednesday said he has decided to support plans by a prominent Latino organization that wants to build a charter school in his ward.

Will Unions Take Over Charter Public Schools?
Michigan Capital Confidential Blog, MI, December 22, 2011

An e-mail posted by a teachers’ union president in Minnesota grants some insight as to why unions have fought charter schools tooth-and-nail: the fear of losing union influence.

Jefferson School Officials Still At Odds With Charter School
Times Picayune, LA, December 21, 2011

Officials of Jefferson Community School, a charter middle school for expelled students, reiterated Wednesday that they will accept more students but will not reapply for a new charter as requested by Jefferson Parish public schools officials

Colorado To Challenge School-Funding Ruling
Washington Times, DC, December 21, 2011

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper announced Wednesday that he would appeal a budget-busting court ruling on school finance to the state Supreme Court.

New Model Has Students Teaching For Year Before They’re On Their Own
Argus Leader, SD, December 21, 2011

A yearlong student-teaching model being used on a limited basis at the University of South Dakota is showing how more classroom exposure helps to better prepare future teachers.

Charter Association Shows Courage
San Diego Union-Tribune, CA, December 22, 2011

The charter school movement continues to grow in California, with a somewhat mixed but generally good record – and with some schools performing at an exceptional level in poor communities used to the opposite.

New Life For Shuttered Mariposa County Elementary School
Merced Sun-Star, CA, December 22, 2011

When board members of the Mariposa County Unified School District made the painful decision to close the 132-year-old Catheys Valley Elementary School , parents and community members took matters into their own hands, eventually forming Sierra Foothill Charter School .

USC To Open Charter School For At-Risk Youth
Los Angeles Wave, CA, December 21, 2011

Come September 2012, at-risk youth will be able to attend a new charter high school that will aim to eliminate some of the stressors that lead some students to drop out.

Haslam Smart To Study School Vouchers More
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, December 22, 2011

Gov. Bill Haslam announced last week he wants to put a hold on one aspect of education reform — a school voucher program — for a year while a task force studies how such a program would work.

Gov. Haslam Calls For More Study Of Teacher Evaluations
The Tennessean, TN, December 22, 2011

Gov. Bill Haslam is calling for more study of Tennessee’s new process for evaluating teachers, in a bid to head off legislative action spurred by complaints over the system’s fairness and practicality.

No Funds, But School Laws Intact
Livingston Daily Press & Argus, MI, December 22, 2011

Michigan lawmakers in 2009 passed a slew of school reforms to make an application for $400 million in federal funding look more attractive to Washington, D.C.

VIRTUAL EDUCATION

Military Likely To Alter Rule For Cyber
Pittsburgh Tribune Review, PA, December 22, 2011

Graduates of cyber high schools could soon be equal to everyone else in the eyes of military recruiters.

Virtual School Rejection Was The Right Decision
The Record, NJ, December 21, 2011

THERE ARE times when the New Jersey Department of Education gets it right. The rejection of the Garden State Virtual Charter School ’s application was one such golden moment.

Daily Headlines for December 22, 2011

Charter Schools Must Succeed Or Close
Washington Times, DC, December 21, 2011

Unlike their traditional counterparts, charter schools aren’t guaranteed an endless existence. And that, supporters say, is a good thing.

Charter Schools Rarely Closed For Academic Performance: Report
Huffington Post, December 21, 2011

In nearly two decades, only 3 percent of charter schools have ever been closed for underperforming, according to a new report released Tuesday.

Reducing Inequality in Our Schools
New York Times, NY, December 22, 2011

Helen F. Ladd and Edward B. Fiske are right to remind us of the disadvantages faced by poor children in our high-stakes educational system (“Class Matters. Why Won’t We Admit It?,” Op-Ed, Dec. 12).

Gingrich, Romney, Obama — Education Triplets
Washington Post, DC, December 21, 2011

The battle for the White House 2012 has little to do with selecting an education president. That issue is almost never mentioned on the campaign trail. Some candidates don’t even bother to include it on their Web sites.

States Expand ‘Disadvantaged’ Category To Address Racial Gap
Washington Times, DC, December 21, 2011

A number of states struggling with vast racial achievement gaps in schools may have found a way around the problem: Lump blacks and Hispanics with handicapped and poor children.

Segregated Charter Schools Evoke Separate But Equal Era in U.S.
Bloomberg, December 22, 2011

Six decades after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down “separate but equal” schools for blacks and whites; segregation is growing because of charter schools, privately run public schools that educate 1.8 million U.S. children. While charter-school leaders say programs targeting ethnic groups enrich education, they are isolating low-achievers and damaging diversity, said Myron Orfield, a lawyer and demographer.

The Paradox of Merit Pay
American Thinker, December 22, 2011

A recent study from The American Enterprise Institute and The Heritage Foundation compared teacher salaries to their counterparts in the private sector and concluded that teachers deserve even less than what they get.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Study: Eleven Area Charter Schools Closed Since ’92
Sacramento Business Journal, CA, December 21, 2011

The Sacramento region has lost 11 charter schools since 1992, according to a national report on the state of charter schools.

Charter Association Shows Courage
San Diego Union-Tribune, CA, December 22, 2011

The charter school movement continues to grow in California, with a somewhat mixed but generally good record – and with some schools performing at an exceptional level in poor communities used to the opposite.

New Life For Shuttered Mariposa County Elementary School
Merced Sun-Star, CA, December 22, 2011

When board members of the Mariposa County Unified School District made the painful decision to close the 132-year-old Catheys Valley Elementary School , parents and community members took matters into their own hands, eventually forming Sierra Foothill Charter School .

USC To Open Charter School For At-Risk Youth
Los Angeles Wave, CA, December 21, 2011

Come September 2012, at-risk youth will be able to attend a new charter high school that will aim to eliminate some of the stressors that lead some students to drop out.

DELAWARE

Campus Community To Shutter Program
Delaware News Journal, DE, December 22, 2011

Despite a last-ditch fundraising effort, Campus Community charter school in Dover will shut down its high school program at the end of the academic year.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Two More Charter Schools on The Chopping Block
Washington Examiner, DC, December 21, 2011

The D.C. Public Charter School Board is moving to shutter two more charter schools, including one of the oldest in the District, after closing 12 in the last three years for floundering finances and struggling academics.

Colorado To Challenge School-Funding Ruling
Washington Times, DC, December 21, 2011

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper announced Wednesday that he would appeal a budget-busting court ruling on school finance to the state Supreme Court.

FLORIDA

Charter-School Family
Miami Herald, FL, December 21, 2011

The Gibson Charter School , which Academica helped establish 10 years ago, has become a jewel in Overtown.

Teachers Worry About Evaluation Fairness
News Sun, FL, December 21, 2011

Picklesimer agreed with Dr. Rodney Hollinger, deputy school superintendent, that the two sticking points are salary and the new teacher evaluation system.

Can Charter Schools Legally Turn Away Kids With Severe Disabilities?
NPR StateImpact , FL, December 21, 2011

This month, an investigation by StateImpact Florida revealed that more than 86% of Florida charter schools don’t serve a single student with a severe disability, compared to half of traditional public schools.

GEORGIA

Top Charter Targeted As Poor Schools Linger
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, December 21, 2011

One of the nation’s best schools may have to pack up its chalkboards and lock its doors come June because of a fight that would appear to concern money.

ILLINOIS

Sposato Relents On NW Side Charter School
Chicago Tribune, IL, December 22, 2011

A freshman Northwest Side alderman on Wednesday said he has decided to support plans by a prominent Latino organization that wants to build a charter school in his ward.

INDIANA

Charter School Charades
Journal Gazette, IN, December 22, 2011

The push to expand school choices for Indiana students has unseen consequences for taxpayers and, ultimately, the students themselves.

LOUISIANA

Jefferson School Officials Still At Odds With Charter School
Times Picayune, LA, December 21, 2011

Officials of Jefferson Community School, a charter middle school for expelled students, reiterated Wednesday that they will accept more students but will not reapply for a new charter as requested by Jefferson Parish public schools officials

MARYLAND

Give Charter School Time, Not Money
Maryland Gazette, MD, December 22, 2011

The Frederick County Board of Education has been wonderfully supportive of school choice.

MASSACHUSETTS

Charter School Merits Chance At Stability After New Green Light
Gloucester Times, MA, December 22, 2011

December On one hand, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has now cleared the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School for at least another year of operation.

MICHIGAN

Will Unions Take Over Charter Public Schools?
Michigan Capital Confidential Blog, MI, December 22, 2011

An e-mail posted by a teachers’ union president in Minnesota grants some insight as to why unions have fought charter schools tooth-and-nail: the fear of losing union influence.

No Funds, But School Laws Intact
Livingston Daily Press & Argus, MI, December 22, 2011

Michigan lawmakers in 2009 passed a slew of school reforms to make an application for $400 million in federal funding look more attractive to Washington, D.C.

NEW YORK

Union Has To Bend
Buffalo News, NY, December 21, 2011

Little in the Buffalo School District is more influential or troubling than the disastrous relationship between administrators and the Buffalo Teachers Federation.

OHIO

Group Opposes Defunding of Charter Schools
Morning Journal, OH, December 22, 2011

The Ohio Coalition for Quality Education is opposing the Lorain Education Association’s call to end public funding of charter schools. President Ron Adler voiced his opinion on the topic a week after David Wood, president of LEA, asked at a school board meeting support for ending state vouchers.

PENNSYLVANIA

Councilman Proposes Replacing SRC With School Board
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 22, 2011

The newly reconstituted School Reform Commission has been impaneled only a month – with high praise from Mayor Nutter – but City Councilman Bill Green said Wednesday it was time to change how the district is governed.

Next Assignment: Select A Superintendent
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, December 22, 2011

With its membership finally complete, it’s good to see the Philadelphia School Reform Commission begin to map out how it plans to choose a new superintendent.

York City Board Hears Two More Charter School Proposals
The York Dispatch, PA, December 22, 2011

The more, the merrier. That seems to be the unofficial motto of charter schools in York City , with the school board hearing two more charter proposals on Wednesday.

RHODE ISLAND

Lincoln’s School Quality Could Make Exploration of Charters Unnecessary
Valley Breeze, RI, December 21, 2011

As a father of two children who attend Lincoln Central Elementary School, and spouse to a Lincoln teacher, I recently read with interest that our school committee and municipal leaders have engaged in a dialogue to explore the role of charter schools in education.

SOUTH DAKOTA

New Model Has Students Teaching For Year Before They’re On Their Own
Argus Leader, SD, December 21, 2011

A yearlong student-teaching model being used on a limited basis at the University of South Dakota is showing how more classroom exposure helps to better prepare future teachers.

TENNESSEE

Haslam Smart To Study School Vouchers More
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, December 22, 2011

Gov. Bill Haslam announced last week he wants to put a hold on one aspect of education reform — a school voucher program — for a year while a task force studies how such a program would work.

Gov. Haslam Calls For More Study Of Teacher Evaluations
The Tennessean, TN, December 22, 2011

Gov. Bill Haslam is calling for more study of Tennessee’s new process for evaluating teachers, in a bid to head off legislative action spurred by complaints over the system’s fairness and practicality.

Editorial: KIPP Poised To Expand
‎Memphis Commercial Appeal, TN, December 22, 2011

At a much earlier point in its history, an expansion plan at the KIPP Academy in Memphis might have been viewed with some level of concern.

VIRTUAL EDUCATION

Military Likely To Alter Rule For Cyber
Pittsburgh Tribune Review, PA, December 22, 2011

Graduates of cyber high schools could soon be equal to everyone else in the eyes of military recruiters.

Virtual School Rejection Was The Right Decision
The Record, NJ, December 21, 2011

THERE ARE times when the New Jersey Department of Education gets it right. The rejection of the Garden State Virtual Charter School ’s application was one such golden moment.

Charters About Accountability

“Charter School Proponents Focus On Accountability In Word If Not In Deed”
by Joy Resmovits
Huffington Post
December 20, 2011

The most recent call to close underperforming charter schools came not from a teachers’ union or a school district, but from a charter-school trade association.

On Thursday, the California Charter Schools Association trumpeted its call for districts to discontinue 10 charter schools the group identified as culprits of “consistent academic underperformance.”

“If you look at this in the longer term, you see this as increasing of the kind of accountability that will result in closures and charter schools understanding … there’s a level of accountability within the movement,” Jed Wallace, president and CEO of the CCSA, told The Huffington Post.

And it’s not just happening in California, the first state with a charter-school association to recommend the closure of its own lackluster members after a steady trickle of research has shown that, on average, charter schools don’t outperform traditional public schools. As the charter school movement edges into its third decade, with enrollment reaching a critical mass at five percent of all public-school students, it appears to be taking stock of its own effectiveness.

Recent developments in California, Michigan and Washington, D.C. point to a shift in rhetoric among charter-school proponents: as these schools spread, quality control is just as important as unmitigated growth.

But skeptics question the sincerity of the movement’s reflection, saying the accountability-focused rhetoric might be merely lip service paid to the promise of charter schools: independence in exchange for accountability.

“I think it’s an important breakthrough in the aggressiveness with which the charter trade associations are now trying to prune the bad apples,” said Bruce Fuller, a University of California, Berkeley, education professor. “Three national studies have shown that the average charter student is not outperforming the average regular public school per peer. Advocates are finding themselves on soft ground … Maybe it’s a rhetorical exercise but either way it’s a significant shift.”

Charter schools are publicly funded but independently run, and often admit students via lottery. Proponents advocate for charter schools in the belief that educational opportunity should not depend on zip code.

As part of the accountability-for-flexibility tradeoff, charter schools must be regularly examined for renewal, but little data exists on how often underperforming charters are shut down. (A report the Center for Education Reform plans to release Wednesday will assert that 15 percent of charter schools have been shuttered).

Charter schools are also a favorite strategy of the Obama administration, which encouraged their development through the Race to the Top competition, but has not stressed accountability as prominently.

“Good charter schools are part of the solution, bad charter schools are part of the problem,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told HuffPost in an earlier interview. Regarding bad charters, he continued, “we should close them.”

The calls for charter-school accountability come as Democrats who support the market and data-based movement that’s become known as “education reform” seek to define themselves against Republicans who see charters as a privatizing alternative to vouchers.

“As charters take hold in our communities, questions will be raised about the quality issue,” said Harrison Blackmond, who heads Michigan’s arm of Democrats for Education Reform. “Democrats will be the ones who are raising that issue.”

Even Vice President Joe Biden felt the need to articulate the distinction. “There are people who believe public education is failing and it has to be improved … and there are people who just think public education is not the answer, that the answer is charter schools [and] private schools vouchers,” Biden said at a recent college affordability town hall in Neptune Beach, Fla.

In California, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings tried and failed to push charter-quality control through the legislature several years ago. (Through a representative, Hastings declined to comment.)

Even so, Ursula Wright, interim head of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, says the state is ahead on accountability with last week’s announcement. California has 982 charter schools — last week, the association recommended that 10 of those be shut down.

“Last year we went forward with a study that was transparent about which schools were exceeding our expectations and which were not,” Wallace said. (The study used California’s school rankings, known as API, which some say are statistically questionable.) “We used the year to learn and visited 50 schools that were underperforming to make sure our measure was properly identifying underperforming schools.”

But calling for the closure of 10 out of almost 1,000 charter schools seems like a pittance to Gary Miron, a Western Michigan University professor who has evaluated charter schools for several states. Wallace noted the number is small because the group only considered charters up for renewal this year.

“I got a chuckle out of it,” Miron said. “I remember ten years ago, people were saying ‘now we’re going to get serious, we’re going to start closing low-performing schools.’ We’re seeing the same thing now.”

Midwestern charter proponents are also discussing accountability. Michigan recently passed a bill that lifted the state’s cap on charter schools. Traditionally pro-charter reform groups such as Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst, Education Trust MidWest and Democrats for Education Reform opposed the measure and tried to adjust it due to its lack of standards.

“I remain a choice advocate, but I don’t know how you usher in so many unaccountable charter schools,” said state Sen. Bert Johnson (D), who represents Detroit.

Though the final legislation did include a working group on quality, none of these groups have since spoken out in its support.

“Our goal is to ensure quality across all public schools including charters,” said Hari Sevugan, a spokesperson for StudentsFirst. “We are looking at what these steps would mean for that goal and if deficient will look to address those shortcomings.”

A representative for Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) said he plans to sign the bill into law soon.

Washington, D.C., recently made steps toward cracking down on underperforming charter schools, releasing its first charter-school rankings. “The idea here is that we really do want to shine a light on what’s going on in our charter schools,” Brian Jones, president of the D.C. Public Charter School Board, told the Washington Post.

Charter-school accountability will increase in importance if advocates want to see continued growth, Fuller said — and as their champion Obama runs for reelection. Fuller added, “If they can’t show results, the movement will be in deep political trouble.”

Collaboration Effort Wins Big

“Bill and Melinda Gates pledge $100K to Philly schools”
By Susan Snyder
Philadelphia Inquirer
December 20, 2011

Philadelphia’s new education compact between the school district, city, state and two charter school coalitions has attracted the attention of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which pledged $100,000 in funding and a chance at millions more.

For years, the district has tried to gain funding from the philanthropic Gates foundation, especially when it was doling out millions for the development of small high schools. But it was the compact announced last month that finally won the recognition.

Under the compact, all four entities said they would work together to set common academic standards and then seek to expand schools that meet them and close those that do not – no matter if they are charters, regular district schools or some other variation. The project also is designed to reduce some of the tension between the city’s 80 charters and the district.

“What we saw as bold for us was the fact that the compact is inclusive of all schools in Philadelphia,” said Don Shalvey, deputy director of the U.S. education program for the Seattle-based foundation. It’s “the only city that said we can learn something from everyone. These are all Philadelphia’s children, all Philadelphia’s youth regardless of the school they go to.”

Mayor Nutter, School Reform Commission Chairman Pedro Ramos and other dignitaries made the announcement Tuesday afternoon at Stetson Middle School before a cafeteria full of students. Stetson was chosen, officials said, because it has made progress as a charter school overseen by Aspira Inc. of Pennsylvania, part of the Aspira Association, a national Hispanic nonprofit that focuses on helping Hispanic youth.

The compact also indicates a further positive working relationship developing between the city and the state’s Republican gubernatorial administration, which has been supportive of charters.

“We want our partners in Harrisburg to know that we are doing everything we possibly can on the ground and in partnership with the state to improve the quality of education here,” Mayor Nutter said in an interview after the press conference.

Tim Eller, a spokesman for state education secretary Ronald Tomalis, said Tomalis supports the “innovative” program.

“By working together, local and school district leaders, parents and the community can bring about the necessary changes that are conducive to a successful and healthy learning environment, while continuing to refocus our attention on the needs of each student,” Eller said in a statement. “This collaboration will benefit not just Philadelphia, but the entire state.”

With the planning grant, the district will work on its proposal and prepare over the next six months to compete with up to 14 other cities for $40 million in funding to improve schools. Grants range between $2 million and $10 million, Shalvey said.

The compact’s aim is to eliminate 50,000 seats in the lowest-performing schools – district and charter – in five years by increasing enrollment in high-performing schools.

Shalvey said the foundation was particularly impressed with that notion.

“It’s priorities are clearly aligned with the priorities inside the foundation,” he said.

City officials have said a committee would be set up to develop common performance criteria over the next several months to be used to evaluate all schools, create an accountability framework and develop a plan for implementing the compact. After public input, a final version of the compact will be submitted to the Gates Foundation.

The proposed compact would permit other charter operators to take over failing charter schools. A draft of the proposal distributed last month said that if the SRC revokes or fails to renew a charter, it would launch a competitive process to find another operator to take over the school.

The compact draft also calls for shared planning to coordinate growth of charters and district schools; collaborating on facilities; and creating a “universal enrollment” system that would align schools’ application procedures and make it easier for families to select schools.

The compact also calls for replacing the district office that oversees charter schools with a new office whose executive director would report to the SRC. Now, the charter office is part of the district administration and reports to the superintendent. Charter school operators have advocated the change.

Philadelphia, which has 40,322 students in charter schools, ranks third among the 10 largest districts in the country in charter enrollment, just behind Los Angeles and Detroit.

Also represented at the press conference was the Philadelphia School Partnership, a non-profit that formed a year ago and set the goal of raising $100 million for education reform in Philadelphia, and leaders of two charter school coalitions.

School Reform Commission Chairman Ramos said he’s pleased with the Gates funding and support, but the work would have gone on even without it.

“This focus is enabled by, not caused by the funding,” he said.