NATIONAL COVERAGE

G.O.P. Bill on Schools Would Set Fewer Rules
New York Times, June 6, 2013
Signaling a preference for a much smaller role for the federal government in public schooling, Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, is introducing legislation on Thursday to revise No Child Left Behind, the Bush-era education law.

Jumble of education topics facing Congress
Associated Press, June 6, 2013
From pre-kindergarten to No Child Left Behind to college loans, students in every age group are suddenly finding the spotlight on Capitol Hill.

‘Hope Against Hope’: A community’s painful struggle over school reform
Book Review, Washington Post, June 5, 2013
In her new book, veteran education journalist Sarah Carr attempts to tell the controversial story of New Orleans schools post-Hurricane Katrina from the ground up, focusing primarily on affected families and educators.

STATE COVERAGE

ARIZONA

Vail schools may convert to charters
Arizona Daily Star, June 6, 2013
Vail School District is considering converting some of its schools to charter schools in a move to bring in more state funding.

CALIFORNIA

Oakland charter school seeks court order to stay open
KTVU, June 6, 2013
An Oakland charter school that has high-achieving students but allegedly engaged in financial improprieties has gone to court to try to keep its doors open.

Time to make Brown’s school funding reforms work: Editorial
Los Angeles Daily News, June 5, 2013
The new school funding formula proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown is a thoughtful approach, more logical and democratic than its predecessor, and a good start on reforming a broken system.

New leader for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s schools
Los Angeles Times, June 5, 2013
One of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s closest advisors will become the new leader of the nonprofit overseeing public schools under the mayor’s control.

CONNECTICUT

Study shows school suspensions still too high
Republican American, June 6, 2013
In Connecticut, boys are twice as likely to be suspended from public schools as girls. Black and Hispanic boys are two to three times more likely to be suspended than white peers.

Education funding fares well in state budget
Greenwich Times, June 5, 2013
Education reform efforts advanced last year by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy appeared to have survived a struggling economy.

DELAWARE

Charter school reform bill advances in state House
News Journal, June 6, 2013
A bill aimed at reforming the state’s charter school system is headed to full House, despite objections that the measure needs public input and will hurt traditional schools.

FLORIDA

Rowlett parents bullish on charter conversion
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, June 5, 2013
Parents set on converting Rowlett Elementary to a charter operation say their proposed budget shows the magnet school will not only be viable, but capable of bringing in extra funding for fine arts programs many want to preserve.

LOUISIANA

Rules governing funding formula for public schools confirmed by Louisiana House
Times-Picayune, June 5, 2013
Louisiana’s public school funding formula will have to jump through all the same legislative hoops that a regular bill does, under a resolution given final approval by the House on Wednesday. The move is meant to avoid further costly litigation after the state Supreme Court ruled the process by which the formula was passed last year unconstitutional.

MASSACHUSETTS

Parker Charter School graduates 14th class
Lowell Sun, June 6, 2013
The processional was as about as traditional as it gets: 55 senior high school students in robes and mortarboards marching across the grass and onto an outdoor stage to the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance.” The processional was as about as traditional as it gets: 55 senior high school students in robes and mortarboards marching across the grass and onto an outdoor stage to the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance.”

NEVADA

New star rating system rises over Nevada’s struggling schools
Las Vegas Review-Journal, June 5, 2013
Less than 19 percent of Clark County high school students passed the Algebra I spring semester exam in 2012. Not even half of eighth-graders passed the pre-algebra exam. About one of two students in elementary and middle school earned the minimum score for grade-level proficiency on the state’s reading, writing and science tests.

Silver State Charter High School graduates look back and forward
Nevada Appeal, June 6, 2013
While high school graduation can feel like stepping into the great unknown, Joshua Carmicheal knows exactly where his path is leading.

NEW JERSEY

Camden schools takeover gets OK
Cherry Hill Courier Post, June 6, 2013
New Jersey is about three weeks away from taking control of Camden schools after the state Board of Education approved the intervention Wednesday.

New Teachers Should ‘B’ Ready for Tougher Standards
New Jersey Spotlight, June 6, 2013
State proposes hiking minimum college GPA from 2.75 to 3.0 in attempt to improve quality of new educators

Performing arts school expands to fit new students
Press of Atlantic City, June 5, 2013
When Charter Tech High School for the Performing Arts opened in September 1999, after a two-year battle that moved the fledgling charter school from Ocean City to Linwood, this year’s graduates had not yet even started school.

NEW YORK

Better Teachers for New York City
Editorial, New York Times, June 6, 2013
The new teacher evaluation system that the New York State education commissioner, John King Jr., has imposed on New York City represents an important and necessary step toward carrying out the rigorous new Common Core education reforms.

Criticism of charter school is bogus
Letter, Riverdale Press, June 6, 2013
Re: “Did new charter fake community outreach?” May 30: I have never been a supporter of charter schools and voted in the Assembly against expanding the number of such schools. But they are coming and it is vitally important that the new schools be top notch schools with excellent leadership.

Councilmember Levin demands moratorium on charter schools
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 5, 2013
Charter school spending is “out of control” Councilmember Stephen Levin (D-Brooklyn Heights, Greenpoint, Boerum Hill) said on Wednesday as he called for a moratorium on the opening of all charter schools in New York City.

NORTH CAROLINA

Gov. McCrory: Public school students take too many tests
News & Observer, June 5, 2013
Public school students take too many tests, Gov. Pat McCrory told education leaders Wednesday, and the state needs to figure out how to lighten the load.

NC needs to realize Common Core is a conservative victory
Opinion, News & Observer, June 5, 2013
For some time now, outside groups have been vigorously spreading misinformation about the Common Core State Standards. The effort has been relentless, and North Carolina has not been immune to the falsehoods.

PENNSYLVANIA

Charter school teachers vote in union
Pocono Record, June 6, 2013
Pocono Mountain Charter School teachers, crowded into the school’s dance studio Wednesday afternoon, broke into applaus

Make charter schools fully accountable
Opinion, Scranton Times-Tribune, June 6, 2013
Charter schools are publicly funded but, compared with conventional public schools, they operate off the grid.

Pa. House bill could save York City schools $375K
York Dispatch, June 5,, 2013
Legislation that would overhaul some of the longstanding and much-criticized aspects of the charter school law is awaiting a state House vote.

RHODE ISLAND

Education Is Rhode Island’s Political Football
Opinion, Go Local Prov, June 6, 2013
By now, most every Rhode Islander knows (or should know) that The Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education’s contract is up for renewal.

TENNESSEE

Education Pioneers opening office in Memphis
Memphis Commercial Appeal, June 6, 2013
The latest confirmation of the starring role Memphis is playing in education reform is Education Pioneers, a national nonprofit setting up shop here to provide high-caliber fellows for the growing list of charters, nonprofits and foundations looking for strategic talent

VIRGINIA

Chesterfield lawmaker working to help lighten load of mandates pressing on schools
Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 6, 2013
A state requirement that high school students pass a financial literacy class in order to graduate went into effect in 2011, much to the delight of its supporters.

WEST VIRGINIA

Legislators must keep track of new evaluations
Editorial, Journal-News, June 6, 2013
Good school principals have been coaching teachers for many years. Now, such coaching is official policy in West Virginia public schools. A new system of evaluating teachers is based heavily on principals’ views of them.

WISCONSIN

State public education decisions create stir
Shawano Leader, June 5, 2013
Public school representatives were shaking their heads Wednesday at the state budget proposal that the Wisconsin Assembly will begin debating in two weeks. The final elements of the bill, which expands the state’s voucher program and increases per pupil spending in public schools, were approved early Wednesday by the state Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee.

ONLINE LEARNING

Obama to visit NC school, fundraise in California
Associated Press, June 6, 2013
President Barack Obama wants to see the nation’s classrooms transformed into digital learning centers and he is ready to ask federal regulators to use billions of dollars to pay for the broadband and high-speed Internet connections that will be needed to make it happen.

Morning talker: Are cyber schools real schools?
Column, Patriot News, June 6, 2013
Earlier this week Suzanne D. Hair penned a piece on why she sends her son to Commonwealth Connections Academy and arguing that cyber schools are public schools and deserve equal funding. It was in response to another article from a parent insisting that lawmakers stop “overpaying” for charter and cyber schools.

Cutting funds to Pa. charter schools puts students at risk
Letter, Lehigh Valley Express-Times, June 6, 2013
On Monday, House Bill 618, sponsored by state Rep. Joe Emrick, R-Northampton, narrowly passed the House Education Committee by a vote of 13-12. This bill drastically cuts funding to Pennsylvania cyber/charter schools and unfairly creates a double dip for school districts across the state, possibly forcing schools to “virtually close their lids” on our students.

Charter schools remain a hot topic in Harrisburg
The Reporter, June 5, 2013
As the state legislature works towards finalizing a budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year, other pieces of legislation are also being considered, including several focusing on education, most notably H.B. 618 , which made it through the committee by a narrow 13-12 vote and calls for charter and cyber charter school reform.

PA Cyber Charter School to graduate 1,500
PRNewswire, June 6, 2013
The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School will graduate 1,500 members of the Class of 2013, its 13th and largest graduating class ever, announced CEO Dr. Michael J. Conti .

Turner Co. will launch new online school in fall
WALB, June 5, 2013
Turner County is now giving home schooled and private school students another choice for their education. The system is ready to launch a learn at home online school.

Florida Virtual School commencement points to new education trend
Seminole Chronicle, June 5, 2013
When seniors from across the state of Florida came together Saturday at Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, they did so for a graduation that was the first of its kind here in the Sunshine State.

Lee school’s Virtual Instruction Program culls national recognition
Fort Myers Beach Bulletin, June 5, 2013
Lee Virtual Instruction Program, the School District of Lee County’s high-quality, fully online school for students, was recently awarded the Bronze ranking in US News & World Report’s rating of America’s Best High Schools.

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Bill to Alter Bush-Era Education Law Gives States More Room
New York Times, June 5, 2013
Renewing the effort to revise No Child Left Behind, the signature Bush-era federal education law, Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, introduced a new version on Tuesday that he said would “replace the failed tenets” of the law.

Grading teachers on test scores: Column
USA Today, June 4, 2013
Signs exhorting students have been springing up at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., where I teach English. “Keep Calm and Crush the Test” is my favorite.

Ind. charter school group head takes US-wide post
WTHI, June 5, 2013
A leader among Indiana’s public charter schools is moving into a national advocacy post.

STATE COVERAGE

ARIZONA

Arizona court refuses to stop state’s voucher-like ‘empowerment savings account’ program now
East Valley Tribune, June 5, 2013
The Court of Appeals won’t stop the state from continuing to fund a controversial voucher program, at least not now. In a brief order Tuesday, the judges rejected a request by foes of what are called “empowerment scholarship accounts” to block continued payments while the legality of the program is litigated.

CALIFORNIA

Kudos for Great Valley Academy described as ‘model charter school’
Manteca Bulletin, June 5, 2013
Great Valley Academy in Manteca was described as one of the “few (charter school) models that exist” by the Center for Educational Reform.

Charter money grab should end
Opinion, The Record, June 5, 2013
California slipped a notch in spending per public school pupil in 2011, falling to 35th among states in a year that marked the first overall drop across the nation in nearly four decades, the U.S. Census Bureau reported last month.

COLORADO

When the good guys in education reform prevailed
Column, Denver Post, June 5, 2013
Twenty years ago this week, Gov. Roy Romer signed the single most significant piece of school reform legislation of the past generation. As a result, 97,000 students will enroll this fall in charter schools, a number larger than the attendance in any single school district.

Dougco teacher plan innovative
Editorial, Denver Post, June 5, 2013
The school system’s ideas on teacher salaries may not be perfect, but they are on the right track.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Henderson not convinced that D.C. education plan will help schools
Washington Post, June 4, 2013
D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson said she is not convinced that a wide-ranging package of education legislation introduced Tuesday will improve educational outcomes for the city’s children.

Failing schools should be converted to charters
Editorial, Washington Examiner, June 4, 2013
David Catania, chairman of the D.C. Council’s Education Committee, wants to increase DC Public Schools’ accountability and academic results. Catania has the right idea but the wrong approach, one that is as doomed as other past attempts at school reform. But he’s not bold enough to propose the one thing that just might work.

FLORIDA

Teachers union not ‘dragging feet’
Tampa Tribune, June 5, 2013
The union that represents Pasco County school employees is as eager as anyone to start contract negotiations for the 2013-14 school year, but needs more information from the school district before that can happen, its leader said Tuesday.

Idaho college leaders back Common Core
Idaho Statesman, June 5, 2013
University presidents say the more rigorous standards will make for better students.

Teachers union worried about jobs with upcoming CPS budget
Chicago Tribune, June 5, 2013
As Chicago Public Schools prepares to issue budgets for individual schools to principals, the Chicago Teachers Union is predicting that hundreds of its members could be laid off because of the district’s ongoing budget woes.

LOUISIANA

John McDonogh High charter group will not manage Cohen in the fall
Times-Picayune, June 4,, 2013
The charter school group in charge of the John McDonogh High takeover that was chronicled in a recent Oprah Winfrey television series is relinquishing its limited management of another high school, citing budget problems.

Bills put religion in Louisiana schools
Letter, The Advocate, June 4, 2013
Regarding the letter to the editor May 25, “Evolution is its own religion,” by Larry Miller:
There is no doubt that the “Science Education Act” (House Bill 116) and the school voucher program are intended to introduce a religion (Christianity) into public schools.

MAINE

Commission considers moratorium on new charter school applications
Kennebec Journal, June 5, 2013
The Maine Charter School Commission is considering a one-year moratorium on new charter school applications after staff and several commissioners noted the time-consuming work of monitoring the five schools they’ve already approved and creating a raft of new rules to govern the two-year-old commission’s work.

MASSACHUSETTS

Barros proposes single application for city, charter schools
Boston Globe, June 5, 2013
Mayoral hopeful John Barros, in an effort to simplify the process of registering for school, is calling for a single application that can be used in Boston’s school system and at independently-run charter schools.

Lynn CFO says charter school costs ‘a killer’
The Daily Item, June 5, 2013
It has a hilltop view of Lynn from its perch in the Highlands, and the Knowledge Is Power Program academy is starting to figure prominently in city budget calculations as elected officials start the annual process of crafting a municipal budget.

Blackstone Valley Boasts a ‘Kick Butt’ School
Column, Go Local Worcester, June 5, 2013
Like many urban teens, Jessica Coello was obviously smart and capable, but totally turned off from school. When she was in grade school, thinking about high school, someone suggested she visit Blackstone Academy Charter School–recently recognized as 1 of 12 schools “Commended” by the state.

MICHIGAN

Grand Rapids schools’ statistical model for teacher evaluation pushes it ahead of the rest of the state
Grand Rapid Press, June 4, 2013
The old system of evaluating a teacher’s performance – a principal observing in a classroom – was not particularly effective, school administrators and teacher union leaders agree.

Financially troubled Michigan school districts may be forced to close
Detroit News, June 5, 2013
Insolvent school districts could be shut down and their students sent to neighboring districts within three weeks under bipartisan legislation proposed by two Michigan lawmakers.

MINNESOTA

Apple Valley charter school’s teacher terminations spark frustration
Star Tribune, June 4, 2013
At Apple Valley charter school Paideia Academy, tensions are running high among parents and students after the contracts of five teachers weren’t renewed for next school year.

MISSOURI

Reality of school funding in Missouri? It gets worse ever year.
Editorial, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 5, 2013
When Missouri House budget chairman Rick Stream, a Kirkwood Republican, bragged last month that lawmakers approved K-12 education funding at the “highest level in the history of Missouri,” he was telling the truth.

NEW JERSEY

Creating successful charter schools for New Jersey
The Record, June 5, 2013
NEW JERSEYANS have sadly never had an opportunity to witness the benefit of a truly statewide charter school environment that helps children succeed, all schools improve and educators thrive. Unlike most other states, New Jersey law rests all authority to approve and vet charter school applications with the state Commissioner of Education.

NEW YORK

A win for NYC’s kids
Column, New York Post, June 4, 2013
This weekend, we made history. After months of uncertainty and years of grappling with special interests, state Education Commissioner John King announced a landmark teacher-evaluation system that continues us down the path toward ensuring all 1.1 million New York City school children have great teachers in their classrooms.

School district struggles over state ruling on students’ right to transfer
Buffalo News, June 4, 2013
Buffalo school administrators are struggling with a state Education Department ruling that says the district must find space for every student who wants to be transferred out of a failing school and into a better one.

NORTH CAROLINA

Charter school request heavily scrutinized
Daily Dispatch, June 4, 2013
A request from Henderson Collegiate to expand onto more county-owned property hit a snag Monday.
The Vance County board of commissioners, in its regular monthly meeting, asked the charter school for a detailed plan and opponents cited concerns with the proposed expansion.

New voices supporting vouchers emerge
Opinion, Elkin Tribune, June 5, 2013
There’s something exciting happening in North Carolina: Young, liberal African-American politicians are breaking away from teachers’ unions to support school choice.

OHIO

More students qualify for vouchers under Senate budget changes
Columbus Dispatch, June 4, 2013
The Ohio Senate would further expand who qualifies for Ohio’s voucher program, the tax-funded tuition for private schools, under its latest batch of major changes to the new two-year budget.

OREGON

Clackamas Web Academy’s Annie Sharpe builds up college credits during high school
The Oregonian, June 4, 2013
Though Annie Sharpe graduated from high school this week, she’s already intimately familiar with college life.

PENNSYLVANIA

Nutter, Butkovitz push Pa. for more school funding
Philadelphia Inquirer, June 5, 2013
Philadelphia leaders launched a full-court press Tuesday on the General Assembly, seeking support for funding to cover the projected $304 million school budget shortfall.

Charter school teachers will vote today on unionizing
Pocono Record, June 5, 2013
Teachers at the charter school fighting for its survival will vote today on whether to unionize.
The Pocono Mountain Charter School has warred for years with the Pocono Mountain School District over the status of its charter and seen scandal and contention among its leaders.

WISCONSIN

Deal announced on income tax cuts, school vouchers
Chippewa Herald, June 5, 2013
Republican legislative leaders announced an agreement shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday that would nearly double Gov. Scott Walker’s income tax cut over the next two years, expand private school vouchers statewide and allow public school funding to increase.

School choice must be expanded
Opinion, Appleton Post-Crescent, June 5, 2013
Nearly 25 years ago, business leaders in Milwaukee came to me, deeply concerned that they couldn’t find enough qualified workers among the students leaving the Milwaukee public schools. At the same time, African-American parents came to me, worried about their children’s future in a school system that wasn’t meeting their needs.

ONLINE LEARNING

Cerf Pulls Plug on Online Charter Schools
New Jersey Spotlight, June 5, 2013
Growing opposition to virtual charters, legal challenges and gray areas help inform commissioner’s decision

State wants to revoke charter of Philadelphia-based cyber school
Philadelphia Notebook Blog, June 4, 2013
Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Ronald Tomalis wants to close down the Solomon Charter School in Philadelphia, which opened just months ago.

Local to graduate from online public school
Elko Daily Free Press, June 5, 2013
The Nevada Connections Academy class of 2013 graduates Friday in Reno and Las Vegas. Hornback will be among the graduates in Reno.

California Virtual Academies graduates celebrate in Vacaville
The Reporter, June 5, 2013
The cliché image is that these students attend class in their pajamas. But one thing is clear about seniors enrolled in California Virtual Academies: They do not graduate in them.

LOOKING BACK TO MOVE FORWARD. CER President Jeanne Allen is in Boston, MA today for a look at authorizing in The Bay State, sponsored by the Pioneer Institute. Cara Stillings Candal just authored a fantastic paper for Pioneer on the history of the charter movement in Massachusetts and how the authorizing process has gone from broad to narrow over its course, despite great student achievement. While the state has been a strong authorizer over the years, proven by the high-quality schools they’ve authorized, there are concerns that they are constraining the independence and innovation of charters by focusing on replication, inputs not outputs, and adding unnecessary regulations. In addition to removing the cap, the paper recommends what CER has been advocating for years: multiple authorizers to allow for increased innovation in Massachusetts and “maintain(ing) the rigor and integrity of the charter authorization process.”

SPEAKING OF MULTIPLE AUTHORIZERS. It’s becoming all too clear that Massachusetts isn’t the only state whose charter movement is experiencing problems with a single authorizer model. While local NC boards can authorize with state board approval, and the state board alone can approve Dept. of Ed managed charter applications, there is still much work to be done. A proposal pending in the state senate and passed by the NC house creating the NC Public Charter School Board isn’t the answer though, and thankfully, it’s unlikely the senate will act on this. The reality is that the potential for improving authorizing in the Tarheel State already exists because current law permits the establishment of university authorizers, if approved by the state board. The university as authorizer model is a clear winner in NY, MI and elsewhere, and states looking to improve should follow.

WELCOMED NEWS. Tennessee’s failed proposal to establish a “statewide authorizer” that would have created a charter commission tied to the State Department of Education is welcomed news for the very reasons mentioned in this Newswire. The proposed commission would be no less bureaucratic than authorizers that already exist, local districts and the Achievement School District (ASD), which was created to help areas of the state with persistently failing schools. Barriers to charter school growth would continue to be an issue and overtime, the Dept. of Ed would begin to look at this new division as a burden and drain on their system.

DON’T FIX WHAT AIN’T BROKE. Washington, DC’s Public Charter School Board has been a model of excellence. The independent DCPCSB has been the sole authorizer in the District since the school board initially gave up its very deficient oversight in 2007, and because the DC charter board is truly independent, it has been able to focus relentlessly on chartering well and strong stewardship. Some have come to question whether this is changing. Staff and board attitudes toward new innovations and new actors in DC have been negative, and the DCPCSB is reportedly becoming more bureaucratic in its ways. The fact that DC Mayor Vincent Gray and Chancellor Kaya Henderson now want DCPS to get back into the authorizing business again might be a good competitive kick to the DC Public Charter School Board. Chancellor Henderson wants to be able to “create schools free of bureaucratic rules and regulations that she said hamper traditional schools.” She actually already has that authority, and it is important to note that nationwide, school districts are responsible for most of the 15% of closed charters. But if the council really wants to extend the Chancellor additional authority, it should also extend authority to approve charter schools to reputable universities with experience and knowledge of the community. The School Reform Act empowers the city council to approve the inclusion of other entities. The University of the District of Columbia and Howard University are two natural fits that could follow in the successful footsteps of New York and Michigan higher education institutions, to name just two.

A BAD CHOICE. A pending proposal in New Jersey is also a bad idea because it calls for local voter approval of charters, imposes more bureaucracy in the name of increased standards, and creates a new nine-member charter school review board. It is the antithesis of sound charter school policy, and is another attempt by opponents to squash the modest charter movement that New Jersey has developed over the past 18 years. Introduced by Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex), who unapologetically has never been a fan of charter schools, the bill caters to the cries of the Garden State’s establishment who believe any choice not made by centralized districts is a bad choice.

DOOMED TO FAIL. Why so many bad proposals out there that are doomed to fail? Clearly, policymakers didn’t get the memo and haven’t seen CER’s The Essential Guide to Charter School Lawmaking: Model Legislation for States Grounded in Experience and Practice.

As legislatures begin to wind down for a summer break, it is time to look at what real experience can provide. States with truly independent and multiple authorizers have demonstrated that both high quality and a high quantity of charter schools are possible. In most cases, universities have proven to be the best authorizers, combining existing higher education entities with an infrastructure that is accustomed to public and legislative scrutiny while creating new innovations in K-12 education. They stand as a blueprint for all states to follow.

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Getting at the Core
Worcester Telegram, June 3, 2013
Perhaps no issue is as important to parents as their children’s education. But too little attention has been paid to the advent of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, an effort to bring education curricula across the nation into alignment with one another by adopting a single set of academic standards.

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

Leader of charter school appointed to vacant Pasadena Unified seat
Pasadena Sun, June 2, 2013
Mikala Rahn, the head of Learning Works Charter School in Pasadena, was appointed Saturday to fill a vacant seat on the Pasadena Unified school board.

Charters are jackpot for district
Stockton Record, June 2, 2013
Deep in the southeastern reaches of Tracy, surrounded by spacious plots of rich San Joaquin County farmland, sits a school district that this academic year served a grand total of 16 kindergarten students.

Newton: In a hurry to pull the ‘parent trigger’
Commentary, Los Angeles Times, June 3, 2013
The ouster of a Watts principal is wrenching but hardly surprising. Parents lack patience for incremental improvement.

The ‘parent trigger’ trap
Editorial, Los Angeles Times, June 2, 2013
As the most recent example at Weigand Avenue Elementary School in Watts shows, parents need more information before taking such drastic action.

COLORADO

Disparities in Douglas County schools teacher evaluations draw fire
Denver Post, June 3, 2013
Fourth-grade teacher Cheryl Murphy is among the educators at Trailblazer Elementary School being re-evaluated after the Douglas County School District determined that the high marks she got on her job review may not be valid.

DELAWARE

Charters focus of House legislation
News Journal, May 31, 2013
bill that would toughen oversight of charter schools would also award more money to charters with proven track records and allow them to access capital funding from the state.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Yes to more charters, but let’s head off the unions
Column, Washington Times, June 2, 2013
When you dance to the music, sooner or later you’ve got to pay the piper.
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced Sunday that he will send legislation to the D.C. Council to grant the city’s schools chancellor the power to authorize charter schools.

Legislation Would Give DCPS Chancellor Power to Authorize Charters
CBS Local, June 2, 2013
“One of my top priorities as mayor has been ensuring that every child in the District has access to a top-quality public education,” D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said in his weekly Sunday morning radio address on All-News 99.1.

FLORIDA

Record charter school closings prompt calls for more accountability
Sun Sentinel, June 1, 2013
When Next Generation Charter School in Lauderdale Lakes abruptly closed its doors in April, the Broward School district was left scrambling to find classrooms for the 160 students that suddenly had no place to learn.

Pasco charter school sues district over enrollment cap
Tampa Bay Times, May 31, 2013
A charter school has sued the school district over a refusal to let the school expand its enrollment. Athenian Academy wants to increase its student body from 390 to 472 for the fall. School officials say it needs to grow to remain financially viable and argue their contract with the district allows the added numbers.

IDAHO

Common Core reform only common sense
Editorial, Idaho Statesman, June 2, 2013
Have you ever noticed that education reform initiatives are unrated by actuaries and untouched as sure bets in Las Vegas? They exist in bubble dimensions until they pop on the sharp edges of the classroom and life.

INDIANA

No easy path for charter schools
The Journal Gazette, IN
June 2, 2013
Clearing the hurdle of receiving a charter from the state authorizing board isn’t always enough to actually open a charter school.

IOWA

Education Reform One Step Away in Iowa
KWQC, June 2, 2013
It’s been a bill in the works for several years – but now education reform in Iowa is just the Governor’s signature away from being signed into law.

LOUISIANA

Fifth-grade test scores could hurt Singleton’s academic standing, principal warns
The Lens, May 31, 2013
A drastic decrease in iLEAP state test scores for fifth graders at James Singleton Charter School could have a significant impact on the school’s 2013 school performance score, according to school leaders.

Voucher amendment fails
The Advocate, June 2, 2013
State senators defeated an effort to strip money for school vouchers out of the $25 billion state budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

School return bill clears Senate
The Advocate, June 2, 2013
The state Senate unanimously backed a bill Saturday that would set up a “parent trigger” law for poor-performing schools in the Recovery School District, moving the proposal one step from final passage.

MAINE

Bangor charter school’s failed bid sparks moratorium debate
Bangor Daily News, June 2, 2013
Bangor city councilors will consider a citywide moratorium on charter schools, arguing that having one in the city would create unnecessary competition and put a financial strain on an already strong public school system.

MARYLAND

Prince George’s County school reform law takes effect
Washington Post, June 2, 2013
After the Maryland General Assembly approved legislation to overhaul the Prince George’s County public schools two months ago, residents were left wondering what changes would be in store for the 123,000-student system.

MASSACHUSETTS

Charter School Advocates Eye Investment In Mayor’s Race
WBUR, May 31, 2013
Sensing a rare opportunity to shape policy here and beyond, charter school advocates are weighing significant investments in Boston’s first competitive mayoral race in a generation.

MICHIGAN

Snyder’s merit pay idea fails the test
Detroit News Blog, MI
June 2, 2013
Adding to an already impressive list of legislative “solutions” that don’t actually solve any problems, Rick Snyder and the Michigan legislature have decided to consider “merit pay” for public educators.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter school kindergarten students show they are ready to serve in Manchester
Union Leader, June 3, 2013
Those are the numbers behind a “service learning” trip to New Hampshire Food Bank on Friday for students from Mill Falls Charter School. But math wasn’t the important lesson of the day.

NEW JERSEY

Christie’s Proposed School Voucher Program At Latest Crossroads
New Jersey Spotlight, June 3, 2013
Democrats claim Opportunity Scholarship Grants will never make it to the final budget, but can they deliver?

NEW YORK

Charter school group pushes forward with ambitious expansion
Democrat & Chronicle, June 1, 2013
Its demographics match those of most city schools, but the performance of students at True North Rochester Prep far outpaces their peers in the district.

Teacher Plan Uncertain
Wall Street Journal, June 3, 2013
A bitterly contested teacher-evaluation system imposed on New York City by state officials could be upended as soon as a new mayor takes office next year.

UFT gets schooled
New York Post, June 3, 2013
The teachers union lost out on nearly all of its key demands during the bitter war over a new evaluation system that makes it easier to oust inept educators, city officials said.

Mayor’s education legacy an issue in NYC race
Wall Street Journal, June 1, 2013
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has sought during his three terms to make the city’s sprawling public school system a showcase for get-tough policies such as closing schools deemed to be failing and using student test scores to measure teacher effectiveness.

NORTH CAROLINA

Charter school will be reviewed, director says
The Dispatch, June 3, 2013
Despite having its application and appeal denied for incomplete information, the proposed Davidson Charter Academy will be reviewed by a state council, state education officials said recently.

OHIO

Schools push merit pay for teachers
Dayton Daily News, June 3, 2013
More districts across the state may soon follow the lead of Oakwood schools and pay teachers based on their performance in the classroom, experts say.

State should provide equally for charters
Letter
Columbus Dispatch, June 1, 2013
I am a parent of a charter-school student. The proposed state budget discriminates against my daughter and creates a separate and unequal funding system for all Ohio charter students.

PENNSYLVANIA

Charter school case moving to court
Montgomery News, June 2, 2013
The petition signed by members of the public in support of North Penn Charter School Collaborative and submitted to the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas is “fatally defective” because it doesn’t include certain pieces of information, according to a brief filed by the North Penn School District’s legal counsel.

Private schools hope Pa. tax-credit program will grow larger
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 3, 2013
After a slow start, money is starting to come in to a tax-credit scholarship program aimed at providing scholarships for students who live within the attendance areas of the state’s lowest-performing schools to transfer to other higher performing schools.

Charter schools advocate accountability
Opinion, Observer-Reporter, June 2, 2013
Clarifications need to be made in response to the misleading and oversimplified statements in the Observer-Reporter’s May 21 editorial, “Wanting public money, but not the accountability.”

TENNESSEE

Knox County superintendent recommends denial of charter school application
Knoxville News Sentinel, June 2, 2013
Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre is recommending that the school board deny an application for a charter school that would be located in Northwest Knoxville.

WASHINGTON

Bad teachers shouldn’t be forced on our kids
Column, Seattle Times, June 2, 2013
Editorial staff columnist Jonathan Martin wonders why is it so hard is it to get a poor teacher out of the classroom.

WISCONSIN

Voucher schools should be more open
Opinion, Appleton Post-Crescent , June 3, 2013
Back in 1990, when Milwaukee launched the nation’s first publicly funded voucher program, participating schools could enroll no more than 49 percent voucher students. These schools were considered private, because the majority of their students paid private tuition.

Governor’s voucher plan makes no sense
Letter, Fond du Lac Reporter , June 2, 2013
I am writing to show how illogical Gov. Walker’s voucher school expansion in the state budget is. The governor’s justification for this expansion has been to offer parents “choice” to avoid “failing” schools.

ONLINE LEARNING

Why K-12 online learning isn’t really revolutionizing teaching
Washington Post Blog, June 3, 2013
Online learning is our present and our future, or so many school reformers and entrepreneurs say. Here in the first of a few pieces on the subject is Larry Cuban, a high school social studies teacher for 14 years, a district superintendent (seven years in Arlington, VA), and professor emeritus of education at Stanford University, where he has taught for more than 20 years.

Enrollment growing at Virtual Learning Academy
Fosters Daily Democrat, June 2, 2013
With each year that passes, more and more people across the state are turning to internet-based programs to further their education. This rising trend can be found locally as well, as hundreds of Seacoast residents have enrolled at the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School based in Exeter.

Online learning works for student
Shelbyville Times-Gazette, June 2, 2013
Trace Marshall has enjoyed many of the aspects of a normal high school senior year — having senior pictures made, buying a senior ring, ordering his graduation cap and gown, making plans for college — but he is not your traditional high school graduate.

NATIONAL COVERAGE

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

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

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

STATE COVERAGE

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

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

GEORGIA

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

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

INDIANA

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

LOUISIANA

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

MASSACHUSETTS

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

MICHIGAN

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

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

MISSOURI

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

NEW JERSEY

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

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

NEW YORK

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

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

NORTH CAROLINA

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

PENNSYLVANIA

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

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

SOUTH CAROLINA

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

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

SOUTH DAKOTA

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

TENNESSEE

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

UTAH

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

WASHINGTON

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

WISCONSIN

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

ONLINE LEARNING

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

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

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

NATIONAL COVERAGE

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

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

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

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

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

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

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

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

COLORADO

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

CONNECTICUT

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

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

DELAWARE

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

FLORIDA

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

GEORGIA

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

ILLINOIS

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

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

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

INDIANA

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

LOUISIANA

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

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

MARYLAND

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

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

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

NEW HAMPSHIRE

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

NEW YORK

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

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

NORTH CAROLINA

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

OHIO

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

PENNSYLVANIA

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

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

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

TENNESSEE

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

WASHINGTON

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

WISCONSIN

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

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

ONLINE LEARNING

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

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

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

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

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

COLORADO

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

CONNECTICUT

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

DELAWARE

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

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

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

IDAHO

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

ILLINOIS

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

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

MASSACHUSETTS

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

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

MICHIGAN

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

NEW YORK

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

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

NORTH CAROLINA

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

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

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

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

OHIO

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

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

OKLAHOMA

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

PENNSYLVANIA

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

SOUTH CAROLINA

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

TENNESSEE

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

TEXAS

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

VIRGINIA

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

WASHINGTON

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

WEST VIRGINIA

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

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

WISCONSIN

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

ONLINE LEARNING

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

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

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

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

OPPORTUNITY FORWARD. Just this morning, the North Carolina House Education Committee moved legislation forward that would bring vouchers to the Tarheel State. Following a heated debate, The Opportunity Scholarship Act, HB 944, passed 27 to 21. As one lawmaker said in favor of the bill, “Some think we were elected to represent public schools, but we were elected to represent the people of North Carolina… Parents have a God-given right [to choose.]”

BEANTOWN CHAMPS. Charter schools in Massachusetts turn 20 this year and they are only getting better with age. A new report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) finds that high school students attending Boston’s charter schools are outperforming their traditional public school peers and are more likely to go on to attend four-year colleges. Although, this finding is not surprising since a majority of charter schools in Boston have a college preparatory emphasis and have created a competitive culture that encourages students to succeed. The report also finds that Boston’s charter students are more likely to take AP courses and pass the state graduation exam. It’s clear that Boston’s charter schools continue to be “Champions of School Achievement.”

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A ‘GOOD’ CAP. Last week, Maine lawmakers killed a bill that would have significantly improved the Pine Tree State’s charter school law. The legislation, introduced by Gov. LePage, would have removed the cap of only ten schools within ten years and allowed for truly multiple and independent charter school authorizers. Outraged by the lack of progress to open and approve schools since charters became legal in Maine in 2011, Governor LePage railed against the commission back in January, stating that Maine needed “people with backbones.” Well, clearly there weren’t enough people with backbones at Thursday’s joint education committee hearing. Let’s hope Maine’s slow approach to charters doesn’t drag on as long as Texas’ 18-year battle over caps, which finally gained some ground over Memorial Day weekend. While the cap on the number of charter schools in Texas was not eliminated for good, the legislature increased the limit on the number of schools from 215 to 305 by 2019. A victory indeed for Texas students, but still not enough in a state where there are over 100,000 students on waiting lists. Sadly, this cap issue will rear its ugly head again in just a few short years in The Lone Star State. A lesson Maine lawmakers and others should be mindful of when debating “Good Cap, Bad Cap.”

DIGITAL DIVIDE. With a single signature, Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois once again put on display his unwillingness to embrace any legislative measure expanding educational choice. In the same state that received an ‘F’ for digital learning on the Parent Power Index©, Quinn and his supporters in the legislature imposed a one year moratorium on new charter schools with virtual learning programs in communities with less than 500,000 residents. In the meantime, a report will be conducted on the effectiveness of virtual learning, which won’t be submitted to the General Assembly until March 2014. This moratorium makes clear Illinois lawmakers don’t want to adapt, choosing establishment interests over innovative ways of educating students.

Digital learning is also slated to be scaled back in Louisiana thanks to the same state Supreme Court ruling that found the funding mechanism for vouchers to be unconstitutional. State Superintendent White vowed to find department funds to ensure access, but widespread offerings of online coursework in the “course choice” program will be affected.

PARENT POWER AT WORK. When a local school district was unable to provide a quality education to her children, mother and military wife Calyn Holdaway decided to take action. When Holdaway moved her family to a new school district in hopes of getting a better education for her oldest son with autism, her two youngest children ended up facing challenges. In what we would call a true act of parent power, Holdaway started a non-profit in her home state of Washington with the goal of opening a charter school in 2014. Thanks to a recently passed law allowing for non-profits to start up to 40 charter schools over five years, Holdaway’s plan for a charter that targets ‘non-traditional learners’ has a chance of becoming a reality. She realizes there will be a lot of opposition to a charter school in the community, but luckily for students in Tacoma in desperate need of an alternative, Holdaway says she isn’t afraid.

NATIONAL COVERAGE

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

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

STATE COVERAGE

CALIFORNIA

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

GEORGIA

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

ILLINOIS

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

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

LOUISIANA

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

MARYLAND

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

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

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

MASSACHUSETTS

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

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

MICHIGAN

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

NEW JERSEY

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

NEW MEXICO

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

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

NEW YORK

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

NORTH CAROLINA

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

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

PENNSYLVANIA

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

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

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

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

TENNESSEE

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

TEXAS

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

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

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

UTAH

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

WASHINGTON

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

WISCONSIN

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

ONLINE LEARNING

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STATE COVERAGE

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

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

FLORIDA

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

ILLINOIS

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

LOUISIANA

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

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

MAINE

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

MASSACHUSETTS

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

MICHIGAN

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

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

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

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

MISSOURI

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

NORTH CAROLINA

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

NORTH DAKOTA

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

OHIO

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

PENNSYLVANIA

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

VIRGINIA

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

WASHINGTON

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

WISCONSIN

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

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

ONLINE LEARNING

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

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

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

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