Parent-Driven Education Gains Ground in States
Health Care News, March 6, 2013
Ten states rank a cut above the rest in offering parents extensive opportunities to control their children’s education, according to the 2013 Parent Power Index from the Center for Education Reform.

Advocacy Group to Monitor Reform Efforts in Public Schools
New York Times, NY, March 8, 2013
Diane Ravitch, the historian and former assistant education secretary who has become an outspoken critic of those who favor high-stakes testing, tenure reforms and other controversial measures aimed at the public schools, has joined with other education advocates to form a group that will grade and endorse political candidates.

Neovouchers: The Debate Continues
Washington Post Blog, DC, March 7, 2013
Generally speaking, Americans know what vouchers are. Cleveland and Milwaukee have had conventional voucher plans for decades. Ballot initiatives to institute conventional vouchers have been voted on (and, I believe, always defeated) in many states. But most of us know little or nothing about neovouchers.

FROM THE STATES

ALABAMA

Tax Credits, Vouchers A Mixed Bag
Dothan Eagle, AL, March 7, 2013
How the Alabama Accountability Act was passed has become a subject for heated debate and litigation. Its impact on education and student outcomes if it survives is also controversial, as there is a mixed body of research concerning the effectiveness of similar policies throughout the country.

Tax-Credit Bill Poses Threat To Public Schools
Decatur Daily, AL, March 8, 2013
The bill — stalled in litigation, but probably not for long — allows the roughly 80,000 students in 202 “failing” public schools to transfer to private schools. Every student who transfers would reduce the Education Trust Fund by $3,500. A scholarship fund of $25 million also comes from the ETF.

House Speaker Mike Hubbard Says School Bill Needs Changes, But Not Enough To Risk Killing It
The Birmingham News, AL, March 7, 2013
Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard today said there are changes needed in a controversial school choice bill but not enough to risk “killing the bill” if it is brought back before lawmakers.
Hubbard said he had talked to Gov. Robert Bentley about possible changes.

CALIFORNIA

Charter School Piques Parental Interest
Tracy Press, CA, March 8, 2013
Parental interest is gaining momentum for River Islands Technology Academy even as the board of trustees overseeing the project works out the new charter

FLORIDA

Controversial ‘Parent Trigger’ Bill Gets First Nod
Miami Herald, FL, March 7, 2013
A bill that empowers parents. A bill that hands public schools over to private interests. A red herring. No matter what you think of the so-called parent trigger proposal, one thing was made clear Thursday: The bill will be among the most contentious of the Legislative session.

GOP Clears First Step in Push for School Fixes, Accountability
Sunshine State News, FL, March 8, 2013
Another year, another highly-charged debate over educational accountability. The same players are arranging themselves around the same board. The number on the bill has changed, but not much else, with Republicans and conservative groups pushing for reforms versus Democrats and liberal groups opting for status quo.

Report: Charter Schools Out Perform Traditional Public Schools
News-Press, FL, March 8, 2013
Charter schools outpace traditional public schools according to a report from the Florida Department of Education.

Charter Schools Operate At The Expense Of Public Schools
Miami Herald, FL, March 8, 2013
The first Florida charter school opened in Miami in 1996 with fewer than 100 students. Today, there are more than 47,000 students attending charter schools in Miami-Dade County

IDAHO

Charter School Funding Bill Reviewed By Senate Committee
Idaho Reporter, ID, March 7, 2013
The Senate Education Committee Thursday got its first look at a bill to improve the finances of the state’s charter schools. House Bill 206, which passed in the House of Representatives earlier this week, would provide an increase of state funds for charter schools to spend to fund their facilities.

ILLINOIS

Fewer schools will mean larger classes and more controversy for CPS
Chicago Tribune Blog, IL, March 8, 2013
But that’s an inconvenient truth for Chicago Public Schools officials as they push ahead with plans to close up to 80 elementary schools said to be underutilized, and to transfer the affected students to nearby, better-performing schools.

INDIANA

Only Indy’s Charter Schools Receive Tax Subsidy
Indianapolis Star, IN, March 8, 2013
In his March 6 My View, John Mutz discussed the idea of mayoral charter schools paying a nominal administration fee authorized by state law. Unfortunately, he mischaracterizes the concept and omits important information about the proposal pending before the City-County Council.

IOWA

Senate Version Of School Reform Bill Advances
Des Moines Register, IA, March 8, 2013
The Iowa Senate advanced its version of Gov. Terry Branstad’s education overhaul package Thursday, offering an expansive take on reform that runs counter to the Republican House’s minimalism.

KANSAS

Hensley: Charter School Bill Unnecessary
Topeka Capital Journal, KS, March 7, 2013
Sen. Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, a teacher, said Thursday that a bill to overhaul Kansas’ charter school system wasn’t necessary.

KENTUCKY

Poll: 72 Percent of Likely Kentucky Voters Support Charter Schools Bill
WFPL, KY, March 7, 2013
Seventy-two percent of likely Kentucky voters favor legislation to allow persistently low-performing schools the ability to become charter schools, according to a poll released Thursday by charter advocates.

LOUISIANA

Jefferson Parish Schools Seeking Private Operator To Run Alternative High Schools
Times Picayune, LA, March 7, 2013
Siting declining enrollment and lackluster results in both academic performance and behavior, the Jefferson Parish School Board approved a plan by Superintendent James Meza to seek private operators to run its two alternative schools as early as next fall.

Proposal: All Of Lycée’s Board Members Must Reapply If They Want To Stay Past June
The Lens, LA, March 8, 2013
Parents and teachers who want new governance at the embattled Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans charter school may soon have their wishes granted.

MAINE

LePage Bringing National Teaching And Learning Experts To Maine For Education Summit
Bangor Daily Herald, ME, March 7, 2013
School choice and education reforms championed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will get top billing later this month at an education summit set up by Gov. Paul LePage.

MASSACHUSETTS

Charter School Results Too Good To Ignore
Boston Globe, MA, March 8, 2013
ENTICED BY federal Race to the Top dollars, Massachusetts passed an important education reform law in 2010. But now, with that legislation in place, policymakers seem to lack the appetite for another round of significant change.

MINNESOTA

Close Poor Performing Charters To Create Better Choices For Low-Income Kids
Twin City Daily Planet, MN, March 7, 2013
A bi-partisan bill is making its way through the Minnesota legislature to close the state’s persistently lowest performing charter schools. The effort is not led by charter school opponents but by charter supporters, who believe that the charter sector holds tremendous promise to help close the nation’s and Minnesota’s appalling achievement gap.

MISSOURI

School Voucher System Would Help Kids More
St. Louis Post Dispatch, MO, March 8, 2013
Your editorial March 6 (“Schools v. Children”) implored the Missouri Supreme Court to enforce its ruling from 2010 that allows children from bad school districts to attend neighboring districts that have accredited schools.

NEW JERSEY

Hebrew Charter School: East Brunswick Officials Using Taxpayer Dollars To Derail Expansion
Star-Ledger, NJ, March 7, 2013
Town officials are waging a taxpayer-funded campaign to derail a Hebrew charter school’s expansion, the school said in a complaint to the state attorney general and Education Department.

Winslow Charter School To Fight N.J. Nonrenewal
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, March 8, 2013
The Institute for Excellence Charter School of Winslow Township has known for a week that the New Jersey Department of Education will not renew its charter for the fall.

NEW MEXICO

Commission’s Appeal Of Charter Schools The Right Move
Taos News, NM, March 7, 2013
In what is said to be an unprecedented move, the state Public Education Commission is going to court to challenge a decision allowing two new charter schools, including one in Taos.

Let’s Not Fund Any More Charter Schools’
Taos News, NM, March 7, 2013
Matthew Van Buren’s recent article on the Public Education Commission’s appeal of Secretary-designee Hanna Skandera’s decision regarding a Taos charter school’s application is a welcome report on current issues and personalities.

NEW YORK

N.Y. Schools’ Teacher-Eval Costs Outpace Federal Grants
Journal News, NY, March 7, 2013
New York’s small-city, suburban and rural school districts expect to spend an average of $155,355 this year to implement the state’s new teacher and principal evaluation plans, a report Thursday from the state School Boards Association found.

NORTH CAROLINA

Charlotte Charter School Can’t Open Because Of Plagiarism Allegation
Charlotte Observer, NC, March 7, 2013
Cameron Creek Charter won’t be allowed to open in east Charlotte this year, based on accusations that it cut and pasted large parts of its application from another Charlotte proposal.

Bill Would Give School Ownership To County Governments
News Observer, NC, March 7, 2013
A bill introduced in the state Senate Thursday would allow county governments to take ownership, construction and maintenance of schools away from school systems.

Charter School Application Raises Questions
Lexington Dispatch, NC, March 7, 2013
Students in Davidson County already have several educational options: traditional public schools, Yadkin Valley Regional Academy (geared to science, technology, engineering and math), Davidson Early College (where students graduate with college credits), religious schools, private schools and home schools.

NORTH DAKOTA

When A Waiver Isn’t A Waiver
Bismarck Tribune, ND, March 8, 2013
No Child Left Behind took Americans to school and taught us our schools, teachers and students are failing. The proof, we are told, can be found in the results of standardized tests. This is despite that North Dakotans take pride in their schools, believing they do a good job.

OHIO

Charter Schools Decry Kasich’s Proposed Funding Reduction
Columbus Dispatch, OH, March 8, 2013
Charter-school supporters like to tout that the privately operated, tax-funded schools do more to improve student achievement with less money than traditional public schools.

OKLAHOMA

Another Assault On Public Schools
Tulsa World, OK, March 8, 2013
Don’t be fooled that the so-called “parent trigger” bill that passed the Oklahoma Senate 30-2 this week and is headed for the House is all about reform.

PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia Officials Vote to Close 23 Schools
New York Times, NY, March 8, 2013
Officials on Thursday night approved closing 23 public schools, about 10 percent of the city’s total, largely backing a plan by the school district to erase a huge budget deficit and reduce the number of underused schools.

Armstrong School District To Decide On Charter School’s Fate
Pittsburgh Tribune Review, PA, March 7, 2013
It’ll be a tale of two schools on Monday evening when the Armstrong School Board is faced with decisions about its soon-to-be built high school in Manor Township and the proposed Everlasting Elderton Charter School.

SOUTH CAROLINA

School Choice Works
Greenville News, SC, March 8, 2013
It should come as a surprise to no one that informed lawmakers would look to school choice as an effective tool to improve education. After all, school choice is the most rapidly expanding education policy in the nation.

TENNESSEE

Teacher’s Union Concerned Over Vouchers
Murfreesboro Post, TN, March 8, 2013
As lawmakers in Tennessee consider a couple of proposals on school vouchers, the state’s teachers are urging rejection over a variety of concerns.

WEST VIRGINIA

Tomblin’s Revised Education Reform Bill Gives Concessions To Teachers
Charleston Gazette, WV, March 8, 2013
A revised version of Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s education reform bill is expected to include major concessions to teachers who have railed against the legislation in recent days.

WISCONSIN

Scott Walker’s Voucher Proposal Divides Parents Of Special-Needs Students
Journal Sentinel, WI, March 7, 2013
The story of Miriam and children like her is at the heart of a $21 million proposal in Gov. Scott Walker’s state budget that would allow 5% of kids with disabilities in Wisconsin to attend private or public schools outside their home districts on a taxpayer-funded voucher.

ONLINE LEARNING

Parents Trying To Save Massachusetts Virtual Academy
WGGB, MA, March 7, 2013
Parents disappointed that their children’s school is closing addressed a Greenfield School Sub Committee Thursday night.The Massachusetts Virtual School is shutting down at the end of June because of a new state law.

Schools May Get Windfall: Cyber Reform Measure Would Redirect Funding To Local Districts
Tribune Democrat, PA, March 7, 2013
Public school districts may finally get help in their struggle to recapture some of the money that has followed students who choose to enroll in charter schools rather than attend the local bricks-and-mortar school system.

Charter Schools Hope To Expand
Janesville Gazette, WI, March 7, 2013
Two Janesville charter schools would expand next fall if the Janesville School Board agrees.

Flipped Online Classrooms: Homework In Class, Lectures At Home
St., Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, March 8, 2013
Just five minutes into his morning organic chemistry class, associate professor Mike Lewis is in full swing, scribbling what looks like a series of hieroglyphs across a large screen projected at the front of the room.

Online Charter Schools Must Take Students
OPB, OR, March 8, 2013
Oregon’s board of education told the state’s own online charter schools Thursday that they have to accept students, even if they’re coming from districts having labor problems.

Flipped Classrooms Turning Tradition On Its Head
San Diego Union Tribune, CA, March 7, 2013
A growing number of teachers nationwide are challenging a long-held educational tradition by asking their students to watch recorded lectures at home and do their homework in class.

NATIONAL COVERAGE

In Pursuit of Safety, Schools’ Paths Diverge
Wall Street Journal, January 18, 2013
A month after a gunman massacred 20 students in Newtown, Conn., school districts nationwide are struggling with safety issues and taking widely divergent approaches.

FROM THE STATES

ARKANSAS

Judge Finds No Violations Of School Deal
Northwest Arkansas News, AR, January 18, 2013
U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. on Thursday ruled that the establishment of nearly a dozen state-approved charter schools in Pulaski County did not violate a 1989 desegregation settlement terms between the state and the three Pulaski County school districts.

Billionaires’ Bill Filed To Strip State Education Board Of Charter School Review
Arkansas Times Blog, AR, January 17, 2013
The long-expected bill originating from the Billionaire Boys Club to strip the state Board of Education of its oversight of charter school applications and performance was filed today.

CALIFORNIA

Charter Schools See Largest Boom Since Their Inception 20 Years Ago
Daily Breeze, CA, January 17, 2013
Charter schools across the United States are proliferating and expanding at a record pace, with the trend particularly pronounced in California and Los Angeles County.

Green Dot Charter Group To Reorganize Locke High
Los Angeles Times, CA, January 18, 2013
Green Dot hopes the changes will counter the slumping academic performance of incoming ninth-grade students.

Parents At Troubled School Take Reform Petitions To LAUSD
Los Angeles Times, CA, January 18, 2013
After about 100 parents from 24th Street Elementary drop off the parent trigger petitions, Supt. John Deasy pledges to work with them to improve the school.

CONNECTICUT

Editorial Wrong About Charter Schools
Stamford Advocate, CT, January 17, 2013
Your recent editorial “Charter School Push Fails the Math Test” (Jan. 14) ignores the evidence and distorts the facts about public charter schools. Charters are publicly funded schools that cannot pick and choose who gets in. Every child is free to enroll in a charter school. When there are more students applying to enroll than seats available, a lottery is held.

DELAWARE

4 New Charter Schools Seek OK
News Journal, DE, January 18, 2013
Four new charter schools were proposed to the state Department of Education.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Chancellor Kaya Henderson Names 15 D.C. Schools On Closure List
Washington Post, DC, January 17, 2013
More than one in 10 D.C. public schools will close as part of a plan Chancellor Kaya Henderson put forth Thursday, a retrenchment amid budget pressures, low enrollment and growing competition from public charter schools.

FLORIDA

Clay School Board Turns Down Charter School Application
Florida Times Union, FL, January 17, 2013
The Clay County School Board voted 4-1 to deny the charter school application of Orange Park Performing Arts Academy because it failed to meet state standards for opening.

Pasco Schools Not Equipped For New Teacher Evaluation System
Tampa Bay Times, FL, January 18, 2013
While the legal battle is under way over a controversial 2011 state law that bases teacher evaluations and pay on student test scores, the Pasco school district is looking at what it would take to implement the law.

GEORGIA

School Board Approves 5-Year Charter Renewal
Cherokee Tribune, GA, January 18, 2013
Along with 13 other charter schools in Georgia, Cherokee Charter Academy received approval Thursday from the state Board of Education for a five-year charter renewal.

State Charter Schools Commission Appointed
GPB, GA, January 17, 2013
The State Board of Education on Thursday appointed a new seven member Charter Schools Commission. Officials hope it will spur creation of charter schools across the state.

ILLINOIS

CPS Principals Will Be Formally Evaluated On Student Academic Growth
Chicago Sun Times, IL, January 17, 2013
Just as evaluations of Chicago Public School teachers are partly based on the test scores of their students, principals also will be formally evaluated as of February on student academic growth, with bonuses going to the ones who thrive, the schools chief announced Thursday.

INDIANA

Pence, GOP Legislators Push Expanding School Vouchers, Pre-Kindergarten To Top Of Agenda
Evansville Courier & Press, IN, January 17, 2013
Expanding Indiana’s voucher system and beginning to fund pre-kindergarten are the central planks of an education legislative agenda being driven by Gov. Mike Pence and House leaders.

IOWA

Senate Democrats Pledge 4% Bump In Aid To Schools
Des Moines Register, IA, January 17, 2013
Iowa Senate Democrats, ignoring a demand from Gov. Terry Branstad, said Thursday that they would approve a 4 percent increase in basic state aid to schools for the coming academic year at a cost of about $135 million.

LOUISIANA

Successful Charters Can Now Open New Schools Without State OK
Times-Picayune, LA, January 17, 2013
The state is making it easier for successful charters to open new schools while tightening financial and management oversight of the charters it approves.

Charter School Could Help Improve Local School System
The Daily News, LA, January 18, 2013
A new era in Bogalusa education will be ushered in with the opening of Northshore Charter School in August. Although no site has been selected, the school is scheduled to welcome kindergarten, first-, second- and ninth-grade students for the 2013-14 school year and is expected to house up to 620 students in a K-12 facility by the 2017-18 school year.

New Orleans’ Graduation Rate Is On The Rise
Times-Picayune, LA, January 18, 2013
In another indication that post-Katrina education reforms are paying off, New Orleans high schools had a better 2011 graduation rate than the state and national average. In city schools, 76.5 percent of students graduated within four years. That was higher than the state average of 70.9 percent and significantly higher than the rates in Jefferson Parish, Baton Rouge and Shreveport, according to an analysis by Educate Now.

MASSACHUSETTS

Patrick’s Education Proposal Should Reform More
Boston Globe, MA, January 18, 2013
In his Wednesday state of the state speech, Governor Patrick claimed his education proposals will help the state prepare for the challenges of the future.

More Charter Schools Sought
Boston Globe, MA, January 18, 2013
A group of charter school advocates, business leaders, and legislators is pushing to abolish a state-imposed cap on the number of charter schools that can operate in Boston and other low-performing school districts, under legislation expected to be filed Friday on Beacon Hill.

MISSISSIPPI

Adopt-A-School Is Making A Difference
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS, January 18, 2013
Charter schools are proposed as a solution for failing public schools, yet there are ways to strengthen these schools without diverting resources.

NEW JERSEY

School Choice Program Growing With Each Year
New Jersey Herald, NJ, January 17, 2013
Since its inception two years ago, the state’s Interdistrict Public School Choice program has more than doubled.

NEW YORK

NYC, Union Trade Harsh Words Over Plan Impasse
Wall Street Journal, January 18, 2013
The issue of teacher evaluations, which has been contentious around the country, brought New York City and its teachers’ union to an impasse and harsh war of words that has put the city at risk of losing up to $450 million in state aid and grants.

Doomed to Fail
New York Daily News, NY, January 18, 2013
Why teacher evaluation talks fell apart: Because state law gave the union the power to block a deal

No Deal on Teacher Evaluations; City Risks Losing $450 Million
New York Times, NY, January 18, 2013
The Bloomberg administration and New York City’s teachers’ union said Thursday that they had failed to reach a deal on a new system for evaluating 75,000 public school teachers, putting the city into immediate danger of losing out on up to $450 million in state and federal money and raising the possibility of cuts to staff and programs.

Staten Island’s Students Are The Losers As Teachers, City Throw Away $450M
Staten Island Advance, NY, January 18, 2013
As the midnight deadline came and went, nothing had changed.
And that’s bad news for students on Staten Island and in the rest of the city.

The City’s School Bus Strike Hits Disabled Students The Hardest
New York Daily News, NY, January 17, 2013
With several subways missing elevator access and cabs lacking adequate storage space for wheelchairs, parents of special needs children already grow frustrated.

OHIO

Yost Seeks Periodic Head Count Of Students
Columbus Dispatch, OH, January 18, 2013
Conducting official head counts of schoolchildren several times a year would discourage the “scrubbing” of student data, the state auditor says.

PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia School Reform Commission Votes Not To Renew City’s Oldest Charter School
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, January 18, 2013
The Philadelphia School Reform Commission said Thursday night that the district’s oldest charter school did not deserve to be renewed because of low test scores and financial problems.

School-Closing Arguments Highlight SRC Meeting
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, January 18, 2013
MORE THAN 70 people signed up to air their grievances at the School Reform Commission meeting Thursday night, an unusually high number reflective of the controversy surrounding the district’s decision to close 37 schools.

TENNESSEE

Answers Needed On School Voucher Plan
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, January 18, 2013
Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday that he will be pushing for vouchers for low-income students in “lower-performing schools.”

TEXAS

School Board Opposes Vouchers
Victoria Advocate, TX, January 17, 2013
The Victoria school board does not support private school vouchers.
On Thursday, the board voted unanimously to approve a resolution opposing the bill that is pending with the state Legislature.

Students In Low-Performing Schools Have Way Out — Maybe
Star-Telegram, TX, January 17, 2013
It has been argued for decades that no student should be “trapped” in a bad school, and in 1995 the Texas Legislature passed a law to provide students so ensnared a way out.

VIRGINIA

Va. Senate Panel Endorses 4 Schools Bills
Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, January 17, 2013
Gov. Bob McDonnell’s attempt to leave a legacy of education reform as his four-year term winds down received a modest boost from a Senate committee Thursday.

WISCONSIN

GOP Senator To Push For Voucher Vote
Herald Times Reporter, WI, January 17, 2013
The president of the Wisconsin Senate said Thursday that he will oppose any expansion of school vouchers unless local residents vote on such a move, a proposal that could jeopardize growth of the program outside of Milwaukee and Racine.

Milwaukee School Choice Beats The Alternative
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, January 17, 2013
Education expert Diane Ravitch wrote in a Jan. 11 op-ed that Milwaukee should abandon its long-running school choice programs involving private and public charter schools and instead concentrate all education resources on a single, monopolistic public school system.

ONLINE LEARNING

NW Area Oks Cyber, Charter School Pact
Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, PA, January 18, 2013
In addition to approving a new teachers contract at Wednesday night’s meeting, the Northwest Area School Board entered into a contract with Virtual Learning Network to provide cyber and charter school curriculums that will coincide with those of the district.

Medina High Students Are Making History As Blended Learning Program Produces Website, App Bringing City’s Heritage Into Digital Age
Sun Star Courier, OH, January 17, 2013
Students enrolled in a blended educational course at Medina High School presented an app and website that is all student-built to City Council Monday night.

Oklahoma Supreme Court Refuses To Take Up Legal Challenge To Charter School, Textbook Law
The Oklahoman, OK, January 18, 2013
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has refused to hear a legal challenge to a law passed last year that authorized a statewide virtual charter school and $30 million for textbooks for public schools.

Montana Digital Academy Picking Up Steam
Billings Gazette, MT, January 18, 2013
The obvious appeal — taking a required math class in your pajamas — is trumped only by the fact that almost any class, from Chinese to oceanography, is available upon request.

Former Entertainment Properties Gets Good Returns With Diverse Portfolio
Kansas City Star, MO, November 15, 2012
The most unusual new real estate venture being taken on by EPR is the business of financing charter schools. It’s a growing national industry with an estimated 500 charter schools coming on line each year across the country valued at $2.5 billion.

A Little Perspective On Finland’s Educational Success
Seattle Times, WA, November 15, 2012
We are right to feel inspired by the educational successes of countries like Finland. Borrow an idea or two, but let’s not contort ourselves into Finland.

FROM THE STATES

COLORADO

School Board Leans Toward Rejection Of New Charter School
Glenwood Springs Post Independent, CO, November 16, 2012
The Roaring Fork School District Re-1 board and state charter school officials are both leaning toward denying a new charter expeditionary learning school in Glenwood Springs that has been proposed to open next year.

CONNECTICUT

Bridgeport’s School System Is Still Broken
CT Post, CT, November 15, 2012
In the past 17 months, there was more chatter about the embarrassing state of the Bridgeport public school system than there had been in a long time. There was also more action taken, right and wrong, to try to address the fact that so many kids here are trapped in failing schools.

State Falls Short On School Desegregation Requirements
Connecticut Mirror, CT, November 15, 2012
Connecticut has run out of time to comply with a court order to reduce the inequities caused by the segregation of Hartford ‘s largely black and Hispanic school population.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Embracing the Hollywood Model: The Opportunities Emerging from D.C.’s School Closings
Dropout Nation, November 15, 2012
Certainly one can expect traditionalists in the nation’s capitol to be vexed by Tuesday’s decision by D.C. Public Schools to shut down 20 of its schools with low enrollment over the coming two years. After all, the district has long-existed as a jobs program for the American Federation of Teachers’ Chocolate City affiliate and for politicians such as the ever-embarrassing Marion Barry, who used his tenure on the school system’s now-defunct board as a stepping stone to his long (and often-undignified) political career.

D.C. School Closures Are Focus Of Hearing
Washington Post, DC, November 15, 2012
Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s plan to close 20 under-enrolled schools across the District drew a throng of parents, teachers and activists to a packed D.C. Council hearing room Thursday evening, the first opportunity the public has had to weigh in on the proposal that would close one in six of the city’s schools.

Seeds Of School Choice Are Now Blooming In D.C.
Washington Examiner, DC, November 15, 2012
Why has DC Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson announced plans to close 20 underenrolled D.C. public schools — one of every six DCPS campuses — even though the District’s population has been growing at its fastest pace in 60 years? Henderson ‘s decision — which makes economic sense — is a tacit admission that the school choice movement has gone mainstream in the unlikeliest of places.

FLORIDA

Don’t Raise Taxes For Charters
News Press, FL, November 15, 2012
No right-thinking school board of any public system in Florida is going to take the political knife and raise property taxes to help fund capital projects for privately-run charter schools.

Lake Wales Charter System, School District at Odds Over Records, Student Eligibility
The Ledger, FL, November 15, 2012
There is no ruling yet on a dispute between Lake Wales Charter Schools and the Polk County School District on distribution of students’ information.

Pembroke Pines Charter School Teachers Win Raise Through Arbitration
Sun Sentinel, FL, November 15, 2012
The city-run charter school system must give 323 teachers back pay by the end of the state legislative session in May, an arbitrator ruled Thursday.

Researcher: Florida District Schools Outperform Charter Schools On Average
StateImpact NPR, FL, November 15, 2012
While charter schools are an increasingly popular option for Florida students, a University of Central Florida researcher says they don’t perform as well as district schools.

GEORGIA

Cairo May Convert To A Charter School
Albany Herald, GA, November 15, 2012
The Grady County Board of Education has petitioned the Georgia Board of Education to convert Cairo High School to a charter school to be called the Grady High School, a College and Career Academy (CHS/CCA).

IDAHO

Teachers To Receive $38M In Bonuses
Idaho Mountain Express and Guide, ID, November 16, 2012
Regardless of the defeat of education reforms by Idaho voters in the Nov. 6 general election, school teachers in Idaho will soon be receiving $38 million in “pay-for-performance” bonuses.

LOUISIANA

OneApp Includes More La. Schools
The Advocate, LA, November 16, 2012
The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved policy changes at a meeting in New Orleans on Wednesday night regarding the new “OneApp” process and the effort to expand the streamlined enrollment to more schools.

Orleans Parish School Board Committee Approves One New Charter, Denies Another
Times Picayune, LA, November 15, 2012
The Orleans Parish School Board on Thursday gave tentative approval to a new charter school focused on engineering and innovation. The board’s accountability committee also denied a charter to a proposed arts school, and recommended changing the management of two existing charters.

Charter School In Kenner Will Focus On Health Sciences
Times Picayune, LA, November 15, 2012
Kenner officials gushed enthusiasm Thursday about plans to open a charter school in their city. Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy expects to start classes in August with students from prekindergarten through third grade, plus fifth and sixth grades, and steadily add grades each year.

NEW JERSEY

School Reform in Newark
New York Times, NY, November 16, 2012
Newark and its teachers’ union deserve praise for the groundbreaking contract that the two sides have hammered out. The relatively calm negotiations that led up to the union’s ratification vote this week stood in sharp contrast to the vitriol that surrounded a similar agreement earlier this year in Chicago that led to a polarizing strike.

Newark Union Embraces Merit Pay
The Record, NJ, November 16, 2012
MOUNTAINS can move. It happened Wednesday, when Newark teachers approved a contract that includes merit pay.

NEW MEXICO

Teacher Pay Plan Failed To Hike Scores
Albuquerque Journal, NM, November 16, 2012
New Mexico’s three-tier teacher licensure system, which has cost the state more than $330 million, has little connection to whether teachers boost their students’ test scores, according to a new Legislative Finance Committee report.

NEW YORK

School Board Protests Chameleon Charter Conversion Bid
Buffalo News, NY, November 15, 2012
The Buffalo Board of Education is vowing to protest attempts by a nonprofit group to convert East High and Waterfront Elementary schools into charter schools. The board Wednesday voted to register its complaints in a letter to State Education Commissioner John B. King Jr.

SUNY Works To Better Prepare Teachers For State Standards
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY, November 15, 2012
Education professors from New York’s public university system gathered in Albany on Thursday to brainstorm how they can better prepare future teachers for classroom demands, particularly several new or upcoming state-mandated requirements.

Teachers Union Sues To See Joel Klein Emails
New York Daily News, NY, November 15, 2012
The union sued the city once before for access to emails between Klein and charter school proponents, but the documents it received were heavily redacted with entire pages blacked out.

NORTH CAROLINA

Cape Lookout High School Charter Renewed Until 2014
Daily News, NC, November 16, 2012
A lesson in perseverance paid off for a Carteret County charter school that has successfully fought to stay open.

OHIO

Charter School Could Close Soon
Columbus Dispatch, OH, November 16, 2012
A struggling Columbus charter school could be forced to shut down by the end of the month, leaving more than 100 students searching for new schools on short notice.

Charter Schools Attracting Larger Share Of Students In Cleveland
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, November 16, 2012
Cleveland and several other Ohio cities are among those with the highest concentration of charter enrollment in the country, according to a newly released report.

Districts: Funding Loss Unfair
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, November 16, 2012
Just three months in existence, a new state scholarship program for disabled students is angering some Greater Cincinnati school officials, who say their districts are forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars on private school tuition for students who have never attended public schools.

PENNSYLVANIA

Lawmakers Walk Away From $500M
Scranton Times-Tribune, PA, November 16, 2012
Now that the state Legislature has finished its two-year session, lawmakers should reflect on their keen sense of priority. The majority rapidly passed a voter identification law designed to serve partisan political goals, but failed to reform the state and school pension systems – the single largest financial issue facing the state government and 500 local school districts.

Philadelphia School Reform Commission Suspends Parts Of State Public School Code
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, November 16, 2012
The Philadelphia School Reform Commission voted to suspend portions of the state public school code Thursday night, saying it needed room to cap charter enrollment and shorten the timeline for closing schools.

East Allentown Charter School Agrees To Cap Enrollment
Allentown Morning Call, PA, November 15, 2012
Lincoln Leadership Academy Charter School has a new five-year charter. But the renewal cost the east Allentown charter school major enrollment concessions in an agreement approved Thursday by the Allentown School Board.

TENNESSEE

Tax Dollars Better Spent On Traditional Public Schools
The Tennessean, TN. November 16, 2012
If charter schools have such a great model, then why doesn’t the Metro school board adopt it for all schools? If millions of tax dollars are invested in failing charters, something very wrong is going on.

Vouchers Prompt Mixed Reactions From Parents
Nashville Public Radio, TN, November 15, 2012
Some state lawmakers say Tennessee’s consistent ranking in the mid-forties for education means it’s time to consider a school vouchers program. It would reroute money meant for public schools, to instead help some parents pay private school tuition. WPLN’s Daniel Potter heard opinions from several parents about vouchers, and has this story.

TEXAS

Schools To Be Graded On Achievement Gap
San Antonio Express, TX, November 16, 2012
Education Commissioner Mike Williams said Thursday that the state’s yet-to-be-labeled rating system, to be unveiled in March, will include a measure of how well schools and districts are doing in closing the achievement gap that persists among poor and minority students.

HISD May Delay Teacher Parts Of Evaluation Plan
Houston Chronicle, TX, November 16, 2012
HISD leaders are considering another delay in implementing part of a highly anticipated teacher evaluation system after facing problems with the rollout this year.

WASHINGTON

Charter Schools Measure May Face Court Challenge
Everett Daily Herald, WA, November 16, 2012
Washington is laying the groundwork for its first charter schools even as the head of the state’s public school system looks to challenge the legality of the ballot measure that would allow them.

Election 2012 Sends Mixed Signals On Education Reform
Seattle Times, WA, November 15, 2012
Washington’s so-called education reformers scored a significant victory when voters narrowly approved charter schools last week, but they suffered across-the-board losses in candidate races

WEST VIRGINIA

State School Chief Fired
The Intelligencer, WV, November 16, 2012
The West Virginia Board of Education fired Schools Superintendent Jorea Marple on Thursday, and two board members who opposed the decision said they will resign.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Blended Learning Pilot Met With Praise
Union Leader, NH, November 15, 2012
Bedford’s pilot Blended Learning program was met with warm sentiment at the School Board meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 13. After two trial classes over the summer, the program is progressing toward an installment for a whole semester in the spring.

Easton Agrees To Launch Cyber School
Allentown Morning Call, PA, November 15, 2012
Students in the Easton area who have a serious illness, work a full-time job or have other issues could soon have an option to earn a degree from the district without showing up to class every day.

Technology Changing How Students Learn, Teachers Say
New York Times, NY, November 1, 2012
There is a widespread belief among teachers that students’ constant use of digital technology is hampering their attention spans and ability to persevere in the face of challenging tasks, according to two surveys of teachers being released on Thursday.

Obama, Romney Both Support Charter Schools
Dayton Daily News, OH, October 31, 2012
In bitterly partisan times, K-12 education policy has been one of the lesser-discussed issues and largely unattached to party labels in the presidential race between President Obama and challenger Mitt Romney.

STATE COVERAGE

ARIZONA

Delayed Grades Finally Reach 13 Districts, Including Gilbert’s ‘A’
Arizona Republic, AZ, October 31, 2012
Thirteen public-school districts and charter schools in Arizona finally have received their grades from the state Department of Education — two months after the state’s other 572 districts and charters got theirs.

CALIFORNIA

Fresno Teachers Union, District To Meet On Grant
Fresno Bee, CA, October 31, 2012
The Fresno Teachers Association has agreed to meet with school district officials this morning to discuss signing a $37.3 million federal education grant application.

PAC Money Floods Local School Board Races
Mercury News, CA, October 31, 2012
With an unprecedented surge of cash from charter schools and their high-tech backers, normally low-profile school board campaigns have morphed into big-bucks contests to elect charter-friendly candidates and defeat their challengers.

COLORADO

Five Failing Schools To Lose Money Supposed To Help Them Improve
Denver Post, CO, November 1, 2012
The Colorado Department of Education will cut off school-improvement money to five of the state’s poorest-performing schools because they haven’t gotten better despite the influx of cash.

DELAWARE

No Need To Build New Charter Schools
News Journal, DE, October 31, 2012
The state will support another charter school to be built when local high schools are operating on average at 60 percent capacity.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Why Not A Jefferson High For Poor Kids?
Washington Post Blog, DC, November 1, 2012
While we wonder what should be done about our region’s most demanding public high school— Thomas Jefferson— having only 3 percent of its students from poor families, let’s consider a different experiment in selective education. What if we created a school that gave as challenging an academic experience as Jefferson’s to a student body that was 100 percent low-income?

GEORGIA

45 Metro Schools Among State’s Top Title 1 Performing Schools
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, November 1, 2012
The Georgia Department of Education Wednesday named 79 of the state’s highest performing schools with a high population of low-income students and another 156 that have made the biggest academic strides with those students, who are often associated with troubled and unstable homes.

Charter School Amendment Still Being Questioned
Thompson Times, GA, November 1, 2012
While voters are being asked to determine whether the state Constitution should be amended with regard to the manner of establishment of charter schools, controversy reigns over whether the state should have this additional measure of authority to approve these new schools against the wishes of local officials.

Campaign Contributions For And Against Charter Amendment Differ Greatly
Times-Georgian, GA, November 1, 2012
Next week, Georgia voters will choose whether they want the state constitution to be amended to create a new state commission to approve charter school applications denied by local school boards.

Lawsuit Says Charter Amendment Language Purposely Deceives Voters
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, October 31, 2012
A lawsuit filed this week in Fulton County claims Gov. Nathan Deal and other state officials have deliberately misled voters with ballot language describing a proposed constitutional amendment.

Charter Schools, Yes — Appointed State Panel, No
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA, October 31, 2012
This newspaper has been on record for years as supporting charter schools. Three schools here in the Muscogee County School District have been converted to charters — by local decision.

Base Vote On Children, Not Money
Cherokee Tribune, GA, November 1, 2012
People everywhere are aggravated with Amendment 1. Those who are opposed are scared to lose their status quo way of life. Those in favor of Amendment 1 are frustrated with the opinions being blasted as facts.

Charters: The Other Side
Cherokee Tribune, GA, November 1, 2012
I was disappointed when I read the editorial in Sunday’s Cherokee Tribune. I have come to expect lies and half truths from those on the left that vehemently oppose the public charter school amendment, but I did not expect half truths in the Tribune.

ILLINOIS

CPS Discusses Guidelines For Closing And Consolidating Schools
Chicago Tribune, IL, November 1, 2012
Chicago Public Schools officials said Wednesday that half of the district’s schools are underused and nearly 140 are more than half-empty, so finding a way to make the best use of buildings will play a key role in deciding what schools to close or consolidate.

INDIANA

State School Super Should Support Public Schools, Not Undermine Them
Dearborn Country Register, IN, October 31, 2012
I feel betrayed! As a concerned parent, teacher, and taxpayer who voted for Tony Bennett in 2008, I want answers. In case you haven’t heard, Tony Bennett is the current Superintendent of Public Instruction who has been giving public tax dollars to out-of-state companies in order for them to run private charter schools.

LOUISIANA

Diane Ravitch Cuts Check For Local School Board Candidate
Times Picayune, LA, October 31, 2012
It would be hard to find a more obscure election, overshadowed as it is by city council races, not to mention a multi-billion dollar presidential contest. Yet some of the country’s biggest names in education are cutting checks to influence the outcome in the 3rd District of the Orleans Parish School Board.

MAINE

Five Groups File Charter School Requests With State Commission
Portland Press Herald, ME, November 1, 2012
If the Maine Charter School Commission approves all of the new charter schools proposed for next year, it will leave a slot for only one more until a cap is lifted in 2022.

MARYLAND

Evaluating School Board Candidates
Maryland Gazette, MD, November 1, 2012
Educators use a variety of assessment tools to evaluate student performance and promote further progress. Of late, there is a growing movement toward using similar tools to evaluate teachers and principals. It seems only fair to extend that practice to the evaluation of candidates for the Frederick County Board of Education.

Prince George’s Voters Have Chance To Set A New Course For School System
Washington Post, DC, October 31, 2012
While the referendum on expanded gambling has dominated the political scene in Prince George ’s County, another critical decision is looming for voters: choosing who should serve on the county Board of Education.

Roberts May Leave DPS If Prop 1 Fails
Detroit News, MI, November 1, 2012
The emergency financial manager for Detroit Public Schools says he may step down if Michigan voters reject Proposal 1 on Tuesday.

MISSOURI

Closing The Academic Achievement Gap
The St. Louis American, MO, November 1, 2012
African-American students at Webster Groves High School have accepted the Webster Challenge to reduce the academic achievement gap between themselves and their Caucasian peers by 50 percent. The initiative focuses on academics, attendance and increasing student involvement in extra-curricular activities and community service.

NEVADA

Teachers Share Concerns About New Evaluation System
Las Vegas Sun, NV, October 31, 2012
Las Vegas educators view Nevada’s proposed teacher evaluation system with some trepidation, but also say it represents an opportunity to improve the profession.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Committee OKs $85K Nashua School Transfer For Charter Transportation, Teacher, New Curriculum
Nashua Telegraph, NH, November 1, 2012
An aldermanic panel gave the green light to a Nashua School District request to transfer funds to cover busing Academy for Science and Design students from Nashua, among other needs, on Tuesday.

Derry’s First Charter School On Track
Derry News, NH, November 1, 2012
The town’s first charter school is on track to open in 2013. Proponents of the plan to open a charter high school next fall say everything is on schedule. A committee is working hard on details for the alternative classrooms planned for space at Gilbert H. Hood Middle School.

NEW YORK

Parents Need ‘Trigger Law’ To Help Kids Win
Buffalo News, NY, November 1, 2012
The game plan is set. The coaching staff of activists is fired up. The 32,000 fans – from kindergarten to 12th grade – deserve a winner.

NORTH CAROLINA

CMS Wish List: Higher Teacher Pay, Control Over Charters
Charlotte Observer, NC, October 31, 2012
Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board members are considering a plan that would ask state lawmakers for a change in the state’s budgeting timetable, more pay for teachers, and control over charter school operations.

OHIO

Charter-School Embezzler Gets 2 Years
Columbus Dispatch, OH, November 1, 2012
Former board members defended a man who embezzled from their charter schools before a federal judge sentenced him to prison yesterday.

Cleveland Schools Won’t Have Promised Details About School Improvement Plan Before Tuesday’s Levy Vote
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, October 31, 2012
Voters who want to know exactly how the Cleveland schools would spend money from the 15-mill tax increase on Tuesday’s ballot won’t have answers before they vote.

OREGON

Portland Public Schools Gives Up On Race To The Top Efforts
The Oregonian, OR, October 31, 2012
Portland Public Schools has given up its chance to compete for up to $40 million in federal funds after failing to reach an agreement with its union about using test scores in teacher evaluations, one of the grant’s requirements.

PENNSYLVANIA

District Seeks New Index To Rate School Performance
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, November 1, 2012
In an unexpected move, the Philadelphia School District announced Wednesday that it was seeking an outside firm to develop a model to replace its controversial school performance index after finding flaws in the system.

TENNESSEE

As TN Issues Schools Report Card, Commissioner Urges Parents To Act
The Tennessean, TN, November 1, 2012
As Tennessee releases a detailed report card this morning on the performance of its public schools, the state’s top educator is urging parents to use the information to push for change.

TEXAS

Austin School Board Race For 4 Seats Could Shift Balance Of Power
American-Statesman, TX, October 31, 2012
Tuesday’s races for four seats on the Austin school board could shift the balance of power on the sometimes divided nine-member board.

WASHINGTON

WA Charter Schools Advocates Raise $10.8M
Seattle Times, WA, October 31, 2012
The campaign to bring charter schools to Washington has now raised $10.8 million in cash contributions.

WISCONSIN

MPS Blames Voucher Program For Tax Levy Increase
Journal Sentinel, WI, October 31, 2012
But Milwaukee Public Schools officials and board members say that if the district didn’t have to levy a tax to support the city’s expanding private voucher school program, taxpayers would have seen a decrease in their school taxes.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Two Virtual Schools Reapply To Maine Commission
Portland Press Herald, ME, November 1, 2012
The panel that will review their controversial bids to open in September wants to be sure it can assess what students are learning.

Online Lessons Aid Teachers, Students In Classrooms
Boston Globe, MA, November 1, 2012
No one was standing in front of an eighth-grade math class at St. Mary of the Hills School, but fractions were slowly appearing in colored chalk, as if written by the invisible hand of a ghost. The voice of an unseen narrator emanated from speakers on both sides of the smartboard, explaining the equation step by step.

Oklahoma Legislation Authorizing Statewide Virtual Charter School Challenged
The Oklahoman, OK, November 1, 2012
The measure contains an amendment, which violates a constitutional prohibition on placing multiple subjects in a single bill, a lawsuit filed with the Oklahoma Supreme Court contends. The amendment requires the state Education Department to spend $30 million on textbooks for public schools.

Transforming Our Schools
New York Times, NY, October 14, 2012
When President George W. Bush signed No Child Left Behind into law, few would have predicted that the next decade of education policy would unfold into a disaster of epic proportions. The law was based on a flawed concept of a “good education” — high scores on standardized tests.

Movie Doesn’t Do Turnaround Schools Justice
USA Today, October 14, 2012
‘Won’t Back Down’ fails to show collaboration, which has made school turnaround efforts in Massachusetts successful.

Schools Dilemma For Gentrifiers: Keep Their Kids Urban, Or Move To Suburbia?
Washington Post, DC, October 14, 2012
He set out to learn as much as he could about the risks and benefits of socioeconomically diverse schools, where at least 20 percent of students are eligible for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program. And then he wrote about it.

Mitt Romney’s Finally Loving Massachusetts
Boston Globe, MA, October 15, 2012
That’s not to say that Romney deserves no credit on education. Among other things, he did laudable work beating back a legislative attempt to ambush the state’s charter-school movement. Massachusetts ’ success in education reform proves the need for constant commitment and vigilance, something that governors from Weld to Patrick — including Romney — can cite with pride.

Nat’l School Choice Week Kickoff Coming to AZ
Southeast Valley Ledger, AZ, October 15, 2012
The kickoff for National School Choice Week 2013 will be held at the Phoenix Convention Center on Jan. 25, 2013, bringing together thousands in support of the idea that parents have a right to choose how their children are educated and its all thanks to EDUPRIZE Schools charter school.

FROM THE STATES

CALIFORNIA

Rich Siblings Spend Big Bucks To Affect California Education Funding
Washington Post Blog, DC, October 14, 2012
The Munger siblings vs. California Gov. Jerry Brown: Here is this week’s case study in our continuing look at how billionaires (and millionaires) are throwing around their money to drive education reform.

Futuristic Rocketship Schools Redefine Teaching
USA Today, October 14, 2012
While it shares a lot in common with many privately run, but publicly funded, charter schools, Rocketship defies nearly all the conventional wisdom about how an urban elementary school should operate. For one thing, students spend as much as two hours a day one-on-one with a computer, learning virtually all of their basic skills through games.

Charter School Upheld In 1st “Parent Trigger” Law Test
San Diego Union-Tribune, CA, October 14, 2012
A San Bernardino County school district must immediately comply with a previous court order allowing a parents group to convert a failing elementary school into a charter, a Superior Court judge ruled Friday in a case seen as an important test of California’s “parent trigger” law.

COLORADO

Douglas County Starts New Teacher Pay Plan
Denver Post, CO, October 15, 2012
The Douglas County School District ‘s new pay-for-performance pilot program — using market-based pay and a rigorous evaluation approach — has begun.

Denver’s 3B Unfairly Favors Charters
Denver Post, CO, October 13, 2012
On Nov. 6, Denver voters will make a decision on whether or not to support two initiatives put forth by the school board. On Aug. 23, I voted in favor of the mill levy, Initiative 3A, since the funds will go directly to the classroom and give our teachers a badly needed cost-of-living salary increase. But I cannot support Initiative 3B, a $466 million bond.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. Students Test ‘Teach To One’ Learning System
Washington Post, DC, October 14, 2012
It might seem to be a less-than-realistic plan: Put nearly 200 preteens in one large classroom space and expect each of them, with the help of laptops and a few teachers, to learn math at his or her own pace.

FLORIDA

Education Panel Gives Recommendations Similar to What Governor Vetoed
The Ledger, FL, October 14, 2012
When Gov. Rick Scott brushed aside intense lobbying from state universities and vetoed a tuition increase earlier this year, he created a blue ribbon panel to identify ways to make the state’s higher education system more efficient.

As Charter School Enrollment Rises, Debate Intensifies
Herald Tribune, FL, October 14, 2012
She enrolled him halfway during the school year at Imagine School at North Port , the largest charter school in Sarasota County . Since then his grades have rebounded, she said.

New Charter School May Open In Flagler County
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL, October 14, 2012
A new middle and high school geared toward helping nonnative speakers learn English may open in Flagler County.

Results Mixed On Teacher Incentives
News Press, FL, October 14, 2012
Will performance pay help reform schools? So far, experts say the verdict on teacher pay for performance plans is they don’t work and are usually changed or abandoned.

Criticism Follows Florida’s Race-Based Student Achievement Goals
Miami Herald, FL, October 13, 2012
The state Board of Education approved a new six-year strategic plan with student-achievement goals that vary based upon race, income, disability and English proficiency.

GEORGIA

Local or State Control?
Marietta Daily Journal, GA, October 13, 2012
Support for and opposition to the proposed Constitutional amendment regarding charter schools on the Nov. 6 ballot is nearly equal among Cobb’s government leaders. But in somewhat of a surprise, the Marietta-based Georgia Tea Party now supports passage of the amendment.

Barge: Charter Proponents’ Goal To ‘Silence’ Opposition
Daily Tribune News, GA, October 14, 2012
Earlier this month State School Superintendent John Barge was advised by Attorney General Sam Olens to remove statements in opposition of the state’s charter school amendment referendum after an Atlanta attorney argued it was unlawful for Barge to post the comments.

Charter Amendment Would Tilt Power To State
Athens Banner-Herald, GA, October 14, 2012
The debate over a proposed constitutional amendment that would expand state influence over charter schools has been fierce, complete with lawsuits. But the details can get lost in the back-and-forth.

Georgia Charter Schools: Dream Or Nightmare?
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA, October 13, 2012
The contrast in views of Georgia ‘s charter school amendment is not as much like night and day as like a nightmare and a dream. Here’s the amendment opponents’ nightmare:

State Meets Race To The Top Deadline
GPB, GA, October 15, 2012
October 15th is the deadline for Georgia to turn in its revised Race To The Top proposal for teacher evaluations. The federal government had threatened to pull 33 million dollars in funding after the state changed its proposal.

ILLINOIS

Mostly High Marks For New CPS Chief
Chicago Tribune, IL, October 14, 2012
One of the first calls Barbara Byrd-Bennett made after being tapped as the new chief of Chicago Public Schools was to teachers union President Karen Lewis.

Chicago Schools Names ex-DPS Official To Top Spot
Detroit News, MI, October 15, 2012
As former Detroit Public Schools leader Barbara Byrd-Bennett begins as CEO of Chicago Public Schools, local officials predicted Sunday that she will do well as head of the nation’s third-largest school system.

INDIANA

Fort Wayne Schools Battling Student Exodus
WDRB, IN, October 13, 2012
An Indiana school district is taking steps to ward off competition from private and charter schools.

Time To Halt Bennett’s Ambitions
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN, October 14, 2012
Indiana public schools are struggling under the leadership of Tony Bennett, superintendent of public instruction. His unproven experiment in school choice and privatization has strained local districts at the very time they’ve needed the support and resources of a strong Indiana Department of Education.

School Vouchers Enable Families To Have Choices
Indianapolis Star, IN, October 13, 2012
Dan Carpenter’s Oct. 7 column, “Making tithes of taxes,” questions whether the use of vouchers by parents in religious schools is constitutional. In the case of the U.S. Constitution, the answer has already been given; Zelman v. Harris upheld the constitutionality of educational choice/tuition assistance in an Ohio case that included religious schools.

IOWA

Education Task Force Is On Track
Quad City Times, IA, October 15, 2012
So who should be paid more? The software developer who comes up with a whiz-bang instructional program, or the classroom teacher who presents it every day to students in the classroom? How about the computer programmer who keeps the classroom PC network running? Should she be paid more than the teacher who works directly with kids on that same computer system?

LOUISIANA

Voters To Cast Ballots On School Term Limits
The Advocate, LA, October 15, 2012
After years of off and on debates, voters in most school districts will decide on Nov. 6 whether to limit local school board members to 12 consecutive years of service.

Court Battle Set For Louisiana School Reform, As Teachers Union Square Off Against Gov. Bobby Jindal
Daily Caller, DC, October 14, 2012
The survival of school choice in Louisiana is at stake in a court battle that pits education reformers against teachers’ unions.

MICHIGAN

Uncertainty Surrounds EM Ballot Proposal
Detroit News, MI, October 15, 2012
When voters are asked in November whether to repeal the state’s controversial emergency manager law, they’ll be deciding more than the future of the legislation.

MISSOURI

Teacher Union
Columbia Tribune, MO, October 13, 2012
Columbia Public Schools teachers voted narrowly to be represented by the Columbia Missouri National Education Association, a branch of the national union known for aggressive collective bargaining.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Charter School Supporters Say They’ll Turn Out in Force at State Board of Education Meeting in Concord
New Hampshire Union Leader, NH, October 15, 2012
Close to 100 charter school advocates are expected at the state Board of Education meeting this week, hoping to sway officials to reconsider a moratorium on new school applications. But the board’s chairman says no new schools will get the green light until 2013 at the earliest.

The Truth About Charter Schools
Concord Monitor, NH, October 15, 2012
Truth must be told. The New Hampshire Department of Justice reiterated to the House members that one Legislature cannot bind the actions of a future Legislature. Every representative and senator knows that by heart.

NEW JERSEY

Ringwood, Lakeland High School In Wanaque To Share New Teacher Evaluation Method
Suburban Trends, NJ, October 15, 2012
The school districts of Ringwood and Lakeland Regional High School (LRHS) have agreed to enter into a consortium to share the costs and services of a vendor that will train them to perform educator evaluations using a state-approved method.

NJ Parents Filing Petition For Better Education
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 15, 2012
Three parents with children in the Camden school district are planning to file legal papers demanding their children get a better education.

NEW YORK

A Textbook Failure of Leadership
New York Daily News, NY, October 14, 2012
As education advocates begin to sketch their ideas for the next mayor, one of the loudest voices belongs to the United Federation of Teachers.

Upper West Side Parents Prepare For Rigorous K-6 Application Process
Columbia Daily Spectator, NY, October 15, 2012
As high schoolers around the country fine-tune their applications to Columbia , Upper West Side parents are preparing for another grueling application process: getting their kids into kindergarten.

Extend School Day In City Classrooms
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY, October 13, 2012
Rochester schools chief Bolgen Vargas often insists, “Our children can learn.” Few disagree. It’s just that too often students aren’t learning in city schools.

NORTH CAROLINA

Reformer, Educator Vie To Lead North Carolina’s Schools
News & Observer, NC, October 15, 2012
North Carolina voters will decide whether the state superintendent of public instruction for the next four years should be an educator.

PENNSYLVANIA

Chester Community Charter School Investigation Closes
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 14, 2012
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has closed its investigation of the Chester Community Charter School, formally ending an inquiry that began in July 2011 and at one time focused on suspected testing irregularities at 48 school districts and charter schools across the state.

State Changes Charter School PSSA Score Rules Without Federal Go Ahead
Lehigh Valley Express-Times, PA, October 13, 2012
A switch in the way Pennsylvania measures charter school compliance with federal math and reading benchmarks means it’s now easier for charters than traditional public schools to meet standards.

For Now, Charter Approval Isn’t a Pennsylvania GOP Priority
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, October 15, 2012
Republican legislative leaders have agreed to set aside a controversial measure that would make it easier for charter schools to form, instead focusing on other regulatory changes this week in final votes before the election.

Charter School Funding Bill Could See Vote This Week
Pottstown Mercury, PA, October 14, 2012
With Pennsylvania state legislators entering their final scheduled week of voting, a bill looking to reform how charter schools are funded may see the light of day.

Charter School Proposals Should Be Shot Down
Delaware County Daily Times, PA, October 13, 2012
Talk to anyone in education circles in this state, and the conversation quickly turns to two topics.
Tongues are usually wagging about funding, which seems to decline every year, and charter schools, which increasingly are being blamed for part of that fiscal dilemma.

TENNESSEE

Nashville School Officials Consider Hiring Freeze
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN, October 15, 2012
Nashville school officials are facing a loss of $3.4 million after school board members rejected a charter school proposal. They say a partial hiring freeze is one option for absorbing the loss.

TN Won’t Budge On $3.4M Sanctions Against Metro Schools
The Tennessean, TN, October 14, 2012
Metro school officials are hoping the Tennessee Department of Education abandons plans to withhold $3.4 million from the district after its rejection of Great Hearts Academies’ charter proposal last month, but the state seems undeterred for now.

WASHINGTON

Charters Divert School Funds
Spokesman Review, WA, October 14, 2012
The Washington Supreme Court, in the McCleary decision, ruled that the Legislature has been significantly underfunding our public schools. The court even retained jurisdiction to ensure progress toward full funding. Ask any legislator and they will tell you that full funding of our schools will take years to achieve.

Parents, Others Weighing Pros, Cons Of Charter Schools
Everett Daily Herald, WA, October 15, 2012
Jessie Atkins needed more information about the pros and cons of Initiative 1240, which would establish public charter schools in the state.

Voters Can Choose A Forward Path On Education Reform
Seattle Times, WA, October 13, 2012
Washington state’s education system must change partly by stick and potentially by choice, writes Times editorial page editor Kate Riley. Once such choice would be approval of the charter-school initiative on the Nov. 6 ballot.

The Times Recommends Initiative 1240 — Add Charter Schools To The State’s Education-Reform Agenda
Seattle Times, WA, October 13, 2012
Voters should approve Initiative 1240 and add charter schools to the mix of innovation and reform finally taking hold in Washington state.

WYOMING
Public Schools Not Students’ Only Option
Wyoming Tribune Eagle, WY, October 14, 2012
There are about 690 “hidden” students in Cheyenne . Primarily in the elementary grades, these kids aren’t homeschooled, but they also aren’t members of a traditional public school system. The district only keeps the numbers of homeschooled students, administrators said.

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Florida Virtual School Growing
Tampa Tribune, FL, October 15, 2012
More students apparently are learning the value of the way of life in the school without walls. The virtual school that offers more than 120 free online classes had about 25,000 more students at the end of the last school year than it did the year before.

Virtual Schools Work
Commercial Appeal, TN, October 14, 2012
I read with interest your Oct. 7 article “Lack of educational choice is ‘old school’ for Memphis-area students,” which highlights Tennessee ‘s new online school. As a parent of two happy Tennessee Virtual Academy (TNVA) students, I am grateful for this important public school option.

Milwaukee Area Schools Lose Students While Virtual Charters Gain
Journal Sentinel, WI, October 14, 2012
More than half the school districts in the four-county Milwaukee metro area saw enrollment decreases at the start of this school year, according to data released by the state last week that provides a preliminary count of kids in public schools this year.

Students like Delano Coffy are at the heart of brewing political fights and court battles over whether public dollars should go to school vouchers to help make private schools more affordable.

He was failing in his neighborhood public elementary school in Indianapolis until his mother enrolled him in a Roman Catholic school. Heather Coffy has scraped by for years to pay the tuition for Delano, now 16 and in a Catholic high school, and his two younger siblings, who attend the same Catholic elementary school as their brother did. She’s getting help today from a voucher program, passed last year at the urging of GOP Gov. Mitch Daniels, that allows her to use state money for her children’s education.

“I can’t even tell you how easy I can breathe now knowing that for at least for this year my kids can stay at the school,” said the single mother, who filed a petition in court in support of the law. The state Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to the law, which provides vouchers worth on average more than $4,000 a year to low- and middle-income families. A family of four making about $60,000 a year qualifies.

For all the arguments in favor of vouchers, there are opponents who say vouchers erode public schools by taking away money, violate the separation of church and state by giving public dollars to religious-based private schools, and aren’t a proven way to improve test scores.

Even among supporters, there’s dissension over whether vouchers should only be offered to low-income students on a limited basis or made available to anyone. There’s also division among black and Hispanic leaders as to whether vouchers help or hurt kids in urban schools.

Many opponents also dislike scholarship programs that provide tax benefits to businesses or individuals for contributing to a fund to pay for private school. They say those programs undermine public schools by keeping tax revenues out of state treasuries, an important source of education dollars.

Fights about using tax dollars to help make private schools more affordable are popping up around the country.

In Louisiana, Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal won a victory Thursday with passage of legislation that expands statewide a voucher program in New Orleans as part of broad changes to the state’s education system.

Virginia lawmakers recently passed a bill backed by Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell allowing a tax credit for contributions to private school scholarship programs, and Florida GOP Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill expanding a similar program. Creating or expanding voucher or certain scholarship programs has been debated in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Ohio, New Jersey and elsewhere.

But school choice supporters have faced roadblocks, too.

Recently, in Arizona, GOP Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill that would have expanded a law passed last year that created education savings accounts for parents of students with disabilities; the money could cover expenses such a private schooling, virtual programs or future college costs.

The vetoed bill would have broadened eligibility to gifted students, children of military personnel or students attending poor performing schools. Brewer said it was too early to consider such proposals before a new budget is approved, and she expressed unease about changing the education system in ways that may make parts of it uncompetitive.

Democrats historically have shunned vouchers, but some are joining the push by many Tea Party-inspired Republicans. The momentum carries over from last year’s congressional debate over whether to extend the District of Columbia’s voucher program. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and other congressional Republicans successfully pushed for that program to be included as part of a last-minute deal to avert a federal government shutdown.

Also last year, the school district in Douglas County, an affluent Denver suburb, adopted a program, now stalled under court order, that would allow up to 500 students to receive about $4,500 each in state money to use toward private school. Legal challenges to the Colorado district’s program and the Arizona one are pending at the appellate level.

The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, an advocacy group based in Indianapolis, estimates that about 212,000 students are using vouchers or tax scholarship programs through more than 30 such programs, 17 of which provide vouchers. The group said that total has risen from 36,000 students in 2000.

Teresa Meredith, an elementary school teacher in Shelbyville, Ind., and an officer in the Indiana State Teachers Association who is the lead plaintiff to the state suit, said she’s not opposed to private schools. But when parents choose to send their kids to one, she said, they are making the choice to pay for it.

“If they’re not happy with their local public school, then they need to choose to make their local public school better, not run from it,” said Meredith, a mother of four.

Pedro Noguera, a sociologist at New York University who specializes in urban education policy, said even with a voucher, many students still cannot afford or get into or find transportation to more exclusive private schools.

“As a strategy for creating more integrated schools, it hasn’t shown that it works at all. So we have to ask ourselves, what is really the goal here?” Noguera said. “If the goal is to increase access to high quality schools, there’s no research supporting it. But, there is clear evidence that as you lose children from the public schools, you undermine the fiscal support for public education.”

But Pennsylvania Sen. Anthony Williams, a Democrat, says too many low-income kids stuck in persistently failing schools in some of the neighborhoods he represents in Philadelphia go to unsafe schools and can’t wait for a change. He calls the private boarding school he attended in high school on a private scholarship a “lifesaver,” and he’s advocating for legislation that would create a voucher program. He said even if a public voucher wouldn’t cover all the tuition, private scholarships can help fill the void.

“I believe a child should not be required to go to a place like that,” Williams said of low-performing schools. “They should have options just like anybody else in America does and it will serve us better in the long run as opposed to requiring them to go to a place that we know they don’t get the rudimentary skills.”

Whether to offer school vouchers is one of the most contentious issues in education. Some of the first programs were rolled out in the 1990s in Milwaukee and Cleveland, although the debate goes back decades and President Richard Nixon was a fan of vouchers, according to the Center on Education Policy, which advocates for more effective public schools. Those on both sides of the issue have won court victories and cite research to back up their cause.

In recent years, the message among voucher supporters has shifted to one where it’s not just about helping poor students, but empowering parents with choice valued and their satisfaction emphasized, said Alexandra Usher, a senior research assistant at the center.

With state budgets facing in recent years a “fiscal buzz saw” and education frequently about half a state’s budget, there’s a recognition that better value is needed, said Robert Enlow, the president of the Friedman Foundation.

“People are beginning to see that allowing families the ability to choose is giving them access to quality education they would not otherwise have had,” Enlow said.

Michelle Rhee, the former superintendent of schools in the District of Columbia who founded the advocacy group StudentsFirst, believes vouchers should be made available only to low-income students assigned to low performing schools, and that private schools must show they are effective. She said doesn’t support the idea that “every kid just has a backpack with their money in it” to go anywhere because she has not seen an economic model where that is sustainable.

“I very much feel our time and effort and resources should be focused on, as it pertains to vouchers, on what we’re going to do with low-income children who otherwise would be trapped in nonperforming schools,” Rhee said.

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Online:

Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice: http://www.edchoice.org/

Indiana State Teachers Association: http://www.ista-in.org

Center on Education Policy: http://www.cep-dc.org/

StudentsFirst: http://www.studentsfirst.org

The Durham school board has sent a strongly worded resolution to the State Board of Education opposing Research Triangle High School, one of nine proposed charter schools seeking fast-track approval to open in the fall. The board meets today to begin discussing charter applications. A vote is expected in March.

Joining the opposition are state House representatives from Durham, who wrote the state board Monday, saying, “We cannot in good conscience support the approval of this charter at this time.” The school board seeks support in the fight also from city and county leaders in Durham. Read more.