School-Test Backlash Grows
Wall Street Journal, May 16, 2012
The increasing role of standardized testing in U.S. classrooms is triggering pockets of rebellion across the country from school officials, teachers and parents who say the system is stifling teaching and learning.

Time for a Medicaid-Education Grand Swap
Wall Street Journal, May 16, 2012
Staring down steep tuition hikes, students at the University of California have taken to carrying picket signs. As far as I can tell, though, none has demanded that President Barack Obama accept a Grand Swap that could protect their education while saving them money. Allow me to explain.

Backer of Common Core School Curriculum Is Chosen to Lead College Board
New York Times, NY, May 16, 2012
David Coleman, an architect of the common core curriculum standards, will take over the education organization in October.

The National Teacher of the Year on What Makes A Great Teacher
Los Angeles Times, CA, May 16, 2012
Luther Burbank Middle School’s National Teacher of the Year talks about what makes a great teacher — and it’s not teaching to the test.

FROM THE STATES

Charter Schools Not Real Solutions
Shelby County Reporter, AL, May 15, 2012
Because of my interest in public education and what I see in Alabama schools, I was mystified at Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead’s recent article about public schools.

Arizona School-Choice Program Expands
Arizona Republic, AZ, May 15, 2012
A new Arizona law that will significantly expand a school-voucher-type program allowing students to attend private schools with public money has been signed by the governor.

Lawsuit Takes Aim At California’s Legal Protections For Teachers
Los Angeles Times, CA, May 16, 2012
A Bay Area nonprofit targets teacher tenure rules, seniority protections and the dismissal process. Foes say it wants to weaken public sector unions.

In Watsonville, Ceiba College Preparatory Academy In, Adult School Out
Santa Cruz Sentinel, CA, May 15, 2012
Ceiba College Preparatory Academy will take over the downtown adult school for one year under an agreement with the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.

Key Court Battle On ‘Parent Trigger’ Law
Press Democrat, CA, May 15, 2012
A case under way in a nondescript Victorville courtroom lacks the trappings of a trial of the century — there’s no celebrity in the dock, no DNA evidence or CNN trucks broadcasting from the parking lot. But the case could have monumental consequences for California children.

Families, Teachers Stunned By Sudden Closure Of Oakland Charter School
Oakland Tribune, CA, May 15, 2012
Civicorps Elementary, a charter school in North Oakland, is slated to close in June, after more than a decade on Alcatraz Avenue.

Malloy Wins School Reforms, Accountability Standards In Place To Close Learning Gaps
Register Citizen, CT, May 15, 2012
After a legislative battle over education reform, which devolved into a fight over union rights, the legislature has passed and the governor will sign a law that should begin to improve student learning. The final legislation is an improvement over the bill that emerged from the legislature’s Education Committee in March, which had been a total victory for the teachers unions and a deep political embarrassment to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

10 Lessons Learned Along Road To School Reform
Hartford Courant , CT, May 15, 2012
It was an inspirational photo opportunity at the signing of the long-awaited education reform bill Tuesday at the Capitol when Gov. Dannel P. Malloy declared “the long debate is over and the new beginning has just begun.”

Hartford Creates ‘Turnaround’ Team For Milner School
Hartford Courant , CT, May 15, 2012
Assured that Milner Core Knowledge Academy will be part of the Commissioner’s Network, the board of education voted Tuesday night to form a “response team” that will work with the state on a turnaround plan for the city elementary school.

Teaching for All Levels — In One Class
Washington Post, DC, May 15, 2012
In Elise Carter’s second-grade class, some students still write their numbers backward or look at their fingers to add. Others race through multiplication tables or search the Web to teach themselves about negative numbers.

New Charter School Will Raise The Bar On D.C. Education
Washington Examiner, DC, May 15, 2012
There’s a new charter school opening in D.C. this fall, and if BASIS DC lives up to its flagship’s national reputation, public education in the nation’s capital will have a much higher bar to meet.

Environmental School’s ‘Green’ Record Enviable
Tampa Tribune, FL, May 16, 2012
Today’s children at Learning Gate Community School might disagree. Their school has won yet another award for its environmentally friendly campus and curriculum.

School Choice is What the Kids Like in Lee County
News Press, FL, May 16, 2012
Lee County students want the district to keep its open-enrollment school choice system. Parents, however, are mixed on the issue.

Sure, Follow The Private-School Model
Augusta Free Press, GA, May 15, 2012
You’re throwing money away. Bad money after good. Schools are failing, and all we’re doing is propping them up and pretending that it’s not happening. Here’s the solution: private-school vouchers. Yeah, sure. That’s the solution.

Poll Shows Support For Longer School Day
Chicago Tribune, IL, May 15, 2012
Rahm Emanuel’s push to extend the school day is overwhelmingly backed by Chicago voters, but far more of them side with the teachers union than the mayor on overall efforts to improve education, a new Tribune/WGN-TV poll shows.

New Test Shows Many Indiana Third-Graders Have Reading Troubles
Indianapolis Star, IN, May 16, 2012
The results from a new test to measure the reading skills of Indiana ‘s third-graders were released Tuesday. And they were decidedly mixed. Overall, 84 percent of third-graders passed the IREAD-3, given for the first time in March.

Edmunds Elementary School’s Year-Round Calendar Bid OK’d
Des Moines Register, IA, May 16, 2012
Teachers at Edmunds Elementary School in Des Moines hope that increased time in the classroom will help students boost their math and reading skills.

Orleans Parish School Board Approves Property Tax Increase
Times Picayune, LA, May 15, 2012
The Orleans Parish School Board voted Tuesday evening to raise its property tax rate for 2013, install district Chief Financial Officer Stan Smith as interim superintendent and elevate the head of the district’s charter office to the level of deputy superintendent. The voting came during a long, contentious meeting, extending months of acrimony on the board over a host of issues.

Teachers Unions Accused of Working to Restore the Status Quo
‎Pelican Post, LA, May 15, 2012
As an alternative to the “draconian Jindal approach” to education reform, the state’s teachers unions have offered up legislation that would revoke value-added teacher assessments, reinstate tenure and allow for school boards to have the final say over personnel matters.

Algiers Charter School Executive Wrapping Up Three-Year Tenure
Times Picayune, LA, May 15, 2012
The chief executive officer of the Algiers Charter Schools Association, Andrea Thomas-Reynolds, will leave her post when her contract expires in June. An announcement from the group said she first alerted its board in February that she would not seek a renewal after concluding that most of her goals in leading the organization are complete.

Central Schools Opt Out of Voucher Program
The Advocate, LA, May 16, 2012
Central schools won’t be offering vouchers to children in lower-performing public schools in other school districts to attend Central schools this fall, the Central School Board decided this week.

School Choice Advocate Touts Voucher Possibilities
Shreveport Times, LA, May 16, 2012
There’s a rift in K-12 education as the push for expanded charter school offerings and vouchers has picked up pace in Louisiana, but Howard Fuller said change is necessary for a better education system.

As Many As Five Groups May Apply
Kennebec Journal, ME, May 16, 2012
At least five organizations, including an unexpected one, are applying to open charter schools in Maine this fall. State education officials had anticipated letters from four groups — proposing a statewide virtual charter school, a primary school in Cornville, a high school in Portland and a conversion of the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences in Fairfield to a charter school — but they weren’t expecting one that came in for a school in the Piscataquis County town of Monson.

Mo. Lawmakers Approve Expansion of Charter Schools
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, May 16, 2012
A bill that could expand charter schools statewide while making it easier to weed out underperforming ones is headed to the governor’s desk.

National School Voucher Group Makes Push in Concord
Union Leader, NH, May 15, 2012
The nation’s preeminent school voucher advocacy group is seeking to influence a vote this week on legislation that would set up a scholarship fund for students to attend private and religious schools.

A Small Step For NH, A Big Step For Our Kids
Union Leader, NH, May 16, 2012
A very small step for the state will be a huge leap for individual students if the Legislature decides to adopt a modest school choice scholarship act today. Despite misleading accusations flying around from people who resist any change, the debate comes down to whether you want to provide hundreds of poorer students greater choice with little impact on the current system.

Hearings on Teacher Tenure Reform Delayed — For Now
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, May 16, 2012
The drama over a teacher tenure reform in New Jersey continues to twist and turn, as legislators jockey for position and Gov. Chris Christie makes clear his opinion, if not his precise intentions.

Pleasantville Schools Registration Draws Few Pleasantech Parents
Press of Atlantic City, NJ, May 16, 2012
Garnell Bailey told parents of students from PleasanTech Academy Charter School on Tuesday night that they are welcome to come visit the city’s public schools to see for themselves the education being offered there.

Costs of Cheating
News & Observer, NC, May 16, 2012
The Wake County school system is in the midst of a debate over whether behavior should be a factor in students’ grades. First, the concept of “behavior” needs to be sharpened. Are we talking about goofing around in class? Fighting? Or cheating on a test?

Legislator Refuses To Rush Changes To School-Grading System
Columbus Dispatch, OH, May 16, 2012
Revamping how the state measures schools and district performance on annual report cards is too important and too complex to do on the fly, a state legislator says.

Parents Pitch In
Tulsa World, OK, May 16, 2012
A group of Jenks parents gave $1.1 million of their own money Tuesday to Jenks Public Schools so the district can hire more teachers and reduce class sizes.

School Plan Widely Misunderstood, SRC Officials Say
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 16, 2012
Appearing before City Council for another day of grilling on the Philadelphia School District ’s budget and proposals to transform operations and close dozens of schools, officials Tuesday said there were widespread misunderstandings about a plan to revamp the district.

Penn to Team Up With KIPP Charters
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 16, 2012
The national network of KIPP charter schools last spring announced plans to more than double the number of its low-income students who graduate from college, by partnering with colleges and universities that encourage KIPP students to apply and support those who enroll.

Rally Urges Keeping Teachers Based On Ability, Not Seniority
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, May 16, 2012
With an unprecedented number of teacher layoffs expected in Pittsburgh Public Schools, A+ Schools — along with support from nine other community organizations — led a rally Tuesday demanding: Keep Pittsburgh’s best teachers.

New Online Tool Tracks School Progress
WPRI, RI, May 15, 2012
The Rhode Island Department of Education launched a new online tool Tuesday that allows families to track the progress and proficiency of their children’s schools.

Up to 150 Memphis City Schools Teachers Face Firing
Commercial Appeal, TN, May 16, 2012
Terminations based on poor evaluations; dozens register complaints with union over process

Nashville Schools’ Rezoning Trial Turns Focus To Charters
The Tennessean, TN, May 16, 2012
Charter schools became a point of contention Tuesday in Metro Nashville’s school rezoning trial, with attorneys arguing they’re another sign that the district is headed toward resegregating its black and white students.

VIRTUAL EDUCATION

Debate Over Cyber Schools Heats Up
WLNS, MI, May 15, 2012
Governor Rick Snyder signed some bills into law Tuesday aimed at improving the state’s education system.

Keep Public Education Money in Iowa
Des Moines Register, IA, May 16, 2012
The whole thing is a world class example of maintaining the status quo.
But there is a provision in the education legislation that is worth a nod. It caps the number of students who can enroll in two full-time, online schools at 900.

BORN TO RISE…is the name of Deborah Kenny’s new book about her journey to open a charter school, which now has grown into the renowned charter network, Harlem Village Academies. Kenny promotes a unique take on what makes a school work – culture and people. Creating an environment where people want to come to work coupled with hiring smart teachers and, then, empowering them to do their job without bureaucratic or union chains to weigh them down and guarded by strong accountability standards are her keys to success. Visit
Edspresso for more on Kenny’s journey of what it takes to open the doors of opportunity to deserving kids and what John Legend has to do with the title of the book!

CHOICE OUTSIDE THE CITY. Charter schools in Illinois are centered in Chicago, with only 14 serving students in all of suburban and downstate areas. In “Unchartered Territory,” the Illinois Policy Institute chronicles the lack of options for families outside the city and speaks to the demand for all children to have excellent educational options. In a nutshell, they blame the authorization process for this failure and call for abolishing the charter cap for all of Illinois, equalizing funding for charters statewide, and more.

DATA DAMAGE. Imagine the surprise of Nevada’s Green Valley High School principal when he reads in U.S. News & World Report that his school has 477 students and is ranked 13 out of thousands of high schools nationwide. The reality? Green Valley has nearly 3,000 students and isn’t doing quite that well. The problem was inaccurately punched-in data by a consultant who is now working in another state. Learn more about why the trickle effect of this error is a travesty for accountability in Edspresso.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE. Nearly 80% of Memphis City teachers did a good enough job on their evaluations to most likely keep their position, while the remaining 1,350 scored low enough to put their jobs at risk. So, that must mean that a majority of city kids are doing equally as well. Right? Wrong. Students in this Tennessee town are struggling to achieve at high, even basic, levels of learning. This data questions the reliability of the evaluations and, joined with the data damage noted above, erodes confidence in not only the school system but colleges of education that are not producing top teachers. We can do better.

…SO IT COMES AS NO SURPRISE…that 71 percent of Tennessee voters strongly support the creation of more charters, according to a new survey commissioned by CER and conducted by Majority Opinion Research. CER President Jeanne Allen remarks that “these results demonstrate a demand for more effective ways to educate the state’s children. People want parents to have the power to choose a school for their child based on their needs not their zip code. And they want those parents to have a plethora of charter schools to choose from.” Nearly 60 percent of voters surveyed also favor multiple authorizers for charter schools. Currently, the state restricts authorizing to school boards, which too often view charters as competitors and do what they can to ensure charters do not get off the ground. Unfortunately, misinformation still abounds about charters. While 75 percent polled say they know at least a little about charters, only 26 percent of them were able to correctly define charters as public schools. Lots of educating to be done in Tennessee.
]]> http://www.edreform.com/2012/05/15/may-15-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.edreform.com/2012/05/15/poll-shows-tennesseans-want-more-school-options-strong-charter-school-laws/ http://www.edreform.com/2012/05/15/poll-shows-tennesseans-want-more-school-options-strong-charter-school-laws/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 20:39:19 +0000 mtigani http://www.edreform.com/?p=8588 CER Press Release
Washington, D.C.
May 15, 2012

The Center for Education Reform (CER) released a new poll today showing that Tennessee voters strongly support having more school options and the creation of new charter schools in the state. The poll also revealed strong support for multiple authorizers, which is a key component in ensuring the growth of high-quality charter schools.

The survey, commissioned by CER and conducted by Majority Opinion Research, revealed that 71% of surveyed Tennesseans support the creation of new charter schools and the opportunity to choose among a wide variety of schools. Theses concepts are strongly supported across all demographics including political affiliation.

CER President Jeanne Allen said: “These results demonstrate a demand for more effective ways to educate the state’s children. People want parents to have the power to choose a school for their child based on their needs not their zip code. And they want those parents to have a plethora of charter schools to choose from.”

In addition, the survey found that 57% of Tennesseans surveyed understand and support having more than one entity in the state authorized to approve and oversee charter public schools. Such entities (independent but publicly accountability entities like mayors or universities) are commonly called “independent authorizers,” and are currently in place in 17 states. Research shows that states with multiple authorizers have more and higher-quality charter schools. Tennessee does not currently allow multiple (or independent) authorizers and school districts continue to discourage and reject charter school applicants throughout the state. Tennessee’s charter law currently lacks transparency in funding resulting in inequity.

“It’s clear Tennesseans want the most options for parents and multiple authorizers helps achieve this,” said Allen. “Unfortunately, Tennessee’s charter school law falls short in this area. Tennessee parents should let their legislators know that they want a charter school law that facilitates their right to put their child in the best school possible.”

The report also revealed that despite an increase in support and awareness of charter schools, some TN voters still don’t know that charters are part of the public school system. Of the 75% that said they know at least a little about charters, only 26% correctly defined charter schools as public schools. “As public schools held accountable for results and open by choice, charter schools should be supported with the same tax dollars and facilities support that all other public school students receive,” added Allen. “We will continue to educate the public about the nature of charter schools to ensure they have the information they need to demand fair and effective charter school laws.”

The Center for Education Reform partnered with Majority Opinion Research – a leading Atlanta research organization – to conduct a statewide telephone survey of 657 registered voters May 3 – May 7, 2012. The margin of error for the Tennessee survey is +/- 3.7%. To see more information about the poll click here.

May 2012

In May 2012, the Center for Education Reform (CER) conducted a survey of registered Tennessee voters* to gauge their knowledge and perceptions of charter schools.  Key findings are highlighted below.

Tennesseans overwhelmingly support charter schools.  71 percent of surveyed Tennesseans say they support “allowing communities to create new public schools, called charter schools, that give parents a choice of where they send their children that would be held accountable for student results and that would be required to meet the same academic standards/testing requirements as other public schools but not cost taxpayers any additional money. Charter schools also enjoy tri-partisan support in the Volunteer State. Republicans (79 percent), Democrats (66 percent) and Independents (65 percent) overwhelmingly support the creation of charter schools.

Tennesseans support the opportunity to choose among a wide variety of schools. 60 percent prefer “allowing the parent to choose from a number of public schools” over “assigning children to one public school based solely on where they live.”

Tennesseans understand and support charter school laws that allow multiple authorizers.  After being told “other states allow entities such as universities, mayors, and independent commissions to approve and help monitor charter schools”; 57 percent agree “the legislature should allow other entities the authority to approve the creation of charter schools in Tennessee.”

Tennesseans are aware of charter schools but still do not identify them as public schools.  Of the 75 percent who said they know at least a little about charter schools, only 26 percent correctly identified them as public schools.

*The Center for Education Reform partnered with Majority Opinion Research – a leading U.S. research organization based in Atlanta, GA – to conduct a statewide telephone survey of 657 registered voters May 3 – May 7, 2012.  The margin of error for the Tennessee survey is +/- 3.7%

For related press release, click here.

Strong Commitment To D.C. School Voucher Plan Would Be A Welcome Sign
The Oklahoman, OK, May 15, 2012
EDUCATION hasn’t been a major theme so far in the race for the presidency. But Republican contender Mitt Romney cracked open the schoolhouse doors a bit recently with the contention that President Barack Obama has been weak when it comes to the Washington , D.C. , voucher plan. Romney’s absolutely right.

FROM THE STATES

Testing a Charter
Los Angeles Times, CA, May 15, 2012
The Times’ editorial on Academia Semillas del Pueblo in El Sereno underscores the primacy of standardized testing and its reputed ability to measure student learning.

Colorado Legislature Veered Away From Major Education Bills During 2012 Session
Denver Post, CO, May 15, 2012
From the standpoint of K-12 education, the almost-finished 2012 legislative session was notable as much for what didn’t happen as what did, education observers say.

Malloy to Sign Conn. Education Bill Today
Norwich Bulletin, CT, May 15, 2012
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is scheduled to sign Connecticut’s new, wide-ranging education overhaul bill into law.

DCPS, Union Reach Accord On Teacher Retirement
Washington Post Blog, DC, May 14, 2012
It took nearly two years, but it appears that DCPS is finally prepared to comply with the early retirement provision of the contract it signed with the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU). The 2010 collective bargaining agreement says that teachers with good evaluations and 20 years of service who lose their jobs in the annual “excessing” process are eligible for early retirement with full benefits.

Manatee Approves All-Girls Charter School
Herald Tribune, FL, May 14, 2012
Parents will have a new choice for their daughter’s education after Manatee County School Board members Monday night gave final approval to what will be the only regular single-sex school in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Bus Costs Could Rise for Palm Beach County Charter Schools
Orlando Sentinel, FL, May 14, 2012
The Palm Beach County School District could save between $250,000 and $350,000 with a plan to make charter schools pay more money to use district buses and other transportation services, administrators say.

Parents Sign Petition Against Use of FCAT
Miami Herald, FL, May 15, 2012
The petition, gaining traction in parts of Florida and around the country, urges education administrators to rely less on standardized tests and use other measures to evaluate students, schools and teachers

Georgia Teacher Training Programs Will Be Graded
WABE, GA, May 14, 2012
At the beginning of next year, Georgia’s teacher training programs will be able to see how they stack up nationally. The National Council on Teacher Quality and U.S. News & World Report are teaming up to rank every education program at colleges and universities across the country.

Marshall Academy Looking At 2 Sites, May Use Both
The Journal Gazette, IN, May 15, 2012
Fort Wayne Urban League leaders say they are confident their new charter school will be open this fall – but it may be operating in two buildings.

Charter Schools And The Pitfalls of Sponsor-Shopping
Indianapolis Star, IN, May 15, 2012
The charter school movement is booming in Indiana and particularly Indianapolis, which Mayor Greg Ballard wants to establish as a mecca for innovative public education.

Des Moines Charter School Council Weighs Ways To Save
Des Moines Register, IA, May 15, 2012
The Des Moines Public Charter School’s advisory council is considering a hiring freeze, a shorter academic year and a reduction in the director’s salary to help chip away at an estimated $250,000 shortfall for the coming school year.

Teachers Face New Evaluations
Daily Comet, LA, May 14, 2012
For teachers all over Louisiana, the reality that their jobs are about to change is sinking in.

School Rebate Bill Goes to Senate
The Daily Advertiser, LA, May 15, 2012
Over strong objections of the Jindal administration and Superintendent of Education John White, a Senate committee advanced legislation that would grant rebates to people or businesses who contribute to improving public schools.

Crowding Balto. Co.’s Classrooms
Baltimore Sun, MD, May 15, 2012
Incoming Baltimore County school superintendent Dallas Dance needs to add increased class sizes and overtaxed facilities to his ‘to do’ list of things to improve the system

What The Waiver Will, Won’t Change
Milford Daily News, MA, May 15, 2012
Districts with schools in level 4, the second-to-lowest level, will go on a three-year timeline to develop a turnaround plan. Such schools will have that three years to show accelerated change for student outcomes and effectiveness of programs before the commissioner will re-evaluate the schools.

City on a Hill to Apply to Create Two More Charter Schools: in Boston, New Bedford
Boston Globe, MA, May 14, 2012
City on a Hill Charter Public School plans to seek state approval to create two charter high schools, one in Boston and one in New Bedford, that would each replicate the organization’s flagship high school in Roxbury.

Education Smashup Looms
Worcester Telegram, MA, May 15, 2012
Despite the successes of education reform, unacceptable achievement gaps leave too many children behind. Highly effective teachers have proved they can close these gaps. In order to guarantee that these effective leaders and teachers are in every school and classroom we need to dramatically change how we operate our education human resource systems.

Making Longer School Days Affordable
WBUR, MA, May 14, 2012
Does more school make a better school? You can make a pretty persuasive argument that it does.
Research by Harvard and MIT found that Boston’s best charter schools are getting some pretty impressive results. And one of the reasons why? Charter school students spend a lot more time in school — more than eight hours a day, on average. That’s two hours more than at Boston’s traditional public schools.

Support Public Schools Instead of Making Quick Fixes
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, May 14, 2012
Everybody wants a ”fix.” Be it the ”Turner” fix or the ”Nicastro” fix … any quick fix will do. And therein lies the problem.

Nashua Private Schools Offer Support For Statehouse Bills That Could Ease Tuition Burden
Nashua Telegraph, NH, May 15, 2012
While supporters of an education tax credit program argue it will offer low- and middle-income families more choice, the average annual credit of $2,500 would only cover a fraction of the cost of tuition for some local private schools.

Teacher Tenure Has Classroom Benefits
Daily Record, NJ, May 15, 2012
On Friday the Daily Record editorial stated “Unmotivated teachers, incompetent teachers and abusive teachers don’t deserve the shield of tenure.”

Mediator Can Resolve Fight Over Teacher Evaluation, State Panel Rules
New York Daily News, NY, May 14, 2012
The teachers union is using a state panel’s ruling in their favor as a cudgel against the city while they fight to block the closing of 24 schools.

Scott Stringer Flunks the Test on Teacher Evaluations
New York Daily News, NY, May 15, 2012
High -fives all around at the United Federation of Teachers as Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer on Monday became the first Democratic mayoral contender to call for scrapping teacher performance ratings based on errors in this year’s state standardized tests.

Big Hurdles Hold Up New Way For State To Grade Schools
Columbus Dispatch, OH, May 15, 2012
Few argue that Ohio needs a more-demanding way of rating schools and districts on annual state report cards.

City Schools Must Act Boldly
Youngstown Vindicator, OH, May 15, 2012
A decade ago, KnowledgeWorks came to Youngstown with an audacious idea: Youngstown high school students could not only graduate on time and be prepared for college, but they could also master college material and earn college credits — all while in high school.

Plan for Schools Can Be Improved
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 15, 2012
There are enough questions about a radical plan to restructure the Philadelphia School District to make everyone involved apprehensive. The district needs dramatic action to achieve more than incremental progress toward academic success. But too much drama risks damage rather than improvement.

For City Schools, A Century of Struggle
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 15, 2012
Speaking of the Philadelphia School District recently, Mayor Nutter said, “If we don’t take significant action now, the system will collapse.” That “significant action” could include widespread school closings, many more charter schools, and increased local control of the remaining district schools.

Teacher Evaluations
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, May 15, 2012
Charles McCollester’s article “Union Busting Won’t Help” (May 8 Perspectives) should be required reading for all school directors (particularly those representing the Pittsburgh Public Schools) and all school superintendents and administrators.

Bill Broadens Options For Charter School Students
Greenville News, SC, May 15, 2012
Gov. Nikki Haley came to Greenville Tech Charter High on Monday to sign into law a bill broadening the options of charter schools and their students and formalizing the passage of one of state Superintendent of Education Mick Zais’ signature issues.

Memphis City Schools Teachers Get Test Results
Memphis Commercial Appeal, TN, May 14, 2012
About 80 percent of Memphis City Schools’ 6,400 teachers scored well enough on their new evaluations to be fairly confident about their jobs.

AISD Board Approves Abilene High Teacher Appraisal Tool
Reporter News, TX, May 14, 2012
A new appraisal tool developed by Abilene High School educators aims to make it easier for educators to chart their progress and, if needed, learn how they can improve.

State Dropped Ball In Filing Paperwork
Green Bay Press-Gazette, WI, May 15, 2012
We are hopeful the poor report card Wisconsin received from the federal government on its No Child Left Behind waiver application is correctable. At the least, we expect Department of Public Instruction officials to do some extra credit.

VIRTUAL EDUCATION

Virtual Public School Coming to Victoria
Victoria Advocate, TX, May 14, 2012
A virtual public school is coming to Victoria to give parents information about an alternative, free schooling option for third- through 10th-graders.

Brewer Vetoes Arizona Online-Education Bill
Arizona Republic, AZ, May 14, 2012
Gov. Jan Brewer on Monday vetoed a bill that would have enacted sweeping changes to the state’s online-education system.

Arizona Online Students Make Largest Class To Date
MyFox Phoenix, AZ, May 14, 2012
Tempe’s Rio Salado College will be awarding degrees to its largest graduating class in history. The online school, part of the Maricopa County Community College District, will hold a commencement ceremony in Phoenix on Friday for 623 students.

FROM THE STATES

A Clash of Special Interests
Decatur Daily, AL, May 14, 2012
The sponsor of a bill that would have created a charter school system in Alabama complained loudly when it died in committee last week.

Students at Charter-Run Locke Do Better Than Nearby Peers
Los Angeles Times, CA, May 14, 2012
Locke students were more likely to graduate and to have taken courses needed for a state college, a study says. Still, overall achievement remains low.

When A Charter School Is Failing
Los Angeles Times, CA, May 11, 2012
Academia Semillas del Pueblo is an ambitious charter school run by dedicated educators, but when students aren’t learning the basics, change is in order.

Newton: ‘Parent Trigger’ Unhappiness
Los Angeles Times, CA, May 14, 2012
Acase underway in a nondescript Victorville courtroom lacks the trappings of a trial of the century — there’s no celebrity in the dock, no DNA evidence or CNN trucks broadcasting from the parking lot. But the case could have monumental consequences for California children.

Redding School of the Arts Receives Conservation Award
Record-Searchlight, CA, May 13, 2012
Redding School of the Arts has been recognized by a national organization for meeting the highest standards of energy conservation and environmental design.

Judge to Decide Fate of ‘Parent Trigger’ Effort
Victorville Daily Press, CA, May 13, 2012
The fate of what could be the nation’s first successful attempt to force a school overhaul by invoking the so-called “Parent Trigger” law is now in the hands of a Victorville judge.

Malloy Wins School Reforms, Accountability Standards In Place To Close Learning Gaps
New Haven Register, CT, May 12, 2012
After a legislative battle over education reform, which devolved into a fight over union rights, the legislature has passed and the governor will sign a law that should begin to improve student learning.

Fixing Schools Requires More Than Remediation
Ridgefield Press, CT, May 13, 2012
With the education bill, Governor Malloy can claim victory on the biggest points in contention.

Journey for Racial Justice Is Not Over
Washington Post, DC, May 13, 2012
In fact, my students attend schools that are still fundamentally separate and unequal. The Delta is half black and half white, yet the public schools here that are “failing” and “at risk of failing” are 95 percent black, according to data compiled by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. I

D.C. Officials Reconsider Charter School Admissions
NBC4 Washington, DC, May 13, 2012
D.C. officials are considering whether some public charter schools should give neighborhood residents preference in the admissions process. Published reports claim the idea is drawing mixed reaction from charter school leaders.

Moyer Gets New Principal, Approach
News Journal, DE, May 14, 2012
The school, which was taken over by the state two years ago, has struggled ever since with enrollment and test scores. But those who are involved with this school say that the new leader, alongside changes to the school’s environment and mission, are going to push the school to success.

Newark Charter Seeking $18.5 Million in State Bonds
News Journal, DE, May 14, 2012
Newark Charter School would partially finance a controversial expansion with $18.5 million in low-interest state bonds under a plan that goes before a state economic advisory panel a week from today.

A New Girls Charter School And Early Release Wednesday on Manatee School Board Agendas
Bradenton Herald, FL, May 14, 2012
A review of whether to continue early release Wednesdays and a contract for a new all-girls’ charter school are among the issues facing the Manatee school board this week.

District Explores Raising Fees To Bus Charter School Students
Palm Beach Post, FL, May 13, 2012
Charter schools in Palm Beach County could find themselves paying more if they want to use the school district’s big yellow buses to get their students to school.

Debate Rages: Do Charter Students Perform Better Than Others?
Orlando Sentinel, FL, May 11, 2012
Florida’s education leaders have been fanning out across the state to celebrate National Charter School Week, visiting schools and touting the benefits of these independently run campuses.

No Child Left Behind Vanishing
Dalton Daily Citizen, GA, May 14, 2012
No longer will Georgia schools face sanctions associated with the federal No Child Left Behind Act that has overshadowed so much of public education for a decade.

Charter Schools: Be Open-Minded
Savannah Morning News, GA, May 14, 2012
CREDIT THE Savannah-Chatham County school board for being receptive to the related concepts of charter schools and parental choice.

Teacher Evaluation Plan is Nonsense
Big Island Now, HI, May 11, 2012
Fans of unnecessary document shuffling, prepare to get excited. In an effort to secure a $75 million “Race to the Top” grant awarded by the federal government, the state Department of Education is hurrying to implement a teacher evaluation program that it promised as part of its grant application, and convince the Hawaii State Teacher’s Association to go along for the ride.

State Hand Getting Tighter On Suburban North Chicago Schools
WBEZ, IL, May 14, 2012
The state of Illinois helps run the public schools in a handful of local districts with financial and academic problems. Suburban North Chicago is one of them. State education officials stepped up involvement there last month, announcing plans to do something they’ve never done before—replace the locally elected school board.

Tutor Trouble
Chicago Tribune, IL, May 12, 2012
Thousands of students in Chicago Public Schools could use tutoring help in math and reading. They’ve signed up for it. They aren’t getting it.

Practical Impact of Education Reforms Muted
The Gazette, IA, May 13, 2012
Next year’s typical school day won’t be much different from this year’s for most of Iowa’s K-12 students, despite the education reform package passed by the Legislature last week.

Choice Will Help Enable Students
The Advocate, LA, May 14, 2012
Driving Louisiana’s highways, dotted by rivers and bayous, is an education itself. These trips also reveal much about the diversity of education in this state.

Reluctant Reformers
Worcester Telegram, MA, May 13, 2012
Charter school advocates have welcomed the news that state education officials will lift a temporary moratorium on charter school seats in major cities, thereby opening up more than 1,000 new seats in Boston alone by the fall of 2013.

Charter’s Other Costs
Boston Herald, MA, May 14, 2012
Our small elementary school in Leverett is slated to lose about $62,000 next year as six kids leave for area charter schools — that’s an average of one kid per grade (“Chart next course,” May 9).

Imagine Teachers May Join City Schools
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, May 12, 2012
Hundreds of parents from the failed Imagine charter schools are expected at an enrollment fair today where they will consider dozens of schools to place their children this fall.

Missouri Legislature Enters Final Week With Lengthy List
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, May 14, 2012
With only five days left in this year’s legislative session, Republican leaders this week plan to tackle issues such as strengthening oversight of charter schools and keeping some workplace injuries out of the courts.

Rating Teachers
Las Vegas Review- Journal , NV, May 14, 2012
Creating an objective system for evaluating Nevada teachers has proven to be a “gargantuan challenge” because 70 percent of teachers don’t administer standardized tests to their students, says Pamela Salazar, chairwoman of the Teachers and Leaders Council of Nevada, the group which the state Legislature created to develop the first-ever statewide evaluation system.

Hopeworks ‘N Camden Provides Life Skills
Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ, May 14, 2012
Hopeworks ‘ N Camden tries to fill in the gaps and provide support to teens and young adults where troubled schools and fractured social structures have failed.
That’s a tall order in a city like Camden.

Teacher Professional Development — the Quiet Controversy
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, May 14, 2012
As the Christie administration presses for changes to teacher tenure and evaluation, upcoming revisions to teacher standards and the kinds of professional development that would be required could spark their own debate.

Camden Schools Chief Could Get Buyout
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 13, 2012
The city board is set to vote this week on a deal for her early exit, sources say. She was criticized for absences.

Putting the Teacher Evaluation Pilot in Perspective
New Jersey Spotlight, NJ, May 14, 2012
NJ Spotlight on Saturday hosted the second in a series of roundtable discussions about New Jersey ’s pilot teacher evaluation program, in which 10 districts and another 19 schools are testing new methods for how teachers are judged on both their own performance and that of their students.

Longtime President of Jersey City Teachers Union Set to Retire
Jersey Journal, NJ, May 13, 2012
Tom Favia, president of the 4,000-strong Jersey City Education Association and famed boys basketball coach, is retiring at the end of the summer, after nearly 60 years with the school district and more than 20 years as head of the powerful union.

Confusion Over Grades For Schools
Albuquerque Journal, NM, May 14, 2012
The state’s new A-F school grading system was supposed to make it easier for parents to know how their child’s school is performing.

School Budgets Face New York Voters
Wall Street Journal, May 13, 2012
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s tax cap is being put to the test as voters cast ballots on the first batch of school budgets drafted under the new taxing limits.

‘Why Don’t We Have Any White Kids?
New York Times, NY, May 13, 2012
In the broad resegregation of the nation’s schools that has transpired over recent decades, New York ’s public-school system looms as one of the most segregated. While the city’s public-school population looks diverse — 40.3 percent Hispanic, 32 percent black, 14.9 percent white and 13.7 percent Asian — many of its schools are nothing of the sort.

E-Mails Provide Inside Look at Mayor’s Charter School Battle
New York Times, NY, May 13, 2012
The city released hundreds of e-mail messages Friday, providing a behind-the-scenes look at one of the major battles of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s administration, the 2010 campaign to expand charter schools, or, as one dramatic e-mail put it, the “fight of our life.”

Teacher’s Union Gives Mayor Failing Grade on Education
NBC New York, NY, May 12, 2012
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott sat silently behind Mulgrew on Saturday as the union leader held up the F and his members cheered

Teacher Licensing
New York Times, NY, May 14, 2012
The educator preparation community knows that graduates could end up teaching anywhere and that we need a nationally available assessment to measure readiness to teach at the novice level, an ability not documented by existing licensing exams.

Parents Worried New School For Troubled Teens Will Bring Danger Into Willoughby St. School Building
New York Daily News, NY, May 14, 2012
Prospect Heights parents are worried that a plan to place a charter school for troubled teens in their kids’ school will make the Willoughby St. building dangerous.

Charter School Would Help Solve Newburgh’s Dropout Problem
Times Herald-Record, NY, May 12, 2012
I’ve followed with interest the story of the proposed charter school in Middletown as told in this newspaper over the past few weeks.

Union Votes To Organize Charter School Teachers
WKSU, OH, May 14, 2012
Ohio’s largest teachers union wants to expand its membership rolls to a new arena – charter schools. On Friday the Ohio Education Association voted to begin organizing at charter schools. StateImpact Ohio’s Molly Bloom reports.

A Senseless Line of Attack On State Sen. Nina Turner And Cleveland School Reform: Editorial
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, May 12, 2012
Adults should be above schoolyard bullying tactics. Yet State Sen. Nina Turner says she’s received close to 200 emails and numerous phone calls to her office from Ohio Federation of Teachers union members attacking her because she sponsored Mayor Frank Jackson’s school reform legislation, which would let the Cleveland schools share tax dollars with top-rated privately operated charter schools tied to the district.

Pennsylvania Charter School Law Needs An Upgrade
Patriot News, PA, May 14, 2012
For thousands of families throughout the commonwealth, spring’s warm weather means more than baseball games and barbecues. It also signals the approach of a despairing ritual known as the charter school enrollment lottery.

The End of Public Education in Philadelphia
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 14, 2012
If the School Reform Commission and Chief Recovery Officer Thomas Knudsen have their way, we may witness the end of public education in Philadelphia.

Fairness Must be Nutter’s Goal
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 13, 2012
Funding the education of Philadelphia’s children should not be tied to Mayor Nutter’s sweeping property-tax reforms. Putting both in the same pot is like mixing milk with lemon juice. Each has merits of its own, but when mixed together, one ruins the flavor of the other.

Struggling Sto-Rox School District Faces Bleak Choices
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, May 13, 2012
But the wound that appeared to be bleeding most profusely was the flow of money for charter school tuition, which has increased from $48,587 in 2001-02 to a projected $2.7 million this year, about 11 percent of the 2011-12 budget.

William Penn Seeking To Reclaim District Students
Delaware County Times, PA, May 13, 2012
William Penn School District officials are looking into ways to reclaim district students who attend charter schools in Philadelphia and Chester .

Schools Dealing With Charter Challenge
Pottstown Mercury, PA, May 13, 2012
At the Phoenixville Area School District budget meeting March 21, Joe Antonio, the district’s director of continuous improvement, laid out the shift in the educational landscape that many school districts are now trying to combat.

Haley to Sign Charter School Bill in Greenville
The State, SC, May 14, 2012
South Carolina’s governor and education superintendent are heading to Greenville to celebrate a bill that supporters say will strengthen and expand charter schools statewide.

School Choice OK, But S.C. Plan Is Not
Morning News, SC, May 13, 2012
Some South Carolina schools are improving, but the basic picture is still one of educational mediocrity (or worse). All kinds of statistical measures and state-to-state – or nation-to-nation – comparisons show that we’re not making up ground fast in this critical area.

Let S.C. Students Decide Where To Attend School
The Herald, SC, May 13, 2012
We can be confident that school choice wont destroy the public school system, because it is working in other states such as Arizona , Florida and Pennsylvania . Economically, the public schools should fare better.

VIRTUAL EDUCATION

School Districts Think Outside The Classroom To Compete With Charters
Pottstown Mercury, PA, May 14, 2012
As technology has advanced in the past decade, the concept of a classroom has changed dramatically. With the arrival of charter schools, the way was paved for their Internet-based equivalent, cyber-charter schools.

Cyber Schools Pull In $2.9M Locally
The Daily Item, PA, May 11, 2012
Data compiled by the Susquehanna Chapter of the Pennsylvania Heartland Coalition indicates that all public schools in Pennsylvania’s 85th legislative district are paying $2.9 million to cyber schools to educate 363 students.

State Overrules Volusia County School Board, Oks Virtual Charter School
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL, May 13, 2012
A virtual charter school was given the green light by the state to start operating in Volusia and other area counties. The state Board of Education overturned the Volusia County School Board’s decision to deny the application last fall of the Central Florida Virtual Board and the Florida Virtual Academy .

Virtual School Provides New Learning Experience
Detroit News, MI, May 14, 2012
Created by state law in 2000, Michigan Virtual University now offers 150 classes, is one of the largest virtual schools in the United States, and helped make the state a pioneer in online education. Since 2000, more than 100,000 students have taken virtual classes in Michigan. Making online classes more available is a priority of Gov. Rick Snyder, who has recommended expanding access to give students 21st century skills.

Is Virtual Education A Race To The Bottom?
Morning Sun, MI, May 12, 2012
As the states began searching for less costly alternatives to traditional public education, the charter school movement as well as other concepts such as vouchers began to take hold at an intensifying rate. The stated goals of the non-traditional methods were that these alternatives would provide choices and options outside the traditional public schools

“This performance won’t get us where we need to go to create the science-literate workforce we need,” Gerry Wheeler, interim executive director of the National Science Teachers Association, tells the Wall Street Journal.

This certainly doesn’t come as a shock to anyone that saw the 2011 NAEP math and reading scores.

The same message from Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform, regarding reading and math results holds true for these science scores.

“Our nation’s students can’t afford for us to sit idly by while another year passes with relatively no improvements. The Nation’s Report Card demonstrates the status quo does not work. We must overhaul our educational system. We need revolutionary change, if we want to break free from the failing trends of the past and truly celebrate student achievement.”

“The longer we wait – the longer we let achievement flatline – the further we’ll find ourselves at the bottom of the list of powerful, even worth mentioning, economies.” Certainly something presidential hopefuls should be paying attention to, and talking about, during their campaigns.

FROM THE STATES

Lawmakers Blame Special Interests For Killing Charter Schools Bill
Montgomery Advertiser, AL, May 11, 2012
The sponsor of proposed charter school legislation, a top priority for Republican lawmakers and Gov. Robert Bentley, said on Thursday that he felt like he was attending a funeral as he talked about the demise of the proposal.

Try Next Year With A Better Charter School
Press-Register, AL, May 11, 2012
CHARTER SCHOOL legislation, at least for this session, is dead. And considering the last version that was discussed, it’s not a big loss for supporters.

Parents Trying To Transform School
San Bernardino Sun, CA, May 10, 2012
Desert Trails Elementary is the lowest performing school in Adelanto Elementary School District and in the bottom 10 percent of the state; it is failing by any metric.

State Education Board Wants To Avoid New Teacher Evaluation Plan
Los Angeles Times Blog, CA, May 10, 2012
The state Board of Education voted Thursday to seek relief from federal rules that label more than 6,000 California schools as failures, but in the process, it declined to authorize a new evaluation system for teachers and principals.

State Must Step Up Sluggish School Reform
Hartford Courant , CT, May 10, 2012
Here’s what I’ll never understand about Connecticut and it sluggish efforts at meaningful education reform: The state is home to some of the best charter schools in America — Amistad Academy in New Haven and Jumoke Academy in Hartford being the two most prominent. And by all accounts, New Haven has a novel and effective teacher-tenure agreement.

Neighborhood Admissions Preference For Charter Schools To Be Studied
Washington Post Blog, DC, May 10, 2012
District officials are moving closer to changes in the law that would allow charter schools–currently open to all eligible students citywide– to grant admissions preference to families in surrounding neighborhoods.

Teachers Approve LHS Charter Application
The Ledger, FL, May 10, 2012
In a 73-to-25 vote, Lakeland High School teachers approved a conversion charter application Thursday afternoon that would make the school independent from the Polk County School District .

Charter School Decision Doesn’t Sit Well With Seminole Schools
WFTV, FL, May 10, 2012
The Seminole County School District is about to go head to head with the State Board of Education over charter schools. The district rejected several charter school applications, but the state overturned those decisions, opening the door for more charter schools to move in.

‘Rubrics’ Destroy Teacher Morale
Tampa Bay Tribune, FL, May 11, 2012
More frequent evaluation and feedback is good for the profession and everyone it impacts, but the foolish use of “rubrics” based on cobbled-together and often situation-specific “research” is not. The various applications of this stifling and capricious process have destroyed teacher morale across the state and are driving competent veterans from the profession.

Proponents of New High School At Drew Charter Gear Up To Win Support
Atlanta Journal Constitution Blog, GA, May 11, 2012
The opposition of APS superintendent Erroll Davis to a new high school at Charles Drew Charter School disappoints the plan’s proponents, but does not dissuade them.

State Approves Charter Designation For Madison County
Athens Daily-Banner, GA, May 10, 2012
The Madison County school system will become a state-approved charter school district next school year.

10 In Cheating Scandal Have Teaching Certificates Revoked, 23 Suspended
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA
May 10, 2012
More than half of the educators implicated in widespread test cheating in Atlanta Public Schools have been disciplined by the state, including 33 who had their teaching licenses revoked or suspended Thursday.

Chicago Teachers Conduct ‘Dry Run’ For Strike Vote
Chicago Tribune, IL, May 11, 2012
The Chicago Teachers Union polled its 25,000 members Thursday on questions involving the school board as part of what one official called a “dry run” for a potential strike vote.

Failed Indy Charter School Gets A Second Chance
Indianapolis Star, IN, May 11, 2012
Mayor Greg Ballard spoke bluntly in deciding to shut down Fountain Square Academy in March 2011. After six years of consistent failure, Ballard said at the time, the charter school sponsored by his office would have to close.

Slidell High School Teachers Petition For Recall Of 2 Lawmakers
Times Picayune, LA, May 10, 2012
Slidell City Councilman Jay Newcomb, who in his day job is a teacher at Slidell High School, has filed a recall petition against state Rep. Greg Cromer in response to Cromer’s support for education measures in this year’s legislative session. Education bills pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration have been opposed by many teachers and teacher groups across the state.

Blacks’ Test Scores Show Some Schools In City Shine
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, May 11, 2012
For the next 12 years, Amanda Honeywood endured a daily one-hour bus ride each way every day to attend Parkway schools through the voluntary desegregation program. “I did what I had to do to get her a good education,” Honeywood said.

Details Few At Tilton Charter School Hearing In Haverhill
Eagle Tribune, NH, May 11, 2012
But nothing about the proposal to turn the city’s largest elementary school into an “innovation” charter school was learned at last night’s public hearing on the plan, except that about 30 parents who attended the hearing support it.

N.H. School Voucher Bill Should Be Defeated
Hampton Union, NH, May 11, 2012
A few days from now, Statehouse members will be voting on the state Senate’s version of the school voucher bill (SB 372).

Bill Offering N.J. Teachers $10K Loans To Live In Poor Communities Clears Assembly Panel
Times of Trenton, NJ, May 10, 2012
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora says there aren’t enough Trenton police officers who live in the struggling city, so he wants to give them an incentive to move there.

Despite Law, Many N.J. School Districts Did Not Disclose Value of Sick, Vacation Time
Star Ledger, NJ, May 11, 2012
More than one in three school administrators in New Jersey have failed to disclose the value of their unused sick and vacation time as required by a state law intended to make their compensation plans more transparent, a Star-Ledger analysis shows.

N.J. Department of Education Deems Two Mercer Charter School Applications as Qualified
Times of Trenton, NJ, May 10, 2012
Two charter schools proposed for Mercer County are on a list of 26 qualified applicants released this week by the state Department of Education.

APS Students Jump Ship To Charters
KRQE, NM, May 10, 2012
Albuquerque Public Schools will be losing millions of dollars next year as hundreds of student leave the district for other schools.

Top-Ranked Small Schools Are A Lesson For Teachers Union Boss Michael Mulgrew
New York Daily News, NY, May 11, 2012
The list of America’s best high schools by US News & World Report puts New York City smack on top of the academic heap. There’s a lesson here for United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew.

How New York City Measures Schools’ Performance
New York Times, NY, May 11, 2012
I take issue with how Michael Winerip’s column “On Schools’ Performance, Invisible Line Between ‘A’ and ‘F’ ” (On Education, April 30) represents the methodology of New York City’s progress reports and characterizes how they are used in decisions about changes in school leadership and structure.

Mount Vernon Students Urge State Officials To Reinstate School Charter
News Journal, NY, May 10, 2012
One after the other, students at the Amani Public Charter School pleaded with a pair of state Department of Education officials to keep their school open.

Public School Reform Proposal
The Daily Reflector, NC, May 11, 2012
A public school reform plan from state Senate leader Phil Berger isn’t getting much praise from Democrats.

Oklahoma City Metro-Area Schools Dominate Top Ten Ranking List For State
The Oklahoman, OK, May 11, 2012
Edmond, Norman and some Oklahoma City high schools ranked among best in the state, including Harding Charter Preparatory High School in Oklahoma City , which came in at No. 1 on U.S. News and World Report’s annual rankings of schools in each state.

Charter School’s Turmoil Might Be Easing
Statesman Journal, OR, May 10, 2012
An ongoing battle between Bennett Pearson Academy parents and the charter school’s board had its day in court Thursday, but it might not be the last.

State Board Of Education Favors Reducing Graduate Requirement Tests
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, May 11, 2012
With $23.2 million already invested in developing mandatory state tests for high school graduation, the state Board of Education has voted to move forward with the exams but to require fewer of them.

Budget Expert Masch Leaving School District
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 11, 2012
Michael Masch, the financial guru backed by ex-Gov. Rendell who was sidelined as chief financial officer of the beleaguered Philadelphia School District earlier this year when the School Reform Commission overhauled its leadership structure, will leave his job in three weeks, officials said Thursday night.

State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais: Schools Need More Flexibility, Fewer Regulations
Charleston Post Courier, SC, May 11, 2012
State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais sees too many state and federal regulations limiting local educators’ decision-making ability and stifling their creativity.

Sports For Home-Schoolers
Enquirer Herald, SC, May 10, 2012
The basic rationale behind allowing home-schoolers to participate in extracurricular activities at public schools seems reasonable. But the devil is in the details.

Transition Panel Plans Evaluations To Focus On Effective Teachers
Memphis Commercial Appeal, TN, May 11, 2012
Teachers in the unified school district should expect to be at the top of their craft or taking serious steps to get there, based on guidelines heard Thursday by the group planning how the schools will work.

Teacher Surplusing Would Go In Schools Merger Recommendation
Memphis Daily News, TN, May 10, 2012
The schools consolidation planning commission is weighing a set of recommendations for teacher hiring, retention and evaluation that would do away with the practice of surplusing teachers.

Parent Report Cards Tested Because ‘Schools Can’t Do It Alone’
The Tennessean, TN, May 11, 2012
Educators exasperated by the need for greater parent involvement have persuaded Tennessee lawmakers to sign off on a novel bit of arm-twisting: Asking parents to grade themselves on report cards.

Haslam Officially Ends No Child Left Behind in Tennessee
WRCBTV, TN, May 10, 2012
Governor Bill Haslam officially ended Tennessee’s participation in the federal “No Child Left Behind” program Thursday.

MPS Parents Urge Funding Flexibility For Specialty Schools
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, May 10, 2012
Milwaukee Public Schools specialty school parents want to do more with arts funding

VIRTUAL EDUCATION

Great Bay Elearning Charter School Achieves ‘Excellence’
Exeter News-Letter, NH, May 11, 2012
The Great Bay eLearning Charter School, a leader in both innovation and school reform, has contributed to state efforts that have resulted in New Hampshire winning a national award.

Pennslvania Cyber Charter School Chief Trombetta Exits
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, May 11, 2012
Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School CEO Nick Trombetta has announced he is leaving the school he founded which, at 11,300 students, has grown to become the largest cyber charter school in the state.

Conneaut School District ‘Blending’ Cyber School and Classroom Education
Meadville Tribune, PA, May 11, 2012
What started as an attempt to stem the flow of already-scarce dollars from Conneaut School District’s coffers to cyber charter schools throughout Pennsylvania at an average rate of $10,000 per student is developing into an award-winning cyber school in its own right.

Some Students Choose Virtual School Over Public School
WRBL, GA, May 10, 2012
Some students in Muscogee County are choosing to get their education virtually rather than at school. The Georgia Connections Academy is a free public virtual charter school now offering classes from kindergarten to the 12th grade.

Online K-12 Legislation: What Got Done, What Didn’t
KUNC, CO, May 11, 2012
One issue that saw little traction this past session was oversight legislation for Colorado ’s full-time online K-12 schools. Last fall a report from KUNC radio and an investigation by I-News and Education News Colorado highlighted problems with poor student performance, student turnover and program funding. At the state’s largest online K-12 school, Colorado Virtual Academy , 77 cents out of every taxpayer dollar was going to the school’s for-profit management company, K12 Inc.

Remember the Ohio mom who was jailed and put on three years’ probation because she lied on her daughters’ school applications about where they lived? Well, a new nationwide poll of mothers sort of bails her out.

Seventy-one percent of mothers support school vouchers, which gives parents the option of choosing where their children go to school, and moms want those vouchers available to all families, according to the poll, which was commissioned by the nonpartisan Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and compiled by the Braun Research Inc.

Conducted April 17 to 24, as liberals were manufacturing the fictitious GOP “war on women,” women added their resounding support to the school-choice movement.

Among mothers, 61 percent support school vouchers; among non-mothers, 55 percent voiced support.

Less than a third of mothers (28 percent) said they oppose vouchers.

Also, the percentage of mothers who “strongly support” vouchers is nearly double that of moms who said they “strongly oppose” vouchers, 33 percent compared to 15 percent.

Moreover, when it comes to access to vouchers and scholarships, 71 percent back universal access by agreeing that “school vouchers or scholarships should be available to all families, regardless of incomes and special needs.”

And when it comes to the non-moms cohort, they, too, agreed that vouchers and scholarships should be available to all families, coming in at a strong 69 percent.

So, whether you are a parent or not, women are sending unwavering support for school choice in general and vouchers in particular.

Do you support vouchers?

For housing?

For substance-abuse treatment?

For the disabled?

For active and veteran members of the military?

For public feeding programs?

For day care services?

For senior citizens?

For funeral services for the indigent?

For college tuition?

For public schooling?

Gotcha!

Local, state and federal governments use vouchers for all sorts of programs. School vouchers should be treated in the same manner.

That mother in Ohio, Kelly Williams-Bolar of Akron, wanted options but took the wrong turn. Nevertheless, her case and the new poll are wake-up calls for voucher supporters in the paternalistic war on education reform.

Mothers know best.

In and out of touch

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray is a post-civil-rights Democrat, but he is still fighting segregation and poor schools, when one of America’s greatest latter-day flaws is poor schooling.

Instead of paying homage to Jim Crow, Mr. Gray could learn from Democrat Cory Booker, his Newark, N.J., counterpart, who, at a recent forum, proved that he is as in touch with the necessities of vouchers as Mr. Gray is with his own unwavering support for universal preschool.

“I cannot ever stand up and stand against a parent having options, because I have benefited from my parents having an option,” said Mr. Booker, 43, now in his second term.