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Vol. 5, No. 46
October 21, 2003
• CER's 10th Anniversary Conference, THE BEST IS YET TO COME, will feature insights and stories from leading experts and activists. Join us October 30 at the Ritz Carlton for these sessions:
Finally, the Honorable William J. Bennett will address the topic of "Twenty Facts: Non-Fiction in a Land of Dreams" for lunch. There is a modest $100 registration fee for the conference. Call CER at 202-822-9000 or click here for more information and to register for the 10th conference.
CHARTERS:
• ARKANSAS: The State Board of Education granted permission for the Arkansas Virtual Academy to operate as a charter school starting next fall serving students in K-8th grades. The new Virtual Academy Charter School will allow children from the Delta to Little Rock to enroll in the well-regarded K-12 program. Currently there are 450 students enrolled in the school and some 800 on the waiting list. Addressing the potential for K-12 to serve children in particularly hard-to-reach areas, like the Delta, former state senator John Brown, chairman of the school's Board of Directors, told the board that funding the public charter school would make efficient use of the state's money. "I think we have here an opportunity for a choice that virtually any student in the state [could[ have access to this program."
• COLORADO: Governor Bill Owens told a statewide charter school group last week that charter school applicants need a "safety valve" to seek help elsewhere if they have been turned away by local school districts. The Governor was on the front lines at the creation of Colorado's charter law passed in 1993, which CER considers among the 10 strongest in the country (although its ranking does not include a complete analysis of political obstacles foisted upon charter supporters by some school boards.) Owens emphasized the importance of alternatives and stressed that it is unacceptable when districts are not willing to abide by, "not only the intent, but the clear black and white [letters] of the law." Today there are about 100 charters in the state serving 30,000 students. For more, go to: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_2342297,00.html.
Click here for more on CER's ranking of charter school laws.
• UNIONS: The Marysville Teachers Union in Washington State now holds the distinction of conducting the longest teachers' strike in state's history. The union represents 650 teachers in a district that serves 11,200 students. Monday was day 48 of the strike and late Monday evening, 69 percent of the teachers, 420 members, voted to return to work. Governor Gary Locke had even weighed on this strike, urging both sides to settle. Even though the teachers agreed to return to work, the two sides apparently remain far apart on salary issues, notwithstanding Marysville teachers are among the highest paid in the state. Disgruntled parents had formed "Tired of the Strike," and filed suit against the striking teachers. Contract negotiations between the union and the district had been ongoing since June, leaving parents struggling to find alternative arrangements for their children. With teachers back in the classroom, students are now faced with the reality of probably being in school through the end of July.
• ACHIEVEMENT GAP: Last week Education Secretary Rod Paige reported the results of a study on the "Status and Trends in the Education of Blacks" by the National Center for Educational Statistics. According to the report, the achievement gap between white and black students ages 13-17 has widened between 1988-1998 and gaps in reading achievement showed no improvement during the last decade. Paige reported, that even while more black students are going to college than ever before, "Black children and adults don't advance to the next level at the same rate as our white peers." Long term trends found an increase in reading, math and science. But despite the fact that the proportion of black students completing college increased in the 15 years between 1975 and 2000, black students are still less likely, than whites, to earn degrees. For the full report, go to: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2003034.
• CHOICE: Last spring, New Hampshire delegates to the state House introduced an amendment to bring expanded school choices to Granite State students. Almost immediately upon introduction, teachers unions and school boards associations, groups with a long history of opposition to expanding school choices, took aim against the bill that was ultimately shuffled off to be reviewed in a study subcommittee -- no doubt with the hope that it would never see the light of day again -- where it wallowed since. But just last week the bill was finally passed out of its subcommittee and now goes to the House Education Committee where it will be taken up next week. The committee is expected to vote in mid-November. Rep. John Alger, vice chair of the education committee, has already indicated his commitment to successfully usher this bill through his committee in what promises to be a contentious debate. The measure would bring "certificates" worth approximately $3,000 to low and middle income families, serving approximately 2,000 students the first year, 4,000 the second year and up to 14,000 in the program's seventh year. For more information on this, contact schoolchoicenh@yahoo.com.
• WASHINGTON, DC: School choice opponents in Congress are working hard to scuttle prospects for choice for DC parents. Since two weeks ago when Senate Democratic leaders filibustered the bill to stall for more time, the amendment authorizing the DC reform plan was pulled from Senate floor consideration because opponents failed to muster a majority of votes to strike it from consideration. Supporters vowed to bring it back up after issues regarding national security were tabled. Sources tell us that Senate leaders are being lobbied around the clock by the education establishment (aka the Blob) and shenanigans to force other unpleasantries in the Senate are also under consideration. In that same vein, CER has learned that the group People for the American Way has organized a "Phone bank against DC Vouchers" to target states with "fence-sitting" Senators. Make your own voice count at CER's Grassroots Action Center.
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