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May 25, 2007

Education News for Friday, May 25

Charter-school limits ignite passions - Friends and foes of charter schools took to the streets Thursday as part of an escalating battle for state education dollars. Hundreds of charter-school students, parents, teachers and administrators gathered at Citizens' Academy near University Circle to voice loud support for a budget bill approved by the Ohio House this month that rejected a proposed moratorium on new charters.

Despite mistakes, FCAT isn't going away - Like it or not, high-stakes testing will remain a way of life in Florida -- and across the nation. The blunder caused by human error in last year's FCAT third-grade reading test -- which was discovered only this week -- and a history of other errors nationwide are not enough to persuade state leaders to toss the exams.

Voters' voucher decision will be honored, Huntsman says - Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said Thursday he and legislative leaders are putting together a letter pledging to honor whatever decision voters make about private school vouchers at the polls in November — even if Utahns reject the funding program. The letter, which Huntsman said may also be signed by Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, "will essentially state that whatever the vote is in November will be respected as a vote up or down on vouchers."

Voucher confusion deepens - Confusion surrounds a November vote on the state's private school voucher program despite actions taken Thursday by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and legislative leaders meant to clarify the situation. If anything, things got muddier.

Keep school choice, Evans warns district - State Rep. Dwight Evans called the Philadelphia School District's top official yesterday with a stern warning: Don't eliminate or severely reduce funding for private groups managing 41 public schools, or else face a loss of state funding.

How to Fix No Child Left Behind - It's countdown time in Philadelphia's public schools. Just 21 days remain before the state reading and math tests in March, and the kids and faculty at James G. Blaine Elementary, an all-black, inner-city school that spans pre-K to eighth grade, have been drilling for much of the day.

District gives OK for online charter school - Overruling opposition from teachers, Antelope Valley Union High School District trustees have approved an online charter school. The 3-2 vote came on the condition that a suitable memorandum of understanding is developed that will detail how the school will be operated, trustees said.

Charter schools a growing threat to DPS - How do you fix a troubled school system? Critics and reformers say you replace it with one new school -- or group of schools -- at a time. The charter school movement that has already attracted tens of thousands of Detroit children is poised to systematically deplete the troubled Detroit Public Schools system -- and soon.

Faculty at 2 more campuses discuss breakaway idea - Signaling deep discontent and a possible spreading revolt among the city's public school teachers, faculty at two more Los Angeles high schools met this week with a leading charter school operator to discuss alliances aimed at breaking away from the school district.

Curtain to close on charter school - After a long conflict with the Sacramento City Unified School District and the Sacramento County Office of Education, leaders of the Visual and Performing Arts Charter school have decided to call it quits.

Charter school countersues CPS - Harmony Community School in Roselawn filed a countersuit against Cincinnati Public Schools alleging the district has improperly “flagged” some Harmony students, causing the charter school to lose state funding for those students. The countersuit is the latest salvo in a legal battle between Cincinnati Public and Harmony, which has 630 students.

Teachers Lacking Certification Face Dismissal - A D.C. public schools official has notified more than 300 teachers that they will be terminated next month if they do not have the proper credentials to remain in the classroom.

Family goes from killing fields to charter school land in PSL - Walking through orchards of Asian fruit trees, Rithy Nau looked at the progress of his mangoes and lychees, still too early in the year to be picked. Only a short unpaved road connects his 8-acre island of farmland to the surrounding city, buffered by a smattering of homes and undeveloped lots.

Cuffee named one of the best charter schools in country - The Paul Cuffee School has been named one of the best charter schools in the country by the Center for Education Reform, a national education policy and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. Cuffee, a K-8 charter school built around a maritime theme, was of one of 53 honored during the National Charter School of the Year program held at the National Press Club last Wednesday.

Schools could use funds better, study says - The Los Angeles school district gets more of its money into the classroom than most urban school systems, but doesn't use those funds nearly as well as it could, according to a study commissioned by the district and the teachers union. 

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