October 31, 2007
October 31, 2007
Beware The BLOB - it looms in New York City, creeps in the District, lurks in Utah and more this Halloween...
Hello, India? I Need Help With My Math
New York Times, October 31, 2007
Kenneth Tham, a high school sophomore in Arcadia, Calif., strives to improve his grades and scores on standardized tests. Most afternoons, he is tutored remotely by an instructor speaking to him on a voice-over-Internet headset while he sits at his personal computer going over lessons on the screen.
If You Want Good High School Grades, Move to Texas
Washington Post, D.C., October 30, 2007
Self-appointed education pundits like me spend much of our time talking about the standardized tests that are the basis for rating of schools under the No Child Left Behind law. But those test scores arguably have little impact on student lives. The scores don't count on their report cards.
Low-Income Students Are Public School Majority in South, Study Finds
Education Week, October 30, 2007
More than half of public schoolchildren in the U.S. South now come from low-income families, according to a new report, which predicts that the nation as a whole could reach the same demographic milestone within a decade if current trends persist.
Members Vote to Oppose Central Office Bill
Washington Post, D.C., October 31, 2007
Members of the Washington Teachers' Union voted last night to oppose a move by D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee to fire central office employees "at will," an indication that rank-and-file teachers disagree with her first sweeping effort to overhaul city schools.
Lee charter schools may almost double next year
News Press, Florida, October 30, 2007
Fourteen charter schools in Lee County teach 7,761 children. By next year, the number of charter schools could nearly double to 26.
Voucher fight tab $8.4M
Salt Lake Tribune, Utah, October 31, 2007
The campaign clash over education vouchers has run up a tab that easily would fund Utah's voucher program well into its second year.
Tests reveal performance gap as students age
D.C. Examiner, October 31, 2007
By the 11th grade, only a quarter of the far southern Illinois county's students meet basic standards on achievement tests. The story is similar in all 102 Illinois counties: Students perform fairly well through eighth grade but see a dramatic decline in high school, an Associated Press analysis of new state data shows.
Education is about more than buildings
In-Forum, North Dakota, October 31, 2007
It seems to me, rather than debating whether the new school is named after a prehistoric lake or some famous person, we should be considering whether a new “traditional” school is what is needed at all.
Teachers’ Union Will Represent Child-Care Workers in N.Y.C.
Education Week, October 30, 2007
The union representing New York City’s public school teachers has won the right to represent 28,000 child-care providers there.
Expert gives business perspective on educational reform
WMU News, Michigan, October 30, 2007
An entrepreneur in the investment field, who helped found successful charter schools in Chicago, will offer a business perspective on educational reform on Wednesday, Nov. 7, in a presentation at Western Michigan University.
Charter Milestone
WCBD, South Carolina, October 30, 2007
After fighting to become a place for vulnerable children, a Charleston charter school is celebrating a milestone.
October 30, 2007
October 30, 2007
Surprise, Surprise, OK union boss fights merit pay proposal, Are "Dropout Factories" an emerging industry? And more in Morning Shots…
If Schools Are 'Worse Than We Think,' Let's Get Busy on Repairs
Wall Street Journal, October 30, 2007
It is not a matter of inner-city or suburban schools, it is a matter of demanding excellence for what you pay for. The push for "educational choice" is not a legitimate alternative to repairing the damage inflicted on our public-school system through years of neglect by parents, government and communities.
1 in 10 Schools Are 'Dropout Factories'
New York Times, October 30, 2007
It's a nickname no principal could be proud of: ''Dropout Factory,'' a high school where no more than 60 percent of the students who start as freshmen make it to their senior year. That dubious distinction applies to more than one in 10 high schools across America.
A juggling act on No Child Left Behind
Los Angeles Times, California, October 30, 2007
As chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, Miller is sparring with Republicans who see his proposed changes as an unacceptable watering down of the law's core standards. Teachers object to his proposal to link pay to performance.
Vouching for vouchers
The Atlantic Magazine, October 29, 2007
Forgive me--I'm about to get testy again--but this thread on 11D really does seem to me to showcase in stunning technocolor the moral bankruptcy of voucher opponents who have pulled their own kids out of failing inner city schools.
School districts must work with Tallahassee to regain control over charters
TC Palm, Florida, October 30, 2007
Responding to concerns that charter schools aren't getting a fair shake, Florida has stripped local school districts of their control.
Ohio hopes to boost retention rates at struggling schools
D.C. Examiner, October 30, 2007
At 14 of the city's 17 high schools, nearly 40 percent or more of the students who started as freshmen dropped out before graduation day.
Students can earn course credit by 'attending' virtual school
Crescent-News, Ohio, October 30, 2007
Students can earn actual course credit without being in a "bricks and mortar" school by "attending" a virtual school. Among popular "e-schools" is the Ohio Virtual Academy (OHVA), found on the Internet at www.ohva.org. It offers classes online for students in grades K-11 and is based locally in Maumee.
Many Catholic schools fight to survive
Los Angeles Times, California, October 30, 2007
Troubles at St. Anne Catholic School in Santa Monica were so dire at one point that Father Michael D. Gutierrez turned to his congregation for help.
Unionized Charter Schools Headed East
Education Week, October 29, 2007
On Friday, New York state officials approved Green Dot, a unionized charter school model from LA, to open in the South Bronx of New York City in partnership with the teachers union there.
Students, child advocates, leaders divided on high school exit exams
D.C. Examiner, October 30, 2007
Thousands of students statewide could be denied diplomas for failing the High School Assessments, depending on what state education officials decide this week.
Students are flocking to Madison charter schools
Wisconsin State Journal, October 29, 2007
In its fourth year, the Madison School District's Spanish-English charter school is so popular that the parents who helped found the East Side school are having trouble getting their children in and there's talk of expanding the program
OEA president says merit pay plan flawed
Ada Evening News, Oklahoma, October 29, 2007
Roy Bishop traveled to Ada Friday with a clear message: The push by House Speaker Lance Cargill and others to implement merit pay for teachers in Oklahoma is a flawed plan.
October 29, 2007
Going Broke for "Free" Public Schools
Families in California and across the country are struggling to pay for homes near what they think are "good" public schools. Many of these "house-poor" families, who spend more than 35 percent of their incomes on housing, are getting a lot less than they bargained for.
Their ranks have quadrupled in just one generation, and home prices for families with school-age children are also growing three times faster than other families. The problem is especially acute in the Golden State, whose cities litter the top-100 list of highest housing foreclosure rates. With seven high-foreclosure cities each on the list, Florida, New York, and Texas are a distant second to California's dirty dozen, which includes top-ranked Stockton, Sacramento (#5), San Diego (#23), Los Angeles/Long Beach (#29), Orange (#45), and San Francisco (#78).
What drives many families to stretch their budgets to the breaking point is desperation to get their children into decent schools. Authors of The Two-Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Parents are Going Broke Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi explain that "when a family buys a house, it buys much more than shelter from the rain. It also buys a public-school system."
Countless California families are moving to affluent suburbs so their children can attend public schools touted as outstanding by district superintendents, real-estate agents, local and state departments of education. But just how good are those schools? As a new PRI book puts it: Not as Good as You Think: Why the Middle Class Needs School Choice.
Many parents and their elected officials will be shocked to learn that there are hundreds of affluent, underperforming public schools throughout the Golden State in areas with median home prices exceeding $1 million.
In fact, at more than one in 10 affluent California public schools, a majority of students in at least one grade score below proficiency in English or math. These are schools where less than one third of students are poor, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and few students are English language learners or have disabilities. Most parents have an advanced education, and the overwhelming majority of teachers are certified.
Editorializing on the book, The Wall Street Journal explains, "Many of these schools were located in the Golden State's toniest zip codes, places like Orange County, Silicon Valley and the beach communities of Los Angeles. In areas such as Newport Beach, Capistrano and Huntington Beach, where million-dollar houses are commonplace, researchers found more than a dozen schools where 50 to 80 percent of students weren't proficient in math at their grade level. In one Silicon Valley community where the median home goes for $1.6 million, less than half of 10th and 11th graders scored at or above proficiency on the state English exam."
But California isn't alone. Nationwide, six out of 10 public school fourth and eighth graders who are not poor score below proficiency in math and reading.
For too long families in California and across the country have been led to believe that poor quality schools are an inner-city problem plaguing low-income parents who cannot afford to move near supposedly superior suburban schools. Given the current housing market, middle-income families may now find themselves similarly trapped in homes they can barely afford to keep and cannot afford to sell at a loss - all for schools that fail to deliver.
The cost of foreclosures on a single city block to local agencies and nearby property owners who suffer diminished property values and home equity is an estimated $250,000. The cost of a sub-standard education is incalculable. There is a remedy for both.
Legislators should end the current monopoly system of assigned public schooling and put all parents - regardless of income or address -in charge of their children's education dollars. "In reality," says the Wall Street Journal, "[middle-income] families would benefit from vouchers, tuition tax credits, charter schools and other educational options as surely as the inner-city single mom."
Such programs would expand educational opportunities without putting parents - and states - in the poorhouse.
Vicki E. Murray, Ph.D., is Education Studies Senior Policy Fellow at the Pacific Research Institute in Sacramento, and co-author with Lance T. Izumi and Rachel S. Chaney of Not as Good as You Think: Why the Middle Class Needs School Choice.
Posted by Featured Guest at 09:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)October 29, 2007
Teacher pay debate continues to dominate headlines, D.C. charters to fight for fiscal equity, and more in today's Morning Shots.
Focus is on NYC charter schools
Muckety, New York, October 27, 2007
New York City's ambitious charter school initiative gets a new director this month in Michael Thomas Duffy, fresh from a successful run in Roxbury, Mass.
Lessons from green roofs at St. Paul and Elk River schools
Twin City Daily Planet, Minnesota, October 26, 2007
The U.S. Department of Education and Center for Education Reform have recognized CPA as one of the nation's outstanding charter public schools. The school has been cited for programs that teach character and "peace-making" - and the ability to get along with others.
Merit Pay Plan Raises Questions On How To Measure Performance
New York Sun, October 29, 2007
A new plan to base some teacher salaries on their performance leaves a crucial question up to each school: how to measure performance.
Disabilities Fight Grows as Taxes Pay for Tuition
New York Times, October 27, 2007
Cases like these have increasingly become a flash point in special education, pitting parents against school systems that say they cannot afford to pay to privately educate disabled children whose parents unilaterally reject their proposed placements.
Make 'No Child' honest
Los Angeles Times, California, October 28, 2007
The No Child Left Behind Act has made an admitted mishmash of public education. Yet, like nothing before, the law also has schools and the public paying serious attention to how little is learned by so many students, and how inferior conditions fester in schools that enroll large numbers of black, Latino and impoverished children.
Shortchanging charter schools
Washington Times, D.C., October 29, 2007
A supplemental budget request currently being floated by D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray on behalf of Mayor Adrian Fenty has the potential to harm the nearly 22,000 students enrolled in 55 charter schools by denying them millions of dollars in school funding.
Better schools, economy and neighborhoods
Indianapolis Star, Indiana, October 28, 2007
Perhaps the most profound changes we can make are in public education. We must make sure parents and students have the best options available within public school systems, including magnet and charter schools and other unique partnerships we can develop with parents, educators and local activists.
State education chief plans to push public school choice again
Journal Gazette, Indiana, October 27, 2007
The state schools chief says he plans to push another public school choice program in the Legislature next year, even though his efforts were defeated last year.
External Diploma Program
Washington Post, D.C., October 29, 2007
All students who can read, write and calculate at the high school level should have access to a diploma program in high school that allows them to demonstrate their competency. Our son was denied such access but by chance found another way.
Battling Ancient Bigotry
New York Post, October 28, 2007
A lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court last week could end up removing a stain from New York state's Constitution - while simultaneously improving educational opportunities for thousands of New York schoolchildren.
By the Mississippi Delta, A Whole School Left Behind
Washington Post, D.C., October 28, 2007
Of all the nation's elementary schools, the one serving this poor, rural crossroads is at the bottom of the heap. Its math and reading test scores ranked at the bottom in Mississippi last year, and Mississippi, in turn, ranked last among the states.
Parents are key to improving education
Commercial Appeal, Tennessee, October 28, 2007
"Undereducated children have no future." That unusually blunt assessment opens the recently released Urban Child Institute's "The State of Children in Memphis and Shelby County Data Book: 2007." And it's precisely why we believe that in addition to opening our pocketbooks to fix our schools, we must take the essential and more critical step of opening our minds to the need for drastic change.
Chapter 6: Administrator pay vs. teacher pay
Daily Herald, Illinois, October 27, 2007
Teachers get fewer apples from students these days, but their paychecks now more than compensate for the loss. Between 1998 and 2006, the average teacher pay in 94 suburban school districts grew from $46,883 to $59,986, an increase of 28 percent.
October 26, 2007
October 26, 2007
Colorado legislator is raising "Hell" again, church sues to open a charter in Harlem, debating the race card, and more...
Merit Pay for Teachers
New York Times, October 26, 2007
No question that good teaching should be rewarded. But offering bonuses to teachers who improve student scores on standardized tests is not the way to do it...
Use of Race a Concern for Magnet Schools
Education Week, October 25, 2007
Federal education officials were in the final stages of authorizing their latest round of grants for magnet schools when the U.S. Supreme Court in late June issued a major decision on whether school districts may consider race when assigning students to school.
Rep. Merrifield is raising Hell (literally) again
Pueblo Chieftain, Colorado, October 26, 2007
The last time you heard of Rep. Michael Merrifield was when he resigned his chairmanship of the Colorado House Education Committee in disgrace. That was after the public got a look at an indiscreet e-mail he sent to Sen. Sue Windels, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee.
Charter school proposal to get public airing
Access North Georgia, October 26, 2007
You'll get a chance next Tuesday to comment on plans to convert Chestnut Mountain Elementary School into a World Languages Charter School next fall.
Education coalition criticizes conservative political contributor Rex Sinquefield
Kansas City Star, Missouri, October 25, 2007
A coalition of eight Missouri education groups this week blasted conservative political contributor Rex Sinquefield for "trying to buy public policy."
I Just Couldn't Sacrifice My Son
Washington Post, D.C., October 21, 2007
When a high school friend told me several years ago that he and his wife were leaving Washington's Mount Pleasant neighborhood for Montgomery County, I snickered and murmured something about white flight.
Can military schools succeed?
Chicago Tribune, Illinois, October 26, 2007
The city's military schools operate much like regular public schools, with a certified, unionized teaching staff and all the same academic standards
School silence law kicks up a big fuss
Chicago Tribune, Illinois, October 26, 2007
Two weeks after a new law mandated a moment of silence in Illinois public schools, the debate is anything but quiet.
Church Sues for Right To Run Charter
New York Sun, October 26, 2007
A Harlem church is suing the state in an attempt to overturn a law that bars religious organizations from running charter schools even if the schools don't teach religion, a move likely to prompt new debate about the separation between church and state.
'School choice' usually means 'no choice' in Pa.
Pocono Record, Pennsylvania, October 16, 2007
When No Child Left Behind became federal law in 2002, it offered an escape clause of sorts to students attending public schools that repeatedly failed to meet performance targets.
Options unveiled for proposed charter school
Santa Maria Times, California, October 26, 2007
Seven possible location plans for the proposed dual-campus Orcutt Academy Charter School were unveiled Thursday at a meeting of the Orcutt Union School District board of trustees.
Legislators seek changes in teacher hiring
Minnesota Daily, October 26, 2007
School administrators would be required to know the full licensing history of prospective teachers before they hire them, under changes to Minnesota law that several state lawmakers plan to propose next year.
Regents OK 2 more charters
Providence Journal, Rhode Island, October 26, 2007
Two new charter schools received preliminary approval yesterday by the state Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education, allowing them to continue planning, find building sites and seek final approval next spring.
October 25, 2007
Get That Log Out of Your Eye!
In a state congressional hearing yesterday examining how educator misconduct issues are handled in the system, a lawyer for Ohio’s teacher union complained that teachers are unfairly victimized by due-process policies and parents. No mention of the union rules that make it all but impossible to swiftly process such allegations of misconduct, much less fire teachers for cause (remember New York’s rubber rooms?). Thomas Ash, of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, was more forthright when he called on legislators to make it easier to get rid of such teachers: "We do a sleight of hand, a reassignment to make sure the person who is accused doesn't have access to witnesses or to the alleged victim."
And if unions are looking for culprits of teacher victimization, perhaps a mirror would come in handy. Out on the left coast, only recently was the Washington Education Association stripped of its ability to dip into teacher pockets willy-nilly to fund their own pet political causes. Not to be deterred, they’re now extending their sticky fingers and trying to roll back the taxpayers’ rights as defined in the state’s constitution, with a measure that would trim the current 60 percent ‘yes’ vote requirement for school levies to a simple majority. The various union organizations, from local to national, have ponied up more than half of the $3 million funding the campaign.
October 25, 2007
Indianapolis Star gets slammed for honest reporting, Former L.A. Mayor proposes a charter school, teacher defends status quo and more…
Bonuses for Teachers?
New York Times, NY, October 25, 2007
Incentives are insulting to teachers, as they imply that they will not do their jobs without bonuses.
Slamming public schools to advance agenda
Indianapolis Star, IN, October 25, 2007
The Star's constant slamming of public schools and public school teachers is obviously motivated by a political agenda to undermine the public confidence in public schools and push private schools.
Get serious about bad schools
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, October 25, 2007
The No Child Left Behind law ought to take a bite out of persistently poor schools. Instead, it merely growls at them.
Charter school goes green in big way
Star Tribune, MN, October 25, 2007
At Community of Peace Academy charter school in St. Paul, they teach children character and the ability to get along with others. Now, they can add caring for the environment to the list.
Demanding accountability in education, industry
Reliable Plant Magazine, OK , October 25, 2007
Manufacturers across America are deeply concerned about the availability of skilled workers, now and in the future, as being essential to our ability to compete in the global economy.
Her classroom comes alive — and so do her students' minds
USA Today, National, October 25, 2007
Berry's classroom at Liza Jackson Preparatory School (FORT WALTON BEACH, FL) features a barnyard environment that includes live plants and animals, artifacts and décor proven to stimulate the minds of impressionable young children under her wing.
Charter school invasion
Arkansas Times, AR, October 25, 2007
It's been a bad year for charter schools in Arkansas — so far, anyway. The state Board of Education approved three new ones to open this fall, but two others closed last spring because they lost too many students and ran out of money.
Spelling bee winners display skills gleaned at charter schools
San Francisco Chronicle, CA, October 25, 2007
Along with their fellow students, Javonte and Danielle also exemplify the success of the Knowledge Is Power Program schools, a national network of free college-prep charter schools in under-resourced communities.
Report: School dropouts cost N.C. millions in taxes
Winston-Salem Journal, NC, October 25, 2007
North Carolina is losing at least $169 million a year in taxes and public spending on the tens of thousands of students who quit high school annually, according to a study released yesterday by two school-choice groups.
Law Punishes Truancy by Taking Away Teens' Keys
Washington Post, D.C., October 25, 2007
At schools across Maryland, educators and motor vehicle officials have teamed up to enforce a new state law that is the latest strategy to deter habitual truancy.
Riordan backs Carson charter school
Daily Breeze, CA, October 25, 2007
Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has signed on with a group planning a start-up public charter high school in Carson to offer students an alternative to the crowded hallways and hit-and-miss achievement at LAUSD high schools.
Proposed Orcutt charter school to be reviewed
Santa Maria Times, CA, October 25, 2007
With declining enrollment a hot topic in school districts throughout the Santa Maria Valley, Orcutt officials have said they view the proposed charter school as a way to both increase enrollment and better serve children by offering more educational options.
Action on charter schools delayed
Philadelphia News, PA, October 25, 2007
The approval of applications to open new charter schools next fall will have to wait until May, when the school district's financial picture and academic-reform plans are expected to be more settled, the School Reform Commission decided yesterday.
October 24, 2007
October 24, 2007
Challenging conventional wisdom: middle-class needs “good” schools, choice debated from WI to UT, Catholic ed saves Newark family, and more…
Wall Street Journal, NY: Worse Than You Think - Proponents of educational choice tend to focus on the underprivileged, which is understandable given that low-income kids are overrepresented in failing inner-city public schools. But an emphasis on the plight of the poor can leave the impression that middle-class public school students are doing fine. And that would be a false impression, according to a new book-length study by the Pacific Research Institute, "Not as Good as You Think: Why the Middle-Class Needs School Choice."
Washington Post, DC: 3 Catholic Schools Ask Not to Be Changed to Charters - Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl said yesterday he is considering plans from three D.C. Catholic schools that want to continue operating as parochial schools instead of being converted to charter schools.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI: Choice may not improve schools, study says - A study being released today suggests that school choice isn't a powerful tool for driving educational improvement in Milwaukee Public Schools. But more surprising than the conclusion is the organization issuing the study: the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, a conservative think tank that has supported school choice for almost two decades, when Milwaukee became the nation's premier center for trying the idea.
Frederick News Post, MD: Charter school proposal falls short for Burgee - Frederick County Public Schools superintendent Linda Burgee is saying no to a proposal for a new public charter school.
Burgee and a committee composed mostly of FCPS staff are recommending the Board of Education reject a proposal to create an all-girls school focused on science, math and critical-need languages such as Arabic, Chinese and Russian.
WKYC-TV, OH: Local charter school gaining worldwide attention - The Intergenerational School in Cleveland is one of 7 charter schools in the country being recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and getting noticed by educators in other countries.
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA: Don't cap charter school enrollment - Special-interest groups shouldn't limit parental choice. In 1997, the Pennsylvania General Assembly voted to give families school choice by passing the Charter School Act, allowing communities to establish public charter schools. Its foresight could not have been clearer. In just 10 years, 123 public charter schools have been established across the commonwealth.
Education Week, MD: A Choice Showdown - In a conservative state, where the public schools remain popular, an ambitious new voucher program faces a fierce ballot challenge.
WIS, SC: Governor pushing lawmakers to focus on school choice - Parents, you may have a choice in which school you enroll your child next year. Governor Mark Sanford says enough talk, it's time to take action to improve K through 12 education. The governor wants to move forward by getting lawmakers to pass a school choice in enrollment.
Naples Daily News, FL: Lee school board approves four new charter schools - Approval of the schools brings the total number of approved charter schools in the district to 26. Of the 22 schools previously approved, 14 are operational and eight are in planning.
Fort Pierce Tribune, FL: Charter K-8 school proposal put on hold in Fort Pierce - A proposal to build a K-8 charter school in the St. Lucie West area has been put on hold until Nov. 27, the School Board agreed at its Tuesday workshop. The Fort Lauderdale-based Charter School USA wants to open Renaissance Charter School of St. Lucie County by August 2009, said Richard Page, the charter school's vice president of operations.
New York Times, NY: Eager to Learn, Newark Teenagers Embrace Lessons in Perseverance - After every cataclysm had struck — after his father had died and his mother had fallen ill with heart disease, after one older brother had gone into jail and another into a psychiatric hospital, after exhausting the welcome at a sister’s home and moving into a shelter, after shuttling through 13 schools by the eighth grade — after all of that, Bukhari Washington clung to one vision.
October 23, 2007
Boo-racracy
Aren't they scary?
October 23, 2007
Business backs vouchers in the Beehive State while Democrats play games with kids in the District in today’s Morning Shots.
Stop the Narrowing of the Curriculum by 'Right-Sizing' School Time
Education Week, Maryland, October 23, 2007
These days, the loudest rallying cry against the No Child Left Behind Act, and standards-based reform in general, is the persistent claim that the law's reliance on testing and emphasis on reading and math are driving a "narrowing of the curriculum."
Playing Games With School Choice
Washington Times, DC, October 23, 2007
A recently leaked draft report from the Government Accountability Office highlighting apparent problems with schools taking part in the District's voucher program is hardly a smoking gun. Rather, it's further evidence of how Democrats are playing politics with our children's education and how further study is needed to accurately assess progress of the voucher system.
Business Community Split on Vouchers
KCPW, Utah, October 23, 2007
Members of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce are so divided on vouchers that Vice President Natalie Gochnour says they're struggling to take a position on the issue. Several prominent CEOs are fed up with the delay and now running their own campaign in support of school choice.
Proposed Charter Organizers Emphasizes East Greeley Location ...
Greeley Tribune, Colorado, October 23, 2007
Alvin V. Garcia Arts Academy, named after a longtime champion of child and Latino services, would contract with Mosaica Education Inc., a national for-profit company with 70 charters in eight states. The school board will vote on whether to grant the charter, which hopes to open next fall, on Nov. 12.
Home Schooling In Tehachapi
Tehachapi News, California, October 23, 2007
"As an administrator in a traditional brick-and-mortar public environment, I saw that students were sometimes impeded by their environment," said Horowitz. "Some students learn better by themselves with the help of a learning coach. Connections Academy brings the state-of-the-art curriculum, flexibility and credentialed teachers online at all times," Horowitz explained. "We offer three levels of training: standard, basic and honors programs."
Parents Urge Board To Support Charter School
Exeter News-Letter, New Hampshire, October 23, 2007
Parents of students at the Great Bay eLearning Charter School last Tuesday urged the Exeter Region Cooperative School Board to continue to support the project-based school.
October 22, 2007
October 22, 2007
Opinions matter from coast to coast as education reform and school choice dominate the editorial pages in today’s Morning Shots ...
Los Angeles Times, CA: Mr. Shanker's lesson - One of the most contentious issues as Congress considers renewal of the No Child Left Behind Act is a provision sponsored by House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-Martinez) that would provide bonuses to teachers in high-poverty schools who boost student achievement. The two major teacher unions, the National Education Assn. and the American Federation of Teachers, are staunchly opposed. A vice president of the California Teachers Assn. underscored that, saying the union was ready "to go to war" over the proposal.
The Oklahoman, OK: Apples and oranges? NYC ponies up bonus money for teachers - The Oklahoma Education Association has made clear that it isn't interested in merit pay until overall teacher pay reaches the regional average.
Salt Lake Tribune, UT: Voucher laws mean more money and fewer students for public schools - Referendum 1, known as the voucher law, asks us to vote for or against a law that gives families, particularly poor families, the right to use a government voucher to help them afford a private school for their children.
Voucher opponents argue that the new law is too expensive and will leave little money for public schools to educate the anticipated swell of new students. National research on established choice programs has shown all of them to be at least fiscally neutral and the vast majority (10 of 12 studied) to be a cost savings.
Indianapolis Star, IN: A passing grade for charters, with room for improvement - Star's position: Charter schools are showing progress, but some must do a better job of handling public's money. Editorial: One of Mayor Bart Peterson's priorities during a third term would be to work on improving the dismal performance of the city's educational system. As seen in the accountability report released last week on charter schools he has authorized, Peterson already is making commendable steps toward this goal.
October 19, 2007
LAUSD Seeing Double on the PSAT ... One Charter Knows Better
Anxiety abounds for L.A. Unified’s sophomores as emphasis is placed on the PSAT. Is all this pressure necessary?
Up north, Oakland’s American Indian Public Charter School doesn’t think so. In fact, 7th and 8th graders take the SAT without batting an eye.
While practice might make perfect, this charter school shows us dedicated teachers and a strong curriculum matter most.
October 19, 2007
“A school that works” in the Bronx, Performance pay debated from NYC to Houston, and more in today’s Morning Shots ...
Los Angeles Times: After the first try, put those pencils down: Students who take the PSAT more than once are wasting their time, some say
"The main importance of the PSAT is really to give students a dry run before they take the SAT," said Heather Keddie, director of college counseling at Sage Hill, a private school. "Colleges and universities don't generally see the students' PSAT scores. . . Its main benefit is giving them the chance to take it without all the pressure of knowing all the scores are sent to colleges."
Some families are placing so much value on the exam that they are increasingly sending their children to pricey test-preparation courses, despite schools' admonishments against it and despite the fact that no college admissions official will ever see the scores.
New York Daily News, NY: A school that works - Bronx Preparatory Charter School is in the South Bronx and serves 540 students who are admitted by lottery. They're from neighborhoods that have more than a fair share of poverty - and they're a case study in what happens when regular kids get an opportunity to excel. They also prove why opening more publicly funded, privately operated charter schools is critical.
Houston Chronicle, TX: Candidates say they offer voters clear-cut choice - The two women competing to represent south central Houston on the school board don't agree on much, but they do agree on how they differ. "It's a clear-cut distinction," Davetta Mills Daniels said of her opponent, Paula Harris. "She's a business person and I'm a career educator."
The New York Times, NY: Reaction Is Cautious to Teacher Bonus Plan - When Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg reached a breakthrough agreement with the city teachers’ union on Wednesday to offer performance bonuses to teachers working in the city’s most impoverished neighborhoods, he said he hoped it would “provide our best teachers with an incentive to work in high-needs schools.”
October 18, 2007
(Not) Just Semantics: Student as Commodity
From today's Toledo Blade, an interesting article about the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools' tally of urban charter density - but the headline "Charters siphon off 18% of TPS students" just reinforces that BLOB-advanced view of student as commodity, rather than consumer. We're not drilling for fossil fuel here, folks.
(Reminds me of the time I tried to siphon out the full tank of gas from our broken-down pickup before it got hauled off to charity. Nasty business - take my word for it, don't try this at home.)
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Posted by Edspresso at 07:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)October 18, 2007
Pacific Northwest School board race intensifies, teachers union fights District accountability, UFT and Bloomberg agree on merit pay, and more ...
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA: School Board candidates' views differ, Incumbent defends board's work - Ask School Board candidates Darlene Flynn and Sherry Carr to gauge how the community perceives Seattle Public Schools, and you'll get dramatically different takes.
New York Sun: Deal on Teacher Merit Pay May Sway National Debate - In a breakthrough likely to shift a fierce national debate over how teachers should be paid, Mayor Bloomberg and the city teachers union are moving forward with a plan to base salaries on student performance.
Salt Lake Tribune, UT: Governor says he will be voting for vouchers - Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. joined Republican leaders at a press conference Wednesday to call for school vouchers as a tool to meet Utah's rapidly growing student population. Despite being surrounded by voucher enthusiasts, the governor stopped short of asking Utahns to vote for the measure.
Toledo Blade, OH: Charters siphon off 18% of TPS students - The Toledo Public School District had 18 percent of its students enrolled in public charter schools last academic year, making it the fifth-largest percentage of any major-market community in the United States, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools said yesterday.
Washington Post: Teachers' Union Is Urged to Fight Plan - A top leader in the Washington Teachers' Union has urged its executive board in a confidential memo to fight the Fenty administration plan to fire school central office employees, saying union members should immediately organize a strategy to oppose the legislation.
October 17, 2007
Spooked About Hal·low·een
Schools in Anne Arundel County, Maryland aren't frightened about toilet-papered trees, scary costumes or jack-o-lanterns. Their fear rests in a word. In the latest PC battle, lawmakers are weighing in to protect the use of the word "Halloween." According to the Washington Post, a council member submitted a non-binding resolution to stick with the traditional name of the holiday rather than substitute it with “Orange and Black Day” or “Harvest Day.” We agree with these lawmakers, but urge them to be spooked by their local schools' priorities. In an area where good schools of choice and student proficiency have been thrown out with the bath water, maybe its time to break the spell of bad behavior. Trick or treat on!
October 17, 2007
FL district loses charter powers, PA citizens push for banning teacher strikes, Selling school choice in UT, and more ...
Washington Post: Just Call It Halloween, Nothing Else, Anne Arundel Council Proclaims - Amid talk of budget constraints and environmental impact fees, Anne Arundel leaders took time this week to weigh in on another controversial issue: Halloween. A County Council member -- outraged that some schools have ditched the name of the traditional holiday in favor of "Orange and Black Day" or fall festival -- submitted a resolution calling for a uniform celebration of Halloween in county public schools.
The New York Times: Mission: Making a Love of Reading Happen - My youngest of four is now in eighth grade, and recently I attended my final back-to-school night at our middle school. I won’t miss it. I always leave so discouraged. Each year it seems I hear less and less about what books the students will read and more and more about how they’ll be prepared for the state tests. If my wife or I don’t raise our hands and ask “What novels?” it usually doesn’t come up.
Evening Bulletin, PA: Officials Push For Teacher-Strike Ban - School officials and policy advocates from Bucks County and elsewhere in Pennsylvania spoke in Harrisburg yesterday in favor of a proposed ban on teacher strikes. House Bill 1369, the STRIKE-FREE Education Pact, would prohibit all teachers' union strikes and lockouts and would charge participating teachers two days of pay for each day they strike illicitly. Teachers who incite strikes would receive fines of $5,000 each. Advocates for the bill said the measure would benefit taxpayers, who often find their property taxes enlarged by the terms of binding agreements teachers' unions reach with school officials.
National Review Online, NY: Selling School Choice - On November 6, voters in Utah will decide whether to repeal the state’s recently-enacted universal school voucher program.
Palm Beach Post, FL: District loses charter powers - The school board has lost exclusive authority to grant and revoke contracts for charter schools in Palm Beach County. The state Board of Education unanimously ruled against the district's application Tuesday, and in favor of some local charter operators and state reviewers who perceived the board as unfriendly to charters. Only three of 29 Florida districts that applied to maintain control over authorizing charter schools in their counties won state board approval on the basis that they had treated charter schools fairly.
October 15, 2007
October 15, 2007
NJ letting 13,000 slip by, Charter students getting around board's "no", Students strike to protest year-long union drama, and more ...
The North Jersey Record, NJ: SRA test only satisfies bragging rights - New Jersey's alternate high school diploma exam for approximately 13,000 students annually remains a bitter waypoint in any discussion of education in the state that spends the second-most on public schooling in America. With nearly all of 13,000 students who use the SRA receiving a diploma -- the same diploma as their counterparts who pass the HSPA -- its use also raises questions about the value of a New Jersey high school diploma overall.
NJ.com: Kids, parents want a voice - Students don't have enough say over the way schools operate. And it couldn't hurt to give parents more say. Parents flock to join the high school PTA in the interests of being involved and improving communication.
Orlando Sentinel: Charter's 7th-graders to remain on campus - School Board won't approve 7th grade? Most of the seventh-graders at South Lake Charter Elementary School have decided to stay at the school after all. Only now, they're going to be classified as home-schoolers. Home school isn't just for houses, said Christian Cascone, the Central Florida development director of Imagine Schools, which manages the charter. "You can home-school from any facility that you choose," he said.
PennLive.com, PA: Students walk out of western Pa. school to protest planned strike - Hundreds of Seneca Valley School District high school students staged a walk out Friday to protest a strike planned to start next week. The students are concerned that the strike, set to begin Monday, will disrupt due dates for various projects, as well as other scheduled events, including graduation. A year and 3 months is more than enough time to work out a contract, they believe.
Providence Journal, RI: National scores show Rhode Island is timid about school reform - We need laws that are simple to understand and implement, laws designed to eliminate the counterproductive practices currently embedded in 36 labor contracts and 36 sets of district policies. Rhode Island needs to expand school choice radically and quickly. Let the parents decide where to send their children to school.
Boston Globe: The schools that Katrina built - Before the flood, New Orleans had become a poster child for what is wrong with urban education in America, with a long list of failing schools, the worst test scores in the state, and a history of corruption and fiscal mismanagement. Since the disaster, however, is redefining urban public education. From the wreckage, New Orleans is emerging as a bold experiment in what a city school system can be.
Post and Courier, SC: Charter school money issues getting needed task force study - The wide disparity in the funding challenges facing public charter schools in this state has been exposed. While charter schools are public schools, they operate outside the normal administrative constraints. As the report noted, the funding they currently receive is based on the number of students multiplied by the county's average per-pupil revenue figure, without any funding for facilities. Of the 29 charter schools statewide, six are in district-owned buildings. One pays rent, but most pay utility and maintenance costs. Education Superintendent Rex has two task forces working to resolve this.
EURWeb: Talented Child Neglect Exposed: New Research Shows Gifted Underprivileged Students Are Being Left Behind - Achievement Trap: How America is Failing 3.4 Million High-Achieving Students from Lower-Income Families - is a first-of-its-kind look at a population below the median income level that starts school performing at high levels, but loses ground at virtually every level of schooling and suffers a steep plummet in college.
October 12, 2007
53 Reasons to Hope
347 new schools joined the ranks of charter schools this fall, transforming public education across America. As inspiration, the Center for Education Reform offers First Hand Accounts from the Charter Schools of the Year, From Capitol Hill to the National Press Club to all the fledgling - and veteran - charter schools across the nation modeling educational excellence and choice for America's families.
October 12, 2007
Education- community- and business leaders give DE schools accountability, 35 UT schools wrongly labeled - they're taking a second look, and more ...
Delaware Online: Vision 2015 issues report detailing past year's work - Released in October 2006 by a coalition of education, community and business leaders, ten schools, representing four districts and two charter schools, were selected as the first members of the newly established Vision Network. Throughout this academic year, the districts and schools will develop plans to implement Vision 2015 recommendations and research-based instructional and organizational practices. Vision 2015 leaders hope practices tested by the Vision Network eventually will be adopted by all Delaware schools. The Vision holds everyone -- administrators, teachers, parents, and students - accountable for results.
Chicago Daily Herald, IL: Are standardized tests doing the job? - The Thomas B. Fordham Institute evaluated standardized tests in 26 states, including Illinois. The institute -- which has its own points of view, including advocacy of school choice -- concluded that the difficulty of standardized tests varies substantially from state to state. As for Illinois, the study indicates that our math tests for third through eighth grades are less rigorous than most other states evaluated. The report gives Illinois reason to make a candid self-evaluation of its tests, to identify for itself any problems with exams being too soft or not properly calibrated from one grade to the next, and to repair those problems.
Yahoo! Finance: The Princeton Review Launches Prospects in Math and Prospects in ELA, Curriculums For High School Students With Academic Difficulties - The Princeton Review, an educational services provider, today announced Prospects in Math and Prospects in ELA, two new math and English Language Arts curriculums to address the needs of high school students with academic difficulties who need help to pass their state's exit exam.
Salt Lake Tribune, UT: More fuzzy math in ed stats - State education officials will take another look at data for schools statewide after wrongly labeling 35 as failing to meet federal achievement goals last month.
October 11, 2007
October 11, 2007
Supreme Court upholds special education ruling, Union pressure leaves 693 underfunded schools in NY, repeating 3rd grade helps, and more ...
New York Sun: 693 Schools Aren't Getting Fair Funding Share, Report Says - A decision by Mayor Bloomberg not to cut some schools' budgets has meant that 693 schools are not receiving a full funding allotment. The city rolled out a plan called Fair Student Funding, a formula to base funding solely on factors such as poverty and poor academic achievement. The plan would have meant cutting back from the 661 schools. But those schools were "held harmless," or left alone, following protests by a coalition including the president of the teachers union, Randi Weingarten, who had threatened to support a large parent rally if those schools' budgets were cut.
New York Times: Supreme Court Upholds Tuition Ruling - The Supreme Court on Wednesday let stand a ruling that the New York City school system must pay private school tuition for disabled children, even if the parents refuse to try public school programs first. But the justices are likely to take up the issue again soon, with nationwide implications.
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH: Ohio Supreme Court child support ruling recognizes home schooling - The Ohio Supreme Court gave a nod to home schools in a ruling released Wednesday that said a student's school need not be recognized or accredited by Ohio for purposes of child support collection.
University of Arkansas Daily Headlines: Staying Back to Move Forward: The Impact of Test-Based Grade Retention on Florida Students - A study by University of Arkansas researchers Jay P. Greene and Marcus A. Winters showed that when students who didn't pass the state accountability test repeated third grade, "they learned at a faster rate than if they had been promoted." Traditionally the view of educators has been that retaining students stigmatizes them so that they give up, but this evidence suggests that students may be more harmed if they are pushed into the next grade for which they are not prepared.
SchoolBuyer'sOnline, FL: AT&T Joins University Of Florida To Present Results Of Online Learning Research - The University of Florida (UF) has announced some early results from a nationwide education study that suggests that online learning and state-led virtual schools can be as effective as live classroom teaching methods.
Capital Times, WI: Howard Fuller: School choice working in Milwaukee, despite what McNally thinks - Joel McNally combines comical reasoning with outright lies to argue in his Saturday column that the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program explains "why education for black children in Wisconsin is worse than education for blacks elsewhere."
October 10, 2007
October 10, 2007
OK parents back teacher merit pay, CT sanctions open school choice doors, Florida Virtual building diversity and success, and more ...
NewsOK.com, OK: Parents stand up for teachers - The best teachers should get more pay, and parent input should also be a component in deciding how much additional money a teacher may be given, several parents told lawmakers Tuesday.
New Haven Register, CT: Parents will have option to switch kids’ schools - In Connecticut, thanks to sanctions placed on the Board of Education by the state and federal governments, School Choice will be offered to parents of some economically disadvantaged, disabled or black pupils who did not achieve "annual yearly progress" in mathematics and reading.
TCPalm, FL: Kenric Ward: Florida Virtual School chips away at brick and mortar - Quantity has been accompanied by quality. Contrary to popular perceptions that online learning is only for brainiacs, Florida Virtual School’s student body is increasingly diverse — and successful. Some 49 percent of pupils are eligible for reduced-price lunches at their neighborhood school. More than 70 percent of the lowest-scoring quartile of students scored gains in reading, earning the program an “A” in Florida’s school grading system. So how does FLVS do more with less? In a word: entrepreneurship.
Port Huron Times Herald, MI: Classes go virtual - This year, Michigan Virtual School offered one free semester of Mandarin Chinese to a student in every public and private high school in the state in an effort to foster interest in the language and culture. Several students in the area have taken advantage of it, but many others use the virtual school for "credit recovery," or make-up classes.
Orlando Sentinel, FL: Charter school's out for 7th-graders, board says - A school board has stepped in against a charter that is an elementary, not a middle school; 7th graders must transfer weeks into school year. The school failed on several levels. They failed to tell parents that there was an issue. They failed to get an application in on time. But based on academic merit, the School Board had absolutely no basis to put the school in the situation that it's in right now.
News 8 Austin, TX: Special ed teachers speak out - Parents, teachers and Education Austin supporters met Monday to speak out against excessive testing for special education students. The group wants Congress to change the federal law to better benefit special needs and other at-risk students.
October 09, 2007
Cry for School Choice Mounting
The U.S. Supreme Court opened its session hearing oral arguments in a case that could have repercussions in the choice community. At issue is whether children with special needs must try a public school program before moving to a private school. The school board says yes; but a hearing officer, the parent of the child who is the focus of the case, and lower courts have disagreed. Now it's up to the Supreme Court to decide.
Opposite the decision of the New York school board, which is seeking to limit choice programs, is a new poll from Missouri that reveals a majority of teachers, and really a majority of citizens, support opening Missouri to expanded school choice programs.
What are your thoughts about the case before the Supreme Court? How about school choice getting high marks from Missouri’s teachers? Join the conversation by leaving a comment below.
October 9, 2007
Parents rally against overcrowded school, consultant helps Los Angeles parents choose right school, MO teachers want school choice, and more ...
Grassroots Action in the news ...
Washington Examiner: Overcrowding prompts rally for a new school - Southern Fairfax County residents fed up with sending their kids to one of the county’s most overcrowded schools plan to rally this month in the hopes of prompting the construction of a new facility.
Chicago Tribune: Parents' input--not book--gets banned - October brings with it Banned Books Week, the annual high-minded whacking of such parents for their supposed intolerance. Dare disagree or suggest that teachers and school administrators are making children read age-inappropriate material and you run the risk of being labeled reactionary, illiterate or worse, a conservative Christian.
Los Angeles Times: Private-school scout gives parents the lowdown - The enterprise -- part of a growing trend of education consultants -- is driven by what is a painfully obvious fact for any parent: Finding a good school is a confusing, time-consuming, headache-producing morass. That is especially true in Los Angeles, which has one of the most competitive private school markets in the country -- in 2006, 37% of applicants to private schools were accepted, compared with 52% of applicants nationwide.
School Choice in the news ...
Yakima Herald, WA: Toppenish takes education online - Toppenish school officials have launched an online school program aimed at students who have been home-schooled or have dropped out entirely. The Computer Academy Toppenish Schools (CATS) is open to children from kindergarten to 12th grade. The program also will help families who want to continue teaching their children at home. It will offer a free online curriculum that meets state standards, and will include home visits and tutoring from state-certified teachers.
Denver Post, CO: Some schools leave dyslexic students behind - Many parents of dyslexic children say the students are left behind by Colorado public schools, forcing them to pay for costly private tutors to teach their children to read.
Southeast Missourian: Missouri teachers support school choice - Missourians, parents and teachers alike, have suffered from continual public school decline as the legislature has pumped more and more money into districts. Yet increased educational spending has not improved the state's most ineffective schools. 64% of teachers said they would favor a program that allowed parents to use money that would have been spent at a public school to send their children to private schools instead. 88% of teachers responded that parents, not governments, should decide which schools their children attend.
Stateline.org, DC: States venture into teacher performance pay - The controversial idea of paying teachers based not on how long they’ve been teaching but on how much their students learn got a boost when a democratic Representative Miller recently proposed adding pay-for-performance money for teachers in high-poverty schools to the next version of the federal No Child Left Behind education law. The NEA is furious.
Rock Hill Herald, SC: Boys' and girls' rooms now classrooms - Single-gender classes are a trend throughout the country, and local school districts don't want to be left behind. Advocates of single-gender classes say that by removing social distractions and gearing lessons toward the different learning styles of boys and girls, students are able to learn more.
October 08, 2007
October 8, 2007
OK teachers give input on merit pay, immersion schools hire English-only teachers, ABC's of charters, NC/SD virtual schools, and more ...
Norman Transcript, OK: Oklahoma teachers asked for input on merit pay idea - Oklahoma's public school teachers are being asked to "participate in the process of constructing a new teacher performance pay plan" by completing an online survey about House Speaker Lance Cargill's merit pay idea.
Akron Beacon-Journal, OH: Language immersion schools hiring some English-only teachers - Hiring English-speaking teachers for courses like gym or art is one way immersion schools are compensating for teacher shortages, but such stopgap measures compromise programs' integrity.
ABC News: The ABC's of Charter Schools - What is it about charter schools that offers such promise? These and other questions are addressed to educate parents, administrators, etc.
Winston-Salem Journal, NC: Virtual Learning: Online program brings AP coursework to N.C. students in small or rural schools - Most students in other parts of the state are taking virtual classes that they can't get in their own school systems, said Jim Barber, the interim director of the virtual school. The basis of the program was the courses that the small rural classes couldn't offer on their own. North Carolina has offered distance-learning classes for several years, but this year is the first time that they've all been rolled together into the virtual school program.
Rapid City Journal, SD: 'Virtual school' enrollment surges upward - Rapid City's online program is the only asynchronous program approved by the state Department of Education. But, until the state board of education changes its policy on granting middle school students high school credit, there are issues ahead. Middle school students taking high school courses, and students in the virtual school must pass a test-out exam with a score of at least 85 percent to earn high school credit. It is inherently unfair for students sitting in a classroom with other students to not receive credit for their work if they satisfy the course requirements.
The Bulletin, PA: REACH Fights A Long, Hard Battle For Educational Choice - Attempts to give Pennsylvania parents of all economic strata the ability to choose the school their children attend have seen much success, but school choice advocates doubtless see fierce battles ahead.
Courier-Journal, KY: Pilot program provides tutoring - Indiana is one of four states participating in a federal pilot program that allows schools to provide earlier access to free tutoring for students from poor families. Education leaders hope the program helps struggling students catch up.
Star-Ledger, NJ: NJ school voucher suit dismissed - Crawford v. Davy, the suit was filed last year by leading voucher proponents on behalf of tens of thousands of children in districts like Newark and Paterson, part of a broad and so far unsuccessful campaign to enact a system of private school vouchers in the state.
October 05, 2007
October 5, 2007
Idaho parents push to found charter, when parents decide to transfer, NJ courts not open to vouchers - lawsuit thrown out ...
Daily Journal, NJ: State judge tosses school voucher lawsuit - A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought education vouchers for families whose children attend low-performing schools.
Beyond Chron, CA: School Beat: How a School Transfer Saved our SFUSD Experience - By this August, our son began third grade at his third school in four years. Since my husband and I are native San Franciscans and products of the SFUSD, this doesn’t faze us. While most parents wouldn’t consider transferring a third and first grader, we viewed it as an opportunity to improve our school choice and to teach our children that weathering transitions is a part of life.
Times-News, ID: Parents move ahead with charter school idea - ID parents are seeking a charter, and they're seeking professional help. Academica West manages the business affairs for 10 charter schools in that state, taking over such duties as payroll management and human resources from the teachers and parents who founded them. Though the company doesn't actually found the schools - which are run by private nonprofits - it steps in to help when parents ask and coaches them through the construction and permitting process.
October 04, 2007
OH Attack on School Choice
In his latest attack on school choice, Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann is caught with the curtain up as the Ohio Education Association plays puppeteer.
Share your thoughts on this hot topic.
Posted by Edspresso at 09:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)October 4, 2007
Kaplan starts own virtual school, NY parent's lawsuit may affect special education nation-wide, grassroots provides SC blueprint for quality schools ...
New York Daily News: City should pay disabled son's tuition - In a suit that could have financial ramifications for schools nationwide and affect thousands of special education students, former Viacom honcho Tom Freston will argue that taxpayers should pay his son's tuition because the public schools couldn't meet the needs of the learning disabled boy.
Online Degrees.com: Kaplan Launches Virtual High School Option - Kaplan Inc. has announced the launch of Kaplan University High School, a national online high school option. Students of all ages will have the opportunity to earn their high school diploma and improve their work opportunities or even go on to college. The virtual high school curriculum will cover all of the essential aspects of a traditional high school program.
Charleston Post-Courier, SC: Groundbreaking study shows path to better S.C. schools - Parents, teachers, students, school board members, principals, superintendents, and business leaders through- out South Carolina have provided a blueprint for creating the quality schools our children deserve. The people have spoken. Their elected officials would be wise to listen.
October 03, 2007
Oakland Report Dishes Out The Raw Data
If Oakland were really the national model for education reform, shouldn't we know how and why and work to replicate it? If, however, the words were bigger than the actions, shouldn't that be a lesson as well? Find out in the recently published Oakland Report.
Conclusion - put away the banners and pom-poms and get down in the dirt with laws and contracts that affect families of these students, and that stick longer than leaders in offices.
Here's what Edspresso has seen from Oakland in the past few months: