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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.

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