April 30, 2008
April 30, 2008
Candidates Stump For School Choice
World Magazine, NC, April 29, 2008
If Barack Obama wins the Democratic nomination, Americans will have two presidential candidates who are open to school choice measures.
Schooling the Reformers
American Spectator, VA, April 30, 2008
This was just the latest defeat for school reformers. They also lost a battle in Idaho to develop a teacher performance pay plan…
If Cleveland Schools Can Team With A Charter School, Why Not Others?
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, April 30, 2008
Gov. Ted Strickland and school superintendents take note: Public schools and charter schools need not be mortal enemies.
Against Odds, New Orleans Schools Fight Back
New York Times, NY, April 30, 2008
Dozens of new charter schools, a flood of idealistic young teachers from elsewhere around the country — now as many as 17 percent of the total here .
Charter Schools Win Battle Against Audits
New York Sun, NY, April 30, 2008
A state judge in Albany ruled yesterday that Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office is permanently prevented from issuing audits of charter schools, saying the office "lacks the authority" to do so.
Better Education Options Needed
The Chattanoogan, TN, April 29, 2008
It is estimated that by 2015, that the current 38% of private and home schoolers will increase to 47%. Allowing Charter schools, and providing a voucher program of some type would be a start for more options.
School-Choice Bill Misunderstood By 30
Muskogee Daily Phoenix, OK , April 29, 2008
A recent letter signed by 30 superintendents of eastern Oklahoma school districts (Phoenix April 24 Opinion Page) was critical of Senate Bill 2093, the New Hope Scholarship Act.
April 29, 2008
Risks and Rewards
Twenty-five years after "A Nation At Risk," the general consensus seems to be that the tide of mediocrity continues to lap at our toes. The Washington Post's Mark Fisher writes that, 25 years later, our school children continue to be underserved by "dumbed-down, boring textbooks; thin courses; inexperienced teachers," resulting in a persistent achievement gap and college-bound students who must be remediated.
"What to do? We've tried all manner of cheap ways to fix the problem, anything we can think of that can be accomplished with existing structures and personnel." Ah, yes - well, what NOT to do. Fisher finds comfort in the one-to-one successes of those who take "end runs around the bureaucracies" to do the right thing, the rigorous thing, for kids.
Perhaps he had in mind Friendship Collegiate Academy, a charter school in Washington, D.C., which was honored by the College Board as one of three "outstanding high schools that have successfully improved the academic environment and helped students achieve equitable access to higher education despite social, economic and cultural challenges."
Friendship Collegiate Academy exemplifies Fisher's one-to-one success - but a success made possible by the implementation of systemic reforms that enable broad 'end runs around the bureaucracy' - reforms that demand both choice and accountability, and put students ahead of systems. Reforms grounded in these "Top Ten" offered on the occasion of CER Newswire's 10th Anniversary.
Posted by Edspresso at 01:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)April 29, 2008
Equal Funds For Charter Schools
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, April 29, 2008
The public tax dollars funding these schools do not belong to the local school boards, but to the taxpayers who expect it to be spent for their kids.
McCain's School Choice Opportunity
Wall Street Journal, April 29, 2008
So when politicians have to choose between a teachers union and some African-American mom who would like to take her son out of a failing public school, guess who usually wins?
Vouchers And Special Education
Washington Times, D.C., April 29, 2008
In response to the disappointing educational experiences of these students, five states have now adopted voucher programs specifically tailored to disabled students.
Vouching for Vouchers
Washington Post, D.C, April 29, 2008
In making education his top priority, D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has been guided by one principle: Children trump politics.
Chester Upland Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, April 29, 2008
The state, too, is trying to be more supportive. But they must do more, faster, if they expect to stop the exodus of children and dollars to the charter schools.
Benoit Joins Assembly Republicans In Calling For School Choice
California Chronicle, CA, April 29, 2008
Assemblyman John J. Benoit (R-Bermuda Dunes) and other Assembly Republican colleagues today joined education reform advocates in announcing a package of innovative and groundbreaking education reform measures...
April 28, 2008
April 28, 2008
Charter Schools Grow Stronger In Pa.
Pittsburgh Post Gazette, PA, April 28, 2008
More than a decade after charter schools became legal in Pennsylvania, it is safe to say the schools, once considered experimental and still sometimes controversial, are here to stay.
Honest Data on High School Dropouts
New York Times, NY, April 28, 2008
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings took a welcome step in the right direction by issuing new rules for how those rates are calculated.
Twenty-Five Years Later, A Nation Still at Risk
Wall Street Journal, April 26, 2008
Today marks the 25th anniversary of "A Nation at Risk," the influential Reagan-era report by a blue-ribbon panel that alerted Americans to the weak performance of our education system.
Charter Schools: Equal Funding, Equal Accountability
Orlando Sentinel, FL, April 28, 2008
The movement that began with Florida's charter-school legislation in 1996 has become a positive influence for many improvements in the public-school system.
School Voucher System Raises Lots Of Questions
Mansfield News Journal, OH, April 27, 2008
Those who attack an Ohio voucher plan that pays for students in troubled schools to enroll in private or parochial schools are missing the more important issue.
Support Scholarships For Poorest Students
Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ, April 27, 2008
State lawmakers should back program to give school vouchers to students in the state's poorest cities.
The Archdiocese's Open, Honest School Plan
Washington Post, D.C., April 27, 2008
Ultimately, the decision was to continue with a smaller Catholic consortium; to seek conversion of seven schools to high-quality charter schools run by an independent group...
Her Dream, Branded as a Threat
New York Times, NY, April 28, 2008
Things have not gone according to plan. Only one-fifth of the 60 students at the Khalil Gibran International Academy are Arab-American.
April 25, 2008
April 25, 2008
Considering Catholic Education by Jeanne Allen
Washington Times, D.C., April 25, 2008
With Pope Benedict XVI safely home from American soil, many reflect on how his charge that we raise our children to seek peace and justice can occur without the institution of Catholic schools.
A Nation at a Loss
New York Times, NY, April 25, 2008
Tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of "A Nation at Risk," a remarkable document that became a milestone in the history of American education - albeit in ways that its creators neither planned, anticipated or even wanted.
Bush Calls Closing Faith-Based Schools 'Crisis'
D.C. Examiner, D.C., April 25, 2008
As President Bush lauded advances in faith-based education in the District Thursday, D.C. Catholic schools continued to struggle with enrollment and expenses that threaten to erode recent gains.
Tax Credit Scholarships
The Times of Trenton, NJ, April 25, 2008
Despite the importance of these issues, legislators continue to turn a blind eye toward real reform. Instead, they pass meaningless legislation and a new funding formula that will perpetuate wasteful spending ...
They Love The City, But Not The Schools
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, April 25, 2008
But that romance has been put to the test because of doubts about the city public school system. The Braggs and others aren't sure they can afford to stay, because they've decided appropriate schooling comes with a crippling expense.
Charter School Funds Spread Thin
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, HI, April 24, 2008
Hawaii's charter schools, already preparing to get less state money per student next academic year, will have to share their budget with yet another school that gained approval to open its doors.
Education Survey Reveals 'Head-Scratching' Results
One News Now, MS, April 24, 2008
The survey -- conducted by Ellison Research -- asked Americans to rate the overall quality of education students get from public schools, home schooling, charter schools, and three types of private schools: non-religious, Catholic, and Christian.
April 24, 2008
Looking Back, Looking Forward
George Will reflects on Education Lessons We Left Behind with a history lesson on education and education reform in the 25 years since 'A Nation at Risk,' including: Sen. Moynihan's prescience down the years, the "seismic" Coleman report, the rise of teachers' collective bargaining, the birth of the U.S. Department of Education, Chester Finn's take on No Child Left Behind, and what it's all meant for our nation and our kids. Conclusion: "A nation at risk? Now more than ever. "
Jeanne Allen looks at the twin roles of information and choice in turning back the tide of academic mediocrity in the United States. The most fundamental form of family involvement in children's education is parents' ability to choose their children's school. Informed school choices are enabled by reliable data on school performance. Good school choices are enabled by the availability of good choices in schools. "To do that, we must continue to uncover what works and what does not.... There is work to be done."
Posted by Edspresso at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)April 24, 2008
White House Summit Will Highlight Religious Schools
New York Sun, NY, April 24, 2008
President Bush will highlight the increasing alarm over the plight of the nation's inner-city Catholic schools today with a summit at the White House.
Re-reading 'A Nation at Risk'
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 24, 2008
Twenty-five years after “A Nation at Risk” warned about the "rising tide of mediocrity" in U.S. public schools, the landmark federal report seems strangely prophetic -- and eerily descriptive of some of Los Angeles' woes today.
Clueless in America
New York Times, NY, April 22, 2008
At the moment, no one seems to have the will to engage any of the most serious challenges facing the U.S.
Charter Bill Irks District
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, April 24, 2008
New legislation that gives state-appointed charter schools more access than ever to local education dollars has riled Decatur city school officials so much that they want an opinion from their attorney.
Strickland Owes Clarity On Education
Columbus Dispatch, OH, April 24, 2008
Strickland then demonstrated that he fully intended to keep his promise to the teachers union when he unveiled his first biennium budget. He called for an ironclad moratorium on charter schools…
With Its Charter School Struggling, Union Should Be Learning
New York Daily News, NY, April 24, 2008
Many school reformers were unhappy when the United Federation of Teachers, the local teachers union, opened its own charter school in East New York back in 2005. I was delighted.
(Hat tip to Whitney Tilson.)
Magna Charters
Philadelphia Daily News, PA , April 24, 2008
The School Reform Commission's decision last week not to renew the Germantown Settlement and Renaissance charter schools showed that the SRC…has gotten some backbone when it comes to its 61 charters.
Bill Likened To Voucher System Fails Passage
Tulsa World, OK , April 24, 2008
A bill to give tax credits to corporations and individuals who pay the tuition of low-income students attending private schools failed in the House on Wednesday.
Bill Would Give Parents More School Choice
News10, CA, April 24, 2008
A Sacramento-area legislator has introduced a bill that would allow parents whose children attend low-performing schools to transfer their kids to another school or receive a tax credit.
Four More Southern California Charter Schools Are Certified
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 23, 2008
The schools were added to a list, now up to 73, of "certified charter schools," singled out for their adherence to high academic, fiscal, ethical and governance standards.
April 23, 2008
Essay Question: Are We Beating Back the Tide?
"'Nation at Risk': The best thing or the worst thing for education?" asks Gregg Toppo in USA Today. Good question, and an interesting article. Toppo reports on some of the policy developments that came in the wake of that report's denouncement of a "rising tide of mediocrity" in education - things like a rise in federal education spending, and what Paul Houston of the American Association of School Administrators denounces as "a cottage industry of national reports by people saying how bad things are." But what about the kids? What's happened to them in the 25 years since "A Nation at Risk" raised the alarm? (A look in on the topic 10 years ago - 15 years after the initial report - offered continued cause for concern.)
So, in a nod to the rigors of AP and the rhetoric of Reagan, we ask:
Are our children better educated now than they were 25 years ago? In your answer, discuss issues such as assessment, accountability, access, choice, funding, teacher quality, curriculum, standards, or other education efforts and issues and their relative relevance to the question.
April 23, 2008
'Nation At Risk': The Best Thing Or The Worst Thing For Education?
USA Today, April 23, 2008
Twenty-five years ago this week, Americans awoke to a forceful little report that, depending on your point of view, either ruined public education or saved it.
Choice Surges Despite States' Fiscal Woes
Education Week, MD, April 22, 2008
...the school choice movement is gaining some ground as legislatures advance proposals that would indirectly funnel taxpayer money to families who want to send their children to private schools.
Charter School Movement Wins The Education War In District
D.C. Examiner, D.C., April 23, 2008
The war between the charter school movement and D.C. public schools is over. Charters have won, if victory means that charter schools are thriving and here to stay.
Arizona Educators Can Learn From Florida
East Valley Tribune, AZ, April 23, 2008
Startling statistics show that with abundant school choice and systemic education reform, Florida's Hispanic students already eclipse the average academic performance of many states.
School Choices For Special-Needs Kids Is Matter Of Appeal
Tucson Citizen, AZ, April 23, 2008
In a state such as Arizona, where citizens value their independence, it is inconceivable that the state constitution would favor a bureaucrat's right to choose a child's school over the right of parents to pick the best learning environment for their child.
Charters Are A Lever For School Reform
Record-Searchlight, CA, April 22, 2008
Charter schools are the best thing to have happened to the public school system in over a century.
April 22, 2008
April 22, 2008
No Child Left Behind Faces Changes
New York Times, NY, April 22, 2008
Unable to push education fixes through Congress, the Bush administration is taking its own pen to the No Child Left Behind law.
Failing Schools
Evansville Courier & Press, IN, April 22, 2008
With charter schools, failing to meet standards means the charter could be revoked. If that contract isn't fulfilled, action is taken. Shouldn't the same be true with traditional public schools?
Views Mixed On Private-School Bill
Tulsa World, OK, April 22, 2008
Rural lawmakers are skeptical about a pending bill to help low-achieving urban students attend private schools, the bill's House author confirmed Monday.
UFT Charter School Leader Will Leave After Clash With Teacher
New York Sun, NY, April 22, 2008
Three years later, "oasis" remains the goal, but nearly everyone involved concedes the school isn't there yet.
Minner Clears Way For Single-Sex Charter School
News Journal, DE, April 21, 2008
With a ceremonial stroke of the pen, Gov. Ruth Ann Minner today signed legislation that clears the way for Delaware’s first single-gender charter school to open.
Pay Incentive Can Lure Teachers To Poor Schools
San Jose Mercury News, CA, April 21, 2008
Last week, the Senate Education Committee took a small but monumental step when it passed a bill providing districts with a way to pay higher salaries to math and science teachers in troubled schools. The full Legislature should approve it.
April 21, 2008
April 21, 2008
New Report From KIPP Charters
Washington Post, D.C., April 20, 2008
The most advanced of this bunch, in both information dissemination and achievement gains, is the Knowledge Is Power Program -- KIPP -- a 14-year-old network that this summer expects to have 66 schools in 19 states and the District.
South Carolina's Contender
Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2008
Nonetheless, Mr. Sanford has enacted a voucher system for prekindergarten students, created a statewide charter school district (local districts won't approve new charters), and has pushed for, though not won, vouchers for nearly every child in the state.
Stealing School Tax Dollars
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, April 21, 2008
In its recently adjourned session, the 2008 General Assembly approved a bill that would allow the state to hijack local education tax dollars and divert those dollars to educators and entrepreneurs to start a charter school.
Money For Schools In Dann's Hands
Dayton Daily News, OH, April 21, 2008
The dispute is over the methods by which the Ohio Department of Education counted charter school enrollment.
Are Charter Schools Good For Canton?
Canton Repository, OH, April 21, 2008
Charter schools aren't draining public education resources, according to a recent report about Ohio's urban districts released by a charter schools group.
State's Vouchers In Vogue
Columbus Dispatch, OH, April 19, 2008
Students and private schools alike are showing more interest in state tuition vouchers as the statewide program prepares for its third school year.
State Autism Education Program Flawed, Policy Matters Ohio Says
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, April 19, 2008
A fast-growing state program that gives parents of autistic children up to $20,000 for private educational services lacks oversight and allows providers to exclude children based on religion and other factors, says Policy Matters Ohio.
The Need For Charter Schools
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 21, 2008
Strong leaders hire talented executives. Supt. David L. Brewer's hiring of Ramon C. Cortines as chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Unified School District gives Brewer such an executive and demonstrates a welcome commitment to tackle the many problems the district faces.
Don't Give Up Leverage For Detroit School Reform
Detroit News, MI, April 21, 2008
Once the district falls under that number, state law will allow more charter schools in the city. The possible influx of these independent alternative public schools is putting additional pressure on the administration and Detroit Federation of Teachers to improve.
School Marks A First
Baltimore Sun, MD, April 20, 2008
Worried about what he describes as lax discipline and academics at his neighborhood public schools, Sherwood Lennon said he is thrilled at the prospect of sending his children to Baltimore County's first public charter school, Imagine Discovery, scheduled to open this fall in Woodlawn.
Charter Schools Tend To Have Drive To Survive
The Oregonian, OR, April 20, 2008
Strong management, frugal spending and parent/community support have been the key to survival for Oregon's oldest charter schools.
As Charter Schools Gain, TCAPS Has To Compete
Traverse City Record Eagle, MI, April 20, 2008
Charter schools in Michigan have not lived up to the extreme predictions that surrounded their creation in 1993.
Senate Should Approve Charter School Measure
Nashua Telegraph, NH, April 19, 2008
I urge all state senators to support House Bill 1642, providing sustainable funding to public charter schools for next year, which is being heard by the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, April 22.
History-Making in the Big Apple (Allen & Chavous)
As the churn and swirl of media coverage from the Eliot Spitzer scandal fade from memory, people across the nation are making the acquaintance of a new governor who will surely make history. That's because David Paterson, New York's new governor, has faced a significant obstacle in his ascent to power.
And no, we're not talking about that fact that he'll be only the third African-American governor in American history. We're not pointing out that he grew up in poverty. We're not even referring to the fact that the governor is legally blind. No doubt you've read all that already.
The history-making significant obstacle that Paterson overcame to lead one of our nation's biggest states has received almost no news coverage or public discussion. Yet it sets him apart from so many others.
More than his race, background or any physical feature, Governor Paterson stands out nationally as a liberal African-American Democrat who strongly supports the rights of parents to choose the best school for their children. That such a specimen exists will surely flummox the leaders of teachers unions and other school choice opponents everywhere, but in the Empire State he doesn't just exist, he's about to thrive.
By every account - from Republicans, Democrats and all others in a position to know - Paterson is affable, intelligent and possessed of a knack for bringing people together even when their ideologies clash. These skills will suit him well if he adds his career-long crusade for schoolchildren to his priorities as governor.
As a New York state senator, Paterson was the key elected official ensuring the state lifted its cap on charter schools. In the face of fierce opposition from purveyors of the status quo, Paterson was steadfast in his resolve to bring educational opportunity to New York children.
Although the ranks of Democrats who support real educational opportunities for kids are finally growing, the great party of Jefferson, Jackson and FDR is still dominated by the one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to education. So it's good news that someone who wants to help parents choose the best learning environment now has the platform to make it happen.
As Paterson rose from minority leader of the New York Senate to lieutenant governor and now governor, he championed the state's school choice movement by lifting the cap on charters and unabashedly speaking out for the kind of educational reform that would give kids in all corners of his state a fair shake and a fair shot at success. Perhaps because of his strength of character and reputation for tenacity, he was able to bypass the road most often taken by reform-minded leaders: suppressing their support of bold education interventions when the union bosses come knocking.
David Paterson understands that children - like those who grew up around him in Harlem - face the most dismal prospects for life when they are uneducated. He knows that schools have perpetuated a status quo mentality and poor kids and children of color in particular, face an uphill battle in all too many communities. Schools of choice - whether charters or private schools - are fundamental to improving education.
While we welcome the opportunities for African-Americans that the historic candidacy of Barack Obama brings, advancing one person to high office can only do so much. For African-Americans to truly assume the mantle of leadership in America, there must be a diversity of thought and advocacy on the issue that matters most to the children of our cities - public education. And when more Democrat and African-American leaders begin to advocate for more choices and better chances, Governor David Paterson will begin to have some well-deserved company.
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Jeanne Allen, a Republican, is President of the Center for Education Reform. Kevin P. Chavous, a former District of Columbia Councilmember, chairs Democrats for Education Reform.
Posted by Edspresso at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)April 18, 2008
April 18, 2008
Our View On Education: A Nation Still At Risk
USA Today, April 18, 2008
The Osmond A. Church School in Queens, N.Y., serves a high-poverty, minority neighborhood directly in the flight path of Kennedy International Airport. It's not the sort of place you would expect to find a successful public school.
Lawmakers Push To Expand School Vouchers
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL , April 18, 2008
At the same time, lawmakers are pushing to expand a voucher program that takes more money from local schools and gives it to poor students to attend private or religious schools.
Ed Choice Interest Rises
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, April 18, 2008
As the deadline to apply for Ohio’s politically contentious private school vouchers arrives Friday, interest in the program continues to grow. By mid-day Thursday, the state had received nearly 8,900 applications...
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland Vows Education Reform
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, April 17, 2008
In his speech, Strickland swiped at charter schools and the "destructive influence" he says the movement has had on public education.
Voting with Their Seats
New York Daily News, NY, April 18, 2008
They came by the thousands Thursday night to a Harlem armory, parents desperate to place their children in schools that promise far better educations than anything that's been available, year in and year out, in their neighborhoods.
UTLA Puts Itself Before Education And Kids
Los Angeles Daily News, CA, April 17, 2008
But sadly, the UTLA seems to have lost sight of this goal and all too often puts its own short-sighted self-interest ahead of good education, the classroom and the kids.\
Charter-School Movement Not Living Up to Promise
Richmond Times- Dispatch, VA, April 14, 2008
Since the Virginia General Assembly authorized public charter schools in 1998, eight such institutions have opened in the commonwealth.
April 17, 2008
April 17, 2008
National Standard Would Be Good For Tennessee Students
The Tennessean, TN, April 17, 2008
The students will benefit, too. When everyone knows what the real rates are, it should compel teachers, administrators and parents to work together to prepare more students to graduate.
Rhee Lists 6 Firms Eyed To Help Run 10 Campuses
Washington Post, D.C., April 17, 2008
D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee plans to hire up to six nonprofit educational companies to help run the city's 10 comprehensive high schools and has invited parents to meet with her tonight to discuss the details.
Bill Expanding Teacher Certification Options Heads To Blunt
Kansas City Star, MO, April 16, 2008
Proponents in the House and Senate say expanding certification options for teachers could help address a looming shortage of educators in the state and encourage professionals who are interested in teaching but daunted by the current requirements for obtaining certification.
Success in Harlem
New York Sun, NY, April 17, 2008
Then the applications started to roll in. As of yesterday, the school had counted 3,600, meaning as many as 5,000 parents, children, and supporters could show up, all fighting for a meager 580 spots.
Real Education Reform Or Status Quo Swirl?
Business Gazette, MD, April 17, 2008
This is not real reform. It is merely a swirl of activity that gives the appearance of change, but won’t improve achievement.
SRC Fails To Renew 2 Charters
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, April 17, 2008
The School Reform Commission yesterday voted not to renew the operating agreements of two public charter schools and postponed renewing the agreement of a third charter …
L.A. Teachers Union Targets Pact On Charters
Los Angeles Daily News, CA, April 16, 2008
Launching a pitched battle against Los Angeles Unified over plans to dole out more space for the growing charter-school movement, the teachers union said Wednesday that it will aggressively campaign against traditional schools sharing sites with the popular independent schools.
April 16, 2008
Getting to the Bottom Line
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan has decried, "Money wasted on bureaucracy and 'super-sized' charter school administrative salaries deprives every student in the city of valuable educational resources - including small classes, modern schools, libraries, counselors, nurses and music, art and other vital programs." As if....
Newsflash to Jerry: according to 2007 CER survey respondents, average per pupil public funding for a Philly charter: $7,650; per pupil funding of traditional schools in the City of Brotherly Love: $9,951. But for families wanting to make a better choice for their kids, it's not about the bottom line: in 2007, the waiting list for Philadelphia's underfunded charter schools topped 20,000. Parents are already voting on what's vital, and it's those 20,000 kids who are being deprived - of a choice.
Posted by Edspresso at 04:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)April 16, 2008
Modernizing Teacher Unions: Traditional Vs. Green Dot Contract
Detroit News, MI, April 16, 2008
Leaders of the charter school nonprofit group say most teachers are frustrated with 1950s industrial-style union contracts that dictate how most American schools are run.
McCain's Education Choice
Politico, DC, April 15, 2008
Later this spring, say McCain aides, the senator will start trickling out his education positions - many of them holdovers from his last run - and proposals will include empowering parents by offering more school choice.
Florida Lawmakers Spar Over Charter-School Funding, Accountability
Orlando Sentinel, FL, April 16, 2008
The Florida Senate wants to make charter schools more accountable. The House response: OK, as long as the schools get more money.
Proposals Growing For Charter Schools
The Star-Ledger, NJ, April 16, 2008
Interest continues to grow in starting charter schools in New Jersey, even though the state has tightened the reins on which ones will be approved.
Schools Panel To Rule On Charters
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, April 16, 2008
Some have complained that the district is holding charter schools to a higher standard than it holds its own schools - 70 of which have failed to make adequate yearly progress during the last five years.
Allow Teachers, Parents To Force School Reforms
Detroit News, MI, April 16, 2008
Cerveny's transformation was made possible by a rare contract exemption negotiated between the Detroit Federation of Teachers union and the Detroit Public Schools.
Community Is Ready For The Right Charter Schools
Rockford Register Star, IL, April 15, 2008
California opens 100 charter schools a year. Here in Illinois, only 60 charter schools are allowed — period — and lawmakers are fighting to lift the maximum to 100.
Charter Schools Fear Funding Shortfall
KGMB9, HI, April 15, 2008
They claim lawmakers are not giving charter schools enough money. And unless something changes very soon they will have less money per student next year than they have this year.
April 15, 2008
April 15, 2008
Shouldn’t Schools Be About the Kids?
New York Times, NY, April 15, 2008
All teachers - tenured or not - who failed to meet improvement goals would be required to spend the summer in a retraining program, and then re-evaluated the following year. No improvement, no job.
High School in Pajamas: Inside Insight
ABC News, April 14, 2008
Insight, which operates as a publicly funded charter school, says it caters to students in a variety of situations -- those who work full time, teens who want to escape peer pressure and teasing…
McCrory and Perdue Should Trust Parents
The Daily Tar Heel, NC, April 15, 2008
North Carolina's charter school initiative is an incredible success. While the number of charter schools in the state is capped at 100, nearly half - three of seven - of N.C. high schools on Newsweek's top 100 U.S. high school lists are N.C. charter or magnet schools.
Opportunity Knocks: Don't Keep Schoolchildren Waiting
San Jose Mercury News, CA, April 15, 2008
After seven months of waiting, William Chavarin recently got the phone call he'd been hoping for: His son, long on the waiting list for the second grade at a well-reputed school, was in.
Merit-Based Pay A Much-Needed Educational Initiative
Greenville News, SC, April 15, 2008
Merit-based pay is a common feature of the private sector. Hard workers and high performers are rewarded. Why shouldn't that be the policy in the public sector as well?
Green Dot's Formula For School Success
Detroit News, MI, April 15, 2008
Local education leaders in Metro Detroit are interested in the Green Dot approach as a model for transforming existing public high schools and opening new ones in Michigan's urban areas. Barr's His formula for school success includes…
Teachers Must Embrace Reform Or Be Run Over By It
Detroit News, MI, April 15, 2008
Detroit Public Schools teachers are following a suicidal path if the union members continue to be the major obstacle to reforming the city's schools.
Thanks For Charter School Support
Chester Daily Local, PA, April 14, 12008
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools (PCCS) applauds state representatives Barbara McIlvaine Smith and Duane Milne for supporting charter school families in spite of special interest group pressure.
April 14, 2008
Uniform - or Straightjacket
Jeb Bush exposes the Florida Supreme Court's "tortured reasoning" for striking down Florida's full school choice program on the grounds that the state's constitution requires that public education be ''uniform.'' Bush notes that "if the appellate court's decision was applied 'uniformly' across the spectrum of government spending, it would end funding of dozens of programs that improve the quality of life for millions of Floridians."
This fall, voters will get to rule on the other aspect of the Court's ruling on school choice, the issue of ''indirect support'' of a religious institution, but the uniformity issue probably won't make it to the ballot. As a result, "too many children are not getting the quality education they deserve because they have few choices. As adults, many of them will lack the skills to succeed in the competitive global marketplace, leaving them dependent on government rather than their own abilities. That is the legacy of opponents of school choice."
The straightjacket of "uniformity" remains cinched tight.
Posted by Edspresso at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)April 14, 2008
More Catholic Schools Closing Across USNew York Times, NY, April 12, 2008
About 1,267 Catholic schools have closed since 2000 and enrollment nationwide has dropped by 382,125 students, or 14 percent, according to the National Catholic Education Association.
From Catholic To Charter Schools
Washington Times, DC, April 14, 2008
At present, the Archdiocese of Washington faces much criticism for its proposal to convert seven Catholic schools into publicly funded nonreligious charters.
Opponents Were Wrong About Impact Of Vouchers
Miami Herald, FL, April 14, 2008
A quality education can change a life. It can lift a child out of poverty and provide young people with the skills to achieve their dreams. Knowing this, how can anyone deny a poor child the right to a quality education?
It's About Carrots And Sticks
Rocky Mountain News, CO, April 14, 2008
Some top performers - namely, several charter schools - may give the district pause. Two of DPS' top 10 elementary schools in growth are charters.
Strengthen Charters To Help Urban Kids
Detroit News, MI, April 14, 2008
However, charter schools are succeeding in shaking up corruption-choked urban school systems and forcing their leaders to consider new ideas.
Governor Should Side With Progress In Charters Fight
Portsmouth Herald News, NH , April 13, 2008
Charter schools are doing important work in New Hampshire, providing quality public school alternatives to students and families who are not best served by their traditional education offerings
Michigan Needs To Encourage The Charter School Movement
Oakland Press, MI , April 13, 2008
One alternative that clearly is working is charter schools. These are public schools open to all students. If the number of applicants exceeds capacity, lotteries are held to determine enrollment.
April 11, 2008
Choice Opportunity for Urban Renewal
The Cincinnati Enquirer's Peter Bronson recently reported on a local "mini-population boomlet. While most of the city has been losing families to suburbs that offer more land, newer houses, lower taxes and better schools, this neighborhood is a magnet for young professionals with large, growing families." Why? Because, as one mother put it, the Ohio voucher program provides a true educational option when the neighborhood "failing school barely has an early childhood proficient literacy rate of 50 percent."
It turns out that one antidote to the great sucking sound of families leaving the inner cities in search of the quality of life - and education - the suburbs purport to offer can be (drumroll, please) full school choice. Concludes Bronson, "Ohio saved the vouchers - and now they're saving a proud old neighborhood in Cincinnati."
Posted by Edspresso at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)April 11, 2008
D.C. Catholic Schools Follow National Trend
Washington Post, D.C., April 11, 2008
The Archdiocese of Washington's plan to give up operating seven of its Catholic schools reflects a national trend outlined in a report released yesterday by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute...
Obama Calls on Parents to Help Students
D.C. Examiner, D.C, April 11, 2008
But he gets some of his loudest applause when he segues to education - and a bit of a lecture to mothers and fathers on how to be parents.
Community Organizing Seen as Help to Schools
Education Week, MD, April 10, 2008
Grassroots organizing efforts to reform schools in seven urban districts are contributing to myriad improvements that include...
How To Evaluate Teachers
New York Sun, NY, April 11, 2008
The schools chancellor, Joel Klein, and the president of the teachers' union, Randi Weingarten, are locked in a bitter debate over whether test scores should be used to evaluate teachers.
Rule Change About Control, Not Education
News & Observer, NC, April 11, 2008
The argument the education establishment uses to support the need for certification and licensure is a familiar one: Only licensed teachers have the skills and training to properly educate our students.
Working with Charters
Daily Breeze, CA, April 11, 2008
For some reason, the Los Angeles Unified School District has a hard time working constructively with charter schools, even though they offer the best hope for raising the educational prospects of kids in L.A.
Charters: Positive Alternative (Fred Crawford)
In today's world, education is the key to one's future. The outlook could be bleak according to the researchers of Educational Testing Services (ETS). A report from ETS's Policy Information Center states that, unless we act now, the "convergence of three powerful socioeconomic forces are changing our nation's future: substantial disparities in skill levels (reading and math); seismic economic changes (widening wage gaps); and sweeping demographic shifts (less education, lower skills)."
Fortunately, South Carolina students today do have some control over their futures. Students can take action on two of these three forces by choosing a school that meets their learning needs, increases their skill level, and offers academic guidance. Deciding on which school to attend may also affect career choices and narrow the wage gap, as well. The South Carolina public education system offers two types of public school choices: traditional and charter.
Traditional and charter public schools are funded by local, state, and federal moneys, except that public charter schools do not receive funding for facilities, transportation and often food services. Neither traditional nor charter public schools can charge tuition or may "pick and choose" their students. Traditional public schools are controlled by a central local governmental authority such as a district school board.
Most traditional public schools operate within a defined attendance area, and may require an application if students enroll outside the defined perimeter. Some traditional school systems also offer opportunities in magnet and alternative schools that exist outside zoned school boundaries. They usually have a special program to offer which makes them an option for some students. Magnet schools are not autonomous, remain part of the bureaucracy of the traditional school system and usually are highly selective of students. All traditional schools are required to comply with district and state regulations. For example, the state mandates the standardization for core curriculum and prescribes textbooks for these schools.
The charter school is a public school of choice operated by an independent board of directors that is focused on one school. Public charter schools operate with freedom from many of the state regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The "charter" establishing each such school is a performance contract with the sponsoring school district detailing the school's mission, program, goals, students served, methods of academic assessment, and ways to measure success. In exchange for freedom from local and state regulations, charter operators must promise to fulfill a set of academic and operational goals laid out in their charter. A charter school's intentions are based on three principles -- autonomy, choice, and accountability.
Like traditional schools, public charter schools are required to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as defined by The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, the main federal law affecting public education. In addition to meeting AYP, charter schools are evaluated by their sponsoring district on how well they meet the goals established in their charter and how well they manage the fiscal and operational responsibilities entrusted to them. If they fail to deliver, they are closed.
NCLB supports the growth of more independent public charter schools. They can focus on a specialized curriculum, serve a special student population, and use progressive or traditional approaches. The first charter school in the United States was founded in 1992 and was renewed upon demonstrating success. The Center for Education Reform cites over 60 studies showing public charter schools accomplishing their goals and reports that 69 percent of independent public charter schools have waiting lists. South Carolina has 31 charter schools currently in operation.
South Carolina parents and students do have educational choice. Furthermore, federal law requires that states and local school districts provide information to help parents make informed educational choices for their children. To ensure successful futures for South Carolina students, every student and parent must have public school choice with options that work -- "one student at a time."
Originally published at greenvilleonline.com. Fred Crawford is principal of Greenville Tech Charter High School.
Posted by Edspresso at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)April 08, 2008
'Risk' Assessment
The essayists over at Cato Unbound this month ask "Can the Schools Be Fixed? 'A Nation at Risk' Twenty-Five Years Later." Richard Rothstein of the Economic Policy Institute throws out the first pitch, arguing in part that the report's premise of declining academic achievement was flase, which in turn "set the nation on a school reform crusade that has done more harm than good." Responses will be forthcoming from FLOW co-founder Michael Strong, the Manhattan Institute's Sol Stern, and the American Enterprise Institute's Rick Hess. We look forward to the conversation!
Posted by Edspresso at 02:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)April 8, 2008
For Education, a Regrettable Conversion
Washington Post, D.C., April 8, 2008
The bottom line is clear, says Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl: The Catholic Church can no longer afford to run a full complement of inner-city parochial schools serving a population that is, by an overwhelming majority, non-Catholic.
Charter School Aid Fair, Officials Say
Asbury Park Press, NJ, April 8, 2008
State education officials defended their formula for aiding charter schools Monday, saying those facilities received the same treatment as other public schools and an overall increase in state dollars.
Academy Making A Difference
Tampa Tribune, FL, April 8, 2008
When Susan Hines learned that a charter school that could accommodate special-needs children was going to open in a rural area of northeast Pasco County, she drove to the location before construction of the school began.
Stronger Schools
Augusta Chronicle, GA, April 8, 2008
Indeed, we hope Bedden and others in education -- at the state as well as local level -- will be open to expanding the range of options parents have in schooling their children
Luckie Wants Moratorium On New Charter Schools
Dayton Daily News, OH, April 7, 2008
State Rep. Clayton Luckie, D-Dayton, said Monday that Dayton already has too many charter schools and that he is proposing legislation to put a moratorium on the establishment of new for-profit charter schools.
Charter Schools Can Save Public Education
Concord Monitor, NH, April 6, 2008
The pressure is on the Senate and Gov. John Lynch to follow in a long line of progressive Democrats who understand that the time has come to save public education ...
Kids These Days: Going Private
Daily Pilot, CA, April 8, 2008
So what is it about private schools that causes these regular folks to stretch their incomes so their kids can have this education?
April 07, 2008
Sticker Shock
In yesterday's Washington Post, Andrew Coulson laid out full school choice as an educationally and fiscally compelling option for DC's public school students who are currently being undereducated - to the tune of $24,600/pupil - by a district "bureaucracy so Byzantine it would give Rube Goldberg an aneurysm." He looks at the ledger more closely on the Cato blog, noting that, ultimately, "the real cost of this dysfunctional system is not measured in dollars and cents but in the hopes and futures it has destroyed."
Posted by Edspresso at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)April 7, 2008
Charter Schools To Receive Multimillion-Dollar Boost
New York Sun, NY, April 7, 2008
Charter schools that have been struggling to find homes in New York will receive a boost today from the Bush administration, in the form of a multimillion-dollar grant.
School Choice - Now More Than Ever
Wall Street Journal, April 5, 2008
So news that Sol Stern, a veteran advocate of school choice, is having second thoughts about the ability of market forces to improve education outcomes is noteworthy.
Fund Charter Schools Equally
Asbury Park Press, NJ, April 7, 2008
The state's charter schools never have been treated as equals of traditional public schools when it comes to state aid. Gov. Corzine's new school funding formula will leave many of them further behind.
The Real Cost Of Public Schools
Washington Post, D.C., April 6, 2008
So why force most D.C. children into often dilapidated and underperforming public schools when we could easily offer them a choice of private schools?
'Fund The Child' Plan Would Help Schools
Columbus Dispatch, OH, April 6, 2008
Phillis' charge that "Fund the Child" is simply an attempt to get more money for public charter schools, including the seven sponsored by Fordham, is ludicrous.
Hopewell Academy Served A Purpose
Tampa Tribune, FL, April 6, 2008
It looks as if Hopewell Academy, which abruptly closed its doors on Friday, was a victim of pending budget cuts in the school district and that is unfortunate.
Turf Face-Off May Be In Store For L.A. Schools
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 7, 2008
A vocal group of teachers, students, parents and community organizations say the charter school will impede Fairfax's rise by taking up needed classrooms and creating logistical headaches.
Minneapolis: Is the Choice Worth Funds?
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN, April 6, 2008
The program sends some 2,000 city students to nine suburban school districts at an annual cost of $7 million.
April 04, 2008
April 4, 2008
Minding King's Words
Washington Times, D.C., April 4, 2008
Today, that dream must extend to our inadequate, segregated system of education. It is the moral mandate of the 21st century - the civil rights edict of our time.
Dropout Rate "Catastrophe"
Denver Post, CO, April 3, 2008
According to a new study by America's Promise Alliance, 17 of the nation's 50 largest cities had high school graduation rates lower than 50 percent. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, whose wife, Alma, chairs the alliance, calls it a "catastrophe."
Charter Schools Exist To Provide Local Control And Flexibility
The Citizen, GA, April 3, 2008
However, if the criminally incompetent Clayton County School Board capriciously denied this application and chose to keep these children trapped in their broken traditional public school, the local group would have no other avenue to seek approval for their petition.
Vouchers Likely To Win Support
Washington Times, D.C., April 4, 2008
School-choice supporters appear likely to win a sizable victory in this year's General Assembly (MD).
Still Needs Improvement
Boston Globe, MA, April 4, 2008
Uneven performance is the tarnished sign of education reform in Massachusetts. Again yesterday, the state took its customary position at or near the top of the nation's list for overall student performance.
Just 12% Of Idaho Parents Would Choose Public School If Had A Choice
Renew America, D.C., April 4, 2008
A poll commissioned by the prestigious Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and co-sponsored by the Idaho Values Alliance found that only 12% of Idahoans would chose a "regular public school" if they had a full range of options.
April 03, 2008
April 3, 2008
A Schools Veteran Girds for a Broader Battlefield
New York Times, NY, April 3, 2008
And yet she has embraced other of their ideas, like charter schools and bonus pay programs, that unions, and some of her own members, have long opposed.
Defending Home-Style ABCs
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 3, 2008
... Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pledged to support new legislation allowing home schooling if the decision is not reversed. Meanwhile, the ruling has forged a rare alliance of religious and secular home schoolers.
Missouri Teacher Pay Hike In Peril
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO, April 3, 2008
The bill now includes: scholarships for autistic children who attend private schools; a provision that allows school districts to consider other factors besides experience for salary levels; and a portion that requires ...
Amendment Could Sink Charter School Measure
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, April 3, 2008
A bill designed to make it easier to create charter schools over the objections of local leaders passed the Georgia Senate on Wednesday. But the vote was not necessarily good news for supporters.
From Catholic Schools to Charters: What's Left?
Washington Post, D.C., April 2, 2008
The bottom line is clear, says Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl: The Catholic Church can no longer afford to run a full complement of inner-city parochial schools serving a population that is, by an overwhelming majority, non-Catholic.
PCS Debates Growth Proposal
San Jose Mercury News, CA, April 3, 2008
Trustees for the nation's top public charter school debated Wednesday whether to grow enrollment at Pacific Collegiate School in order to reduce teacher workload, keep class sizes small, diversify the student body and grapple with an anticipated $100,000 cut in state revenue.
The Luck Of The Draw
Providence Journal, RI, April 3, 2008
Lottery Day in the state’s public charter schools yesterday brought anxiety and hope to thousands of families waiting to hear whether their children would be among the lucky ones. At Paul Cuffee Charter School, the lottery unfolded in a low-key manner.
Jindal Avoids Calling It Voucher Program
The Times-Picayune, LA, April 2, 2008
So far, Gov. Bobby Jindal's push for a $10 million New Orleans private school scholarship program has been low-key and scant on details. Jindal also has avoided one of the most politically combustible terms in education: voucher.
April 02, 2008
April 2, 2008
City Students Less Likely To Graduate Than Suburban Kids
Los Angeles Times, CA, April 2, 2008
The report by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center found that about 75% of the students in suburban districts received diplomas, but only 58% of students in urban districts did.
Blaine On Trial
National Catholic Register, CT, April 1, 2008
Ever hear of the Blaine amendment? It’s sort of obscure, but it remains one of the last remnants of bigotry in the statute books. Some court cases are finally beginning to tackle this shameful legacy.
Home School Ruling Should Strike Fear
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, April 2, 2008
Home schooling is an important component of Georgia's educational framework. Many thousands of families across the state school some 40,000 children in their homes.
Charters Both Public And Accountable
Chicago Daily Herald, IL, April 2, 2008
The recent confusion about charter public schools is an unfortunate result of a law that has allowed too few of these public schools to operate in Illinois.
N.Y. Parents Must Unite To Demand Better School Choices
New York Daily News, NY, April 2, 2008
… but my mother is a fighter. She believed that education was a civil right, and that, as a matter of principle, she should not have had to pay to have her kids attend an adequate school.
Taking Exception
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, April 2, 2008
Are these repeated audits really undertaken out of legitimate educational concerns, or are they influenced by political opponents who see the success of charter schools like CCCS as a threat to their less innovative and less effective way of educating students?
April 01, 2008
April 1, 2008
Charter Schools Are Positive Alternative
Greenville News, SC, April 1, 2008
Fortunately, South Carolina students today do have some control over their futures. Students can take action on two of these three forces by choosing a school that meets their learning needs, increases their skill level, and offers academic guidance.
Status Quo Must Go
Augusta Chronicle, GA, April 1, 2008
The Professional Association of Georgia Educators is displeased with the direction the General Assembly is taking regarding reforms of the public school system.
Official: Corzine's Plan Shortchanges Students
Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ, April 1, 2008
Charter schools believed they would get more support under Gov. Jon S. Corzine's new school funding plan, but now that detailed figures have been released many say their students are being financially shortchanged.
Public School 123 Space Spat Pits Eva Moskowitz Against Harlem Parents
New York Daily News, NY, April 1, 2008
Like many of those running the publicly funded, privately run charters that have taken up residence in a portion of an existing public school, Moskowitz has her eye on classrooms in Public School 123...
Management 101
New York Sun, NY, April 1, 2008
We have high confidence in the competence and idealism of the union's top brass. It has taken a big risk in the school and deserves the right to run it the way it wants to and to work things out as it sees fit with the parents who are, in effect, its customers.
What, Why And Where Are These Schools, And Why Aren't There More?
Providence Journal, RI, March 31, 2008
Q: What is the difference between a charter school and a typical public school? A: Both are public and financed with public money. However, charter schools are autonomous and each one operates as though it were its own one-school district.
