Washington Post:  Divided court limits use of race by school districts

A divided Supreme Court yesterday restricted the ability of public school districts to use race to determine which schools students can attend, a decision that could sharply limit integration programs across the nation.

The nine justices split decisively along ideological grounds, with a five-justice majority ruling that school admission programs in Seattle and Louisville violated the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection to individuals. Educators said the decision may lead many districts to drop efforts at racially balancing schools.

"The lesson of history is not that efforts to continue racial segregation are constitutionally indistinguishable from efforts to achieve racial integration," Breyer wrote. "Indeed, it is a cruel distortion of history to compare Topeka, Kansas, in the 1950s to Louisville and Seattle in the modern day."

Kennedy said that race could perhaps be considered in the tools that school districts use to bring "together students of diverse backgrounds and races." He mentioned magnet schools, "strategic site selection" of new schools, redrawing attendance zones and other measures.

The long-awaited ruling has newspapers across the country analyzing the decision and what it means for schools across the country.  Charles Lane offers an analysis in the Washington Post, while the editorial boards of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post all weighed in on the decision.  The New York Times also offers a glimpse into the integration programs across the country that could be affected and how two programs have been successful.

Miami Herald:  Schools to find out their letter grades

It’s that day again.  When school leaders and administration get to feel what it’s like to be a student coming home with the final report card of the year.  To see how Florida schools fared this year, check out the Florida Department of Education’s school report card.

After weeks of uncertainty, letter grades for Florida schools will finally be released Friday. Though the annual rating of public schools is typically released in mid-June, the process was delayed because of errors in scoring the third-grade reading portion of the 2006 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

Statewide last year, a record 1,466 schools earned an A. In Broward, 157 schools had an A; 179 schools had an A in Miami-Dade.

There have been concerns this year that the number of A schools could decrease — and that the number of F schools could increase — because the science portion of the FCAT will count toward school grades for the first time.

Los Angeles Times:  2 charter schools get one-year reprieve

Two popular charter schools that faced immediate closure because of low test scores won a one-year reprieve Thursday from the Los Angeles Board of Education. Discovery Preparatory high school in Pacoima and Pacifica Community Charter, a kindergarten through eighth grade school in West Los Angeles, will use the time to make the case to local and state officials that their schools are getting better and are worthy of keeping open.

But the news wasn’t all bad. The school board, at the recommendation of staff, simultaneously approved a new one-year charter for each school. Officials acknowledged that to close the schools now would deny their operators due process to appeal first to the county Board of Education and then, if necessary, to the state Board of Education.

Unmoved, board member Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte, a frequent skeptic of charter schools, voted to shutter both. "I know the time is late," she said, "but we have many, many other charter schools that have adhered to this timeline."

Los Angeles Unified oversees 103 charter schools, the most in the nation. The charter office has dealt with 18 renewal petitions this year; 15 have been or likely will be granted.

Court rejects race as factor in school programs - A bitterly divided Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that race cannot be used to decide where students go to school, one of the most important civil rights rulings in years that could affect millions of students nationwide.

2 charter schools get one-year reprieve - Two popular charter schools that faced immediate closure because of low test scores won a one-year reprieve Thursday from the Los Angeles Board of Education. Discovery Preparatory high school in Pacoima and Pacifica Community Charter, a kindergarten through eighth grade school in West Los Angeles, will use the time to make the case to local and state officials that their schools are getting better and are worthy of keeping open.

Backlash on Voucher Funding Portends Battle Ahead - A Republican congressman from Virginia has backed off a bid to increase funding for the school voucher program in the District of Columbia. Aides to Rep. Tom Davis who represents northern Virginia, had initially proposed diverting about $333,000 in a financial services appropriations bill to the D.C. school choice program, but the congressman dropped the short-lived plan amid a storm of opposition from critics of federally funded vouchers for private schools.

Port dumps charter school - The Lorain Port Authority will not finance a controversial project — the expansion of a charter school in Lorain — the port director announced yesterday.  Executive Director Rick Novak said the recent teacher and staff cuts in the Lorain City Schools influenced the port’s decision. Earlier this month, the schools laid-off almost 250 teachers and 26 administrative and support staff members.

Charter school recycles old campus into new home - After six years spent operating out of a local church and a nearby storefront, Lawndale’s Environmental Charter High School will start the fall school season in a home of its own.

Arts school audit shows worsening financial situation - The financial problems faced by the Performing Arts School of Metropolitan Toledo got worse from year to year, according to an independent audit released yesterday. The charter school, at 2740 West Central Ave. and likely to stay closed this fall, had accumulated a deficit of more than $356,000 by June, 2005, the audit said.

Across U.S., a New Look at School Integration Efforts - The Supreme Court ruling striking down voluntary programs to integrate schools in Seattle and Louisville, Ky., left hundreds of school districts struggling yesterday to assess whether they must change policies that use race as a factor in school assignments.

How the Programs Linked to Race Worked in 2 Cities - The Louisville schools, once segregated by law, operated under a federal court’s desegregation order from 1975 until 2000, when the court found that the district had eliminated the vestiges of official segregation “to the greatest extent possible.” The next year, to keep the schools from resegregating, Jefferson County adopted the plan the Supreme Court struck down yesterday.

County mulls charter school - Albemarle County School Board members voiced support for an arts-infused charter middle school Thursday night that would be housed within Burley Middle starting in the fall of 2008.

Vote on vouchers coming - County election clerks will run the Nov. 6 special election on whether to approve school vouchers, and cities and counties will help pick up the tab under directives issued Thursday by Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert.  Herbert said it doesn’t happen often where there are normally scheduled municipal elections at the same time as a special statewide election, and it complicates the process, but hopes a series of 13 directives from his office will settle any confusion.

Schools to find out their letter grades - After weeks of uncertainty, letter grades for Florida schools will finally be released Friday. Though the annual rating of public schools is typically released in mid-June, the process was delayed because of errors in scoring the third-grade reading portion of the 2006 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

Clarke seeks grant to start charter school - A group of business leaders and civic organizations working with Athens Technical College and the Clarke school district want to land a "career academy" here - a special charter school designed to offer advanced career and vocational training for high school students. The state has set aside $15 million to start five such academies, and the Clarke school district voted 7-0 Thursday to place Clarke County in line for a grant.

Park Slope catches charter school fever - A group of Park Slope parents that is concerned about the dearth of good middle schools in the neighborhood is starting a charter school that will draw fifth graders from the Slope, Sunset Park and Gowanus.

‘No Child’ fails the test of reality - Editorial: Not to worry, you’re in good company. The popular Fox TV show routinely stumps the average Joe and the educated elite with questions gleaned from elementary school texts that are, well . . . a little embarrassing to admit you can’t answer. 

New York Times:  Patrons’ sway leads to friction in charter school

The Beginning With Children Charter School, housed in a former factory in Brooklyn, landed on the state’s list of high-performing schools this year, thanks to rising English and math test scores among black and Hispanic students.

But its founders and wealthy patrons, Joseph H. and Carol F. Reich, who have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the school, think it could be better. “It’s above average,” said Mr. Reich, 72, “but considering the effort and the capability and the resources, we don’t feel we’re getting the best we can.”

So last month, the couple — threatening to cut ties, including financial support — forced most of the school’s trustees to resign in a push for wide management changes, and better student achievement.

In an interview, Mr. and Mrs. Reich said they were committed to their original promise of providing children with an education that would lead to success in college and in life. “We promised to build them a model education program that would lay the groundwork for their future,” said Mr. Reich, a retired investment banker. “This didn’t come from nowhere. We were really worried that the school wasn’t delivering.”

Baltimore Sun:  KIPP school to stay open

The saga of KIPP Harborside Academy continues as the school’s board voted last night to keep the school open.  This story continues to exemplify the difficulties that come with starting and operating a charter school in a state with one of the country’s weakest charter laws.  If a well-established and successful charter school organization like KIPP is having this much difficulty, what chance does a community group, educator, or concerned parent have of starting a small charter school?

A week after announcing that an Edgewater charter school would be shuttered, its divided leadership last night formally voted for the school to remain open in a stunning turnaround. But the 3-2 vote by the board of KIPP Harbor Academy left more questions than answers: Where the school would operate? Who would be its principal? And who would staff it since 10 of the 12 teachers have found new jobs?

"We have two teachers and one staff person. … We’re in a very difficult position," said Steve Mancini, a spokesman for the acclaimed Knowledge is Power Program, or KIPP.

The proposal still on the table calls for placing burgeoning enrollment near the school’s current home at Sojourner Douglass College in three portable classrooms, without a gym, cafeteria or bathrooms. School officials earlier yesterday rejected the plan offered by Anne Arundel County school and government leaders as untenable, with Mancini calling it a "cynical ploy" to garner publicity.

"If this was over a bunch of white middle-class children, I guarantee you we wouldn’t be facing this," said Kate Finley, a former teacher who has accepted a new job with a KIPP school in Washington. "My leaving had nothing to do with the parents, teachers or kids at Harbor Academy. I couldn’t stay and work for a district that would treat its own staff and teachers this way."

Los Angeles Times:  Green Dot plans a school in New York

Green Dot Public Schools, the upstart charter operation that has aggravated Los Angeles school administrators and union officials alike with its early successes and expansionist plans, has entered into what it hopes will be a less strident relationship in New York City.

Green Dot founder Steve Barr and Randi Weingarten, president of the powerful New York City teachers union, have reached an unusual agreement to open a jointly run charter high school.  The two are scheduled to announce the collaboration in a news conference at the union’s Manhattan offices today.

"If you really actually believe in kids and believe in their success, those of us in education, we really shouldn’t be in the sandbox fighting with each other. We should be … trying to figure out how to work together," Weingarten said.

Although New York state regulations require that they wait until the charter is approved to work out details, Weingarten and Barr said they expect that the New York teachers will work under a labor agreement similar to the one Green Dot has with its teachers in Los Angeles.  

Group gives Missouri, Kansas bad grades in teacher policies - A nationwide organization says Missouri gets “dismal” marks for its statewide teacher policies. Kansas gets the same ranking from the study, and Oklahoma is marginally better, earning a ranking of “weak but progressing.”

School’s future remains uncertain - The future of the Highville Mustard Seed Charter School again hangs in the balance following actions by the current board that seem to hamstring a new board from taking over…

Bush’s school plan draws support - Some Ohio and Northern Kentucky educators are optimistic about President Bush’s plan to strengthen the No Child Left Behind Act.

Patrons’ Sway Leads to Friction in Charter School - The Beginning With Children Charter School, housed in a former factory in Brooklyn, landed on the state’s list of high-performing schools this year, thanks to rising English and math test scores among black and Hispanic students.

Charter school defends its standards - Although her school has been placed on a watch list for not meeting state and federal standards for achievement, Monroe Alternative Charter School counselor Brenda Davis says there’s more to it than just raw numbers.

High school choice plan unveiled - A new plan to determine which students are admitted to high-demand high school programs was presented to the Minneapolis School Board June 12.

KIPP school to stay open - A week after announcing that an Edgewater charter school would be shuttered, its divided leadership last night formally voted for the school to remain open in a stunning turnaround. But the 3-2 vote by the board of KIPP Harbor Academy left more questions than answers: Where the school would operate? Who would be its principal? And who would staff it since 10 of the 12 teachers have found new jobs?

Science charter schools might conflict within Albuquerque - City Councilor Don Harris and Mayor Martin Chavez want to inspire southeast Albuquerque middle school students and tap into local scientists’ expertise.

Publicly funded tutoring under No Child law boosts student achievement - Taxpayer-funded tutoring for poor children is paying off in some city schools, a federal study has found. Students who received the tutoring under the federal No Child Left Behind law improved on reading and math tests, according to the study conducted by independent researchers for the Department of Education and released Wednesday.

Examples of reforms - Under the federal No Child Left Behind law, the school district can implement reforms that will help improve failing schools. The reforms are designed to close the achievement gap between white and Asian students and the black and Latino students they often outscore, officials said.

Union to Help Charter Firm Start School in the Bronx - Green Dot Public Schools, a charter school operator from Los Angeles, is seeking to expand into New York with the cooperation of the teachers’ union. Under the proposal, Green Dot, which is heavily financed by the billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad, would open a high school in the South Bronx.

Voucher program rests with Strickland - One of the biggest questions in the state budget before Gov. Ted Strickland is whether he will use a line-item veto to reject a new voucher program for students with disabilities. The voucher program would give students with learning-related disabilities up to $20,000 a year for public or private school tuition, depending on the disability.

Person High, charter schools show growth in early test scores - Preliminary state end-of-grade and end-of-course test scores at Person High, Roxboro Community and Bethel Hill Charter schools show student growth, but principals say there is still much work to be done.

Schools Hit the Mark With Higher Testing Goals - Like many elementary schools struggling to make adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind law, North Forestville Elementary in Prince George’s County went all-out this year to increase the share of students rated proficient on the statewide Maryland School Assessment.

People are ready for real education reform - Editorial: The South Carolina Legislature killed real education reform again this year. Instead of education tax credits and scholarships, which Rep. Tracy Edge and Sen. Larry Grooms put forward this year, state lawmakers recently passed a "choice" law that allows students to enroll in different school districts without paying tuition.

Montgomery Schools Chief Says Federal Mandate Is Lowering Standards - Montgomery County School Superintendent Jerry D. Weast said yesterday that the federal No Child Left Behind law has created a culture that has education leaders nationwide "shooting way too low" and that it has spawned a generation of statewide tests that are too easy to pass.

Washington Post:  Council mostly applauds nominee

D.C. Council members and city leaders yesterday gushed praise on Mayor Adrian M. Fenty’s nominee to take over the $2.3 billion public school modernization program, but some were highly critical of the mayor for the secrecy with which he made the choice. Council members questioned Allan Y. Lew during a public roundtable on his nomination and voiced displeasure with Fenty’s lack of consultation in the process for choosing Lew and other appointees.

As chief of the schools modernization, Lew would be paid $275,000 a year, a raise of $25,000 from his sports commission job. He said he plans to manage school construction with the same care he has used with past projects. Lew’s duties would include creating the construction office from scratch.

Lew said he has visited several schools and has seen the damage done by years of neglect. The schools will need an aggressive maintenance program to preserve the school renovations, he said. "If we don’t build in the various warranties . . . three years, two years from now, we will be revisiting the same schools," he said. "It’s almost like not changing the oil in your car. The engine dies."

Philadelphia Inquirer:  Charter schools booming in the suburbs

With only five days of school left, advanced-math fifth graders at Renaissance Academy-Edison Charter School considered a new concept: how to compute the surface area of a juice box.

Such rigorous curriculum and individual attention, administrators say, have boosted the Chester County school’s standardized math and reading scores substantially since it opened in 2000. Last month, the Center for Education Reform recognized that improvement by naming Renaissance a national charter of the year.

Once found almost exclusively in urban centers with dismal academic options, charters such as Renaissance - located in a bucolic corner of the solid-performing Phoenixville Area School District - have become increasingly common in the suburbs.

The nation’s 4,000 charters dot suburbs in increasing numbers, especially in high-growth communities in California, Florida and Pennsylvania, Allen said. Bucks and Delaware Counties have three each; Montgomery has one. (Additional cyber charters based in Chester and Montgomery Counties attract online learners who can reside anywhere in Pennsylvania.)

Los Angeles Times:  Schoolyard secrets (Editorial)

First there are stories across the country about students not getting enough exercise. Parents call for more recess time and exercise.  Now the Los Angeles Times exposes the health risks being covered up at schools nationwide with an anecdote about a contaminated playground at a New Jersey middle school.  With districts cutting down on children’s playtime and covering up health risks at schools across the country, it’s no wonder children today have health issues.

The arrest this month of a reporter, accused of trespassing for taking soil samples at a pesticide-contaminated Paramus, N.J., middle school, is a powerful reminder of our tolerance for official secrecy about environmental health risks at schools.

The story reflects a cynical paradigm about environmental safeguards in our schools — namely the public’s right not to know. The sad truth is that the suppression of environmental health information by government officials is a national scandal. In New Jersey, state law doesn’t require that the public be notified of hazardous contamination at schools or how it will be handled. In California, state watchdogs only have the funding to investigate proposed schools, not existing ones.

Take, for example, my own alma mater — Beverly Hills High School. Four years ago, I began to investigate the possible link between an elevated incidence of cancers among its graduates and the fact that the campus is the site of 19 oil wells, which have brought at least $50 million in royalties to the school district, the city and its residents for nearly 50 years.

In Beverly Hills, the oil wells at the high school are still operating; a lease agreement runs until 2016. And no one is making it easy to find out exactly what chemicals those wells may be emitting; government officials simply insist that there is no safety problem whatsoever.