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.