Friday, November 14, 2008

Obama and Big Labor
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 13, 2008
So Obama owes the unions, and he’ll need them to get re-elected in 2012. There’s every reason to believe he’s going to start checking off their wish lists in January.

Three States Eye Bold High School Reforms
Christian Science Monitor, MA, November 14, 2008
Redefining high school is a controversial idea. And it’s just one part of a comprehensive set of education reforms that the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce is urging in order to prepare workers to be competitive in the 21st-century global economy.

Bill Gates’ New Education Plan
Forbes, NY, November 13, 2008
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation summoned 130 or so education heavies (many of them grantees) to Seattle this week to attend the foundation’s gala unveiling of its long-awaited education strategy, the culmination of an intense rethinking process spearheaded by the new education director, Vicki Phillips.

Which School Will Pass the Obamas’ Test?
Washington Post, D.C., November 14, 2008
It’s the talk of the town, in coffee shops, workplaces and classrooms: Where will President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, decide to send 10-year-old daughter Malia and 7-year-old daughter Sasha to school when they move into the White House?

Opening of Fifth Charter Campus Is Cause For Families And Taxpayers To Celebrate
TC Palm, FL, November 14, 2008
It was encouraging to see both Charlie Wilson and Claudia Jimenez at last week’s dedication of Indian River County’s newest charter school, Imagine School at South Vero.

5 Charter Schools Up For Vote
Tampa Tribune, FL, November 14, 2008
TAMPA - Hillsborough County parents are looking at an array of expanded school options with eight new charter schools planning to open in August.

Charter School Exodus From Columbus May Rise
Columbus Dispatch, OH, November 13, 2008
The number of children leaving the Columbus school district for charter schools is projected to surpass the 10,000-student mark this school year, costing the district more than expected, officials reported today.

Despite a Few Miscreants, Pa. Charter Schools A Success
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, November 14, 2008
Recent publicity has focused on several charter schools under investigation for mismanagement and fiscal irregularities. But these scandals are not representative of the largely successful charter-school movement.

Group Pledges 1,300 Scholarships to Phila. Children
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, November 14, 2008
The Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia yesterday announced it would offer 1,300 new four-year scholarships to help low-income families send their children to nonpublic elementary schools in 2009-10.

Vouchers Add Life To Private Schools In City
Times Picayune, LA, November 14, 2008
This year, with the introduction of a new voucher program in Louisiana, Upperroom is a changed place. The small classrooms in the eastern New Orleans church are packed with students, dozens of them taking advantage of the tuition vouchers.

Say No To The Union
Times Picayune, LA, November 13, 2008
When the School Board let the union’s collective bargaining agreement lapse in mid-2006, it was a signal that the welfare of students would take precedence over grownups post-Katrina. Now the union is pushing for the board to approve a new contract.

Making Charter Schools Measure Up
Los Angeles Times, CA, November 14, 2008
When historians write the story of public education in Los Angeles at the beginning of the 21st century, they may well dub this the Decade of the Charter. Since 2002, the Los Angeles Unified School District has added about 120 independent charter schools and another 12 that are affiliated with the LAUSD — more than any other district in the country.

Catholic Schools Struggle
San Antonio Express, TX, November 13, 2008
This year, 124 students are enrolled at St. Leo, down from about 450 students that graduated high school with Pedraza in 1983. Citywide, enrollment in Catholic schools has dropped to 13,717 students this year, down about 3,000 from the all-time high enrollments the system saw in the late 1990s.

Committee Unanimously Opposes Proposed Charter School
Gloucester Daily Times, MA, November 14, 2008
Calling the charter school a "train wreck" for the city, committee members Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution opposing the proposed Gloucester Community Arts Charter School because of a projected loss of more than $2 million in state aid each year that would go to the new school instead of the district.

Charter School Proponents Disappointed By FCPS Denial
Frederick News Post, MD, November 14, 2008
Proponents of a proposed charter school believe they are getting mixed messages from Frederick County Public Schools officials and the Board of Education, which on Wednesday denied approval of an application to create a girls-only school.

More Parents Turning To Charter Schools
WBAL TV, MD, November 13, 2008
More and more Maryland parents are turning to public charter schools because they offer more choices.

Malvern Parents Fight for School Choice
KARK, Little Rock, AR, November 13, 2008
Should you be able to send your child to school in another city? That’s what parents of more than 100 students fought for in federal court today.

Private Schools’ Numbers Down
The Free Lance-Star, VA, November 14, 2008
Several local families, however, put their children in public school only because they couldn’t afford the rising cost of a private education, say officials from area private schools. It’s a nationwide trend as the country faces the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.