It was an odd feeling, sitting in a room populated more by cameramen and field trip participants than press for Secretary Arne Duncan’s Newsmakers speech at the National Press Club this morning. Perhaps they had heard it all before (he has delivered the same talking points since February). Perhaps it was just a Friday.

The speech - like the Secretary - was friendly, upbeat, likable. It delivered some hard facts, but left you smiling, hopeful.

The approach seems to be to talk and talk about the solutions to come, but never really illustrate the problems (and never deliver details).

I won’t bore you discussing something you can read and watch for yourself, but here are a few notes I found interesting:

More “It’s all about the Benjamins”

Reform in Education — an Oxymoron
San Diego Daily Transcript, CA, May 28, 2009
Parents and educators are anxious to learn how President Obama will reform U.S. education. His campaign promises could be tough to implement within the bureaucracy of local and state school systems. The hierarchy of teachers and administrators is ruled by the unions that do not like changes.

Duncan: States Could Lose Out on Stimulus Cash
New York Times, NY, May 29, 2009
States will hurt their chance to compete for millions of federal stimulus dollars if they fail to embrace innovations like charter schools, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Thursday.

Profound Shift In Kind Of Families Who Are Home Schooling Their Children
USA Today, May 28, 2009
Parents who home-school children increasingly are white, wealthy and well-educated — and their numbers have nearly doubled in a decade, a new federal government report says. What else has nearly doubled? The percentage of girls who are home-schooled. They now outnumber home-schooled girls by a wide margin.

The Selling of School Reform
The Nation, May 27, 2009
It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke: Al Sharpton, Newt Gingrich and Mike Bloomberg–all failed presidential hopefuls–arrive at the White House for a joint meeting with President Barack Obama. Upon leaving the Oval Office, they convene a press conference on the White House lawn.

Stop Alienating D.C.’s Teachers
Washington Post, D.C., May 29, 2009
Regarding Marc Fisher’s May 21 Metro column, "Getting Through to Kids, if Council Stays Out of the Way": D.C. Deputy Mayor Victor Reinoso missed a golden opportunity to foster a spirit of partnership with D.C. Public Schools teachers.

D.C. Should Create Its Own School Voucher Program
Washington Examiner, D.C., May 29, 2009
Thousands rallied in DC earlier this month to save a federal program that helps low-income families afford private schooling. On the same day, President Obama signaled that he opposes school vouchers, but will seek funding so that students already attending private schools may continue to do so through the end of high school. When they’ve graduated, the voucher program would die. That isn’t good enough.

Enrollment Drop Dooms Private School’s High School
Tulsa World, OK, May 29, 2009
When more than half of the high school students didn’t enroll for next fall, administrators at Grace Christian School made the tough decision this week to close the high school. "This year alone we had 60 students withdraw," Superintendent Ken Stewart said. "They simply didn’t have the money to be here. We had not had those problems prior to this year."

Charter Exec Defends Salaries
Denver Post, CO, May 29, 2009
The director of a Pueblo-based charter-school network that is opening a school in Denver defended his annual salary of $261,732 that makes him among the highest paid K-12 educators in Colorado.

WHEN MassINC Speaks, It’s Well Worth Listening.
Boston Globe, MA, May 29, 2009
After all, the nonpartisan think tank has established itself as a thoughtful, careful, credible voice on public policy in Massachusetts.

N.J. Court Approves Shift in School Funding
Wall Street Journal, May 28, 2009
New Jersey’s Supreme Court has ruled the Corzine administration’s new system for funding schools is constitutional, a major step toward ending the system of special help for 31 urban school districts that has been a sore spot for many taxpayers and politicians for decades.

Helping More Children
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 29, 2009
Tears being shed over yesterday’s state Supreme Court ruling that ends an education funding formula that favored New Jersey’s 31 poorest school districts are premature. If implemented properly, the landmark decision will ensure that extra dollars follow poor students, no matter which school they attend.

Community Turns Out For Charter School Talk
Gary Post Tribune, IN, May 29, 2009
An administrator and two school board members went on the defensive for Duneland School Corp. on Thursday night at a well-attended community information meeting for the proposed Discovery Charter School.

Grateful to Graduate: Charter School Is Safety Net For Some
Duluth News Tribune, MN, May 29, 2009
Two years ago T’Nise Harper was a high school dropout and pregnant. Thursday night the 19-year-old received her high school diploma. She was one of 10 students honored at a graduation ceremony for Lake Superior High School, a Duluth charter school that sometimes serves as the final net for students in danger of dropping out of the education system altogether

Senate Bill Supports 21st-Century Skills
eSchool News, May 29, 2009
States offering students curriculum options that integrate key 21st-century skills would receive matching federal funds through an incentive bill introduced in the U.S. Senate May 13 by West Virginia Democrat John D. Rockefeller IV.

No Charters for Kids of Board Vice-Chair
Washington Post Blog, D.C., May 28, 2009
Brian W. Jones, vice chairman of the D.C. Public Charter School Board, was finishing up his testimony at the D.C. Council’s confirmation hearing today for an old friend and colleague, Kerri L. Briggs, the Acting State Superintendent for Education, when he mentioned that he was the father of two school age children. Where do they go to school? Chairman Vincent C. Gray asked.

Mayor Won’t OK Charter School Bill
Toledo Blade, OH, May 28, 2009
Mayor Carty Finkbeiner yesterday said he would not approve a Toledo City Council ordinance strongly urging the city plan commission to strip Glass City Academy charter school of its ability to relocate in a former west-side synagogue.

Doing Better for Charter Schools
News & Observer, NC, May 29, 2009
Proposed legislation in the General Assembly has been touted as the first step in that forward momentum. But close inspection of the bill has left some wondering whether the measure inadvertently could mean "one step forward and two steps back" for the state’s charter school movement — particularly for those schools serving low-income and at-risk students.

Senator Asks BESE to Think About Funding
The Advocate, LA, May 29, 2009
In a surprise move, a Senate leader Thursday asked leaders of the state’s top school board to re-examine their plan to freeze basic state aid to public schools at current levels. Senate Education Committee Chairman Ben Nevers, D-Bogalusa, made the request at the end of a committee hearing on legislation that is backed by Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Editorial: Legislature’s Cutting of Florida Virtual School Penny-Wise, Pound-Foolish
TC Palm, FL, May 29, 2009
The evidence is in: Virtual schools that serve K-12 students save money and increase learning opportunities. Unfortunately, the nearsighted Florida Legislature still lacks a clear vision for online education.

Too Much of Good Thing? The Limits of Choice
Indianapolis Star, IN, May 29, 2009
There has been a great deal of talk and some strong positions taken on the growth of charter schools in Indiana. The governor, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction and The Star’s Editorial Board support the unlimited growth of charter schools. However, as superintendent of a school district affected by 17 charter schools, I requested at the beginning of this year’s legislative session — and I am still asking for — a moratorium on new charter schools in Marion County for the new two-year budget cycle.

The Governor on Vouchers
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN, May 28, 2009
Our editorial board met briefly with Gov. Mitch Daniels this afternoon. The still-unfinished state budget was the primary topic. Public school officials will not be pleased to learn that the governor continues to push for the "school scholarship tax credit" — a thinly disguised voucher bill. The governor termed the $5 million-a-year price tag as "almost insignificant."

No Tax Hike Before Reform
Chicago Tribune, IL, May 29, 2009
As Democratic leaders search for an answer, Republican leaders are finding their voices and pushing for reform legislation. If they hold together as a group, they have a tremendous opportunity to force major changes in how Illinois government spends your money and conducts its business…

New Push Seeks to End Need for Pre-College Remedial Classes
New York Times, NY, May 28, 2009
Like Ms. Martin, more than a million college freshmen across the nation must take remedial courses each year, and many drop out before getting a degree. Poorly run public schools are a part of the problem, but so is a disconnect between high schools and colleges.

More College Grads Join Teach for America
New York Times, NY, May 28, 2009
When school starts next fall, Teach for America will send an unprecedented number of college graduates to teach in poor communities across the country — but not as many as the group would like.

Turning Around Troubled Schools
US News & World Report, May 27, 2009
For years, the Julia Ward Howe School in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood was beset by discipline and academic problems. At one point, only 20 percent of the students at the K-8 public school were meeting state academic standards. In 2008, Arne Duncan, then leader of Chicago Public Schools, was so fed up he approved what usually is seen as a nuclear option: To save the school, he fired the entire staff and put a nonprofit group in charge.

Obama—Who Opposes School Choice—Touts Sotomayor’s ‘Good’ Catholic Education
CNS News, May 27, 2009
President Barack Obama—who opposes school choice in general and whose education secretary last month prevented any new children from entering a school-choice program in Washington, D.C.–touted the fact that his Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, was sent to a Catholic school by a hard-working mother who was determined that her children were going to get a "good education."

Gray and Rhee Still Contesting the Count
Washington Post Blog, D.C., May 27, 2009
D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) and Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee continue their standoff over public school enrollment and funding, with the latest wrinkles involving stimulus money.

KIPP Phila. Gets Grant To Expand Charter Schools
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 28, 2009
Based on its successful track record, KIPP Philadelphia has been awarded a $4.6 million grant from a national investment fund to help reach its goal of expanding to a network of 10 charter schools in the city over the next decade.

SRC Adopts $3.2 Billion Schools Budget
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 28, 2009
The Philadelphia School Reform Commission adopted yesterday a $3.2 billion budget for the 2009-10 school year that funds dozens of new initiatives and moves to shift controversial assessment employees off the district’s payroll.

Charter Schools Not Getting Enrollment Increases
Philadelphia Bulletin, PA, May 28, 2009
Some heads of charter schools in the city are objecting to the Philadelphia School District’s decisions thus far against allowing the schools an enrollment increase for next year.

Ohio’s Largest E-School Fires Teacher
Columbus Dispatch, OH, May 28, 2009
ECOT is the state’s largest online charter school, enrolling more than 8,000 students.
"I don’t think it was the state’s intent to create a second tier of teacher, but in essence, that’s what the state did with their decision to limit a license," Wilson said.

Graduating With Honors: Post-Katrina Reforms Led To Progress In New Orleans High Schools
Times-Picayune, LA, May 28, 2009
There’s been a dramatic change since then, however. The graduation rate for the recovery district’s seven high schools rose to 77 percent this year.

Pueblo Charter Execs’ Pay Questioned
Denver Post, CO, May 28, 2009
Questions are being raised about salaries of the top officials at the Pueblo-based Cesar Chavez Network of charter schools in southern Colorado as the organization seeks to close a school because of financial problems.

Washington Schools Race to the Top
Seattle Times, WA, May 28, 2009
STATES making the most strides to transform their public schools will snag part of a $5 billion federal "Race to the Top" fund meant to push innovation and reform.

Educational Opportunities Abound
Rogers Hometown News, AR, May 27, 2009
There are a number of educational choices for parents in the Rogers area, including a handful of private schools and two public school programs. One, the Rogers School District, is one of the largest districts in the state. The other public schools are the area’s two charter schools, the Benton County School of the Arts and the Northwest Arkansas Academy of Fine Arts.

Detroit Teacher Union Can Commit Suicide or Embrace Reforms
Detroit News, MI, May 28, 2009
The national leader of the American Federation of Teachers union came to Detroit this week to deliver an unprecedented message to teachers: Your union local must change to save your city. We urge Detroit teachers to embrace this goal.

Where Change Begins at L.A.’s Locke High School
Los Angeles Times, CA, May 28, 2009
Green Dot has promised to educate a new generation of Watts students who not only graduate, but graduate ready for college. A visit to its freshman academies, however, shows that major gains don’t come easy, or fast.

LASD Rejects Charter School Foundation’s Offer
Los Altos Town Crier, CA, May 27, 2009
In exchange for exclusive use of the Gardner Bullis School campus, the Bullis Charter School’s foundation offered this spring to donate $3 million to the Los Altos School District. Superintendent Tim Justus said no – at least while the charter remains independent of the district.

Charter Schools Vote: Schools Are For Kids
Central Maine Morning Sentinel, ME, May 27, 2009
Supporters of the status quo are on the verge of winning the battle against innovation at the Statehouse, where the umpteenth attempt to bring charter schools to Maine is just about dead.

Tax Credits OK’d to Replace School Vouchers
East Valley Tribune, AZ, May 27, 2009
State lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to legislation to create yet another program to divert tax dollars to help some students pay the costs of going to private and parochial schools.

Former Sen. Frist Shares Ideas for Better Schools
The Tennessean, TN, May 28, 2009
Former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist visited Milan on Wednesday to share ideas on reforming education as Tennessee students prepare for tougher standards.

Study: Gap in Student Achievement Still There
Metro West Daily News, MA, May 27, 2009
On the 15th anniversary of the state’s landmark Education Reform, more changes are needed to close a persistent student achievement gap, says a study to be released today by the think tank MassINC.

Study Links Teacher Movement to Influx of Black Students
Education Week, MD, May 27, 2009
The best teachers tend to leave when their schools experience an influx of African-American students, according to a study of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., school district published today.

California’s Preschool System Can Be Improved Now, When Resources Are Scarce, and In the Future
RAND Corporation, May 28, 2009
California can improve its early childhood education system in an era of fiscal crisis and lay the foundation for improving access and quality in the future when more resources are available, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

Sotomayor’s Record on Education Scrutinized
Education Week, MD, May 26, 2009
Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Barack Obama’s choice for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, has ruled on a variety of issues with implications for education during her 17 years on the federal bench, including cases relating to racial matters, students with disabilities, and the strip-search of adolescents.

Why Education is Not the Civil Rights Issue of Our Time
Education Week, MD, May 26, 2009
I cannot take EEP seriously because it does not actually have a civil rights agenda other than raising test scores, and it does not have an educational agenda other than threatening or rewarding teachers and principals. This is a publicity campaign, not a civil rights campaign, nor even a campaign for better education.

Performance Pay Can Help Fix Worst Schools
The Tennessean, TN, May 27, 2009
On March 10, Obama gave a speech to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in which he spoke of the urgency of improving the nation’s educational system. And while he did take Republicans to task for failing to support early childhood education, he caught Democratic loyalists off-guard with a strong call for performance-based pay for teachers.

No Proof To Back Performance Pay
The Tennessean, TN, May 27, 2009
Since collaboration has long been found to be a key indicator of school success, teachers and researchers are concerned that individual performance awards based on test scores may tend to increase the frequency of cheating on standardized tests or destroy the collaborative spirit of effective schools.

Top Researchers to Discuss Voucher Effectiveness
Business Wire, May 26, 2009
As the national battle over the fate of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program continues, America’s leading education researchers are set to reveal key evidence about the effectiveness of school choice. The Black Alliance for Educational Options, the Greater Washington Urban League, and the Alliance for School Choice will host an important briefing on school choice research at the National Press Club (National Press Building, 529 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20045) on May 28, 2009 at 2 pm.

School Panel To Vote On $3.2 Billion Budget Today
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 27, 2009
Philadelphia’s School Reform Commission will vote today on a $3.2 billion budget to educate nearly 200,000 public school students next year.

For Minorities, Good Teachers Really Matter
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 27, 2009
One good teacher can change a child’s life. In fact, teachers matter more to student success than anything else that schools do. What we know by experience and common sense, the research confirms: Having a high-quality teacher throughout elementary school can offset, or even eliminate, the disadvantage of a low socioeconomic background.

Broward Schools Show ‘A Little Progress’ In Combating Racial Gaps
Miami Herald, FL, May 27, 2009
Broward schools have made modest progress to meet the goals set nine years ago by a historic racial equity lawsuit — though students at some older, predominantly black schools still don’t have the same resources as newer schools with more white students, according to a report presented to the School Board Tuesday.

Bold Reform Needed In Education
Summit Daily News, CO, May 26, 2009
As another school year ends and another class of students is left behind by a well-intentioned but inadequate public education system, it is critical that we redouble our efforts to close the persistent achievement gap among students of different socioeconomic backgrounds. Bold reform is urgently needed to ensure that the learning needs of all children are met.

Shake-up in Schools Coming Soon
Seattle Times, WA, May 27, 2009
Maybe it was brought on by lean times. Or maybe long-simmering angst about the state of Seattle schools is finally boiling over on its own. But the decision this month to lay off 165 of Seattle schools’ newest teachers in a "last hired, first fired" manner has got some of liberal Seattle suddenly sounding more like a conservative red state.

Down Enrollment Forces Wash. Private School Cuts
Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA, May 26, 2009
Private schools in Washington state are cutting spending to make up for dropping enrollment and more requests for financial aid.

Charter School Busing Cut Draws Ire
Boston Globe, MA, May 27, 2009
Hundreds of students are ferried to charter schools across Boston each day in bright yellow buses, courtesy of the very school district that their families have rejected.

Teachers’ Union Flunks Courses
Boston Herald, MA, May 27, 2009
A teacher’s knowledge of a subject correlates most closely with improving student performance, so professional development becomes important. And by taking additional courses, teachers earn points toward certification and recertification. The problem comes with the MTA’s professional development offerings…

Better Teachers, Better Pay
Indianapolis Star, IN, May 27, 2009
State School Superintendent Tony Bennett has the right idea with his plan to give incentive grants to schools that raise graduation rates. The program, which Bennett is funding with cost savings achieved by his office, will award up to $20,000 to educators at high schools with the biggest increase in 2009-10 graduation rates.

Private Schools Take Different Approaches
Indianapolis Star, IN, May 27, 2009
Here is a look at how a cross-section of metro-area private schools is dealing with a weak economy. According to the state’s Department of Education , there are about 200 private schools in the metro area.

Squeals of Joy at CGLA Lottery
WRCB-TV, TN, May 26, 2009
Every few seconds, another number was called and another celebration ensued. The Shelia Jennings Recreation Center was filled with parents on Tuesday night. Their girls were candidates for the inaugural 6th grade and 9th grade classes at Chattanooga’s first charter school.

Let’s Reward Good Teaching
The Tennessean, TN, May 27, 2009
And if we’re going to ask more of our teachers, we need to give them the proper support. We need to have strong professional development tracks for our teachers, and we need to better identify, train and support our principals and others who hold leadership positions in our schools.

"Asking Price of $10.3 Million"
California Catholic Daily, CA, May 27, 2009
The campus of Loretto High School in Sacramento, the Catholic college-prep school for girls that graduated its last class on May 21, has been sold to a firm that operates 21 charter schools in California.

Convincing Argument for Charter School
Tracy Press, CA, May 26, 2009
She said she went to two classes a week at the rural Tracy school, located more than 10 miles from her home, and took the rest of her courses via the Internet. Rhees, 17, said the 329-student charter school and the new way of learning have helped her.

Charter School Bill Revived in Senate
Dallas Morning News, TX, May 26, 2009
A bill that would lift the long-time limit on the number of independent charter schools in Texas - allowing up to 10 new charter schools a year - was revived in the Senate Tuesday as the original legislation expired in the House.

21st-century School Reform
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, May 26, 2009
OVER the last 10 years, the School District of Philadelphia has been the most discussed, studied, analyzed and critiqued district in the country.

Boost Education; Give Top Teachers 6-Figure Salaries
Arizona Republic, AZ, May 26, 2009
Why does teaching not attract more prospects like that?
Education theorists have pondered that question for a long time. Other countries, especially in Asia, often reward gifted and ambitious "master" teachers with incomes often double (or more) the average teaching salary. Why can’t that happen in the U.S.?

The Charter School Alternative
The Week Magazine, May 22, 2009
With more than 1.4 million students attending charter schools and 426 new charters opening this school year, the charter movement is gaining momentum. Are small, independent schools the future of publicly financed education?

At-Risk Need a Mix of Good Teachers, Social Service Help
Washington Post, D.C., May 25, 2009
We are in the midst of a national debate, its outcome uncertain, over what should be the emphasis of efforts to fix public schools. Some say the focus should be on improving teaching. Only in the classroom, they say, is there a chance to give students — particularly those in poverty — the tools they need to succeed. Others say teachers cannot reach those children until their family lives, shaken by parental joblessness or mental or physical illness, are straightened out by government action.

D.C. School Population Disputed
Washington Post, D.C., May 25, 2009
Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee and the D.C. Council are at odds over projected enrollment for the coming academic year, and the outcome of the dispute could have consequences both for District students and the nationally prominent schools leader.

Inquirer Wins Appeal; Chester Charter School Must Produce Records
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, May 25, 2009
Chester Community Charter School, the state’s largest nonprofit charter, must make public a wide range of information about pay and profits going to its for-profit management company, the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records has ruled.

Charter School Worth A Study
The Daily Advance, NC , May 23, 2009
The Issue : A group of residents on the Currituck Outer Banks is proposing a charter school, Our position: A charter school may fit the unique needs of the OBX population; it’s worth a study.

Law Likely To Increase Student Transfers
Macon Telegraph, GA, May 26, 2009
Public school parents who want to transfer their children to a school across town now have a shot. This month, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed House Bill 251 into law. Starting this fall, students can attend any school in their system as long as it has room and isn’t brand new. The only other option parents had until now was to enroll their children in magnet or charter schools or school choice transfers that allowed children to leave when their home school failed under No Child Left Behind.

No Excuses For Educational Mediocrity
Athens-Banner Herald, GA, May 23, 2009
Many Georgia schools face challenges even before classes start: high student poverty rates, poor facilities, lack of parental involvement or high numbers of students whose native language is not English.

Be Cautious About National Testing
Daily Herald, IL, May 26, 2009
Illinois now is looking to broaden the consensus. Education leaders recently joined a nationwide effort to align requirements for graduates with those of other states, creating a common core of standards nationwide.

Agassi Prep Students Excel, But Few Come From Nearby Neighborhoods
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV, May 24, 2009
Located just east of the intersection of Lake Mead and Martin Luther King boulevards, the charter school is in a neighborhood where one in five residents lives below the poverty line, according to U.S. Census figures.

Area Private Schools Cut Costs As Enrollment Slips
Everett Herald, WA, May 26, 2009
Enrollment is down for the coming year, and schools are cutting spending as more parents ask for financial aid.

Freeing KIPP to Educate More Students Should Be A Maryland Priority
Washington Examiner, D.C., May 26, 2009
They are bright, just like the 330 middle school students who attend. It is the highest performing public middle school in Baltimore City. And in 2006 and 2007, its students earned the highest 8th grade math scores in Maryland. Replicating their success should be a high priority for state legislators.

Private Schools Close As Funding Drops
The Tennessean, TN, May 26, 2009
St. Vincent isn’t the only predominantly black private school that people are mourning. Bridges Academy in East Nashville, much younger at 2 years old, also closed last week due to lack of funds in an economically difficult time.

Take Wider View of Charter School Studies
Indianapolis Star, IN, May 25, 2009
In the past six months, researchers at the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy and the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning have each released a study examining the effectiveness of charter schools in Indiana. Although these two studies, one of which we authored, use somewhat different methods, we find it interesting that two remarkably similar conclusions can be drawn from both reports…

State Still Shortchanging Charter Schools
Asbury Park and Press, NJ, May 24, 2009
Even though charter schools are public schools, and even though the children enrolled in them are public school students, charter public schools have been treated differently and inadequately compared to all other public schools in New Jersey. No charter public school is getting worse treatment this year than Hope Academy in Asbury Park.

Reform, Through the Eyes of New York’s Chancellor
Washington Post, D.C., May 25, 2009
Before D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) took over the city’s public schools two years ago, he paid a visit here to learn about a school system at the center of urban education reform.

The Test For Mayor Bloomberg: Parents Laud Improved Schools But Many Urge Curbing Control
New York Daily News, NY, May 24, 2009
Many New Yorkers have praised the mayor for his work on city schools - citing rising test scores and increasing graduation rates. Frustrated parent leaders across the city acknowledge the gains, but say the mayor has too much control. They want changes that will move them from their backseat advisory role to the driver’s seat.

Virtual School Shift Concerns Few
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, May 24, 2009
One of the state’s oldest and largest virtual charter schools is scheduled to make big changes this year affecting hundreds of students. Yet there have been no noticeable protests and no parental complaints as students from throughout Wisconsin prepare to attend a different school this fall without changing facilities, principal or staff.

Choice for Public Schools
Pasadena Star-News, CA, May 25, 2009
GROCERY shoppers can choose from rows of toilet tissue. An increasing number of homeowners can pick cable, satellite or broadband for their TV programs. Yet in almost every local city, parents cannot send their child to the public school of their choice. That’s because our public school system is bound by arcane rules about district boundaries and public-sector fiefdoms. When it comes right down to it, parents’ school choice for their son or daughter is decided for them to suit the district’s bottom line or a teacher’s union contract.

Choking Charters (Uh, Never Mind)
New York Post, NY, May 26, 2009
was no small-bore measure, either: The bill would have effectively killed New York’s charter-school revolution by mandating that staffers at all charters be union members. Yet Savino claims she had no idea.

Ohio Senate Republicans Look to Slash State Budget By About $1 Billion
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH, May 24, 2009
Republican senators are expected to add money for charter schools on the education side of the budget but probably will scrap Strickland’s "evidence-based" funding model for a per-pupil approach that is used now, Carey, the Finance chairman, said last week.

Bill Introduced to Save D.C. School Vouchers
Washington Examiner, D.C., May 23, 2009
A powerful Republican congressman has introduced a bill to save the D.C. private school voucher program, which is slated to end after this school year without intervention.

Choice Act Untouched In State Assembly
Arkansas Democrat Gazette, AR, May 24, 2009
Without a legislative change to the 1989 School Choice Act, the matter is likely to be left up to a federal judge, who has set a November bench trial. At issue is whether using race in enrollment decisions violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2007 restricted how race can be used in making school assignments, raising questions about Arkansas’ law.

Bennet’s Donors Deliver
Denver Post, CO, May 26, 2009
Michael Bennet’s record U.S. Senate fundraising pace is built on out-of-state donations, Colorado donors concentrated in Denver, and well-heeled associates from his past endeavors in politics and business.

School-Reform Allies Regroup In State Senate
Denver Post, CO, May 24, 2009
With the departure of Senate President Peter Groff, Colorado’s school innovation movement lost a strong and persuasive advocate in the state Capitol who led the charge on a number of key proposals this year.

Lawmakers Consider New Panel To Oversee Charter Schools
Las Vegas Sun, NV, May 23, 2009
Nevada lawmakers are considering creating a new entity to oversee the state’s charter schools, a response to the State Board of Education’s 2007 moratorium on new charter school applications.

Governor Shows Leadership on Early Learning
Seattle Times, WA, May 22, 2009
GOV. Chris Gregoire’s veto of the early-learning portion of the massive education-reform bill won’t win her any new friends — quite a few supporters are now critics — but the move was smart and courageous.

Are Charter Schools Making a Difference? A Study of Student Outcomes in Eight States
RAND Corporation, May 2009
Charter schools are publicly funded schools that operate outside the direct control of local school districts, under a publicly issued charter that gives them greater autonomy than other public schools have over curriculum, instruction, and operations. Their students, or the students’ parents, choose the school rather than being assigned based on residential location. The first U.S. charter school opened in 1992. Since then, the number of charter schools has grown to more than 4,000 in 40 states, and the schools serve more than 1.2 million students.

Capistrano District Poster Child For ‘Broken’ School System
Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy , May 21, 2009
The Capistrano Unified School District is portrayed in a new, 49-minute documentary film as a case study in what is wrong with the American public school system and how politics, misplaced priorities and lack of oversight can derail what should otherwise be a successful institution.