NATIONAL

After Complaints, Gates Foundation Opens Education Aid Offer to All States
New York Times, NY, October 28, 2009
Naturally, the 15 states were delighted. But the other 35, not so much. Some officials complained that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was trying to handpick the winners of the Department of Education’s $4 billion grant competition, known as Race to the Top. The National Conference of State Legislatures was one of several groups that relayed objections.

Good for Some, Good For All: Anti-Charter School Diehards Are Stripped Of Their Last Argument
New York Daily News, NY, October 28, 2009
A groundbreaking report demolishes the last argument of the dead-enders who refuse to acknowledge the remarkable promise of city charter schools.

How Charters Help Kids ‘Left Behind’
New York Post, NY, October 28, 2009
A BLOCKBUSTER study released last month by a team of researchers led by Stanford economist Caroline Hoxby proved beyond any reasonable doubt that students who attend New York City charter schools achieve higher math and reading proficiency.

FROM THE STATES

Arizona

State Supreme Court Upholds Corporations’ Diverting Income Taxes For Private Schools
Arizona Star, AZ, October 28, 2009
The state’s high court on Tuesday upheld a 3-year-old law that lets corporations divert some of their state income taxes to help students attend private and parochial schools.

California

L.A. Unified to Allow Parents To Initiate School Reforms
Los Angeles Times, CA, October 28, 2009
Under the superintendent’s school-control resolution, low-performing campuses can be forced to undergo major changes if a majority of parents demand it.

California’s Charter Schools Show Strong Growth
Sacramento Bee, CA, October 28, 2009
Charter schools - a major component of President Barack Obama’s education reform crusade - appear to be thriving in California. The California Charter Schools Association says that 88 new charter schools opened their doors this year, pushing the total to 809 schools and approximately 341,000 students or about 5 percent of California’s public school enrollment.

District of Columbia

Rhee Has Asked How To Regain Teachers’ Trust, Principals Say
Washington Post, DC, October 28, 2009
Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, facing a showdown Thursday with the D.C. Council over layoffs and budget cuts, has asked principals what she can do to “regain the trust” of the school system’s teachers, some principals say.

Florida

Charter School Plans Push
Tampa Tribune, FL, October 28, 2009
Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School administrators and board members hope an intense recruitment plan will increase school enrollment by almost 50 percent next year.

Georgia

Controversial Commission Wins National Award
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, October 27, 2009
Georgia’s newest charter schools authorizer has received a national award for growing campuses focused on excellence.

Louisiana

Education Leaders Call ‘Race To The Top’ Hearing
The Advocate, LA, October 28, 2009
State education leaders plan to hold a public hearing on Nov. 5 to discuss Louisiana’s bid for up to $250 million in a federal contest.

Maine

MEA Misleads Public About Charter Schools
Central Maine Morning Sentinel, ME, October 28, 2009
In the Oct. 12 article on the Public Charter School Forum, Chris Galgay, president of Maine Education Association, said, “It’s never been explained to us why we even need (charter schools) in Maine.”

Michigan

Latest Charter School Expansion Bid: Pay Ransom
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, October 27, 2009
The legislative defenders of this state’s public school unions and establishment - including horrendously failing school districts like Detroit’s - recognize that they can no longer just stand in the schoolhouse door blocking the exit of students seeking a real education someplace where learning actually occurs.

New York

Advocates: Charter Cap Risks Aid
Albany Times Union, NY, October 29, 2009
New York state will soon reach its cap on charter schools, a limit charter proponents say could cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid.

Oklahoma

Charter School Aims For Clarity
Tulsa World, OK, October 28, 2009
Dove Science Academy officials said Tuesday that “misunderstanding and misinformation” are behind the Tulsa school board’s decision to not renew the charter school’s contract.

Pennsylvania

N.J. Nonprofit To Help Train Charter School Boards
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, October 28, 2009
Foundations Inc., a nonprofit in Moorestown, is using a $25,000 grant to develop a training program for charter school boards.

Rhode Island

Task Force Issues Recommendations For Urban School Districts
Providence Journal, RI, October 28, 2009
Offer a quality pre-kindergarten education to students in the five urban districts. Expand the time that students spend learning. Develop alternative high schools and middle schools for struggling students. Create zones of innovation that encourage urban districts to create different kinds of schools.

Wisconsin

Doyle Announces Bill To Let Mayor Take Over MPS
The Journal Sentinel, WI, October 27, 2009
Milwaukee’s mayor would have the power to not only appoint the city school system’s superintendent but also set its annual tax levy under a legislative proposal Gov. Jim Doyle detailed Tuesday.