Rise to the Top Program Prioritizes Reform
Washington Examiner, DC, December 16, 2009
Recently, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg threatened to sue the state legislature if it did not fund charter and public schools equally, promised to close the lowest-performing 10 percent of the city’s public schools, and ordered the city schools chancellor, Joel Klein, to essentially ignore the state legislature’s ban on using student test scores when evaluating teachers for tenure. That’s an aggressive stance, even by the high standard already set by his administration in recent years.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan Says Merit Pay Should Be Tied to Student Growth
US News & World Report, December 15, 2009
With billions in stimulus funding, Education Secretary Arne Duncan has more power to create change in the nation’s schools than any of his predecessors.

Thinking Anew About Teacher Tenure
Education Week, MD, December 15, 2009
In most cases, the track for K-12 teacher tenure is too short, and tenure itself is too long. Yet in policy movements such as the federal Race to the Top reforms, as well as in foundation-supported education initiatives, little or no mention has been made of this fundamental obstacle to improving instruction: unlimited teacher tenure.

Education Stakes High in 2010 State Elections
Education Week, MD, December 15, 2009
Regardless of how voters cast their ballots in the 2010 elections, the nation will witness a sea change in state leadership-and, potentially, big changes in the direction of education policymaking.

FROM THE STATES

California

Put Power Over California’s Schools in Hands of Parents
Los Angeles Times, CA, December 16, 2009
Let me tell you about my recent trip to Sacramento. It is a story about why we need a revolution. Earlier this month, Senate leaders introduced a “parent trigger” into California’s “Race to the Top” education reform legislation.

Bass Sells Out School Kids In Favor Of Teacher Unions
Mercury News, CA, December 15, 2009
Assembly Speaker Karen Bass’ feet are so firmly planted on the wrong side of school reform that it makes me wonder what on earth could make the first black woman leader of the California Assembly turn a blind eye to the plight of minority children in public schools. The sad answer: Her Democratic caucus’ loyalty to unions.

The Union that Stole Christmas
Pacific Research Institute, December 16, 2009
The holiday season is upon us, but California’s schoolchildren won’t be receiving many gifts this year-at least not from their lawmakers or teachers’ unions.

Florida

Race to the Top … A Defining Moment For Florida’s Schools
Naples Daily News, FL, December 15, 2009
On Jan. 19, Florida will take a historic step toward helping our country reclaim a worldwide leadership role in the academic preparation and performance of our students.

Georgia

Mixed Reaction To Commission’s Approval Of Seven New Charter Schools
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, December 15, 2009
Approval of seven new state commission charter schools this week caught some Georgia school districts by surprise and increased fears some already had about their budgets.

Study Says Georgia Dropouts Cost Almost $5 Billion; Natives Twice as Likely to Drop Out as Transplants
Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, December 15, 2009
Georgia’s 38,000 high school dropouts in the class of 2007 will cost taxpayers $4.8 billion over their lifetime due to costs associated with incarceration, Medicaid and other government programs, according to a new study released by the Friedman Foundation and the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.

Illinois

Federal Bucks Would Help Education, Budget
Herald & Review, IL, December 16, 2009
In the Illinois state budget for education, $400 million is a lot of money. The state has a chance to secure that amount from the federal government, but there is some work to do.

Massachusetts

Whose Needs Come First In Schools?
Boston Globe, MA, December 16, 2009
AT FIRST GLANCE, it’s a relatively minor matter - but in fact, we’ve just seen a demonstration of the way the devil in the details could cripple efforts to reform underperforming schools.

Education Bill Weakened, Critics Say
Boston Globe, MA, December 16, 2009
Over the past two months, more than 20,000 teachers and their supporters have bombarded Beacon Hill with letters, e-mails, and telephone calls, urging legislators not to give superintendents unprecedented authority to ignore union rules as they overhaul troubled schools.

Nevada

Jump Starting A Proposed Academy For The County’s Top Students
Las Vegas Sun, NV, December 16, 2009
Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act nearly eight years ago, public schools have focused on raising the test scores of their lowest achieving students.

Oregon

Oregon Earns A ‘C’ For Its Charter Schools
The Newberg Graphic, OR, December 15, 2009
A national advocacy group for public charter schools gave Oregon a “C” grade. The Washington D.C.-based Center for Education Reform ranked Oregon 20th in the country in terms of providing children with access to charter schools. A total of 11 states earned that grade.

Pennsylvania

Center for Education Reform Grades Charter School Laws
Erie Times-News, PA, December 14, 2009
Pennsylvania’s charter school law has earned a B grade from the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Education Reform, which advocates alternative education, including charter schools.

Rhode Island

Public Charter Schools No Threat To District Public Schools
Providence Journal, RI, December 16, 2009
The Rhode Island Board of Regents recently approved its 2010-11 budget, which includes an additional $7.3 million in aid for public charter schools.

Tennessee

Governor Calls For Special Session On Education
Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN, December 15, 2009
Gov. Phil Bredesen today said he is calling for a special session to address K-12 issues including tying teacher tenure to student performance and also to address changes in higher education funding.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The End of the Education Debate
Education Next, December 15, 2009
The education-reform debate as we have known it for a generation is creaking to a halt. No new way of thinking has emerged to displace those that have preoccupied reformers for a quarter-¬century - but the defining ideas of our current wave of reform (¬standards, testing, and choice), and the conceptual framework built around them, are clearly outliving their usefulness.