NATIONAL

Obama Enlists Governors To Raise The Education Bar
Washington Post, DC, February 22, 2010
President Barack Obama wants academic standards for America’s high school students raised, and he’s applauding a program from the nation’s governors that works toward those goals.

No (Tenured) Teacher Left Behind
Wall Street Journal, February 22, 2010
School reformers generally agree that the most important education resource is the teacher. But one of the biggest obstacles to putting a good instructor in every classroom is a tenure system that forces principals to hire and retain teachers based on seniority instead of performance.

Demanding Education Freedom Now
Daily Caller, DC, February 22, 2010
Education is the great equalizer. Today, however, there are millions of American children stuck in thousands of deteriorating government schools.

FROM THE STATES

Delaware

Take Time To Determine Whether Your School Is Effective
News Journal, DE, February 21, 2010
Each day, parents throughout the state demonstrate a high commitment to their role of parenting children by helping them to prepare for school.

Florida

Tax Credit Scholarship Program Gives Students A Second Chance
Tampa Tribune, FL, February 20, 2010
The legislative push this year to strengthen a learning option for poor and struggling schoolchildren strikes a refreshing political balance.

Georgia

Learning Curve: Winning the Lottery
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, February 21, 2010
As the final name was drawn in a lottery Friday for kindergarten slots at the new Avondale charter school, Camille Robinson leaned forward. Fifty-nine slots of 60 had been filled and she had yet to hear her 4-year-old son’s name.

Merit Pay For Teachers Can Work
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, February 21, 2010
As a teacher, I’ve been encouraged by the spirited debate among educators and policy-makers around performance compensation (or “merit pay”) for k-12 public school teachers.

Louisiana

Too Hard on the Big Easy?
Monroe News Star, LA, February 21, 2010
Arne Duncan was right the first time, and anybody
even vaguely familiar with New Orleans’ old and
crumbling public schools knew just what he meant.

Massachusetts

Education Gets More Political
South Coast Today, MA, February 20, 2010
Recent reform legislation that doubled the number of charter school seats in the neediest school districts is an important step forward for public education in Massachusetts. But the commonwealth has taken two steps backward thanks to disastrous changes to the way Massachusetts sets education policy.

New Jersey

Good N.J. Teachers Should Speak Up For Merit Pay
Star Ledger, NJ, February 21, 2010
The New Jersey Education Association makes it easy to conclude that most public school teachers in New Jersey are lousy or mediocre. They must be, because they’re willing to settle for the same pay the lazy, unprepared and uninspiring slug in the chaotic classroom across the hall is getting.

New York

Let Mayor Lead City Schools
Democrat and Chronicle, NY, February 22, 2010
Mayor Robert Duffy is responsible for promoting the social and economic welfare of the City of Rochester. Let’s give him the tools to do the job. Let’s give Duffy authority over public education in Rochester.

Ohio

On-line Schooling Grows in Ohio
Cincinnati Enquirer, OH, February 21, 2010
This month’s snow storms and “calamity days” off from school didn’t affect a small but growing segment of area students whose classrooms are found not in school buildings, but in their own homes.

Oklahoma

Is Performance Pay Worth It In State?
The Oklahoman, OK, February 21, 2010
Recently, the Oklahoma House of Representatives unanimously approved a performance pay pilot program in six districts across the state. House Speaker Chris Benge said, “This legislation will allow us to reward teachers who are going above and beyond to improve student performance.”

Oregon

State Lawmaker Wants Removal of Virtual School Enrollment Limits
WTAQ, OR, February 21, 2010
A state lawmaker says an enrollment cap for virtual schools needs to be removed. Current state law authorizes virtual school programs to limit enrollment to just over 5,200 students. State Representative Brett Davis (R-Oregon) says the cap could be reached within the next two years.

Vermont

The Disappearance Of Public Schools
Cougar News, VT, February 19, 2010
A fresh, educational reform is sweeping the U.S. and leaving Vermont in the Jurassic period of traditional public schools. What is this reform and why haven’t many MMU students heard of this?