Education Dodges Obama’s ‘Freeze’ Pledge
Education Week, MD, February 4, 2010
Despite a pledge to hold down spending on most domestic programs, President Barack Obama called for greater investment in public schools in his State of the Union address as part of a push to renew the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Failure Rate for AP Tests Climbing
USA Today, February 4, 2010
The number of students taking Advanced Placement tests hit a record high last year, but the portion who fail the exams - particularly in the South - is rising as well, a USA TODAY analysis finds.

FROM THE STATES

Alabama

Hearing on Charter Schools Draws Crowd
Montgomery Advisor, AL, February 4, 2010
The issue of whether the state should pass charter school legislation this year pitted two of the most powerful factions in the state — business and education — against one another.

Arizona

Legislature Considers Tax-Credit Overhaul
Arizona Republic, AZ, February 4, 2010
State lawmakers on Wednesday proposed a sweeping overhaul of the private-school tax-credit system that would increase donation limits by at least 50 percent but add key disclosures and more accountability.

California

Race to the Top and Reality
Los Angeles Times, CA, February 4, 2010
In applying for the federal funding program, California’s proposal on how to rate schools’ performance could serve as a national model.

Educators Show Enthusiasm For Charter Schools
Mountain View, CA, February 3, 2010
Charter schools, sometimes a thorn in the side of public school districts, received a pat on the back from none other than the state’s top educator, Jack O’Connell, at a special charter school summit for local educators held Saturday at the county Office of Education in San Jose.

Connecticut

Committee to Examine Education Funding
New Haven Register, CT, February 4, 2010
The state Board of Education will convene a new committee this year to examine a comprehensive overhaul of state education funding, including money for magnet, charter and traditional public schools.

District of Columbia

D.C. Support Needed To Pressure Congress On School Vouchers
Washington Post, DC, February 4, 2010
SENS. JOSEPH I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) haven’t given up on their bid to save the federally funded voucher program that allows low-income families in the District to send their children to private schools.

Do Charter Schools Make A Difference? Check Out This New Video on D.C. Charters
Washington Examiner, DC, February 3, 2010
Charter schools are public-funded and independently run public schools that provide a genuine alternative to the typical dreary, teacher-union debacle found in most big-city public school systems.

Georgia

Jackson Gets Ball Rolling On Charter School Plans
Savannah Morning News, GA, February 4, 2010
State Sen. Lester Jackson is playing matchmaker between local groups seeking to set up special schools for dropouts and a company that runs such schools.

School Voucher Program Would Expand Under Bill
Macon Telegraph, GA, February 4, 2010
A small school vouchers program would be expanded to offer taxpayer-funded scholarships to foster children and military families interested in private schools, if legislation under consideration at the Capitol passes.

Iowa

Tax Credit Cut a Concern for Catholic Schools
KIMT, IA, February 3, 2010
Governor Culver’s “Tax Credit Review Panel” is looking into changing a program called the School Tuition Organization (STO) credit. Right now, taxpayers can donate to it to help fund Catholic and private schooling for eligible families, and in return, the donor gets a 65 percent credit at the end of the year, but the panel wants to lower that to 40 percent.

Indiana

Tax-Credit Scholarship Program Plays Vital Role
Muncie Star Press, IN, February 4, 2010
The new tax credit scholarship program is important educational news to all families in Indiana. The tax-credit scholarship program came about from the special session of the 2009 Indiana Legislature, and it is a small step in the right direction for school choice for Indiana parents.

Massachusetts

Unions Balk at School Aid Program
Boston Globe, MA, February 4, 2010
Although many school districts in Massachusetts have rushed to take part in a federal program that offers new funds in exchange for cooperation on educational reforms, a number of others will have to sit on the sidelines because their teacher unions opted out.

Michigan

Prevent Union Vetoes Of State Policy
The Detroit News, MI, February 4, 2010
There was something a bit sad as Michigan’s Legislature, State Board of Education and school districts scrambled to make reforms to qualify for federal “Race to the Top” funds. It wasn’t just that the state is in dire economic shape; the really distressing fact was the extent to which the state’s drive for school reform could be stalled by an intransigent union.

New Jersey

Christie Advisers Call For Tough New School Rules
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 4, 2010
In a call for change that has raised eyebrows within the New Jersey education community, Gov. Christie’s transition advisers have recommended expanding the number of charter schools, re-evaluating hundreds of education regulations, and radically tightening eligibility for high-school students applying to the NJ STARS college-tuition program

North Carolina

A Double Standard?
Salisbury Post, NC, February 4, 2010
Setting high standards for charter schools is good, but setting double standards isn’t, especially when it comes to statewide education policy. As state education officials revise their rules governing charters, they need to make sure their efforts don’t stumble in the latter direction.

Ohio

Keep Trying: Merit Pay For Columbus Teachers Is A Fair Reward System
Columbus Dispatch, OH, February 3, 2010
Despite seeing mixed results, Columbus City Schools shouldn’t give up on merit-pay bonuses for teachers.

Oregon

Panel Approves Bill To Add Restrictions To Online Schools
Statesman Journal, OR, February 4, 2010
A bill to increase restrictions on online public schools was approved by a key committee in the Oregon Legislature on Wednesday, despite pleas from parents for exceptions to the proposal.

Pennsylvania

Study Finds High School Choice ‘An Illusion’
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, February 4, 2010
Despite offering a dramatically expanded menu of high school choices for students in recent years, most Philadelphia School District pupils still end up in the city’s large and failing neighborhood high schools, according to a new study.

Rhode Island

In Recession, R.I. Debates Help For Private Schools
Providence Journal, RI, February 3, 2010
Educators are criticizing Governor Carcieri’s plan to expand tax credits for businesses that support scholarships at private schools while the Republican wants to cut funding for public schools to close a ballooning state deficit.

Tennessee

Cameron Middle School Needs Charter Sponsorship
The Tennessean, TN, February 4, 2010
Metro Schools is looking for a nonprofit organization to transform Cameron Middle into a charter school starting next fall.

Washington

State’s Entry Idling At Start Line in Race to Top
Seattle Times, WA, February 3, 2010
While 40 states and the District of Columbia have jumped into the high-profile education competition known as Race to the Top, Washington state has yet to reach the start line.