Are Charter Schools A Civil Rights Failure?
National Journal, February 8, 2010
A study released last week by the Civil Rights Project at the University of California, Los Angeles, concluded that although charter schools are a political success, they are a civil rights failure.

FROM THE STATES

Alabama

Charter: Don’t Let Sound Concept Die
Jackson Clarion Ledger, AL, February 9, 2010
Legislation that would allow for start-up charter schools or for converting failing schools to charters is alive in the Senate after at least 14 bills addressing charter schools have died in the House.

Arizona

Panel Approves Bigger School Tax Breaks
Sierra Vista Herald, AZ, February 8, 2010
A House panel refused Monday to limit who can get scholarships for private and parochial schools that are paid for with money that otherwise would go to the state.

California

School Staff Says No to Charter To Safeguard State Funds
Pasadena Star-News, CA, February 8, 2010
Staff at Pasadena Unified School District will recommend that the district board reject a petition for an Aveson Charter School in Northwest Pasadena, claiming the school could siphon millions of dollars away from the financially strapped district, Chief Academic Officer Alice Petrossian said Monday.

Colorado

Nearly One in Three Colo. Graduates Needs Remedial Courses In College, Study Finds
Denver Post, CO, February 9, 2010
About one in three first-year college students needs remedial help in at least one core subject, according to an annual report by the Colorado Commission for Higher Education.

District of Columbia

Why is Obama Killing Off D.C.’s Voucher Program?
Washington Post, DC, February 8, 2010
The Obama administration said it was going to respect science and respond to evidence — a contrast, many Democrats said, to the previous regime. So why is President Obama killing off the program that offers the best chance to find out if school vouchers work?

Florida

Boca Raton Considering Measure to Take Over Schools
Sun Sentinel, FL, February 8, 2010
Boca Raton’s public schools could be the subject of a takeover attempt by the city government, starting with Boca Raton High despite strong teacher opposition.

Georgia

Perdue: Teachers Support Merit Pay, Leaders Should Listen To Rank And File
Rome News-Tribune, GA, February 8, 2010
ATLANTA — Quoting results of a survey completed by 20,000 Georgia teachers in December, Gov. Sonny Perdue said Monday that teachers overwhelmingly support his proposal for performance pay and that the leaders of education organizations should pay attention to their members.

Bills Address Teachers’ Pay, How To Punish Cheaters
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA, February 8, 2010
House and Senate lawmakers have filed bills in support of two of Gov. Sonny Perdue’s major education initiatives this year. One would tie teachers’ pay to students’ performance. The other would make it a crime to cheat on state tests.

Louisiana

Jindal’s Education Proposal Getting Mixed Reviews
Monroe News Star, LA, February 9, 2010
A proposal to reduce red tape in education released last week by Governor Bobby Jindal has some area educators intrigued and others skeptical.

Group Awaits OK on Charter
The Advocate, LA, February 9, 2010
A local nonprofit organization is awaiting word whether or not its charter school application will be reconsidered by the Lafayette Parish School Board.

Nevada

Nevada Governor Calls Special Legislative Session
Las Vegas Sun, NV, February 9, 2010
Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons on Monday called for education reforms, smaller government and a special Feb. 23 session of the Legislature to deal with an $880 million deficit that he largely blamed on lawmakers disregarding his budget proposals last year.

New Jersey

Defending the Value of Charter Schools
Princeton Packet, NJ, February 8, 2010
Charter schools are a lifeline for families who seek an alternative to traditional public schools, a reality that a Jan. 27 editorial in this newspaper discounts by questioning funding for the Princeton International Academy Charter School.

New York

Charter School Parents, Students Hear From Supportive Lawmakers
Legislative Gazette, NY, February 8, 2010
A deafening roar filled the Convention Hall in the Empire State Plaza Feb. 2 as several students from New York City and western New York school districts rallied to raise or eliminate the state’s cap on charter schools.

NYSUT Takes On Charter Schools
Buffalo News, NY, February 9, 2010
Amid fierce controversy, New York State United Teachers slowly is making headway in unionizing charter school teachers.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Panel Passes Pay Proposal
The Oklahoman, OK, February 9, 2010
A House panel gave unanimous approval Monday to a measure that proposes a performance pay pilot program in six school districts across the state.

Pennsylvania

For Schools, New Teacher Contract Is Just the Start
Philadelphia Daily News, PA, February 9, 2010
THE NEW contract between the union and the School District of Philadelphia demonstrates a willingness to work together by both teachers and administrators.

Wisconsin

Virtual Schools Fast Filling Up
Superior Telegram, WI, February 8, 2010
Only a week into Wisconsin’s open enrollment period, the state’s virtual schools already report they’re near their cut-off point for applications.

HOPE Christian Schools Go Quietly About Business of Teaching
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, February 8, 2010
The HOPE network began in 2002 with 50 students in an elementary school facility. Now the nonprofit is running three schools that serve about 600 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Almost all of the students participate in Wisconsin’s private school voucher program, meaning that HOPE receives about $6,400 in public funding per qualifying pupil.