NATIONAL

Groff Chosen To Lead National Charter School Group
Denver Post, CO, July 2, 2010
Former Colorado Senate President Peter Groff was picked to head the nation’s largest charter school advocacy group the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

House Passes $80 Billion War Spending Bill
New York Times, NY, July 2, 2010
The House approved a war spending bill on Thursday with a provision that would include $10 billion to help school districts avoid educator layoffs, paying for the effort, in part, with $800 million in cuts to several of President Obama’s key education initiatives.

Education Jobs Bill At Center Of Royal Rumble
National Journal, DC, July 2, 2010
Lawmakers, Unions, Reformers And The Education Department Are Going At It Over $10 Billion To Avert Layoffs

FROM THE STATES

California

Charters, Teachers Vie To Take Over L.A. Unified Schools
Los Angeles Times, CA, July 2, 2010
The district is inviting bidders to run poorly performing and new campuses with 35,000 students. More than 80 groups submitted letters of intent for new or low-achieving schools for fall 2011.

Louisiana

9 New Orleans Charter Schools Are Granted Extensions
Times Picayune, LA, July 1 2010
The Pierre A. Capdau school received a new three-year charter and eight other New Orleans schools received charter extensions of one or two years, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education decided Thursday.

Maryland

New Ehrlich-Kane Ticket Visits Baltimore Charter
Baltimore Sun, MD, July 1, 2010
Freshly chosen lieutenant governor candidate Mary Kane accompanied former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. to a Baltimore charter school this afternoon, their second public appearance since teaming up last night. They were in Silver Spring this morning.

Nevada

Plans for New Charter School in Works
The Record-Courier, NV, July 2, 2010
In the wake of Sierra Crest Academy ’s charter revocation, which was effective June 30, supporters of the closing school are banding together to form a new charter school in Carson Valley.

Sandoval’s Education Plan Should Excite Nevada’s Parents
Nevada Appeal, NV, July 2, 2010
The really interesting thing here is that with the exception of school vouchers, Rory Reid’s education reform plan sounds pretty much the same. Of course, the school voucher private option provision is the key to any true, serious reform - which makes Rory Reid’s education reform proposal not really serious. It’s like saying you can have any car you want, as long as it’s a Yugo.

New Jersey

New Leader of NJCSA Helped Grow Number of Charter Schools in Illinois
New Jersey Newsroom, NJ, July 1, 2010
The New Jersey Charter Schools Association has chosen a new leader credited with helping grow the numbers of charter schools in Illinois .

New York

Two Schools Tell Different Tales
Wall Street Journal, July 2, 2010
At the heart of Chancellor Joel Klein’s strategy to close failing New York City schools is a belief that demographics don’t predict destiny.

North Carolina

Charter Critics Create Cynics
Carolina Journal, NC, July 2, 2010
Much of the mainstream media has been quick to identify the shortcomings of North Carolina ’s public charter schools. But when legislators, special interest groups, and state education officials undermine charter school operations or funding, it can be difficult to find a media outlet willing to cover the story. It is almost as if the media is complicit in a coordinated campaign to discredit charter schools. Nah, that would make me a cynic.

Oklahoma

Legislation Helps Special-Needs Students in Oklahoma
Edmond Sun, OK, July 1, 2010
At the end of the Oklahoma legislative session in May, Oklahoma took a giant step in improving the educational opportunities of special-needs children.

Rhode Island

Highlander Charter School Reauthorized For 3 More Years
Providence Journal, RI, July 2, 2010
After two months of controversy, education officials voted Thursday to grant a three-year extension to a popular city charter school rather than a one-year extension initially proposed by Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist.