Obama to Defend Education Policies to Critics
Associated Press, July 29, 2010
President Barack Obama is defending his administration’s education policies, responding to criticism that so far they have not substantially helped minority students

Education Reform and Stimulus Spending
Daily Caller, DC, July 28, 2010
One of the heated debates taking place in Washington D.C. is whether the federal government should give states $10 billion to save teacher jobs as part of an additional stimulus package.

The Obama Education Revolution
National Review Online, July 28, 2010
Duncan’s remarks yesterday were centered on the notion that the Obama administration is leading a “quiet revolution” in education. But the requirement for states to garner union support to be eligible for a Race to the Top grant has blunted the potential for meaningful reform.

FROM THE STATES

Florida

Carrollwood Public Charter School Teaches New Tools
Tampa Tribune, FL, July 28, 2010
He hopes to bolster math, science and technology skills with a new charter school in his name, opening in August in Carrollwood. The A.T. Jones Math, Science and Technology Academy is a public school for children in kindergarten through fifth grade that also emphasizes languages and global thinking.

Illinois

When Kids Can’t Wait
Chicago Tribune, IL, July 28, 2010
We don’t know if Washington’s system is the best, or the best-executed. We do suspect that if every U.S. district took this much care to eliminate its weakest employees, more students would emerge from public schools with educations that qualify them to compete successfully in the 21st century.

New Hampshire

GOP’s Kimball Would Cut as Governor
Nashua Telegraph, NH, July 29, 2010
On education, Kimball wants to make legal across the state local property tax vouchers that parents can take and use to send their children to any school, public, private or parochial.

New York

‘Hard Truth’ on Education
Wall Street Journal, July 29, 2010
Erasing years of academic progress, state education officials on Wednesday acknowledged that hundreds of thousands of children had been misled into believing they were proficient in English and math, when in fact they were not.

Charter School Takes ‘Progressive’ Approach
Riverdale Press, NY, July 28, 2010
District 10 parents can now add a new charter school to their list of options.

How One Public Charter School Beat the Odds: Harlem Success Students Continue Strong Performance, Even After State Adjusts Scoring
PR Newswire, July 28, 2010
Even after New York State dramatically raised the “cut scores” needed to pass key math and reading exams, one public charter school in Harlem continued to show strong academic results due to the combination of hard work, effective teacher-parent partnerships, innovative school design and a top-to-bottom commitment to quality classroom instruction.

Oklahoma

Race to the Top Bypasses State
The Edmond Sun, OK, July 28, 2010
Nineteen finalists were recently announced in the second round of the $4 billion Race to the Top competition, but once again Oklahoma was left out.

Pennsylvania

Philly School Reorganization Continues
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA, July 29, 2010
In the latest shakeup of her administration, Philadelphia School Superintendent Arlene Ackerman has dismantled the long-held regional division of schools, redeployed top administrators, and hired a new chief public information officer.

Washington

Lesson Needs to Be Learned from Consensus Race to the Top Bill
News Tribune, WA, July 29, 2010
A wise man who bore many scars from his battles over school reform gently disagreed. I had suggested to him in March that the state was better off with no Race to the Top bill than with the tepid version presented to the state House and Senate.

Race to the Top: a Halfhearted Attempt by Washington State
Seattle Times, WA, July 29, 2010
In the Race to the Top federal education competition, Washington state started out behind and offered less. It doesn’t take an athlete to know that’s not the way to win, or even stay in the game.

West Virginia

West Virginia Punts on Education Reform
Charleston Daily Mail, WV, July 29, 2010
THE federal government named 18 states and the District of Columbia as finalists Tuesday in the second round of competition for $3.4 billion in Race to the Top funding for effective educational experiments.

VIRTUAL EDUCATION

Parents Choose Cyberschool Over Merged School
WJAC Johnstown, PA, July 28, 2010
After the merger of two Westmoreland County schools some parents decide to cyberschool the children.