Obama Defends Teacher Policy
Wall Street Journal, July 30, 2010
President Barack Obama on Thursday delivered a fresh call to hold teachers accountable for student achievement, defending his administration against complaints from unions, civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers.

Civil Rights Groups are Picking the Wrong Fight with President Obama
Washington Post, DC, July 30, 2010
There is, it turns out, something more galling than teachers unions fighting against proposals that would improve education for students in the worst-performing schools. At least the teachers unions are, presumably, acting in the economic self-interest of their members.

FROM THE STATES

Florida

Polk County District Sued By Charter School Association Over Cuts in Services
The Ledger, FL, July 30, 2010
The Polk County Charter School Association filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Polk County School District , asking a Circuit Court judge to stop the district’s plans to cut certain services to charter schools.

Georgia

The School They Dreamed Of
WALB-TV, GA, July 30, 2010
Some south Georgia education activists and parents who wanted more school choice are getting what they dreamed of.

Kentucky

Louisville Businessman Running for Governor
Lexington Herald Leader, KY, July 30, 2010
Hoping to win support within the Tea Party movement, a Louisville businessman who advocates for charter schools and a state lawmaker are forming a Republican slate to run for governor and lieutenant governor next year.

Louisiana

The State of N.O. Schools Outlined
Times Picayune, LA, July 30, 2010
Five years after Hurricane Katrina, Tulane University’s Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives has issued a report praising the New Orleans public schools for academic improvements but cautioning that many problems must be addressed if progress is to continue.

Orleans Parish School Board Holds Property Auction Over Mayor’s Objections
Times Picayune, LA, July 30, 2010
Over the objections of Mayor Mitch Landrieu, the Orleans Parish School Board went forward with a surplus property auction Thursday, netting almost $2.8 million.

Maryland

City School Board Fought Against Charter Schools
Baltimore Sun, MD, July 29, 2010
In “City school system ready to take the next step” (Commentary, July 22), Jim Campbell points out the successful opening of charter schools in the city, but prior to Mr. Alonso’s arrival, the city school board, including Mr. Campbell, right after the state charter law was passed in 2003, strenuously fought new charter school applications and, most importantly, their full funding as required by state law.

New Hampshire

Gubernatorial Candidate Stephen Says He Can Control Spending, Lead
Foster’s Daily Democrat, NH, July 30, 2010
Stephen also spoke against health care reform and said education should become a local issue and a local decision. He expressed his favor of a school voucher system and an increase in home schooling and charter schools.

New York

School Tenure Crackdown
Wall Street Journal, July 30, 2010
New York City principals are getting tougher: They denied tenure or continued the probation of a record 11% of teachers in the school year just ended, according to Department of Education data released Thursday.

Pennsylvania

Neumann Parents To Form New School
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA, July 30, 2010
St. John Neumann Regional Catholic School in Lawrenceville closed last month, but some parents are still hoping to send their children to a faith-based elementary school in the neighborhood this fall.

Vermont

Can’t Afford to Drop Out of Education Race
Burlington Free Press, VT, July 30, 2010
The state Education Department’s decision to stay out of the federal Race to the Top competition can be seen as one more consequence of Vermont’s worrisome resistance to big change when it comes to anything to do with our local schools.

West Virginia

Education Reforms
The Register-Herald, WV, July 30, 2010
In all of the hub-bub that was created by the death of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, the state sadly fell behind again when it comes to the issue of education reform.

VIRTUAL EDUCATION

Calvert Virtual Academy Introduces Next Generation in Homeschooling
PR Newswire, July 29, 2010
Calvert School is delighted to introduce Calvert Virtual Academy (CVA), a virtual school option for middle school students. Calvert Virtual Academy students will learn at home in a robust online learning environment that includes assignments, self-paced assessments, threaded discussions and multimedia activities, video and audio exercises, and evaluations.

Finalists Announced for K-12 Online Teaching Award
Miami Herald, FL, July 30, 2010
Teachers from Florida , Georgia and Virginia have been named finalists for a new online teaching award. The winners of the national competition - created by the Southern Regional Education Board and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning - will be announced in September at a meeting in New Orleans .