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News > National News
Education & the Work Force, September 1, 2011
UPDATED: H.R. 2218, The Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act
Updated to reflect bill text for House consideration. -- WASHINGTON, D.C. | September 1, 2011 -
THE PROBLEM: Charter schools empower parents to play a more active role in their child’s education, open doors for teachers to pioneer fresh teaching methods, encourage state and local innovation, and help students escape underperforming schools. Despite high demand and an estimated 420,000 students on charter school wait lists, significant barriers to quality charter school growth exist... more [Return to Top]
Workforce Committee today... more [Return to Top] Education Week, June 22, 2011
Bipartisan Charter Bill Clears House Education Committee
States would be encouraged to create more, high-quality charter schools under a measure that got a bipartisan stamp of approval from the House Education and the Workforce Committee today... more [Return to Top]
City Journal, June 10, 2011
Immune to Reform
Last fall, I took my wife—a well-informed, intelligent professional who unintentionally married into the contentious world of education reform—to see Davis Guggenheim’s documentary about the plight of America’s public schools, Waiting for Superman. She left the theater convinced that our schools face clear problems that have some clear solutions. But she was puzzled about why reforming the system was so difficult. She knew that the teachers’ unions had something to do with what was wrong with the schools, but just how they wielded so much power baffled her... more [Return to Top]
Boston.com, June 6, 2011
Charter school may exit union
Teachers at the first charter school in Massachusetts to form a union are now debating whether to dissolve it, dealing a potential blow to an effort to unionize charter schools statewide... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, May 26, 2011
Six in 10 Texas Seniors Have Been Suspended or Worse, Study Finds
More Texas students have been suspended or expelled than have not, according to a forthcoming study of state trends on school discipline. And the margin isn’t that close... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, May 25, 2011
New Race to Top: $500M for Early Ed., $200M for Round 2 Runners-Up
Education Secretary Arne Duncan will divvy up the $700 million in additional Race to the Top money Congress gave him this year between a new contest focused on early education and the nine runners-up that lost in last year's high-profile state competition, the Education Department announced today... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, May 20, 2011
Ga. Ruling Leaves Charters' Fate Uncertain
With a 4-3 ruling this week from its supreme court, Georgia has become the second state in which a state-level commission created explicitly to approve and oversee charter schools has been struck down by legal action... more [Return to Top]
The Daily, February 10, 2011
PATH TO NOWHERE: Broken school system fails to prep kids for a harsh job market
(Part 2 of 5 in the SAVE OUR SCHOOLS series)
Few things show the importance of education as do America's unemployment numbers. Fourteen million Americans were not working last month, approximately 9 percent of the adult working population. But for dropouts, the unemployment rate was 16.5 percent.... more [Return to Top]
The Daily, February 9, 2011
SELLING KIDS SHORT: A broken education system threatens America's growth
(Part 1 of 5 in the SAVE OUR SCHOOLS series)
A group of leading educators and reformers gathered at The Daily recently to talk about what needs to be done to save our schools. In a special five-part series, we report on the staggering dimensions of the problem, the institutions so resistant to change and the remarkable people determined to rejuvenate the system... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, February 9, 2011
Ind. Teachers Rally Against GOP Education Plan
More than 1,000 Indiana teachers swarmed the Indiana Statehouse Tuesday for a rowdy rally denouncing the sweeping education proposals moving through the Republican-dominated state House and Senate... more [Return to Top]
Gazette.net, December 17, 2010
Charter schools suddenly 'relevant'
AUGUSTA - Supporters of charter schools in Maine think they have reason to celebrate. The governor-elect is pledging to appoint an education commissioner who's a proponent of charter schools and public school choice... more [Return to Top]
Gazette.net, December 9, 2010
New charter school to open on Andrews
A new public charter school opening in fall 2011 on Joint Base Andrews will not only feature staff specially trained to meet the needs of military families, but also, with 35 percent of slots reserved for non-military families, bring the community in to what base commander Col. Kenneth R. Rizer acknowledges can seem like a "fortress"... more [Return to Top]
The Broad Foundation, December 8, 2010
The Broad Foundation Awards $1 Million to Rocketship for National Expansion of Proven ‘Hybrid’ Charter Schools
LOS ANGELES—The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation has awarded $1 million to Rocketship Education, a leading network of innovative K-5 public charter schools, the foundation announced today. The investment will support the first national expansion of a “hybrid school” model – which combines classroom instruction with online learning – helping Rocketship develop the infrastructure necessary to open 30 new hybrid charter schools nationwide by 2015... more [Return to Top]
Los Angeles Times, November 7, 2010
Influence of teachers unions in question
Teachers unions have a well-deserved reputation for exercising political clout. With a nearly unparalleled ability to raise cash and organize their ranks, they have elected school boards, influenced legislation and helped set the public school agenda in major American cities for decades... more [Return to Top]
Education Intelligence Agency, October 18, 2010
How much does the NEA spend on politics?
How Much Does NEA Spend on Politics? I have been asked this question, in some form, at least once a week for the past 13 years. I'm afraid my answer invariably fails to satisfy. I respond... more [Return to Top]
Education Intelligence Agency, October 18, 2010
How much does the NEA spend on politics?
How Much Does NEA Spend on Politics? I have been asked this question, in some form, at least once a week for the past 13 years. I'm afraid my answer invariably fails to satisfy. I respond... more [Return to Top]
The Washington Post, September 22, 2010
Microsoft's Gates joins 'Superman' school mission
TORONTO -- Bill Gates had the good fortune to attend private school, and he sends his children there, too. Yet the Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist has a passion to fix America's public schools... more [Return to Top]
Yahoo! News , September 21, 2010
Chicago Charter Schools Take Top Scores on ACT
CHICAGO, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- District-wide results are in for the recent ACT test, and Chicago public charter schools claim six spots on the list of the top 10 highest scoring non-selective high schools in Chicago Public Schools (CPS)... more [Return to Top]
JSOnline, September 16, 2010
More districts examine charter schools
Area school districts are taking steps toward starting charter schools after the state Department of Public Instruction awarded 17 implementation grants from federal funding Wisconsin received in 2009... more [Return to Top]
San Francisco Business Times , September 10, 2010
KIPP raises $10M match for federal grant, will double over next decade
San Francisco's KIPP Foundation has raised $10 million in matching funds to secure a $50 million federal Investing in Innovation grant... more [Return to Top]
The Boston Globe , September 5, 2010
Coalitions gather for school reform
THERE’S NOT going to be a lot of money around during the next few years to pay for serious changes — such as a longer school day — in Boston’s teacher contract. Instead, someone is going to have to extract school improvements on the cheap out of the Boston Teachers Union... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, August 30, 2010
A Third of Americans Gave the President an A or a B for Improving Schools
In the latest PDK/Gallup poll, 65 percent of respondents said they would back new public charter schools in their community and 60 percent said they would support “a large increase” in the number of such schools operating in the United States... more [Return to Top]
CBS News, August 24, 2010
Race to Top Education Grants Announced (click to watch CBS News video clip)
At a time of strapped school budgets, educators had a shot at grants worth from $75 million to $700 million per state. Nancy Cordes reports on the top winners and how the funds will be used in the winning states... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, August 24, 2010
Updated: Race to Top Round 2: Announcing the Winners
UPDATE: Here's the final, confirmed list of winners. The department has also released the dollar amount each state is slated to receive, and their point score... more [Return to Top]
Community Radio for Northern Colorado , August 23, 2010
Colorado Awarded $40 Million Federal Charter School Grant
DENVER, CO (KUNC) - The U-S Department of Education last week awarded 12 charter school grants totaling more than $136 million dollars. Colorado is set to receive more than $40 million over three years to expand public charter schools in the state... more [Return to Top]
projo.com, August 18, 2010
R.I. to receive federal money to expand charter schools
PROVIDENCE, R.I. –– Rhode Island will receive several million dollars over the next three years — starting with $2.38 million the first year — from the U.S. Department of Education to expand public charter schools in the state... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, August 18, 2010
Study: Fewer Than Half of Black Males Graduate on Time
Only 47 percent of America’s black males graduate from high school on time, according to a new report from a philanthropic organization... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, August 17, 2010
Study: Fewer Than Half of Black Males Graduate on Time
Only 47 percent of America’s black males graduate from high school on time, according to a new report from a philanthropic organization... more [Return to Top]
Boston Globe , August 15, 2010
Surge in charter school requests
The state this year has seen a surge in applications for new charter schools, most targeted for the neediest urban districts, following the passage of legislation last winter that loosened longstanding limitations on their expansion... more [Return to Top]
L.A. Times, August 14, 2010
Grading the Teachers : Who's teaching L.A.'s kids?
A Times analysis, using data largely ignored by LAUSD, looks at which educators help students learn, and which hold them back... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, July 28, 2010
Phase 2 RTT Finalists: Guess It Really Wasn't About Buy-In After All
When Secretary of Education Arne Duncan named the two Race to the Top Phase 1 winners earlier this year, his announcement speech emphasized the extent to which winners Delaware and Tennessee had received near universal buy-in from districts and teachers unions for their state Race to the Top plans. That, combined with comments from some RTT reviewers, led many observers to conclude that achieving widespread buy-in was a requirement for states to win RTT... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, July 27, 2010
Senate Panel Approves Race to Top Renewal
The federal Race to the Top program would be renewed for another year under a spending bill approved today by the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that deals with education spending—but wouldn't receive nearly as much money as President Barack Obama has sought... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, July 27, 2010
18 States, D.C., Named Race to Top Round 2 Finalists
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan picked 18 states and the District of Columbia to advance to the final round of the Race to the Top competition, where 10 to 15 grants totaling $3.4 billion will be awarded in September to applicants he believes have the boldest, most sustainable plans for education improvements... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, June 9, 2010
States Up Ante on Applications for Race to Top
After 39 applicants went home losers from the first round of the Race to the Top competition, many states regrouped and raised the stakes for round two—changing laws to revamp teacher evaluations, drumming up more support from districts and teachers’ unions, and getting more aggressive about turning around low-performing schools... more [Return to Top]
Wall Street Journal, June 5, 2010
Storming the School Barricades
'What's funny," says Madeleine Sackler, "is that I'm not really a political person." Yet the petite 27-year-old is the force behind "The Lottery"—an explosive new documentary about the battle over the future of public education opening nationwide this Tuesday... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, June 1, 2010
Race to Top, Round 2: The Contenders
Michele's got the full list of states posted over at Politics K-12, so we can officially kick off our prognosticating on who the likely victors will be in Round 2 of the Race to the Top sweepstakes... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, May 31, 2010
States Create Flood of Education Bills
DENVER — Democrats backed by the state’s largest teachers’ union nicknamed legislation overhauling Colorado’s tenure and evaluation rules the “teacher scapegoat” bill, and several lawmakers wept in public sessions during their monthlong battle to stop it... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, May 21, 2010
Colorado Overhauls Teacher Tenure System
Gov. Bill Ritter on Thursday signed a bill that will require teachers to be judged on the performance of their students and put their jobs on the line if they fail... more [Return to Top]
New York Times , May 17, 2010
The Teachers’ Unions’ Last Stand
MICHAEL MULGREW is an affable former Brooklyn vocational-high-school teacher who took over last year as head of New York City’s United Federation of Teachers when his predecessor, Randi Weingarten, moved to Washington to run the national American Federation of Teachers. Over breakfast in March, we talked about a movement spreading across the country to hold public-school teachers accountable by compensating, promoting or even removing them according to the results they produce in class, as measured in part by student test scores... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, May 13, 2010
Mike Johnson, Superstar
Big news yesterday out of the West. While at the NewSchools Venture Fund Annual Summit, got word that Mike Johnston's path-breaking teacher quality bill (SB 10-191) had made it through the Colorado House on a 36-29 vote. This, as I've said previously in the midst of the fight over Florida SB 6, is "seriously big stuff." Indeed, Pam Benigno, director of the Education Policy Center at the Independence Institute, called it a "landmark day in Colorado," saying the bill "will align evaluated teacher and principal effectiveness more closely with student academic growth and weaken tenure protections for consistently ineffective teachers."... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, May 13, 2010
Colorado Legislature Backs Teacher-Tenure Bill
Colorado lawmakers on Wednesday passed a landmark change to education law that will require teachers to be judged on the performance of their students and put their jobs on the line if they fail... more [Return to Top]
Google News, May 11, 2010
Several states stay off charter-school bandwagon
BOISE, Idaho — In her small timber town in northern Idaho, Christina Williams enrolled her son in the closest public school because she had few other choices near her home... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, May 4, 2010
Race to Top Hopefuls Seek to Crack 'Buy-In' Puzzle
In the round-two scramble for $3.4 billion in federal Race to the Top Fund grants, the need for school district and union buy-in—a relatively small, but important part of any winning formula—poses a policy puzzle for the competing states... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, April 29, 2010
The Buy-In Myth
Late last month, the U.S. Department of Education announced the first winners in its Race to the Top grants competition, sending shock waves through statehouses across the country. Only Delaware and Tennessee won awards, leaving 39 other applicants—14 of them finalists—out of the first-round money... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, April 27, 2010
Tensions Flare in Race to Top's Second Round
With the second-round deadline for federal Race to the Top Fund grants less than six weeks away, states are rushing to raise the stakes on their education reform plans as they fight over the remaining $3.4 billion in prize money... more [Return to Top]
All Business, April 20, 2010
Pawlenty proposes education bill: Bill includes oft-discussed reforms
Wrapping both recent and long-held education reform ideas into one package, Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Monday proposed a bill that he hopes positions Minnesota for a second shot at millions of dollars as part of President Barack Obama's Race to the Top initiative... more [Return to Top]
Education Week , April 8, 2010
R.I. Ed. Chief: Failing Schools Need Sweeping Change
Failing schools are a drain on the state's already sluggish economy and require wholesale transformation, not just minor tinkering, state Education Commissioner Deborah Gist told lawmakers Wednesday in a speech on education reform... more [Return to Top]
Education Week , March 29, 2010
Local Buy-In Helps Two States Win Race to Top
Delaware and Tennessee beat out 14 other finalists today to win the first-round competition for $4 billion in Race to the Top Fund grants, as U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan delivered on promises that he would set a “very, very high bar” for the economic-stimulus money... more [Return to Top]
The Wall Street Journal, March 16, 2010
Charter Schools and Student Performance
On Saturday, President Obama delivered a radio address on education and he didn't shrink from saying that American high school students are trailing international averages. He sketched out details of a bill his administration is now pushing to revise the No Child Left Behind Act. He proposes to preserve testing requirements but create a better measuring stick, require teachers be evaluated by performance (not credentials), and use carrots instead of sticks to encourage progress... more [Return to Top]
LegislativeGazette.com, March 15, 2010
NY awaits decision in Race to the Top
Although New York was named a Race to the Top grant finalist this month by the U.S. Department of Education, how the department scored the application and the amount of funding that may be coming New York's way are still unknown... more [Return to Top]
Forbes.com, March 11, 2010
Closing the Achievement Gap in Harlem
Geoffrey Canada can barely get a word in. He is surrounded by fourth graders from Harlem, all clamoring to speak. Atypically among their peers, they don't want to talk hip-hop or basketball: They want to discuss exam scores. Last spring they took their first state standardized test. All scored above the New York City average in reading and well above the state average in math. They are living proof his experiment is working... more [Return to Top]
The News-Review, March 9, 2010
Roseburg charter school rises to top in state
Crouched over a row of fava beans in Phoenix Charter School's Learning Garden, Justin Mehling plucked and squashed hungry cucumber beetles during class on Monday... more [Return to Top]
Chicago Tribune, March 5, 2010
Every Urban Prep senior is college-bound
Four years ago, Bryant Alexander watched his mother weep. She stared down at a muddle of D's and F's on his eighth-grade report card and threatened to kick him out. He had barely passed elementary school, and high school wasn't even on his radar... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, March 4, 2010
15 States Plus D.C. Are Named Race to the Top Finalists
And the highly anticipated Round One finalists are...Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, March 3, 2010
Peer Reviewers Winnow Race to Top Hopefuls
In the competition for $4 billion in Race to the Top grants, states have made their best pitches, a secret jury has debated and scored their applications—and now U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan must decide who’s good enough to make it to the final round... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, February 22, 2010
La. Educators to Be Tested in Race to the Top
Educators in Louisiana increasingly will have to prove their worth — quite literally — to advance in their careers, according to the nearly 200-page application submitted last month to President Barack Obama's Race to the Top grant program... more [Return to Top]
EducationNext, SPRING 2010, VOL 10, NO 2
The Unknown World of Charter High Schools
Charter schools have become a popular alternative to traditional public schools, with some 5,000 schools now serving more than 1.5 million students, and they have received considerable attention among researchers as a result... more [Return to Top]
clarionledger.com, February 10, 2010
Bill to allow charter schools OK'd by Senate
The state Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would clear the way for charter schools in Mississippi and sent the controversial measure to the House... more [Return to Top]
Hartford Courant, February 7, 2010
State Must Remove Handcuffs From Charter Schools
Connecticut cannot continue its terrible distinction of having the nation's worst achievement gap. Poor students tested in eighth-grade math in 2009 were more than three grade levels behind their better-off peers. A federal study found that white students in Connecticut score above the national average, but black students score lower, on average, than blacks across the South... more [Return to Top]
JewishJournal.com, February 5, 2010
The Sky Isn’t Falling—-Despite the Hype
Is the growth of the nation’s charter schools a throw-back to the racially segregated schools that once consigned the children of minority families to separate, but mostly unequal, educations? This is the alarming claim today of some civil rights advocates. But raising false alarms is mostly what the advocates of “social justice” do these days—-with or without facts... more [Return to Top]
Mountain View Voice, February 3, 2010
Educators show enthusiasm for charter schools
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... more [Return to Top]
Education Week , January 25, 2010
Study Links Rise in Test Scores to Nations' Output
Relatively small improvements in the skills of a nation’s workforce can have a big effect on its future economic well-being, concludes a new international study that seeks to quantify those benefits... more [Return to Top]
Education Week , January 20, 2010
States Change Laws in Hopes of Race to Top Edge
States across the country rushed to pass legislation ahead of the Jan. 19 deadline for the first round of Race to the Top Fund applications in hopes of boosting their chances in the federal grant competition.... more [Return to Top]
Education Week , January 19, 2010
All But 10 States Throw Hats Into Race to Top Ring
Forty states and the District of Columbia applied for the first round of $4 billion in the Race to the Top Fund competition, which pits states against each other for desperately needed money, bragging rights, and leverage to implement controversial education reforms such as merit pay for teachers.... more [Return to Top]
The Sacramento Bee, January 11, 2010
California Teachers Union in rare legislative loss
The California Teachers Association is used to getting its way. The union that represents 340,000 public school teachers has traditionally been one of the most powerful forces in the Capitol. In the past decade, it spent $38 million on lobbying - more than anyone else in the state... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, December 23, 2009
'Race to Top' Driving Policy Action Across States
As governors and state legislators gear up for a new year of budget action and policymaking, the federal Race to the Top competition is helping to drive a flurry of measures nationwide aimed, at least in part, at making states stronger candidates for a slice of the $4 billion in education grants... more [Return to Top]
L.A. Times , December 22, 2009
Teachers union files lawsuit over charter takeovers
The union representing Los Angeles teachers filed a lawsuit Monday to block the potential hand-over of new campuses to charter schools under the district's groundbreaking and controversial school-reform strategy... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, December 21, 2009
Mich. Legislature OKs Sweeping School Reforms
An effort sparked by hopes of winning up to $400 million in federal money for Michigan schools could have broad implications on educational choice and quality for years to come... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, November 6 , 2009
Wis. Legislature Passes Education Reform Bill
The state Assembly early in the morning Friday passed a bill that removes a ban on using student test results to evaluate teachers in order to be eligible for nearly $4.5 billion in federal stimulus money... more [Return to Top]
KTVZ.COM, November 3 , 2009
Obama coaxes states to change with school dollars
 WASHINGTON (AP) - One year after his election, President Barack Obama is coaxing states across the country to rewrite education laws and cut deals with unions as they pursue his vision for school reform... more [Return to Top]
SanLuisObispo.com, November 3 , 2009
Obama offers schools money for backing initiatives
Pushing for a link between student test scores and teacher pay, President Barack Obama on Wednesday dangled $5 billion in federal grants to states willing to undertake a top-to-bottom overhaul of their schools in support of the White House's priorities... more [Return to Top]
KGW.COM, October 25, 2009
THE INFLUENCE GAME: Gates sways government dollars
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been the biggest player by far in the school reform movement, spending around $200 million a year on grants to elementary and secondary education... more [Return to Top]
masscharterschools.org, October 22, 2009
Harvard/MIT study about Boston Charter Schools
Whether using the randomized lotteries or statistical controls for measured background characteristics, we generally find large positive effects for Charter Schools, at both the middle school and high school levels... more [Return to Top]
courier-journal.com, October 19, 2009
Bills seek to bring charter schools to Kentucky
The idea of charter schools has long failed to gain traction in Kentucky — but that could be changing... more [Return to Top]
The Detroit News, October 2, 2009
School unions are out for themselves
Earlier this year Robert Chanin, the recently retired general counsel for the National Education Association, discussed the effectiveness of teachers unions at a gathering in San Diego... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, October 2, 2009
Nurturing 'School Minds'
As a new school day begins, Donyell Beck praises her 7th graders for forming straight lines and keeping their shirts tucked in... more [Return to Top]
The New York Times, September 30, 2009
Mayor Again Calls for Lifting Cap on Charter Schools
Think the success of the city charter schools is "indisputable"? So says Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who renewed his call for lifting the state cap on charter schools, continuing to center his re-election bid on education...more [Return to Top]
recordnet.com, September 29, 2009
Exceeding aspirations: Charter school in downtown Stockton the definition of success
STOCKTON - Chris Payne keeps a book of inventions, the brainstorming she one day says she will turn into reality. She's guarded about sharing her ideas with you and only will do so if you promise not to tell anybody... more [Return to Top]
KTVZ.COM, September 29, 2009
Gingrich, Sharpton launch school tour in Philly
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Rev. Al Sharpton and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich don't agree on much, but a meeting with a group of inner-city charter school students on Tuesday left them with the same impression: There is hope for improving the U.S. education system... more [Return to Top]
Education Week Blogs, September 29, 2009
Race to the Top Grants: Not Just a K-12 Thing?
States are still waiting for the final rules for the $4 billion Race to the Top grant program, which is meant to reward states for helping to close the achievement gap... more [Return to Top]
The New York Times, September 22, 2009
Study Shows Better Scores for Charter School Students
Students who entered lotteries and won spots in New York City charter schools performed better on state exams than students who entered the same lotteries but did not secure charter school seats, according to a study by a Stanford University economist being released Tuesday...more [Return to Top]
Education Week, September 22, 2009
N.Y.C. Charters Found to Close Gaps
New York City’s charter schools are making strides in closing achievement gaps between disadvantaged inner-city students and their better-off suburban counterparts, a new study concludes... more [Return to Top]
The Wall Street Journal, September 22, 2009
Charter Schools Pass Key Test in Study
New York City students who win a lottery to enroll in charter schools outperform those who don't win spots and go on to attend traditional schools, according to new research to be released Tuesday... more [Return to Top]
The Boston Globe, September 18, 2009
Hundreds descend on State House in support of charter schools
A sea of blue rolled into a State House auditorium yesterday afternoon, as charter school students, teachers, and parents donned light blue T-shirts to trumpet a quote from President Obama: “We must eliminate all charter caps’’... more [Return to Top]
azcentral.com, September 15, 2009
ASU creates K-12 charter schools
Wanting a research pipeline and college-prepared students, Arizona State University officials are creating their own K-12 schools... more [Return to Top]
New York Post, September 14, 2009
Blocking the schoolhouse door
Minority kids try to enter a school. Angry adults scream at them and try to block their path. Little Rock, 1957? Try New York City, 2009. That was the shocking scene last week at a Harlem building shared by a traditional public school, PS 123, and a charter school, Harlem Success Academy 2... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, September 14, 2009
Proposed 'Race to Top' Rules Seen as Prescriptives
As the U.S. Department of Education prepares to fine-tune its rules for the Race to the Top Fund competition, officials face objections from many states, school districts, and teachers’ unions that the federal government is seeking to apply a one-size-fits-all approach to its education improvement efforts... more [Return to Top]
KTVZ.COM, September 9, 2009
States scramble for reform to get stimulus money
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Three cash-strapped states may find themselves left at the starting line in the competition for more than $4 billion in education stimulus funding if they don't amend laws that prevent student test results from being tied to teacher evaluations... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, August 31 2009
California Actions on 'Race to Top' Scrutinized
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to call a special session to better position California for Race to the Top funds may be the highest-profile test yet of whether proposed federal requirements for the coveted grants are likely to significantly reshape state policy... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, August 28, 2009
'Race to the Top' Lessons From New Orleans
As the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top competition focuses new attention on what it takes to turn around failing public schools, New Orleans is proving that the job can be done... more [Return to Top]
The Wall Street Journal, Aug 28, 2009
We're In the Venture Philanthrophy Business
"The unions no longer control the education agenda of the Democratic Party," billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad tells me. I'd say that's debatable. But to the extent it's true, the party has Mr. Broad, a ­self-described moderate Democrat, to thank. The founder of two Fortune 500 companies (real estate giant Kaufman & Broad, now KB Home, and financial service firm SunAmerica, purchased by AIG in 1999) he is devoting his retirement years to philanthropy—primarily K-12 education reform... more [Return to Top]
USA TODAY, Aug 27, 2009
Schwarzenegger Visits Chula Vista School, Lobbies for Stimulus Funds
SAN DIEGO - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is urging state lawmakers to change key education laws so California can secure more stimulus spending. He visited the Chula Vista Learning Community Charter School to get his message across... more [Return to Top]
nola.com, Aug 27, 2009
New poll shows N.O. voters like changes in city's school system
A new survey by the Council for a Better Louisiana shows that, by a wide margin, New Orleanians would prefer to keep public schools under the umbrella of the Recovery School District rather than return them to the control of the Orleans Parish School Board... more [Return to Top]
USA TODAY, Aug 27, 2009
High marks for New Orleans' charter schools
NEW ORLEANS - The devastation of Hurricane Katrina four years ago brought with it many changes for this city, but perhaps its most enduring mark may be the new charter school system that came cascading in during the storm's aftermath... more [Return to Top]
azcentral.com, Aug 26, 2009
ASU charter on track despite economy
Even with hefty support from the Arizona's largest university, Polytechnic Elementary School will stay in an east Mesa office complex until the lending market change... more [Return to Top]
Bloomberg.com, Aug 26, 2009
Charter Schools Gain Support From 64% of U.S. Adults in Survey
Aug. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Public support for charter schools, a component of President Barack Obama’s $100 billion education overhaul, rose to almost two-thirds of Americans this year even as most remained confused about what they are... more [Return to Top]
iStockAnalyst, Aug 26, 2009
41st Annual PDK Poll Reveals Strong Public Support for National Tests, Charter Schools, Teacher Performance Pay, Early Childhood Education, and President's Stimulus Package
BLOOMINGTON, Ind., Aug. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Whether the issue is expanding charter schools or implementing merit pay for teachers, Americans appear to agree with President Barack Obama's plans for education reform, according to the 2009 annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools... more [Return to Top]
stltoday.com, Aug 24, 2009
Charting a new course in education
ST. LOUIS - Every day, Madame Chou Chou escorts a lunch delivery crew down the hall of the new St. Louis Language Immersion Schools on Papin Street, just south of the Central West End... more [Return to Top]
azcentral.com, Aug 7, 2009
In charter school push, Arizona gets $54 mil grant
Arizona has been awarded a $54 million federal grant to expand top-performing charter schools and foster new ones across the state... more [Return to Top]
FOR RELEASE: July 29, 2009
U.S. Education Department awards $82 million in charter school grants to five states to increase public school options
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) today announced the award of five charter school grants, totaling $82 million, to state education agencies in Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Tennessee and Wisconsin to increase public school options in those states... more [Return to Top]
The Wall Street Journal, July 24, 2009
Obama to Unveil Guidelines for New Education Fund
Aiming to spark a new round of change in the nation's schools, President Obama is expected to tell states on Friday what they need to do to qualify for part of a $5 billion pool of new federal funding... more [Return to Top]
kptv.com, July 24, 2009
Obama Offers 'Race To The Top' Contest For Schools
Using money as bait, President Barack Obama challenged states and school districts Friday to raise their academic standards, improve teacher quality and allow more innovation if they want a chance at roughly $5 billion in new grants... more [Return to Top]
The Wall Street Journal Digital Network, July 17, 2009
Charter Schools Gain in Stimulus Scramble
Some cash-strapped states and school districts are signaling a major expansion of charter schools to tap $5 billion in federal stimulus funds, despite strong opposition from some teachers unions.... more [Return to Top]
mainebusiness.com, June 30, 2009
US Ed. Secretary Duncan Chides Maine Legislators
After the Maine Senate voted twice in June to defeat public charter school legislation, US Secretary Duncan called on the Maine Legislature to “act in the best interest of students and open doors to education entrepreneurs, like those running charter schools.” He said, “Many charter school operators are today’s top education innovators and entrepreneurs. Children need more high-quality educational options”... more [Return to Top]
ChicagoTribune.com, June 22, 2009
A rising force in Hispanic Chicago
The recent dedication rally for a new school on Chicago's working-class Southwest Side drew a long list of political heavyweights, including the governor, the Illinois Senate's top Republican and some of the mayor's highest-ranking Latino aides... more [Return to Top]
registerguard.com, April 18, 2009
Charter planning grants awarded
Three of Lane County’s four applicants for federal charter school planning grants learned this week the money is theirs... more [Return to Top]
KTVB.com, January 10, 2009
Luna Supports Lifting Limit on New Charter Schools
TWIN FALLS -- Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna is supporting an effort to raise the cap on the number of new charter schools that can open each year, saying the limit could deny children some educational opportunities... more [Return to Top]
California Charter Schools Association, December 18, 2008
Number of California Charter Schools Hits 750
The California Charter Schools Association today announced that 75 new charter public schools opened their doors for the first time this fall, bringing the total number of California charter schools in operation to 750 charter schools, serving approximately 276,000 public school students... more [Return to Top]
The Washington Post, December 15, 2008
Charter Schools Make Gains On Tests
Students in the District's charter schools have opened a solid academic lead over those in its traditional public schools, adding momentum to a movement that is recasting public education in the city... more [Return to Top]
Daily Trojan, December 12, 2008
Foundation creates 22 new charter schools
 The Inner City Education Foundation announced plans Wednesday to create 22 new public charter schools in the 45-square-mile area between USC and Los Angeles International Airport to spur economic development in South Los Angeles... more [Return to Top]
Los Angeles Times, November 11, 2008
Charters lead state's traditional schools in achievement for poor children, survey finds
The burgeoning charter school movement in California has largely made its mark as an alternative to low-performing inner-city schools. An analysis being issued today suggests that, at their best, charters are doing that job well, outperforming most traditional public schools that serve children in poverty... more [Return to Top]
KTRV Fox 12 News, September 18, 2008
Idaho to help charter school developers
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - The Idaho Department of Education plans to help people who are trying to develop charter schools as an alternative to the traditional public school system... more [Return to Top]
KTRV Fox 12 News, September 18, 2008
Students at KIPP perform better, study finds
Since their founding in 1994, KIPP public charter schools have won high praise from educators and politicians - some say bordering on worship - for their apparent success in helping poor children of color excel in school... more [Return to Top]
Baltimore Sun, August 24, 2008
Maryland Begins to Embrace Public Charter Schools
Despite a slow start for public charter schools in Maryland, except for the city of Baltimore, local districts in the state are starting to embrace them... more [Return to Top]
HeraldNet.com, August 21, 2008
If allowed to, 'no excuses' schools will flourish
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Seated at a solitary desk in the hall outside a classroom, the slender 13-year-old boy with a smile like a sunrise earnestly does remedial algebra, assisted by a paid tutor. She, too, is 13. Both wear the uniform -- white polo shirt, khaki slacks -- of a school that has not yet admitted the boy. It will, because he refuses to go away... more [Return to Top]
News Journal, August 4, 2008
Obama and McCain Speak of Their Support for Public Chartering
Last week at the 2008 National Urban League Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain both spoke of their support for public charter schools... more [Return to Top]
The Oregonian, July 25, 2008
Money available to help new charter schools get going
Citing Oregon's track record of holding charter schools accountable for results, the U.S. Department of Education gave Oregon a $9.5 million grant Thursday to help spawn more charter schools across the state... more [Return to Top]
SFGate, April 21, 2008
Oakland: School works to close achievement gap
That's all Monarch Academy, a small Oakland charter school, needs this year to reach the state's target of 800 on the 1,000-point scale used to judge, reward or punish a school... more [Return to Top]
New York Post, April 20, 2008
The New Threats to Charter Schools
THE State University board of trustees just approved seven more charter schools, including four in New York City. That makes 145 charters approved since passage of the charter law in December 1998, including several regular public ("district") schools converted to charter status... more [Return to Top]
The Washington Post, April 20, 2008
New Report from KIPP Shows Significant Student Achievement Gains
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools wrote: "This week, KIPP, the national network of public charter schools in 17 states and Washington, D.C., released its new annual report card. Its test score results continue to be impressive. The report details the achievement records of the 49 KIPP schools that have significant test results... more [Return to Top]
The Oregonian, April 20, 2008
Charter schools tend to have drive to survive
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools wrote: "There are approximately 80 public charter schools in Oregon, with nine more expected to open this fall. Closure rates are higher than the national average (20 percent versus 11 percent), according to a study by the Oregon Department of Education. The public charter school sustainability report highlighted financial obligations... more [Return to Top]
Harvard University Press Release, December 14, 2004
Nationwide Study Shows More Charter School Students Proficient On State Exams Than Public School Peers
According to a new nationwide study by Caroline Hoxby of Harvard University, ten percent more of the students in charter schools are proficient on state exams than those in neighboring public schools when a charter school has been in operation nine years or longer... more [Return to Top]
Oregon Live.com, December 12, 2004
To Catch Struggling Students, Tribes Turn to Charter Schools
Charter schools are cropping up throughout Indian Country, in states like Oregon, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Tribal officials have pinned their hopes on the start-up schools as their best chance to reach a generation of Indian students who've dropped out or drifted through traditional public schools... more [Return to Top]
American School Board Journal, November 2004
Remaking High School
A changing economy and an influx of aid are spurring the radical transformation of a faltering American icon... more [Return to Top]
Newsday, November 4, 2004
Teachers Union Challenges Bonus Plan for Urban Teachers
Connecticut's largest teachers' union is criticizing a plan by state Education Commissioner Betty Sternberg to offer bonuses and an exchange program to keep quality teachers from fleeing city schools... more [Return to Top]
The Arizona Republic, November 1, 2004
Males' Learning Needs Ignored? Fewer Now in College, Expert Says
Are males on the verge of becoming an endangered species on college campuses? It's hard to say, but educator William Draves of the Wisconsin-based Learning Resources Network thinks so. He estimates that only 35 percent of today's U.S. undergraduate college students are men... more [Return to Top]
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 27, 2004
Paving Way for Black Students to Succeed in High School
SEI Academy is a public charter school and an outgrowth of Self Enhancement Inc., a non-profit that has pushed since 1981 to broaden opportunities for children, with a focus on Portland's African American population... more [Return to Top]
Seattle Post-Intelligencer October 27, 2004
A Good Curriculum, Teachers with Passion Add Up to Smart Kids
The M.I.T.C.H. Charter School in the Tigard-Tualatin school district is the creation of Debi Lorence, a former public and private school teacher who serves as the school's director. The acronym stands for Multi-sensory Instruction Teaching Children Hands-on... more
Buffalo News, October 26, 2004
N.Y. Should Promote Future Growth of Charter Schools, Study Suggests
Charter schools in New York are providing the "seeds of change" for traditional schools, and state officials should not cap their future growth but provide them with more funding, a recent report by a Washington think tank concludes... more [Return to Top]
The Detroit News, October 22, 2004
Progress Outpaces Public High Schools: Charters Gain in MEAP Scores
Michigan’s charter high schools are making faster progress toward meeting state standards than other public high schools. Charters’ performance in reading, writing, math, and science increased faster than the state average, and are higher than in the state’s inner-city district-run schools... more [Return to Top]
The New Yorker, October 18, 2004
The Factory: At the Pacific Rim Charter School, They Make Scholars
More than three thousand charter schools have sprung up in the United States since 1991, when Minnesota became the first of forty-one states to establish alternative institutions as competition for the nation's troubled public schools. Of those institutions, Pacific Rim is one of the oddest... more [Return to Top]
Seattle Post Intelligencer, October 14, 2004
No Progress in College Preparation
American high school students are no better prepared for college than they were 10 years ago, according to a new study by ACT, one of the two big organizations that offer college entrance test... more [Return to Top]
Forbes Magazine, October 11, 2004
Where Everyone Can Overachieve
High Tech High is doing wonders with disaffected high-schoolers in San Diego, the first step in a grand plan to reverse America's failure at mass education. The nation's richest philanthropists are lining up behind it... more [Return to Top]
The Times-Picayune, October 11, 2004
Transformed School Builds Parents' Hopes
After years of issuing warnings and sending in outside help, the state of Louisiana in April moved to take over the P. A. Capdau school, converting it to a charter school under the control of the University of New Orleans (UNO). It is the first time the state has taken over a locally controlled school for academic failure. And the transformations began... more [Return to Top]
The Quad-City Times, October 7, 2004
Keyes, Obama Discuss Charter School Benefits
U.S. Senate candidates Alan Keyes and Barack Obama agreed Thursday that establishing more charter schools was one way to improve the nation’s educational system, but they differed on the overall role that government should play toward that goal... more [Return to Top]
Carolina Journal, Volume 13, Number 10, October 2004
Charter Schools Meeting Students’ Needs
Two reports released in mid-September by the North Carolina Education Alliance provide compelling new findings about the state’s diverse and growing charter school movement, suggesting that charter schools are meeting a previously unmet need in the state for educational options... more [Return to Top]
Carolina Journal, Volume 13, Number 10, October 2004
KIPP School Puts Zip Into Education
Gaston County’s unemployment rate is among the highest in North Carolina, the local schools are ranked among the state’s lowest performing, and less than 9 percent of local residents hold four-year degrees. But as student Victoria Bennett says, “KIPP: Gaston College Preparatory Academy (GCP) is a different story. It’s the silver lining in Gaston’s dark and gloomy cloud...” more [Return to Top]
The Philanthropy Roundtable, October 2004
Jump-Starting the Charter School Movement
Many private funders put improving public education at the top of their agenda, but for many years donors have struggled to have a real impact on sub-par schools. Too often, grants to support reform in existing schools have made little difference in students' lives. [Click "more" to read the 75-page PDF file, a report prepared by Public Impact for the Philantrophy Roundtable out of Washington, D.C.]... more [Return to Top]
Portland Oregonian, September 30, 2004
High Test Scores Validate Charter Schools
With a few years of strong test scores to their names, the Three Rivers Charter School in West Linn and Mitch charter school in Tualatin have established themselves as serious places to learn... more [Return to Top]
San Diego Union-Tribune, September 26, 2004
Novel Fix in Works for Ailing Schools: S.D. District May Recruit Outside Management Help
Over the past six years, millions have been invested in teacher training, instructional materials, and new leadership at the San Diego Unified School Distric schools, which have large English-learner and low-income populations. The investment has yielded some improvement, but the schools continue to be labeled as unsatisfactory... more [Return to Top]
Harvard University Gazette, September 23, 2004
Charter Schools Get High Grades: Charter Students More Proficient than Traditional Peers
When the American Federation of Teachers published a study that found students at charter schools performing worse than their peers at traditional public schools, more than a few hopes were dashed. But to Harvard Professor of Economics Caroline Hoxby, something in the study seemed amiss... more [Return to Top]
The Washington Post, September 21, 2004
Boarding Schools Nurture Low-Income Students
Most schools try to persuade students to get out of bed in the morning by lowering their grades or giving them detention when they don't, but Maya Angelou Public Charter School is one of a small but growing number of schools that have a different approach to the problem. They invite teenagers who need extra help to live in school quarters... more [Return to Top]
The Washington Times, September 18, 2004
Study Shows Charter Schools Better
The vast majority of children attending the nation's 1,146 charter schools with at least 10 fourth-grade students are more proficient in reading and math than their nearest regular public school with a similar racial composition, a Harvard University study found... more [Return to Top]
CNN.COM, September 16, 2004
U.S. Lags in High School Diplomas
A growing number of nations are doing a better job than the United States in getting young people through high school and college, a study found. Among adults ages 25 to 34, for example, the United States is 10th among other industrialized nations in the share of its population that has a high school diploma... more [Return to Top]
Education Week, September 15, 2004
Study Finds Out-of-School Factors Less of a Hindrance
It is a question that affixes itself to countless debates in education: To what extent do poverty, instability at home, and other socioeconomic factors undermine the ability of students and schools to prosper academically?... more [Return to Top]
The Los Angeles Times, September 14, 2004
It's Back to School for 2,600 Displaced Students
More than 2,600 students, who were displaced last month when California Charter Academy’s (CCA’s) 60 schools were closed due to legal and financial turmoil, are now enrolled in other charter schools... more [Return to Top]
U.S. Department of Education, September 9, 2004
California Awarded $49.2 Million “No Child Left Behind” Grant to Provide More Educational Options for Parents
California has been awarded a $49.2 million grant over five years to support its efforts to provide more educational options to parents through charter schools... more [Return to Top]
New York Sun, September 8, 2004
Charter School Students Outperform Peers, Study Says
Students at charter schools outperform their peers at geographically close and demographically similar public schools, a new report that will be released this week finds... more [Return to Top]
The Denver Post, September 7, 2004
Charters Targeting Niches in Populace
For more than a decade, charter schools have been an alternative for Colorado parents less than satisfied with traditional offerings. The lure is often a focused curriculum, small classes, and parental involvement in the school's operation. Now two new charter schools are looking beyond curriculum to target specific niche groups... more [Return to Top]
The Honolulu Advertiser, September 3, 2004
Charter Schools Compare Well
In the first broad attempts to analyze the performance of Hawai'i's charter schools, the state Department of Education and the Hawaii's Educational Policy Center have found that charter-school students are doing as well as or better than students at traditional public schools on the state's proficiency tests... more [Return to Top]
The Seattle Times, August 27, 2004
John Kerry on the Issues
Democratic Presidential Nominee John Kerry supports charter public schools but opposes vouchers... more [Return to Top]
The Courier Journal, August 25, 2004
KET2's 'Gap' Examines Charter Schools
Amistad Academy is a Connecticut charter public school that receives $4,000 less per student from the state than do New Haven’s regular public schools. Almost 85 percent of the children qualify for federal free lunches. more [Return to Top]
The Kansas City Star, August 25, 2004
City's Charter Schools Show Some Improvement
Mayor Bart Peterson released the 2004 accountability report on five mayor-sponsored charter schools Wednesday. Each was evaluated in four areas: academic results, parent and teacher satisfaction, site visits by a team of experts, and financial management... more [Return to Top]
The Washington Post, August 24, 2004
School of Hard Choices: In the KIPP Academy Program, It's Motivation That's Fundamental
When Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin met at a 1992 summer teacher training institute in Los Angeles, they were typical of young people signing up for the Teach for America program: smart, idealistic, confident. Then they started to teach, and realized they had no idea what they were doing... more [Return to Top]
California Charter School Association, August 18, 2004
AFT Report Actually Bolsters California Charter Schools' Effectiveness at Improving Student Achievement
A report released by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and prominently covered in the New York Times actually showed that students in California's public charter schools are doing as well and even slightly better on student achievement than those in California's broader public school system... more [Return to Top]
The Los Angeles News, August 17, 2004
Charters Lagging Behind?
The first national comparison of test scores among children in charter schools and regular public schools shows charter school students often doing worse than comparable students in regular public schools... more [Return to Top]
The Buffalo News, July 29, 2004
School Days of Summer
More than 4,000 Buffalo students now attend publicly funded charter schools, and many of them spend large portions of the traditional summer vacation in class... more [Return to Top]
The New York Times, July 28, 2004
Chicago has a Non-Union Plan for Schools
By 2010, Chicago will replace 60 failing public schools with 100 new ones, and in the process turn one in 10 of its schools over to private managers, mostly operating without unions... more [Return to Top]
The Daily News, July 21, 2004
Like Manna from Haven, 5 Charter Schools Coming
Achievement First, an outfit founded by Yale Law School grads, has been invited to open five charter schools in New York City by 2006. The proposal is part of Mayor Bloomberg's plan to open 50 charter schools in the city... more [Return to Top]
The Oregonian, July 13, 2004
Arthur Academy Students Gain in Achievement Tests
Stanford Achievement Test results released Monday show that Arthur Academy students -- kindergarten through second grade -- made dramatic strides in reading and math in one year... more [Return to Top]
The Christian Science Monitor, July 6, 2004
Starting from scratch: A Young Principal Spends Her Summer Pounding the Pavement in Search of Students to Fill Her New School.
Public school principals generally don't spend their summers recruiting students for their schools. Most often they're appointed to schools where decisions about location and student enrollment have already been made and often even the hiring and firing of faculty is beyond their purview... more [Return to Top]
California Department of Education Press Release, June 29, 2004
California Department of Education Receives $75 Million Federal Charter School Grant
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell today joined U.S. Department of Education Secretary Rod Paige as he awarded the California Department of Education (CDE) a $75 million grant from the federal Public Charter Schools Grant Program... more [Return to Top]
The New York Times Magazine, June 20, 2004
The Harlem Project
Experts have figured out how to educate one disadvantaged child or one classroom full of kids, but no one seems to have any idea how to change a whole school system or a whole neighborhood. And that's what Geoffrey Canada is doing, with a mission both radically ambitious and startlingly simple. He has chosen as his laboratory a 60-block area of central Harlem that he calls the Harlem Children's Zone... more [Return to Top]
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