School choice. The Black Alliance for Educational Options draws 650 attendees from 20 states to Orlando for its annual symposium. Check out #SY2013 on Twitter for what's happening. Legendary school choice activist Howard Fuller says attendees shouldn't be knee-jerk about the participation of for-profit companies. Also check out this redefinED podcast with BAEO President Ken Campbell.
Charter schools. Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform, tells SchoolZone Florida needs additional charter school authorizers and that the current system favors charter management companies over mom-and-pop charter schools. The House Appropriations Committee approves a charter schools bill that would tighten accountability and require school districts to share empty classroom space with charter schools, reports The Buzz.
Sequestration. Will take a bite out of already dwindling construction funds. The Florida Current. Gradebook.
Superintendents. The Hernando school board picks Lori Romano, the director of adult, community, secondary and virtual education programs for Martin County Public Schools. Gradebook.
Principals. More than 200 students and parents protest the apparent ouster of a high school principal in Broward. South Florida Sun Sentinel. (more…)
Don’t back up, don’t back down. “Compromise” may be a watchword for 2013, but it wouldn’t be a good thing for education reform, writes Jeanne Allen, founder and president of The Center for Education Reform, in the Huffington Post. She points to Florida as a state that hasn’t compromised on accountability and school choice – and, as a result, has seen rising student achievement.
Acknowledging progress. Pointing to the recent PIRLS results as a “crucial mark of excellence,” the Miami Herald editorial board says Florida schools are making gains but need more money.
Tony Bennett. His views on Common Core and teacher evaluations. Gradebook.
More on charter school closing. School Zone weighs in on the one in Flagler that shut down during the holiday break.
Say no to Robin Hood. Some Seminole County parents don’t like the idea of using family incomes as a factor in drawing new school boundary lines. “The school board needs to stop playing Robin Hood,” one said. School Zone.
Inappropriate. The Hernando school district’s CFO posts pornographic images and makes critical comments about the superintendent online during work hours, reports the Tampa Bay Times.
After Newtown. School district officials in Palm Beach County say metal detectors aren't the answer, reports the Palm Beach Post. Armed officers and deputies will be at every Hillsborough elementary school when students return Monday, the Tampa Tribune reports. School resource officers will be in every Alachua elementary, beginning today, reports the Gainesville Sun. Beefed up security in Marion, too, reports the Ocala Star Banner.
Allen
Even with more than 40 states authorizing charter schools now, the process is still an experiment of sorts – and one that some advocates say has a dramatic impact on a school’s success.
Look what happens when a charter school seems to fail, said Jeanne Allen, president of The Center for Education Reform.
Critics sound the alarm and lawmakers rush in to “meddle’’ with charter school design and accountability, Allen said this week during a panel discussion at the Excellence In Action National Summit in Washington, D.C. Pretty soon, the school that’s supposed to operate without being bogged down in red tape like a traditional school ends up looking a lot like that school, Allen said.
Charter schools need more time to be innovative, she said.
They also need better accountability measurements and more funding if they are going to be successful, panel members said.
Their comments came a day before the National Association of Charter School Authorizers announced a campaign to set tougher standards for charter schools.
According to the association, about 900 to 1,300 charter schools nationwide are among the lowest 15 percent of academic performers in their states, judging by standardized test scores in reading and math. (more…)
