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New Hampshire and charter schools

redefinED roundup: Parent trigger in Florida, charter schools in N.C., vouchers in Texas & more

Sherri Ackerman March 11, 2013

Sherri Ackerman

Kansas: Lawmakers are pushing for two new bills, which include recommendations from the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools, to bring the school choice movement to a state with only 15 charter schools (The Topeka Capital-Journal).

Georgia: Proposed legislation looks to cap the state’s private-school tax credit program and limit it to students with a financial need (Atlanta Journal Constitution). A parent-trigger bill that paves the way for traditional public schools to convert to charters also gets a nod from legislators (Atlanta Journal Constitution).

New Hampshire: The House is set to vote on a measure that could end a Board of Education moratorium on charter schools (New Hampshire Union Leader). More from The Telegraph of Nashua.

Tennessee: A $4 million Mathematica study finds KIPP students show significant learning gains in reading, math, science and social studies in the first four years (The Commercial Appeal).

Alabama: State school board members offer mixed reactions following the surprise passage of the Alabama Accountability Act, which gives tax credit scholarships to parents who want to remove their children from failing public schools and enroll them in private schools or a non-failing public school (AL.com). Also, a circuit judge blocked the signing of a controversial bill that created tax credit scholarships (The Anniston Star).

March 11, 2013 0 comment

Florida Schools Roundup

redefinED roundup: Voucher ruling in Colorado, tax credit scholarships in Alabama, course choice in Florida & more

redefinED staff March 4, 2013

redefinED staff

Washington: The new Charter School Commission is attracting candidates from across the state and beyond, including Liz Finne, a lawyer and director of the Center for Education Reform at the Washington Policy Center. The governor and other leaders expect to choose nine volunteers by March 6 (Associated Press). A coalition of educators and community groups filed a legal challenge that questions the constitutionality of Washington’s new charter schools law (Associated Press). More from Education Week.

Colorado: With more than 80,000 students enrolled in 190 charter schools, charter leaders try to clear up misconceptions about the school choice option (Reporter-Herald). Douglas County’s Choice Scholarship Program does not violate the state Constitution, rules an appeals court. The outcome could have wide-ranging implications for whether vouchers can be used statewide (Associated Press).

Alabama: Legislators approve tax credit scholarships for students attending failing public schools (Associated Press). More about the “legislative bombshell” that Republicans called historic and Democrats said was a sleazy “bait and switch,” at AL.com. And the site offers a primer on the Alabama Accountability Act.

Idaho: Khan Academy will provide math, physics and history classes in 47 public, private and charter schools this fall, making Idaho the nation’s first proving ground for statewide implementation of the free online educational content and teaching model (Associated Press).

Michigan: A report measuring charter school performance statewide calls the Eastern Michigan University-authorized schools the second worst system in the state. EMU says the report doesn’t take into account that the schools serve some of the state’s toughest communities (Ann Arbor.com)

New Hampshire: The governor’s budget calls for repealing tax-credit vouchers and diverting some of those dollars to charter schools (Seacoastonline.com).

Illinois: Chicago Public Schools chief vows to get tough with privately-run charter schools, holding them accountable for poor academic performance (Chicago Tribune). Meanwhile, the Board of Education approves the renewal of 30 charter schools, including the UNO network under fire for funneling contracts paid for by state grants to relatives of UNO allies and a top executive (Chicago Sun-Times).

Iowa: Home-school proposals, including one that would allow parents who are home-schooling their child to teach other, unrelated children, are raising concerns. The measure would allow such parents to teach driver’s education, a move proponents say would help home-schoolers who often find it difficult to enroll in the course. But critics argue only specially-trained instructors, as state law requires, should be teaching students how to drive (RadioIowa).

New Jersey: Gov. Christie is making one more run at vouchers, calling for a modest $2 million pilot program that would award $10,000 vouchers to 200 low-income students in the state’s lowest-performing schools, giving them a chance to attend a public or private school outside their district (The Philadelphia Inquirer). A controversial law that lets student athletes in choice programs participate on sports teams outside their district without being subject to transfer rules is sparking debate (MyCentralJersey.com).

March 4, 2013 0 comment

Florida Schools Roundup

redefinED roundup: School choice in Montana, parent trigger in Florida, tax credit defeat in Mississippi & more

redefinED staff February 18, 2013

redefinED staff

Montana: House Republicans endorse three school choice bills – one to authorize charter schools, another to create a modest tax credit scholarship program and a third to create an education savings account program for students with disabilities (Independent Record). A day later, several defect on the charter school bill and it goes down – though maybe not permanently – on a 50-49 vote (Billings Gazette). The tax credit scholarship bill clears the Senate (The Missoulian).

Florida. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduces legislation to create a national tax credit scholarship program (redefinED). A parent trigger bill that was defeated last year in a dramatic tie vote is back this year (redefinED).

Colorado: Two bills to expand private school choice through tax credits go down to defeat (Ed News Colorado). A student is in limbo after his mother withdraws him from a charter school to send him back to his zoned district school but the district says it’s too late (9News.com).

Arizona: Charter schools would have to follow state purchasing laws and those that use management companies would have to post salary information under a bill filed in the wake of a newspaper investigation (Arizona Republic). Lawmakers nix a bill that would have required mailers be sent to parents informing them of school choice programs (Arizona Daily Sun).

New Mexico: Public schools, including charter schools, would be barred from contracting with private entities under a bill supported by critics who fear “a Trojan horse-type assault on the state to divert public education funds” (Santa Fe New Mexican).

Idaho: Lawmakers consider equitable funding for charter schools (Idaho Reporter).

Washington: The state public schools superintendent asks legislators to put charters under his watch, a move that conflicts with the new law voters recently approved that calls for a separate supervisory panel (King5).

California: The San Francisco school district triples the rent for charter schools, after charging less than other districts for years, prompting an outcry from some charters (San Francisco Chronicle).

February 18, 2013 0 comment

Florida Schools Roundup

redefinED roundup: Charter school parents in New York, tax credit scholarships in Montana & more

redefinED staff February 11, 2013

redefinED staff

New York: More than 1,000 charter school parents rally in Albany to convince the state to let charter schools compete for state funding for pre-K (Fox23 News).

Montana: Lawmakers hear from parents and other child advocates who want their state to open charter schools and support giving families more choices, such as tax credits (Great Falls Tribune). Bills to create a tax credit scholarship program pass out of committees on mostly party line votes (Helena Independent Record). More from the Billings Gazette.

Ohio: Half the students in the state would be eligible for private school vouchers under an expansion proposed by Gov. John Kasich to include all low-income children (ClevelandLeader.com).

Texas: House Speaker Joe Straus warns the Senate that it might not want to go “full bore” on a school voucher bill, calling it an “exercise in futility” (Dallas Morning News). Four groups aiming to open charter schools next year turn in applications that have material copied from other applications (Dallas Morning News).

Florida: The Florida House approved a bill that makes it easier for charter schools to grow, but calls for increased accountability (redefinED). The bill also gives charters greater access to district facilities, something one school official said would be a “logistical nightmare” (Palm Beach Post). More from Tallahassee Democrat. Private schools can apply to administer the FCAT, but, so far, only two have (Orlando Sentinel).

February 11, 2013 0 comment

Florida Schools Roundup

redefinED roundup: Another parent trigger in California, charter school performance in Michigan & more

redefinED staff January 21, 2013

redefinED staff

California: A parents group in Los Angeles is using the state’s landmark parent trigger law to force the school district to reform a low-performing school. (Los Angeles Times). More from the Associated Press and Education Week. A national report finds the state continues to lead the nation in charter school growth, despite funding disparities and access to facilities (Huffington Post). Oakland district officials say the American Indian Model Schools, a charter network touted for its academic successes, suffers from “corrupt fiscal practices” and should be shut down (Oakland Tribune).

Michigan: A new report finds the typical Michigan charter school student school gained more learning in a year than a district school peer, amounting to about an additional two months of reading and math learning (The Detroit News).

Texas: Key state lawmakers are looking at the franchise tax on businesses as a vehicle to fund private-school scholarships for low-income students (Austin Business Journal). Critics of a proposed voucher program say all it will strip the public school system of funding and state leaders should instead restore $5.4 billion cut from education in 2011 (KUT News). Similar arguments in stories from KX11.com and the Associated Press.

Florida: Magnet schools continue to grow on the school choice landscape (redefinED). A new bill would require emergency response agencies to notify private schools just like they do public schools (redefinED). In response to the Newtown tragedy, private schools and charter schools are considering additional security measures too (redefinED).

Georgia: Tax credit scholarships are used at private schools that bar gay students (New York Times).

January 21, 2013 0 comment

Florida Schools Roundup

redefinED roundup: School choice prospects in Mississippi, ESAs in Arizona and more

redefinED staff January 7, 2013

redefinED staff

Mississippi: State lawmakers are expected to try again this year to pass charter school legislation, but some suburban Republicans continue to have concerns (Desoto Times Tribune). Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves says there’s bipartisan support for charter schools (Associated Press). More from the Memphis Commercial Appeal. At least one lawmaker is talking about the possibility of tax credit scholarships (GulfLive.com)

Florida: Jonathan Hage, CEO of Charter Schools USA, is named Florida Trend magazine’s Floridian of the Year for 2012. A new state lawmaker works in public schools as an assistant principal, but supports publicly funded private school choice options (redefinED).

Arizona: The state’s education savings accounts program expands to include students from the lowest-performing public schools (Arizona Republic.)

Oregon: The founders of a charter school chain are accused of racketeering and money laundering and charged with scamming $17 million from the state (The Oregonian).

Washington D.C.: Charter schools in the district expel students at far higher rates than traditional public schools (Washington Post).

Indiana: Lawmakers will look at expanding the state’s voucher program during the upcoming legislative session (Associated Press).

Louisiana: The legal challenge against the state’s voucher program heads to the state supreme court (New Orleans Times Picayune).

January 7, 2013 0 comment

Blog Administration Charter Schools Education Politics Parent Trigger Parental Choice School Boards School Choice Virtual Education

redefinED roundup: Bill Gates and Washington charters, parent trigger victory in California & more

redefinED staff October 22, 2012

redefinED staff

Washington: Supporters of a charter school ballot initiative raise $5 million in six weeks, including another $2 million from Bill Gates (Associated Press).

California: A judge rules that parents who won a parent trigger battle can open a charter school next fall (Los Angeles Times).

Florida: A new initiative to put more students into STEM fields taps students in traditional, magnet and charter schools (redefinED). A long-troubled Imagine charter school continues to test the patience of the school board in Pinellas County (Tampa Bay Times). In Palm Beach County, thousands of parents and students show up for a school choice showcase that includes magnet and charter schoools (Palm Beach Post).

Pennsylvania: Republican lawmakers postpone discussion on a proposed statewide authorizer for charter schools (Pittsburgh Post Gazette). The U.S. Department of Education questions how state education officials revised rules to gauge whether charter school met academic standards (Philadelphia Inquirer). A bill to toughen oversight of charter schools dies in the state House (Associated Press).

Georgia: State senate candidates are divided over charter schools and a charter school ballot initiative (Douglas County Sentinel).

New Jersey: Charter schools tied to the highly regarded KIPP network are gearing up to expand (NJSpotlight.com).

Louisiana: An effort to recall lawmakers who supported the state’s new voucher program fizzles (Associated Press).

October 22, 2012 0 comment

Florida Schools Roundup

redefinED roundup: Vouchers and football in Texas, vouchers and parents in Florida & more

redefinED staff October 15, 2012

redefinED staff

Texas: School choice critics claim vouchers threaten high school football because they will allegedly drain money from public schools (The Texas Tribune). More from KHOU.com. Response from redefinED.

Florida: State education leaders seek to double enrollment in charter schools over the next six years, from about 180,000 now to 360,000 (Orlando Sentinel). More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Florida private schools that accept tax credit scholarships are part of a project to boost parental engagement (redefinED).

Alabama: Supporters say there is little chance a charter school bill will be back in the Legislature next year (Anniston Star).

Michigan: A newspaper poll finds only 1 in 5 Detroit residents think the school district offers the best learning options for their kids (Detroit News).

Louisiana: State Superintendent John White proposes new rules for private and parochial schools that want voucher dollars (Baton Rouge Advocate). He touts the new voucher program in a visit to New Orleans (wwltv.com). Arguments in the constitutional challenge against the program are postponed until next month (Associated Press). One district sees growth in its virtual school option (Baton Rouge Advocate.)

October 15, 2012 0 comment