National. A new study from CREDO shows charter schools improving nationally, compared to traditional public schools, but with results varying widely from state to state. National coverage in the New York Times, Washington Post, Hechinger Report, Charters & Choice, Associated Press, Huffington Post. State-level coverage in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Salt Lake City Tribune, Tampa Bay Times, Detroit News, Newark Star Ledger, The Morning Call, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, New Orleans Times Picayune.
National. Charter school waiting list nears 1 million nationally, according to a new survey from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (The Charter Blog). More from the Los Angeles Daily News.
Ohio. Lawmakers move to expand vouchers statewide for low-income students, beginning this fall with 2,000 kindergartners and expanding one grade level each year. (Friedman Foundation)
Wisconsin: Lawmakers expand vouchers statewide but with an enrollment cap of 500 the first year (Education Week). State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers criticizes the proposal (Journal Sentinel). Democrats predict a backlash (Wisconsin State Journal). Private schools in Madison consider whether to participate (Wisconsin State Journal). Same with schools in the Wausau area (Wausau Daily Herald). A key lawmaker leaves the door open for another stab at a voucher for special-needs students (Wisconsin Reporter).
Indiana. Voucher supporters are giving a thumbs up to the expansion that begins Monday (Evansville Courier & Press). The Louisville Courier Journal raises questions about whether private schools have the capacity to absorb additional students.
New Jersey: Gov. Chris Christie plans to sign off on the state budget, saying he’ll bring back the fight for school vouchers next year (Newark Star-Ledger). Newark Mayor Cory Booker reiterates his support for school choice in his bid for U.S. Senate (Associated Press). Teachers and parents criticize the decision by Education Commissioner Chris Cerf to put the kibosh on a virtual charter set to open this fall (Newark Star-Ledger).
Pennsylvania: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie touts his voucher plan in Philadelphia, where he accepted a Citizen of the Year award from the Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia (Star-Ledger).
Delaware. A former charter school leader begins a push for tax credit scholarships (Wilmington News Journal). Lawmakers pass legislation to give more flexibility to high-performing charters and more oversight and accountability for others (Milford Beacon). Democratic Gov. Jack Markell signs it into law (Delaware Public Radio).
New Hampshire: Lawmakers give charter schools a boost in the budget, with $3.4 million to fund four charter schools in the next two years and $1.7 million in each year of the biennium (Union Leader).
Massachusetts. State education officials given the green light to the state’s first public virtual school, a spinoff of a 3-year-old virtual school run by the town of Greenfield (The Recorder). A collaborative of 16 school districts is aiming to join the club (MetroWest Daily News). Lawmakers will consider bills that make it easier for charters to set up in low-performing school districts (Lowell Sun).
Washington D.C.: Charter school founder Linda Moore is set to be inducted into the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools hall of fame, earning national recognition for the highly regarded Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School (Washington Post).
Louisiana: The state cuts a Ruston faith-based school from the voucher program after an audit reveals it charged voucher students more than non-voucher students (Daily Journal). Jefferson Parish public school system teams up with Delgado Community College to improve career education at the high school level (Times-Picayune). A struggling elementary school is being closed and re-opened as a virtual high school and second-chance school for struggling fifth-graders (Associated Press).
Arkansas: Parents who sued the Blytheville school district for opting out of the new School Choice Act are still waiting for a judge’s final ruling (Blytheville Courier News).
Mississippi: In the wake of new legislation, charter school supporters form an association to get the fledgling movement off the ground (Jackson Clarion Ledger).
Florida. The Palm Beach County School Districts plans to speed up its lottery process for thousands of magnet school applications (Palm Beach Post). Gov. Rick Scott signs a bill expanding online learning options (Florida Current).
Virginia. A boys-only charter is proposed for the city of Richmond (Richmond Times Dispatch).
California: The Alameda County Board of Education upholds an earlier decision to close three American Indian charter schools in Oakland (San Francisco Chronicle). Expanding school choice through charter schools will be part of the legacy of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (Los Angeles Times).
