Florida: Tony Bennett is selected the state’s new education commissioner (redefinED). He tells reporters afterwards that he champions school choice first and foremost because of the social justice component (redefinED). A new group headed by T. Willard Fair, co-founder of the state’s first charter school, aims to create a pipeline of black executives and entrepreneurs to help lead private and charter schools (redefinED). The Miami-Dade school district ranks No. 10 in the country for school choice, according to a new report from Brookings (redefinED). A Catholic school in Tampa is at the heart of a University of Notre Dame project to revitalize Catholic schools, particularly for Hispanic students. (redefinED).
Louisiana: Voucher parents are worried in the wake of the legal ruling that puts the program in limbo (advertiser.com). Gov. Bobby Jindal makes a pitch for vouchers at a Brookings Institution event in Washington D.C. (Huffington Post).
Washington: More than 150 teachers, parents and administrators attend a charter school conference in the wake of the successful passage of a charter school ballot initiative (Tacoma News Tribune). (Full disclosure: The conference was sponsored by the Washington Charter School Research Center, which was founded by Jim and Fawn Spady. Fawn Spady chairs the board of directors at the American Center for School Choice, which co-hosts this blog.)
Michigan: The education adviser to Gov. Rick Snyder presents the governor’s sweeping public school choice proposal to business and education leaders (Grand Rapids Business Journal).
Ohio: The Cincinnati school district pursues high-performing charter schools such as Carpe Diem (Cincinnati Enquirer).
Mississippi: Gov. Phil Bryant makes a pitch for charter schools in the county that led opposition to a charter school proposal earlier this year (Desoto Times Tribune).
Texas: As lawmakers prepare to debate vouchers and tax credit scholarships, school districts have options to expand choice within the public sector, including open enrollment. (Texas Tribune)
Illinois: The Chicago school district continues to press for the opening of more charter schools next year over the objections of the teachers union and other critics (Chicago Tribune).
Kentucky: A new parents group that supports charter schools and includes members of Black Alliance for Educational Options calls attention to achievement gaps at a Jefferson County school board meeting (WFPL.org).
