Four Florida charter schools could soon be shut down after receiving multiple F’s under the state’s grading system. The preliminary letter grades, released this morning by the state Department of Education, are the first that will carry real consequences for schools under a revamped accountability system tied to new state tests once they become final. In… Read more »
When he first came on the scene, he was in and out of prison, recording freestyles with his cousins in Southern California. But more than two decades after he first made it big, parents no longer fear him. He’s at home in Katy Perry videos and Old Navy commercials. In this way, longtime school choice… Read more »
Mary McLeod Bethune was an American hero. She was also a school choice pioneer, opening a private, faith-based school in Daytona in 1904 to expand education opportunity for African American girls. Now the state of Florida may honor her with a statue in the U.S. Capitol.
NASHVILLE – This morning, at a national charter school gathering, Texas-based charter management organization IDEA Public Schools won the 2016 Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools. The $250,000 award recognizes charter networks for strong academic results, especially among low-income children of color. In a move that echoes past Broad winners, IDEA founder Tom Torkelson said the network… Read more »
Earlier this month, charter schools turned 25. What should the next 25 years look like? First, we can’t imagine a future for chartering that spurns the no-excuses model and its variations — nor should it. Millions of poor and minority youngsters still need better school options, and this should remain a sturdy pillar of the… Read more »
Before he became one of the most prolific and thoughtful school choice advocates in America, Jack Coons was a law professor who did what he could to promote civil rights in the 1960s. His work on potential legal snags with boycotts led to a meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His conscience led him… Read more »
Graduation rates. Leon County schools use online credit recovery programs to boost graduation rates — and hide certain students from the state accountability system. Tallahassee Democrat. Charter schools. The Pinellas school board calls an emergency workshop to discuss picking up the pieces after a charter school operator founders. Gradebook. District officials there say they support a charter… Read more »
This week, charter school advocates called out some on their own side — specifically, virtual charters — for widespread underperformance. The ensuing debate revealed a tension that arises under the new definition of public education. Here’s the key point: Todd Ziebarth, senior vice president of [The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools], said choice is critical but… Read more »
School assignments. Parents should have more say in where their kids go to school, rather than face felony charges for lying about their addresses, a Sun-Sentinel guest column argues. (The author works at Step Up For Students, which publishes this blog, and an earlier version of the piece ran here.) The Escambia school district starts… Read more »
Districts cutting back: The Lee County School District’s budget for next year calls for the elimination of about 55 jobs. Superintendent Greg Adkins says higher enrollment and stagnant funding, among other things, are forcing the district to tighten spending. Fort Myers News-Press. Hillsborough County School Board members begin consideration of a consultant’s report that recommends the… Read more »
