Arizona: A bill to allow children of military service members killed in action to become eligible for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts passes into law (Watchdog). Gov. Jan Brewer vetoes a bill to allow owners of S-Corps to receive individual tax credits for donations to scholarship funding organizations, but signs two bills related to Empowerment Scholarship Accounts… Read more »
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Florida roundup: Tax credit scholarships, FCAT, charter schools and more
Testing. Technology issues cripple FCAT testing, causing some school districts to suspend testing in progress. State officials are incensed at the state’s testing vendor, and some educators are already raising questions about the validity of this year’s results. Miami Herald. Tampa Bay Times. Sun-Sentinel. StateImpact. Associated Press. WFSU. Tampa Tribune. Tallahassee Democrat. Fort Myers News-Press. Tax credit scholarships. Changes in… Read more »
Democrat: Stop casting school choice parents as villains in public ed
Editor’s note: This post originally ran as an op-ed today in Florida Today, in response to a column by former state Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland. It’s authored by former state Sen. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, who is a member of the Step Up For Students board of directors. The state’s tax credit scholarship program is administered… Read more »
redefinED roundup: ESA expansion halted in AZ, court hears tax credit scholarship case in NH and more
Alabama: The Alabama Education Association, which opposes a new tax-credit scholarship program, says former Gov. Bob Riley has personally banked up to $1 million from it (he has made $0) (AL.com). The AEA is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to back Republican and Democrat candidates to run against lawmakers that support school choice. (AL.com)…. Read more »
Florida roundup: Tax credit scholarships, testing, textbooks and more
Tax credit scholarships. The House passes legislation expanding access to the program to students with higher incomes. Associated Press. News Service of Florida. It’s among a host of issues lawmakers expect to tackle after a week-long holiday break. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The Daytona Beach News-Journal scrutinizes the program in an article that states, incorrectly, that a failed 2012… Read more »
redefinED roundup: vouchers in TN, ESAs and scholarships in FL, tax credit critics in KS & more
Alabama: Rep. Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, says the Alabama Accountability Act, which allows students in failing districts to transfer to private schools, is a failed experiment (Anniston Star). A lower court dismisses a suit filed by students to stop the state’s school choice program (Associated Press). Alaska: A private school tax credit bill passes through the… Read more »
School Choice Yearbook highlights 39 programs within 19 states and D.C.
School choice programs around the nation have experienced exceptional growth – in both the number of students served and the number of programs available – over the last two decades. The Alliance for School Choice’s new yearbook documents this expansion and highlights the programs within each state. While the school choice expansions may have suffered… Read more »
redefinED roundup: school choice suits in NC and GA, bishops mad in NY and more news
Alabama: A bill to eliminate the $7,500 cap limit on individual tax-credit scholarship donations advances in the state legislature (Decatur Daily). Alaska: Tony Knowles, the former governor of Alaska, says vouchers have never improved student achievement or graduation rates, so the state should spend more money on public schools (Alaska Dispatch). Arizona: The Arizona Education… Read more »
Florida roundup: Charter schools, school choice, Tony Bennett and more
Charter schools. Palm Beach County school district officials worry about the impact of expanding charter schools. Palm Beach Post. The Miami Herald flags charter schools among its examples of industries with issues in play in the legislative session that contribute to campaigns. Neighborhood groups are concerned about the traffic impact of a planned charter school for… Read more »
Florida roundup: Charter schools, tax credit scholarships, accountability and more
Charter schools. Legislation intended to ease contract negotiations heads to the House floor. RedefinED. Extra Credit. Florida Current. Three Pasco charter schools are on thin ice with their school district. Tampa Bay Times. A black charter school in Palm Beach County faces potential closure. South Florida Times. Another school gets a green light to grow…. Read more »
