Gary Chartrand, a Jacksonville, Fla., businessman who helped bring a KIPP charter school to Florida and sits on its board of directors, was selected this morning as the new chair of the Florida Board of Education. Chartrand (pictured here) replaces Tampa businesswoman Kathleen Shanahan, who said she was stepping down as chair to spend more time with… Read more »
Search Results for: miss ana
Education factions battle at the DNC
The battle for the soul of the Democratic Party, at least in the area of public education policy, was on full display yesterday at two panel discussions organized by Democrats for Education Reform. (Full disclosure: I am DFER’s Florida coordinator.) The first panel consisted of Democratic state legislators from Colorado, Indiana, New Jersey, North Carolina… Read more »
Diane Ravitch takes potshots at latest Florida “voucher” study
The public release of test scores for low-income students on Florida Tax Credit Scholarships received remarkably little attention in the news media this year, leaving bloggers the freedom to interpret serious academic analysis with what amounted mostly to potshots. Not surprisingly, Diane Ravitch weighed in to wag her finger at the straw men who have touted vouchers… Read more »
Eric J. Smith, another Floridian worthy of being Romney’s education chief
EdWeek’s Politics K-12 blog offers an intriguing list of possible education secretaries in a Romney administration, including one prominent Floridian: Jeb Bush. But the otherwise great list overlooked another Floridian: Eric J. Smith, the state’s former ed commissioner. Smith, nudged out last year by Gov. Rick Scott, was hired by the state Board of Education in late… Read more »
redefinED roundup: Voucher talk in Texas, more parent trigger drama in California and more
Texas: State lawmakers talk vouchers and hear about expanded learning options in Louisiana and Florida (KVUE.com). A judge rules that a charter school support group’s concerns can stay in a lawsuit over state education funding. (Austin American Statesman) California: A local school board won’t allow a school to be converted into a charter school, even though that’s what… Read more »
Milton and I and the evolution of school choice
Colleagues in the American Center for School Choice have convinced me to add a more personal note to my recent 100th birthday blog about Milton Friedman. They ask that I describe my connections with – and occasional disconnections from – the great man. I am honored to be consulted and hope to contribute light sans… Read more »
redefinED roundup: school choice demand in Florida, American heritage charter school in Idaho and more
Idaho: State education offficials approve the American Heritage Charter School, which will emphasize American history, patriotism, money management and free market economics. (Idaho Statesman) Florida: Demand continues to surge for the state’s tax credit scholarship program, as the chart at left shows. (Tampa Bay Times’ Gradebook blog). The number of charter school teachers in the state tops 10,000, more than… Read more »
Choice nuggets: Surging demand for Florida tax credit scholarships, creationist fears, horse therapy and more
Number of the week: 87,062 That’s how many low-income Florida families began applications for tax credit scholarships this year, up from 69,000 last year. It’s another sign of fast-growing demand for the largest private school choice program of its kind in the country. Demand is so high, in fact, that Step Up For Students, the Tampa-based nonprofit that… Read more »
A choice conversation on public education
From redefinED host Doug Tuthill: Today we begin a new feature at redefinED – an ongoing dialogue between myself (that’s me pictured on the right) and John Wilson, who writes the Unleashed blog at Education Week. For the last 25 years, I’ve been one of Wilson’s biggest fans. I worked hard for John when he… Read more »
redefinED roundup: Charter school progress in New York, voucher fears in Michigan and more
New York: For the third year in a row, New York City charter schools outperform traditional public schools, drawing praise from Mayor Michael Bloomberg, pictured here (New York Times). More from the New York Daily News. New Jersey: The state teachers union fights new charters even as it attempts to unionize charter school teachers (NJ Spotlight). State education… Read more »
