DFER | Charter School Authorizer from Make It Pop on Vimeo.

The voices of rank and file parents are seldom heard in school choice debates, an omission the Tennessee branch of Democrats for Education Reform attempts to ameliorate in this video. We disagree with the video’s use of the phrase “lousy district schools.” We think that wording is unnecessarily contentious and divisive. But these moms are fighting for their children and they should be heard.

Charter schools. Education Week writes up the state report that compares the test scores of Florida charter schools and district schools. Diane Ravitch sees a stunt. The Bay school board postpones a decision on whether to deny a charter school's renewal due to financial concerns, reports the Panama City News Herald. A news STEM-oriented charter is coming to Collier County, reports the Naples Daily News.

School choice. The waiting for thousands of parents begins as the Palm Beach County school district finishes up the lottery for magnet schools and career academies. Palm Beach Post.

Career education. A major bill to boost it clears the Senate Education Committee. StateImpact Florida.

Teacher pay. Pinellas teachers will get their regular rate of pay for a summer learning program that Superintendent Mike Grego initially recommended would be at a reduced rate. Gradebook.

Superintendents. Miami-Dade's Alberto Carvalho gets a contract extension, a raise and lots of praise, reports the Miami Herald: "Don’t test him out on free agency,” said Delio Diaz, executive director of the Dade Association of School Administrators, comparing Carvalho to a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. The Hernando school board interviews four candidates, reports the Tampa Bay Times.

School zoning. The latest changes in Seminole means a total of 3,000 students will be reassigned. Orlando Sentinel.

Like other school choice programs where supply is overwhelmed by demand, the school district in Pinellas County, Fla. offers an option that causes plenty of joy and heartache. Some kids win the “fundamental school” lottery. Some kids lose. Some go on to the high-performing fundamentals, where they’re surrounded by peers with super-engaged parents. Others go to neighborhood schools that struggle mightily.

Are their outcomes different? Matthew Chingos, a respected researcher at the Brookings Institution, is aiming to find out.

Last week, the district agreed to give Chingos the data he requested so he could examine the impact of fundamental schools on math and reading scores. Once he gets the data, he expects to issue findings within a year, according to his research application.

His study is worth watching because it involves a school choice option offered by a school district, not by private schools or charter schools.

The fundamental schools in Pinellas stress parental involvement and student accountability. Students who fall short on academic, behavioral and dress code requirements can be reassigned to neighborhood schools. Ditto if their parents fail to meet requirements, including attending monthly meetings.

The 104,000-student Pinellas district created its first fundamental school in 1976, but expanded them rapidly in recent years. It now has more than 7,000 students in 10 full-fledged fundamental schools and two “school-within-a-school” fundamental high schools.

The schools boast some of the district’s highest test scores and lowest disciplinary rates. They also cause a fair amount of angst. (more…)