Debate over private school vouchers heats up again, shifts to low-income students | OregonLive.com

Debate over private school vouchers heats up again, shifts to low-income students | OregonLive.com:

Debate over private school vouchers heats up again, shifts to low-income students

Published: Sunday, April 08, 2012, 2:31 PM     Updated: Sunday, April 08, 2012, 2:49 PM

 By The Associated Press 

View full sizeAPHeather Coffy, right center, leaves the St. Monica School with her children, left to right, Delano Coffy, 15, Alanna Marshall, 8, and Darius Coffy, 11, in Indianapolis. Students like Delano are at the heart of brewing political fights and court battles over whether public dollars should go to school vouchers to help make private schools more affordable.

WASHINGTON -- Students like Delano Coffy are at the heart of brewing political fights and court battles over whether public dollars should go to school vouchers to help make private schools more affordable.  

He was failing in his neighborhood public elementary school in Indianapolis until his mother enrolled him in a Roman Catholic school. Heather Coffy has scraped by for years to pay the tuition for Delano, now 16 and in a Catholic high school, and his two younger siblings, who attend the same Catholic elementary as their brother did. She's getting help today from a voucher program, passed last year at the urging of GOP Gov. Mitch Daniels, that allows her to use state money for her children's education.  

"I can't even tell you how easy I can breathe now knowing that for at least for this year my kids can stay at the school," said the single mother, who filed a petition in court in support of the law. The state Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to the law, 

Oregon high school students to face tougher graduation standards

Published: Sunday, April 08, 2012, 12:59 PM     Updated: Sunday, April 08, 2012, 1:19 PM

 By The Associated Press 

View full sizeStephanie Yao Long/The OregonianDustin Gilmer follows along with the reading in his freshman English class at Milwaukie High School. The federal government now requires that additional evaluations be used to determine if students are prepared to succeed.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- Beginning this year, graduating seniors will have to do more to get their diploma than show they've successfully earned 24 high school class credits.  

Under rules set by the Oregon Board of Education, students will have to prove that all those hours in class have resulted in actual skills.  

This year, they must show that they can read at a level that will serve them in college and on the job.  

Next year, the state ups the ante.  

In 2013, graduating seniors will have to show both reading and writing proficiency, and the 2014 graduating class also must