Sunday, September 1, 2013

Charter schools’ failed promise | The Columbus Dispatch

Charter schools’ failed promise | The Columbus Dispatch:

Charter schools’ failed promise

The Columbus Dispatch Sunday September 1, 2013 5:27 AM
Fed up with persistently poor student results in Ohio’s eight largest urban school districts, Republican state legislators enacted a law in 1997 allowing charter schools to locate exclusively within the boundaries of the “Big 8” systems.
Sixteen years later, charters statewide performed almost exactly the same on most measures of student achievement as the urban schools they were meant to reform, results released under a revamped Ohio report-card system show. And when it comes to graduating seniors after four years of high school, the Big 8 performed better.
Akin to a deregulation movement, charters operate under different rules: Operators are allowed to turn a profit from a portion of the tax money they’re given and don’t have to follow state laws that dictate everything from the distribution of textbooks to minimum teacher salaries to school-board elections. In return for that freedom, their supporters expected them to deliver strong academic results.
But what started as an experiment in fixing urban education through free-market innovation is now a large part of the problem. Almost 84,000 Ohio students — 87 percent of the state’s charter-school students — attend a charter ranking D or F in meeting state performance standards.
“Measured up against the hype of the proponents early on, this adds to the 

Hillsborough officials say charter schools walk fine line between fees and donations | Tampa Bay Times

Hillsborough officials say charter schools walk fine line between fees and donations | Tampa Bay Times:

Hillsborough officials say charter schools walk fine line between fees and donations

Trinity School for Children at 2402 W Osborne Ave. in Tampa is one of several charter schools on the Hillsborough County school district's radar because of questionable fees charged to parents.
SKIP O'ROURKE | Times
Trinity School for Children at 2402 W Osborne Ave. in Tampa is one of several charter schools on the Hillsborough County school district's radar because of questionable fees charged to parents.
TAMPA — When it came time for the Hillsborough County School District to renew its charter for Trinity School for Children, officials did so with a list of recommendations.
Don't pressure parents to give money, they advised the school. As a recipient of state funding, schooling is supposed to be free. Don't use invoices for donations, as these imply an obligation.
And check with the governing board before a child is tossed out because his parents did not volunteer enough hours.
Just what can be expected of charter school parents is a hot topic as the movement continues to flourish in Florida and nationwide.
The independently run schools cannot charge tuition, attorney Tom Gonzalez said at Tuesday's School Board meeting before a vote on the renewal. They can't charge fees for things students must have for their studies.
Students must have free access to books, even if they are classroom sets that remain at school. They might be asked to pay for some materials, such as workbooks. But if a child cannot pay, he said, the school must make arrangements to make one 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-1-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch


A Music Teacher Remembers Her Kids
A reader writes: “I retired from teaching music K-5 two years ago. Still cannot read the children’s goodbye letters and artwork. When the children heard (from a snarky colleague) that I as leaving they cried and protested for 2 weeks. I remember a 3rd grade boy in his music class who spontaneously dropped to his knees and said, “You can’t leave! You are our only hope!” The person hired after me p

How to Get an Autographed Copy of “Reign of Error”
If you would like to get an autographed copy of “Reign of Error,” you can order it through the Network for Public Education. If you want it to be personalized, with a greeting to you, you can order that too. All proceeds benefit the Network for Public Education. I am contributing the books, so will make no profit fom this offer. The goal is to support NPE. See the offer here: Make a contribution

Secret Emails: Indiana Takeover Planned Behind Closed Doors
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John Wilson: Who Is America’s Most Deceptive Governor?
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Are You a Hero Superintendent?
Over the past several months, I have honored several superintendents who have stood up for their students, their staff, and their community schools. I have identified hero superintendents in Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, Illinois, and elsewhere. We need to find them and thank them. These are men and women who have upheld their ethical responsibility to their profession and to children. They have
Miami Herald: Cashing in on Charter Schools
Sit back in your favorite chair and set aside 15-20 minutes to read a stunning story about how the charter school idea has been captured by ambitious wheeler-dealers who are making millions off the taxpayers. This series in the Miami Herald is an outstanding example of investigative journalism. The articles were written two years ago by Kathleen McGrory and Scott Hiassen but they remain timely. Th
Diane in the Evening 8-31-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Randall Hendee: Why I Disagree with E.D. Hirsch, Jr., about Common CoreRandall Hendee is a English teacher in Illinois. He wrote the following comments about E.D. Hirsch’s views about the Common Core. Hirsch is the founder of the Core Knowledge curriculum and author of several books on the importance of establishing a sequential, s


LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 8-31-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGTODAYAn Educator Awakens to the Grim Realities of LifeThis teacher left a powerful comment about how he became educated about real life by teaching. The myths he had learned in his youth fell away when confronted by the children whose lives are burdened by poverty. Please tweet this comment. It should go viral. Add your v


9-1-13 teacherken at Daily Kos

teacherken at Daily Kos:






Who will tell the children?
Who will tell the children that we have allowed the water they need to live to be poisoned by fracking? Who will tell the children that the beaches on which we used to loll and get sun-tanned were wiped out by the oceans rising because we would not control carbon emissions? Who will tell the children that they cannot expect a decent job because we allowed transnational corporations to ship them ov

Daily Kos: Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom.
Daily Kos: Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom.: Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom.byteacherkenFollow    Email  1 Comments / 1 NewThis is a review of the book of that title by Sylvia Sylvia Libow & Gary Stager, which first appeared yesterday at Education Review.  As the author of the review I am cross-posting it here because I