Commentary
Roberts plans charter-school overhaul
State Senator Tom Roberts Tuesday introduced three bills he said were designed to strengthen transparency and accountability standards in charter schools (S.B. 331, S.B.
Commentary
Choice is an important weapon in the educational arms race
Ohio Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher is right. Ohio is engaged in an "economic development arms race" with other states and nations for investment and jobs. But the state is also in an arms race to educate its children to compete successfully with young people in other states and countries.
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KIPP's 2007 report card good reading
KIPP's 2007 report card is a good way to get to know the Knowledge is Power Program, which is scheduled to open its first Ohio charter school in Columbus in August.Here are a few samples from the report card:
Commentary
Dr. Z: We'll miss you, whenever you go
After months of jockeying with control-freak Governor Ted Strickland, Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Tave Zelman is on her way out, perhaps to the University of Oregon as ed-school dean (see here).
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Electronic compliance saves time, although it will never replace a ruler
A major job for Ohio's charter school sponsors is keeping track of stuff, the kind of stuff that, if a school doesn't have it, means serious problems. Not only does a sponsor have to show up and check out schools and classrooms, but a good sponsor also needs to keep track of all the state and federally required compliance data.
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Study says voucher competition helps special-ed kids
Showing again that competition is a tide that lifts all boats, the Manhattan Institute released a study last week that shows public school special-education students perform better when they attend public schools that are exposed to competition with voucher programs (see here).
Commentary
A few good ideas
Governor Ted Strickland is gathering ideas from businesses, academics, various interest groups, and even some ordinary Ohioans on K-12 education reform. At a recent regional Northeast Ohio "shareholder" meeting, everything from a single, uniform statewide property tax to making teachers work 12 months a year was suggested.
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A matter of principals
D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee will fire somewhere between 24 and 30 principals at the end of the school year, in large part because under the rules of NCLB she's required to restructure 27 chronically-failing schools.
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Rubber rooms revisited
Sunday's Daily News revisits New York City's ridiculous "rubber room" policy, which was also featured a year ago in a Village Voice article. A taste:
Commentary
The pitfalls of collective bargaining
A group based in Dallas wanted to give schools in the state of Washington $13.2 million to strengthen their AP courses, but the plan fell through because state collective bargaining laws require that teacher pay be negotiated between unions and school districts.
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