The Center For Education Reform
CER Newswire
Vol. 9, No. 9
March 5, 2007
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A weekly wrap-up of education news and commentary you won't find anywhere else, spiced with a dash of irreverence, from the nation's leading voice in school reform. See our Newswire Library for an archive of back issues.
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CER ON THE LOOKOUT
2008 PRESIDENTIAL WATCH. The most recent entrant into the 2008 Presidential race, Arizona Sen. John McCain, has become a seasoned veteran at reaching the public. For the second time, McCain announced his candidacy on television, appearing on "The Late Show with David Letterman" on Wednesday night. But does his education platform have any more substance than the rest of the stuff on TV? In 2000, McCain said, "The best schools in my state happen to be charter schools." He has frequently pledged his support for all forms of school choice and voted in favor of the No Child Left Behind Act. Despite his glowing record and appeal to both sides of the aisle, polling numbers remain low for the Arizona senator. The National Education Association's "Congressional Report Card" gave him an F grade, which says a lot for advocates of education reform. Find out what others are saying or voice your opinion on McCain or another candidate on CER's Education Reform and Election 2008: President Watch.
DC's DONE DEAL? Things are looking up for Washington, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty. With the seven DC Council hearings on Fenty's school takeover plan out of the way, there is now little doubt that the former councilman will take over the school system this spring. Fenty's testimony before the city council garnered enthusiastic applause from the crowd and left council members eager to end the proceedings so reforms could begin immediately. It's no wonder, considering the dismal conditions in many DC public schools. Washington Post columnist Colbert King said in his column this week, "In the name of all that's decent, how did we let our schools get this way?" Council members still have reservations about the plan and will likely craft several amendments to the proposal during March. One sticking point, which Fenty says he will fight, is the creation of a "sunset provision" forcing the mayor to prove success after five years. To keep up to date with the latest on Fenty's school takeover or to voice your opinion on the issue, visit CER's Takeover Watch.
FROM THE STATES
COLORADO: The Rocky Mountain state has been a hotbed of education bills this legislative session. It's all bad news for education reform. Under Senate Bill 61 the state's independent authorizer, the Colorado Charter Schools Institute, would be stripped of its ability to solicit applications for schools to serve at-risk youth. Two other bills, HB 1041 and HB 1178, would create more bureaucracy and more financial burden, respectively, for charter schools. HB 1041 would make waivers for charter schools less automatic and more difficult to acquire. HB 1178 states that if a charter school leaves the property it bought from the school district after 5 years operating there, the grounds and buildings revert to the school district. Stay tuned to CER's Daily Headlines for more details as the bills moves through the legislature.
INDIANA: Despite wanting to excel in all things related to sports, Hoosiers have legislators who seem determined to fall behind the times in the education arena. Despite the creation last session of a state program that allows for virtual charter schools, in the wake of the success of such schools in hundreds of communities, Indiana State Budget for 2007 introduced by Rep. Vernon G. Smith (HB 1001) would prohibit virtual charter schools and would close down both existing schools.
MARYLAND: It's hard enough to open and operate a charter school in Maryland, but Senate Bill 669 will make things just that much more difficult. Among other hindrances, the proposed legislation reduces charter school per-pupil funding from a required 98 percent of what local districts receive to about 86 percent . Click here for more information.
MISSOURI: Since Utah approved a statewide voucher program, more states are fighting to bring quality education to all students. State Rep. Carl Bearden has sponsored a bill (HB 808) that would create opportunity for all children in The Show Me State, regardless of family income. The bill would create the Betty L. Thompson Scholarship Program, a program that would enable parents to receive a scholarship to choose from public and private schools in the state. Visit the Grassroots Action Center to let Missouri legislators know you support this bill.
STANDARDS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
MAKING PROGRESS. In today's political climate, it's tough to find an issue that can cross the aisle and gain support from both sides. It appears, however, that the terrible state of our education system has united people from both parties in a call for major education reforms. A recent report released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the left-wing Center for American Progress (CAP) graded each state based on its educational effectiveness and calls for innovation and accountability in education. Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Repot Card on Educational Effectiveness outlines the serious reforms needed in education if our students are going to continue to compete in a growing global economy. As noted in last week's Newswire, the report was presented by U.S. Chamber of Commerce president Tom Donohue and former Clinton administration official and CAP president John Podesta, who joked throughout the presentation that the need for education reform might be the only thing in which they see eye to eye. Both groups called for education to be run more like a business, and for innovations like charter schools and merit pay for teachers to be used to provide students an environment that will adequately prepare them for the future. "Without real leadership in education reform, our economic future and prosperity are at risk," said Donohue. "If companies were run like many education systems, they wouldn't last a week." Sounds an awful lot like the remarks of Apple CEO Steve Jobs and countless others before him. In measuring the effectiveness of each state, the groups used 9 measurements, including "Flexibility in Management and Policy," grades for which were based in part on CER's 2006 Charter School Laws: Ranking and Scorecard.
In Other News
HEAR YE, NCLB. U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-CA), and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) today announced a joint hearing of the House and Senate education committees on the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. The event, "Elementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization: Improving NCLB to Close the Achievement Gap," will be held in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building on Tuesday, March 13, 2007, at 9:30 a.m.
TIME FLIES... when you're teaching kids. It has been 15 years since charter schools began and the community will celebrate on April 24-27 at the 2007 National Charter Schools Conference in Albuquerque, NM. More than 120 sessions addressing issues like quality, capacity, policy, and advocacy will be presented to the 3,000-plus attendees. Keynote speakers include Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, former NBA star and charter founder Kevin Johnson, and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham. For more information, visit www.nationalcharterconference.org.
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