Evelyn B. Stacey
Commentary
Texas Expands Charter Authorization Options
Texas has taken steps to enhance the quality and quantity of charter schools by expanding the involvement of colleges as an authorizing force. State Rep. Ryan Guillen (D-Starr County) and state Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-Dallas) cosponsored House Bill 1423, signed by the governor into law on June 19 and effective ...
Commentary
Star Data Dump: How is This Useful to Parents?
This week the California Standardized Test results have been released, and according to the California Department of Education, “far too many students are not meeting proficiency. They are making gains but the [achievement] gap remains.” The STAR testing program is California’s state assessment required by the No Child Left Behind ...
Commentary
Confidential medical care isn’t necessary – Lawsuit threats muddle issue
On June 22, the Modesto City Schools board passed a preliminary motion, by a 4-3 vote, to allow students to leave class for confidential medical services without notifying parents. Parents and policy-makers alike have good reason to examine this proposal. School boards statewide have been reviewing their excused absence policies ...
Commentary
A Closer Look at the Stanford University Study
Charter School Newsletter, August 1, 2009 Stanford University has released a nationwide charter school analysis comparing charter and traditional public school student performance. The study matches charter students to public school “twins” by all measures possible. Comparisons of 15 states and the District of Columbia over a course of three ...
Commentary
King City takeover shows gap between spending and achievement
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell held a news conference on Thursday to announce the appointment of Dr. John Bernard as the state administrator for the King City Joint Union High School District in Monterey County. The state takeover of the district was required by law after the district ...
Commentary
“Districts of Choice” Program a Good Choice
California’s Districts of Choice program allows school boards to decide if their districts will accept students from outside their boundaries, giving families more options beyond the confines of their zip code. The program has been in place for 17 years but is set to expire at the end of June, ...
Commentary
Giving Failure a Pass
SACRAMENTO – The Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest in California, spends $10 million a year to “house,” with full pay and benefits, about 160 teachers deemed unsuitable for the classroom, according to “Failure Gets a Pass,” a recent series in the Los Angeles Times. “If I had my ...
Charter Schools
Lessons from California’s Charter Schools of the Year
The Oakland Charter Academy in northern California and the Our Community Charter School in the San Fernando Valley have won the Hart Vision “Charter School of the Year” award from the California Charter Schools Association. “These exemplary charter schools should be studied and their best practices replicated in the broader ...
Commentary
Virtual Ventures Expand Choice for K-12 Students
Not long ago, online courses were programs only for universities and vocational schools. But today, online offerings at public elementary, middle, and high schools are gaining ground, bringing more choices to parents, students, and teachers in the world of K-12 education. Connections Academy, launched in 2002, has led the charge ...
Commentary
Report Affirms Alternative Credentialing for Teachers
A new study released by the U.S. government reveals teachers credentialed through alternative programs do just as good a job in the classroom as those credentialed through teaching colleges. The Institute for Educational Science (IES) study, “An Evaluation of Teachers Trained through Different Routes to Certification,” released in February, provides ...
Texas Expands Charter Authorization Options
Texas has taken steps to enhance the quality and quantity of charter schools by expanding the involvement of colleges as an authorizing force. State Rep. Ryan Guillen (D-Starr County) and state Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-Dallas) cosponsored House Bill 1423, signed by the governor into law on June 19 and effective ...
Star Data Dump: How is This Useful to Parents?
This week the California Standardized Test results have been released, and according to the California Department of Education, “far too many students are not meeting proficiency. They are making gains but the [achievement] gap remains.” The STAR testing program is California’s state assessment required by the No Child Left Behind ...
Confidential medical care isn’t necessary – Lawsuit threats muddle issue
On June 22, the Modesto City Schools board passed a preliminary motion, by a 4-3 vote, to allow students to leave class for confidential medical services without notifying parents. Parents and policy-makers alike have good reason to examine this proposal. School boards statewide have been reviewing their excused absence policies ...
A Closer Look at the Stanford University Study
Charter School Newsletter, August 1, 2009 Stanford University has released a nationwide charter school analysis comparing charter and traditional public school student performance. The study matches charter students to public school “twins” by all measures possible. Comparisons of 15 states and the District of Columbia over a course of three ...
King City takeover shows gap between spending and achievement
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell held a news conference on Thursday to announce the appointment of Dr. John Bernard as the state administrator for the King City Joint Union High School District in Monterey County. The state takeover of the district was required by law after the district ...
“Districts of Choice” Program a Good Choice
California’s Districts of Choice program allows school boards to decide if their districts will accept students from outside their boundaries, giving families more options beyond the confines of their zip code. The program has been in place for 17 years but is set to expire at the end of June, ...
Giving Failure a Pass
SACRAMENTO – The Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest in California, spends $10 million a year to “house,” with full pay and benefits, about 160 teachers deemed unsuitable for the classroom, according to “Failure Gets a Pass,” a recent series in the Los Angeles Times. “If I had my ...
Lessons from California’s Charter Schools of the Year
The Oakland Charter Academy in northern California and the Our Community Charter School in the San Fernando Valley have won the Hart Vision “Charter School of the Year” award from the California Charter Schools Association. “These exemplary charter schools should be studied and their best practices replicated in the broader ...
Virtual Ventures Expand Choice for K-12 Students
Not long ago, online courses were programs only for universities and vocational schools. But today, online offerings at public elementary, middle, and high schools are gaining ground, bringing more choices to parents, students, and teachers in the world of K-12 education. Connections Academy, launched in 2002, has led the charge ...
Report Affirms Alternative Credentialing for Teachers
A new study released by the U.S. government reveals teachers credentialed through alternative programs do just as good a job in the classroom as those credentialed through teaching colleges. The Institute for Educational Science (IES) study, “An Evaluation of Teachers Trained through Different Routes to Certification,” released in February, provides ...
