Thursday’s ed news
INDIANA: An early analysis of the state’s new standards reveals “an echo of Common Core,” and besides that, low quality.
COLLEGE ENTRANCE: The College Board has released sample questions for the new SAT, which they’re redesigning to fit Common Core.
KENTUCKY: This school district lets high school students come and go as they please, with personal learning plans and internships.
SEGREGATION: A new paper says Brown v. Board of Education, on its 60th anniversay, failed to achieve its mission of integrating school kids.
PENNSYLVANIA: The Philadelphia teachers union fights to keep seniority the deciding factor in teacher policies.
ILLINOIS: Most teachers say they’re not fully prepared to teach Common Core.
TENNESSEE: Lawmakers back the governor’s proposal to have taxpayers, not students, pay the full cost of community college.
Wednesday’s ed news
NORTH CAROLINA: Lawmakers will ask the Supreme Court to let 2,400 poor kids use vouchers while a court case against them pends.
CALIFORNIA: A settlement in a lawsuit arguing teachers union seniority rules leave poor kids with worse teachers throws more money at the problem.
SOUTH CAROLINA: The state superintendent has announced he will pull the state from national Common Core tests, after the state department of education and board of education bickered over whether to do the same.
KANSAS: Cyberattacks may prevent the state from releasing any test results this year.
OKLAHOMA: In a heated re-election race, the state superintendent takes opposite positions on Common Core, all in one week.
PENNSYLVANIA: As Philadelphia schools grew worse, this family sought better alternatives through school choice.
WASHINGTON: A teachers union endorses “parent choice“—but only to withhold their kids from tests that might make teachers look bad.
FLORIDA: A bill would allow local districts to select their own textbooks rather than having to choose from a list the state sets up.
Tuesday’s ed news
LOUISIANA: Gov. Bobby Jindal says he’ll pull the state from Common Core tests if the legislature doesn’t.
FLORIDA: The state experiments with massive, open, online courses for high schoolers, which has the potential to displace Advanced Placement’s brand.
MISSOURI: The House passes a bill to instate new standards to replace Common Core, by a 132-19 vote.
COLORADO: A teacher’s resignation over testing goes viral.
DC: City officials consider whether to have all children enter a lottery to get a school assignment instead of assigning schools by residence.
LISTENING: As educators go gaga for tech and hands-on learning, they’re leaving kids without the ability to listen and focus.
NEW JERSEY: A nonprofit sues the state over its anti-bullying law, claiming that it impedes students’ free speech and makes them afraid to say anything.
RHODE ISLAND: A poll finds that teachers union members or people with family who are union members are far more likely to vote for union-supported candidates.
COMMON CORE TESTS: A new forum lets teachers, parents, students, and more openly discuss their experience with new Common Core tests.
SAT: Changes to the SAT mean more money for test prep companies.
Monday’s ed news
FLORIDA: The House passes a bill creating education savings accounts for special-needs students and expanding the state’s largest school choice program.
SOUTH CAROLINA: The state board of education reverses the state department of education’s decision to drop Common Core tests. The legislature has final say and has not voted yet.
TENNESSEE: Lawmakers dealing on Common Core may delay it one year.
WISCONSIN: Gov. Scott Walker signs a bill requiring private voucher schools to provide myriad student datapoints to the state.
ARIZONA: Applications for education savings accounts more than double this year, to 2,500.
COLORADO: The state board of education asks the legislature to drop Common Core tests.
OHIO: Lawmakers move to require voucher schools to administer another test, for third grade reading.
MISSISSIPPI: A failed school choice proposal will be back next year; a mother of a dyslexic child says she doesn’t care what you call the bill, her child needs it.
PENNSYLVANIA: The state is auditing Philadelphia schools after reports they couldn’t keep track of students.
For last week’s School Reform News roundup, click here.
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Image by Mo Riza.
Joy Pullmann is a research fellow on education policy for The Heartland Institute and managing editor of The Federalist, a web magazine on politics, policy, and culture.
