by Debbie Cafazzo and Melissa SantosA week after the state Supreme Court declared Washington’s charter schools unconstitutional, the outlook for salvaging the voter-approved system of privately run, publicly funded schools is unclear.Read the rest of the story at The News Tribune.
by John HigginsAfter nearly a year of deliberation, the state Supreme Court ruled 6-3 late Friday afternoon that charter schools are unconstitutional, creating chaos for hundreds of families whose children have already started classes.Read the rest of the story at The Seattle Times.
Photo Credit: Paul Stevensby Michelle Riddles, Associated PressCARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio says the U.S. doesn’t need a federal Education Department, arguing that its recommendations to state and local governments often turn into mandates tied to money. Read the rest of the story at U.S.News.
Photo credit: Jinby Jeffrey S. SolochekLAND O’LAKES — Preparing to market his new magnet school to parents, Sanders Memorial Elementary principal Jason Petry highlighted four core principles.Students first … Learners have voice and choice … Positive relationships lead to positive outcomes … Failing forward. Read the rest of the story at the Tampa Bay Times.
Photo Credit: www.SeniorLiving.orgby Neal MortonThe American Civil Liberties Union, waging the first of potentially several legal challenges against school choice in Nevada, has filed a lawsuit to stop the state’s new education savings accounts, claiming a violation of a constitutional prohibition against the use of public money for religious purposes.Read the rest of the story at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Amid promises and photo ops, real talk about education is missing from the campaign trail. Here are five key issues candidates must address.
by Corey MitchellA group of Chicago parents and residents fighting to have a say in what happens to their neighborhood high school have entered the second week of a hunger strike.The Chicago Sun-Times reports that members of the Coalition to Revitalize Dyett High School havelobbied for years on behalf of the school, first to prevent a planned closure, then to put a new neighborhood school in the building.Read the rest of the story at Education Week.
Photo Credit: dcJohnby Grace SmithThere will be no penalty for New York state school districts that had large numbers of students who refused to sit for the New York standardized tests this year.Education officials made the announcement to put to rest the uncertainty over how districts would respond to the anti-testing movement. Kate Taylor of The New York Times reports that state and federal officials had warned for months that districts that fell below the 95% participation rate might stand to lose federal funds. Leaders of the “opt-out movement” argued that these were nothing but empty threats.Read the rest of the story at Education News.
Photo Credit: U.S. Dept. of Agricultureby Amy SchimkeAs the second phase of Colorado’s “Breakfast After the Bell” law takes effect this fall, thousands more low-income students will have access to free breakfast served during school hours.It’s a development lauded by advocates who say the program improves attendance and achievement, but not always by administrators in the districts required to provide the universal free meals.Read the rest of the story at Chalkbeat Colorado.