Alaska: A bill will allow citizens to vote to remove a Blaine Amendment from the state constitution but it may not have enough votes to pass (Anchorage Daily News, Anchorage Press). A mom says public education needs more money not school choice (Alaska Dispatch).
Arizona: House Democrats oppose expanding the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (Tucson Weekly). Proposed legislation may allow hundreds of thousands of Arizona students to become eligible for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (Associated Press).
D.C.: Enrollment at St. Ann’s Academy has fallen to 139 students so the Catholic diocese will shut down the school this fall (Washington Post).
Florida: A bill to expand the state’s tax credit scholarship program passes out of the House Tax and Finance Committee (Sunshine State News, News Service of Florida, Associated Press, Gainesville Sun, Miami Herald). A Florida mom drives to Tallahassee to speak before the legislature about how much tax-credit scholarships mean to her and her family (redefinED). A Republican lawmaker wants to require all private school voucher students to take the state assessment (Tampa Bay Times, Sun Sentinel). A charter school in Broward County was nearly shut down after failing to obtain the proper building permits (Sun Sentinel). Frank Biden, the brother of Vice President Biden, advocates for charter schools (Post on Politics). A House panel proposes education savings accounts for special needs students (Orlando Sentinel, Tampa Bay Times). Rev. Robert Ward says tax credit scholarships help the poor (Tampa Bay Times). The school board in Palm Beach will consider a plan to allow full public school choice within the district (1230 AM WBZT, Sun Sentinel). Writer Julie Delegal says private school voucher students should take the state test because researchers can’t compare different tests (Florida Today). Jon East from Step Up For Students says the debate on accountability is about which test to use (redefinED). The superintendent of Broward County Public Schools focuses on building bridges with the community and charter schools (Education Week).
Idaho: A bill to create tax credit scholarships advances in the House (Idaho Reporter).
Iowa: Only school districts are allowed to operate charter schools which may explain why the state has just three charter schools (KWWL TV).
Louisiana: Walt Gardner of UCLA wonders why low income parents are please with private schools (Education Week).
Maine: The state education commission votes on three new charter school applications but only one is approved (Morning Sentinel, Press Herald, WCSH TV). Gov. Paul Le Page vetoes the moratorium on new virtual charter schools (Education Week, Sun Journal). The Morning Sentinel editorial board says education leaders need to now focus on providing proper oversight to virtual schools in the state.
Massachusetts: The state board approves a virtual charter school application (Wicked Local).
Missouri: A new proposal will include nonsectarian private schools as a transfer option for students zoned within unaccredited public school districts (St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
Nevada: Clark County has spent over $100 million over 13 years to pay Edison, a private for-profit company, to operate seven schools in the district with mixed results (Las Vegas Sun).
New Hampshire: About 90 percent of families in the state were “very satisfied” with their school choice using scholarship tax-credits (Education Next, Jay P. Greene’s Blog).
New Jersey: The state shuts down two charter schools for low-performance and renews the contracts of 10 other charter schools for five more years (NJ.com).
New York: The chancellor of public school sin New York City regrets telling charter schools that they are “on their own” to find new school buildings after denying them use of empty public spaces (New York Times). Columnist John Fund says Mayor Bill de Blasio is more concerned with enriching union members than helping students (National Review). New York City’s new charter school policy takes center stage at the state capitol (New York Times, ABC 7). Gov. Andrew Cuomo promises to fully fund New York City charter schools after de Blasio announced several schools would be kicked out of empty public school buildings (New York Post, Newsday, New York Daily News, BET, redefinED). State Assembly Democrats aren’t sure if they have the funds to back up Cuomo’s promise to New York City charter schools (Newsday). De Blasio says he’s willing to work with charter schools (Politicker). New York City officials sue to block charter schools (Fox News). Ginia Belefonte of the New York Times says de Blasio’s rhetoric on helping the poor has been hijacked by his opponents and the press. A proposed voucher program has big backers (NY1). Parents leading the public support for New York City charter schools (New York Post). Alexander Russo reminds readers that campaign contributions come from all sides of education reform, including unions (This Week In Education). The Wall Street Journal editorial board argues that de Blasio’s attacks on charter schools prove his own critics right.
North Carolina: Black children will benefit from vouchers says radio show host Troy Williams (Fayetteville Observer). A Gaston area mother says she “pays taxes too” and wants to decide where to send her child to school (Gaston Gazette). A teacher argues that vouchers to private religious schools will make it harder for the nation to come together (The Gazette).
Ohio: A new website opens up to help Cleveland area parents pick the best public or charter school for their child (Plain Dealer). The state’s third grade retention policy does not apply to students attending private schools using vouchers (Columbus Dispatch).
Pennsylvania: The pros and cons of charter schools is debated in Falls Township (Bucks County Courier). Two charter schools will appeal their order to close down the school (The Inquirer).
South Carolina: Senator Tim Scott says school choice gives kids a chance (National Review, Post and Courier).
Tennessee: A limited voucher bill for low-income students in low-performing public schools advances out of a house committee (The Tennessean, Memphis Business Journal).
Texas: The Texas Education Agency warned five low-performing charter schools that the would need to improve or corrective action would be taken (My San Antonio).
Virginia: A local public school converts to a charter and becomes northern Virginia’s first charter school (Washington Post).
Wisconsin: The Greenbay Press Gazette editorial board says private voucher school students should take the exact same tests as public school students. Students say school choice improved their lives (Journal Times).
Nation: IB program gets a boost in good public relations with actress’ Oscar win (Washington Post). The union funded National Education Policy Center says virtual schools are less diverse than overall public school population and that virtual school growth should be slowed until the schools can be improved (Education Week, The Journal). Students Firsts backs candidates willing to support school choice (Slate). President Obama zeroes out funding for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program again (Cato Institute, The Fordham Institute). Private schools make changes to be eligible for vouchers and voucher students (Education Next). Sasha Volokh, a professor at Emory Law School, discusses education clauses within state constitutions and how they impact school choice programs (Washington Post). Julian Vasquez Heilig, an education professor at the University of Texas, says billionaires have co-opted minority groups to lobby for education reform (The Conversation).
