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Charters: ‘Summer of our Discontent’

Posted on September 17, 2016September 17, 2016 by Sue Legg

I just read an exceptionally candid lament from the charter school industry. In response to a summer of miserable news about the charter movement, Steve Zimmerman, Co-Director of the Coalition of Community Charter Schools states:

The truth is that there have been a slew of scandals…..concentrated in states that, in their haste to provide market-based reforms, did not provide strong charter oversight and failed to keep foxes out of the proximity of chickens.

But my greater concern is…

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A Coming Crisis

Posted on September 17, 2016September 17, 2016 by Sue Legg

There is always an undercurrent of skepticism about ‘looming crises’. It is likely, however, that the predicted teacher shortages may be real. According to the Learning Policy Institute, the causes include: declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs, districts’ return to smaller class sizes after the recession, increasing student enrollments, and high teacher attrition. What would help?

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Judge Denies Children Access to Fourth Grade

Posted on September 14, 2016September 14, 2016 by Sue Legg

Judge Gievers upheld the Opt-Out parents complaint against districts who denied promotion to children who signed in to take the Florida Standards Assessment this spring. She did not, however, require districts to promote those children without completing a portfolio to demonstrate their proficiency. Some parents withdrew their children from school. Some used a portfolio option. The problem for at least one parent is that the portfolio option required scores on other tests to be included. Since the entire promotion process is under review in the appeals court, Judge Gievers has decided that the courts need time to ponder. Maybe she is correct. Let’s consider the implications of her decision.