February 9: Top Story - ‘Ending Poverty Through Education’

In a Huffington Post opinion piece, Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of the Washington, D.C. Public Schools, cites “examples of extraordinary success” among urban schools.

In other headlines...
‘Sanford’s Shift’
‘Hutchison Calls Education a Priority’
‘NYSUT Takes on Charter Schools’

‘Ending Poverty Through Education’

In a Huffington Post opinion piece, Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of the Washington, D.C. Public Schools, cites “examples of extraordinary success” among urban schools. Rhee describes a D.C. traditional public school where only 9% of the students were on grade level, “when just down the street in a successful charter school, over 90 percent of students were. Same kids, same neighborhoods and exposure to violence, same poverty, hunger, and parent education levels. At the successful schools, the primary difference was the team of adults who decided it was possible for lives and outcomes to move in other directions.” She praises political leaders who are “starting to show that courage, putting children before political interest in their decisions and policies,” such as President Obama, “a huge supporter of charter schools.”

Source: Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-laracy/ending-poverty-through-ed_b_454034.html

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‘Sanford’s Shift’

An editorial in the Spartanburg Herald Journal praised South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford for going to Washington last week to lobby for $300 million in federal ‘Race to the Top’ funding. Last year, Sanford famously went to court to try to refuse $700 million in federal stimulus funding, arguing that the stimulus plan would drive up federal debt. Tacking a new tack last week, Sanford met with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to discuss driving educational innovation by expanding charter schools, a move which would increase South Carolina’s chances of winning ‘Race to the Top’ funds. “Sanford did the right thing in fighting for South Carolinians last week,” the Journal writes, “and it bodes well for the coming year.”

Source: Spartanburg Herald Journal, http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100209/ARTICLES/2091001/1051?p=1&tc=pg

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‘Hutchison Calls Education a Priority’

According to the San Antonio Express, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson visited San Antonio’s KIPP Aspire Academy yesterday along with former first lady Barbara Bush. Hutchinson is campaigning to be Texas’ next governor, and calls education her first priority. She praised KIPP Aspire for posting some of the county’s highest test scores while serving a mostly low-income, minority population. “As governor of Texas, I am going to support charter schools because I think we should have all the options of schools,” she said.

Source: San Antonio Express, http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/83856467.html

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‘NYSUT Takes on Charter Schools’

According to the Buffalo News the New York State Union of Teachers is making an effort to unionize charter school teachers. Across the state, 21 of about 140 charter schools have unionized. “Our goal would be to represent every public school teacher in New York State," said Richard C. Iannuzzi, NYSUT president. Ianuzzi said that the union recognizes that charter schools are “here to stay.” Peter Murphy, a spokesman for the New York Charter Schools Association, said: "I think teachers should be extremely wary of joining a group that works very openly here in Albany to hurt charter schools." Assemblyman Sam Hoyt said NYSUT is in the “awkward position” of representing charter school teachers while often backing anti-charter actions on funding, licensing and growth. "Do they throw a growing number of their members under the bus,” he asked, “or do they morph into a position that's more tolerant and more moderate, and be willing to work with charter schools?"

Source: Buffalo News, http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/950144.html

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