July 2: Top Story - Massachusetts Plans Takeover of 30 Low-performing Schools

According to the Boston Globe Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick will seek legislation to take control of about 30 of the state’s lowest performing schools. The state’s law allows state officials to take over entire districts, but is ambiguous about the takeover of individual schools.

In other headlines...
Green Dot Public Schools in Talks with DCPS
North Carolina Editorial Urges Cap Lift
Arizona State Budget Crisis Threatens Charter Funding

Massachusetts Plans Takeover of 30 Low-performing Schools
According to the Boston Globe Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick will seek legislation to take control of about 30 of the state’s lowest performing schools. The state’s law allows state officials to take over entire districts, but is ambiguous about the takeover of individual schools. Proposed legislation would allow the state commissioner to waive portions of union contracts at these 30 schools, eliminating provisions that could hinder an effective school turnaround. State secretary of Education Paul Reville has not disclosed which schools are being targeted, but said they are mostly in urban areas.
Source: Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/02/30_failing_schools_may_face_takeover/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Massachusetts+news

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Green Dot Public Schools in Talks with DCPS
The Washington Post today reports that D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is in talks with Green Dot Public Schools about having the charter school operator takeover at least one low-achieving high school in the District. Although plans are in the preliminary stage, the move is in line with Rhee’s strategy of pursuing outside partners to manage public schools. There are currently 10 D.C. high schools that require restructuring under the federal No Child Left Behind law. At least three of these will be taken over by independent and charter school operators next fall.
Source: Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/01/AR2009070104057.html

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North Carolina Editorial Urges Cap Lift
An editorial in North Carolina’s Winston-Salem Journal urges state legislators to answer President Obama’s call on states to lift caps on charter school growth. Doing so would improve North Carolina’s chances of receiving a portion of $4.4 billion in competitive grant money allocated under the Race to the Top funds. There are 36,000 students in the state’s 100 charter schools, which is the maximum number of charter schools currently allowed. A House-passed bill to raise the cap to 106 charters is sitting in a Senate committee now.
Source: Winston-Salem Journal, http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/jul/02/stronger-charter-schools/opinion/

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Arizona State Budget Crisis Threatens Charter Funding
According to the East Valley Tribune , Arizona’s public education system is operating without a budget for the first time in history. Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed the budget passed by state lawmakers early Wednesday morning, including the portion that appropriates funding to public schools. If a budget is not passed before July 15, Arizona's 220 school districts and 475 public charter schools may not get a $330 million payment they are due. There are about 100,000 students in Arizona charter schools and more than 1 million in Arizona's public school districts.
Source: East Valley Tribune, http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/141223

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