Monthly Archive - March 2008

Y’all know about the Mind Trust? Terrific new organization headed by David Harris (Bart Peterson’s former charter guru), with a mission to turn Indianapolis into a giant talent magnet. See below for a note from Harris about a Fellowship opportunity that should make ed entrepreneurs salivate...

Al Might Have Been Pleasantly Surprised

Georgia Public Policy Foundation clears up misperceptions of Georgia charters.

NYC charter schools, parents band together

You know the old canard about apathetic parents? Fuggedaboutit.

Last night, more than a thousand parents jammed Mt. Olivet Baptist Church on Harlem's Lenox Avenue, waving signs that said "Close the Achievement Gap" and "I Chose a Charter," at a rally sponsored by Democrats for Education Reform.

OK, Russo almost had us with his blog post about Spitzer's lady friend having been a charter-schooled TFA alum. (He was KIDDING. She ISN'T, for the literal-minded.) But we had a belly laugh reading his riposte to Rep. Rahm Emmanuel's Pell Grants for Kids bill.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel is introducing his "Pell Grants for Kids" legislation today.

Check out the press release, here. Stay tuned for more information.

Update - For the Alliance's statement on the legislation, click here.

Update 2 - For those interested in reading the bill, click here.

Tennessee Reactionaries oppose broadening charter law.

OK, let's start with the fact the Tennessee has one of the screwiest charter laws in the country. Kids can only enroll if they come from a failing school, do poorly on state tests, or, like, are already in a charter school. Which is maybe why there are only 12 charters in the state.

Columbus Dispatch debunks district “losses” to charters

A tip of the hat to Bill Sims and the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools, which recently released a study showing that student migration to charter and choice schools hasn’t exactly defunded Ohio’s Big Eight district budgets. They’ve skyrocketed, even while dollars have (supposedly) followed the kids.

How long have pundits, policymakers, and union leaders been harrumphing about the need to pay teachers more?

Take a close look at the numbers in this piece from the venerable Berkshire Eagle, the big paper in western Massachusetts.