By Rick

March 25, 2007 12:30 PM | Link to this

Today’s editorial in the DDN stated, “Ohio’s public schools are better today because of the competition charter schools and vouchers have created. The governor and public school advocates need to deal with that.”

By Rick

March 20, 2007 12:39 PM | Link to this

From the Lt Governor of Georgia. Notice how charter schools are doing well in Georgia. Commentary Advancing Student Achievement in Georgia By Casey Cagle Only when we design education around the individual needs of children will we achieve excellence. I have visited several schools throughout the state this session to share details of two of my priorities, which revolve around the fundamental belief that no two children learn at the same pace or in the same way. I have seen this first-hand, in my own home with my three sons. What motivates one son in the classroom does not interest the others. Where one may gravitate toward reading to absorb information, another may learn better with a hands-on approach. Because children learn differently, the best education occurs when local control is prominent and innovation and flexibility are involved. Untying the hands of our teachers and principals, allowing schools to be relevant to their communities and giving local control will create the best educational system for Georgia�s students. The 60 charter schools in Georgia have demonstrated remarkable success, paving the way for more communities to look to chartering. Nine new charter schools will open in 2007 and the Georgia Board of Education has an additional 14 petitions pending. Georgia�s charter schools are outperforming traditional schools and are serving a more diverse and economically disadvantaged population, according to the Georgia Department of Education�s annual report on Charter Schools. Additionally, charter schools exceeded traditional schools in both meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and graduation rates. Georgia needs to free systems from burdensome state and federal mandates allowing communities to define their own educational system and letting teachers do what we have hired them to do � teach our children. Today, for a school to become a charter school, each individual school has to enact its own charter. By allowing an entire school system to charter, the process is streamlined and expedited. A competitive grant program would encourage systems to take advantage of this new process. for rest of document see http://www.gppf.org/article.asp?RT=&p=pub/CharterSchools/chartercagle070216.htm

By Oldprof

March 19, 2007 7:50 AM | Link to this

I agree with Mary, Scott, that your hard work shows in this solid series of articles. And I disagree with Rick, who I’d bet is not a constitutional scholar to start with. He’s chanting the same old line about “legislating from the bench”, a nicety that worries about process rather than product—and that overlooks the elected officials who adjudicate from the governor’s mansion or who micromanage from the halls of congress. I am looking for things that WORK—and I don’t care how they get done, legislative, executive, or judicial—at present, there’s been a lot of inventive ideas but precious few solutions (and almost no seasoned teachers at the table getting what they say they need).

By Larry

March 19, 2007 5:18 AM | Link to this

It is discouraging that we are missing the opportunity to provide quality educational opportunities for our youth. We only get one opportunity with each child. There are many true professionals in the classroom that are making a difference each day for a child. Unfortunately they are over shadowed by adults with adult egos that are focused on wrong topics. The state has stepped up with the funding - I don’t see evidence that the educational leadership has stepped up. It has not been demonstrated with results.

By Mary

March 18, 2007 12:31 PM | Link to this

Are schools better off now than 1997? I still think there is a lot of denial on details and reality. Scott, I think you and William Hershey did a lot of work for the spread today. Congratulations for a good effort. I also appreciated today’s editorial, especially the need for transparency of school fiscal issues with the public. I think the public needs to be led into some of the depths of how money is used in education, as well as curriculum issues. By the way, DeRolph was supposedly an academically gifted student in an impoverished district. That should make a good, deep education story to pursue. Would his family and he be willing to reflect on what education opportunity and inadequacy means on an individual basis?

By Rick

March 18, 2007 11:24 AM | Link to this

The court stepped way out side is jurisdiction. It’s decisions should be ignored.