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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
National
Has the charter school movement gone awry? A new book says yes, and it’s causing a stir
What’s the point of a charter school? Is acting as another option for families enough, or should it have to post higher test scores than other schools, too? Those questions are at the heart of a growing rift in the education reform world — and the focus of a new book making waves among some of its most prominent conservative figures. (Chalkbeat)
The Diminishing Role of Art in Children’s Lives
“Ik ben ik”—I am me—was the classroom theme when my son started preschool in the Netherlands two years ago. He painted a portrait of himself, with exaggerated teeth only on the bottom row and three strands of wiry hair on his head (“hair is hard,” he later told me). He went on to depict his home life: our canal-side house more wavy than erect; his father and I standing beside a cat we do not own; and his baby sister next to him while his other sister—his nemesis at the time—was completely absent. It was the first real glimpse we had into his experiences and sense of self, and it was both insightful and entertaining. (The Atlantic)
Boser and Baffour: Making School Integration Work for the 21st Century
Countless studies show that segregation by income is growing worse in public schools, but the national response to this trend has been disappointing. The Trump administration recently ended the Opening Doors, Expanding Opportunities program, a federal initiative that would have supported local school efforts to increase socioeconomic diversity. State courts, once a powerful tool for school integration, have lifted desegregation orders and released districts from their jurisdiction. And although some districts are opting for their own integration plans, they make up a small portion — less than 1 percent — of all public school systems in the country. (The 74)
State of the Teachers Union
The president of the National Education Association has had enough. On Sunday Lily Eskelsen Garcia told her delegates that though she knows “how to find common ground with people who will never agree with me,” she won’t make the effort with President Trump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. (The Wall Street Journal)
States
New Jersey
In historic move, N.J. to allow all-boys, all-girls charter schools
TRENTON — Charter schools that admit only boys or only girls will be allowed to open in New Jersey under revised rules for charter schools, clearing the path for proposed schools in Paterson and Atlantic City. The state will approve single-gender charter schools if they serve educationally disadvantaged or traditionally underserved students, according to rules passed by the state Board of Education on Wednesday. (NJ Advance Media)
New Mexico
U.S. schools rethink meal-debt policies that humiliate kids
SANTA FE, N.M. — Teaching assistant Kelvin Holt watched as a preschool student fell to the back of a cafeteria line during breakfast in Killeen, Texas, as if trying to hide. “The cash register woman says to this 4-year-old girl, verbatim, ‘You have no money,’” said Holt, describing the incident last year. A milk carton was taken away, and the girl’s food was dumped in the trash. “She did not protest, other than to walk away in tears.” (The Denver Post)
New York
Equity and Excellence for All: Diversity in New York City’s Public Schools
We believe in Equity and Excellence for all our students. While our schools are as strong as they’ve ever been, we know our vision is not yet a reality. The work to address inequity and transform our school system is underway, from Pre-K for All through College Access for All. The Equity and Excellence for All agenda is already improving the quality of our schools, making them more attractive to a broader range of students. At the same time, we have made more and better information available to families so they can make informed choices about which school they attend. Through the Equity and Excellence for All agenda, we have worked to fulfill the promise of school choice for more families and students. (NYC Department of Education)
North Carolina
Thousands get into Wake County magnet schools and early colleges
RALEIGH –Applications for Wake County’s magnet schools and early colleges are up slightly this year but are still down sharply from eight years ago. School district records show that 6,709 families applied for a magnet school or early college for the 2017-18 school year. Fifty-four percent, or 3,654 of the applicants, received placements. (The News & Observer)