posted on
Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
Many have been puzzled by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s skepticism toward charter schools, his calls for ending space-sharing and charging them rent, and his $210 million cut of a construction fund important to the schools. Education reformers are also anxious about the failure of President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan to defend charter schools in the face of these prominent reversals of New York City policy. Is this just about teacher-union politics, or are there perhaps legitimate performance reasons for tapping the brakes on charter schools in public education today? (Wall Street Journal)
Arguments ended this week in a landmark California lawsuit in which nine public school students sued to overturn the state’s teacher tenure laws. Will the outcome spell the end of some prized teacher rights? Experts say the case could impact education reform efforts nationwide. (PBS Newshour)
New Jersey
When it comes to education, New Jersey has consistently been a leader. It’s something on which we pride ourselves. A critical part of being a great leader, however, is regularly seeking ways to do better, and this is exactly what we did in June 2010, when New Jersey adopted the Common Core State Standards, a set of benchmarks for what students should know at each grade level so they all graduate high school prepared for college and careers. (NJ.com)
New York
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and legislative leaders announced on Saturday an agreement on a state budget that would provide $300 million for prekindergarten in New York City, but also undercuts other educational policies of Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has championed prekindergarten while trying to slow the spread of charter schools. (New York Times)
Gov. Cuomo’s actions to protect charter schools have made him a darling of education reformers who back student choice. (NY Post)