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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News & analysis:
DCPS closure proposal expected Tuesday
D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s long-awaited list of proposed school closures is expected to be made public Tuesday, as my colleague Mike DeBonis previously reported. The anticipated announcement has already triggered opposition from community organizers and neighborhood activists who argue that the city needs to better articulate a vision for the public education system before closing any schools. Shuttering buildings could drive students out of the school system, they say, accelerating enrollment losses and leading to further closures in the years ahead. (Washington Post)
Wisconsin Teachers’ Benefits Cuts Championed By Scott Walker Offset Much Of School-Aid Losses
Cuts to teachers’ benefits championed by Gov. Scott Walker offset about two-thirds of the reductions to school revenue resulting from his budget last year, limiting but not eliminating job losses in districts able to make the best use of these savings, according to a study being released Monday. (Huffington Post)
LAUSD Furlough Days: With Prop 30 Money, Chief Seeks To Rescind Furloughs, Restore School Calendar
Just a week after voters approved a package of tax hikes to fund public education, the LAUSD board will consider Tuesday rescinding 10 furlough days for employees and restoring this year’s academic calendar to 180 days. Superintendent John Deasy said Friday that revenue generated by Proposition 30 will allow the district to stabilize its budget and begin rebuilding programs lost during the financial crisis. (Los Angeles Times)
Indiana Superintendent’s Defeat: What Role for Common Core?
In the education world, some of the biggest news of the election last week came with the defeat of Indiana schools superintendent Tony Bennett. In the wake of that development, people who watch common-standards news closely have been parsing the role that initiative had in Bennett’s ouster. (Education Week – Curriculum Matters)
New York:
As Shortfall Looms, Bloomberg Plans Cuts
With his plan to sell 2,000 new yellow-taxi medallions still in doubt, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has proposed slashing money for libraries and after-school programs and increasing fees on school lunches and parking meters to compensate for more than $600 million in lost medallion revenue. (New York Times)