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Charter school leaders bristle at Education Department pick. California’s charter school establishment doesn’t like President Biden’s pick of Cindy Marten for deputy secretary of the Department of Education. Seems like her connection to teachers is causing the most concern.
“Charter advocates say they are most troubled by her alignment with the California Teachers Association. In 2018, she held a press conference to highlight a report from In the Public Interest, a think tank, which estimated that the San Diego district loses nearly $66 million a year when students enroll in charters.”
Jed Wallace, a former CEO of the California Charter Schools Association—which once described itself as “driven to dramatically increase the number of students attending quality charter schools in California”—told the pro-charter publication the 74 Million he was surprised that a superintendent would tout a report that he called “a complete and utter hit job.” The 74 Million
And now the rest of the news…
A scary pandemic trend. Florida has launched a sweeping school voucher plan. Education writer and former teacher Peter Greene says they are “joining in a national trend of using the pandemic crisis to fuel school voucher initiatives.” Curmudgucation
Iowa governor harkens back to segregation with proposed education changes. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) and Republican lawmakers are working on legislation to, among other things, allow students to leave public schools with a voluntary or court-ordered diversity plan. The Gazette
Commercial tenants on a charter school campus? “A Provo [Utah] charter school is battling with its landlord and developer over whether it must host commercial tenants at its campus—an arrangement the school claims could jeopardize its students and its charter with the state.” The Salt Lake Tribune
That’s a great question. Art Levinowitz, president of the Pennsylvania School Board Association and school director of Upper Dublin School District, asks why public schools are footing the bill for substandard online charter school education? Delco Times
Podcast episode of the week. National Education Policy Center (NEPC)’s researcher Christopher Saldaña interviewed Jack Schneider and Jennifer Berkshire about their new book, A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door: The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of School. NEPC
And finally some good news…
Why teachers are so important. Chris McNutt, a digital design educator at an Ohio public school, says that teachers can start a grassroots revolution for better schools. “There is now an entire generation of educators who have been exposed directly to inequity. Those engaged in this work now have droves of allies who understand a need for change, and the status quo is shifting. The Progressive