Do certain discipline policies benefit the student or the school? And how are charter schools performing in Ohio, a state with one of the oldest and largest charter sectors? Stories about those questions and more are featured in this edition of the Charters & Choice weekly news roundup. But first we ask: What makes a school choice program controversial?
Wisconsin’s lesser-known school voucher program... A Milwaukee-based op-ed writer wonders why the state’s “school voucher” program for universities isn’t controversial while its K-12 program is:
Most people don't even know it exists. UW professors don't march on the state Capitol to kill the program, arguing it 'siphons' money from the state university system. The courts aren't clogged with lawsuits arguing that public money shouldn't be spent on religious instruction," writes Journal Sentinel columnist and blogger, Christian Schneider.
Are charter schools cherry-picking students through strict discipline policies? That topic is discussed for The New York Times’ “Room for Debate” project between several education experts, including Education Week opinion blogger and former charter school teacher Marilyn Rhames:
Does tough discipline let charters provide the best education, or trim students who bring down their scores? http://t.co/T7wz1Zfa1a
— Room for Debate (@roomfordebate) December 11, 2014
Meanwhile, the Buckeye State is not hitting the bull’s-eye on charter school quality, according to a new report out from Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes. The study found that Ohio charter school students on average learn less in a year than their district school peers, although a few charters in Cleveland and Columbus did have strong perfomance among some students.
It’s not all roses in some of Tennessee’s colocation relationships:
This is an abusive relationship... we're taking our kids and leaving," a Shelby County Schools board member told Chalkbeat Tennessee. The district no longer wants its schools sharing buildings with charters, to the state-run Achievement School District's dismay.
Apparently, it runs in the family... 17-year-old Joanna Martin, a former home schooler, is graduating from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton with a bachelor’s degree in English. Her older brother graduated last year also at the age of 17 wtih a degree in molecular biology. He’s now at Princeton, reports the Sun Sentinel.
Congrats to ENG major Joanna Martin for graduating at 17! See her story in the @SunSentinel http://t.co/OI7BvInRLD pic.twitter.com/VZEn8fPU0T
— FAU Dept. of English (@FAUEnglish) December 11, 2014
In case you missed it:
Wisconsin School Voucher Program About to Hit 30,000 Student Mark
Pa. District Could Become State’s First All-Charter School System
New Orleans Special Education Lawsuit Nears Settlement
Eva Moskowitz: Goal Is to Expand Charter School Network to 100 Schools in 10 Years
Calif. Parent-Trigger Advocate, Ben Austin, Leaves Group He Founded
If you have an idea for next week’s roundup, tweet me @ChartersNChoice or share it in the comments section below.