Upcoming Events
Thu., Jul. 31, 2008Happy Hour with Gov. Bob Wise
Happy hour with former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise to discuss his new book, Raising the Grade: How High School Reform Can Save our Youth and our Nation.
Location: Boucarou Lounge, 64 E. 1st St. (between First and Second Aves.)
When: 6:00 PM
Tickets/More Info
Press
July 18, 2008
Stop Trying To Block Access To Charter Schools
(From THE BUFFALO NEWS, July 18, 2008)
By BRIENNE BELLAVITA
I am writing in regard to the July 6 News article “Buffalo’s charter schools post some of the city’s highest test scores.” State Board of Regents Chancellor Robert Bennett got it right when he asserted that charter schools are “no longer an experiment.” New York has experienced a steady growth of charter schools in recent years, with at least 20 new schools opening this fall, and with good reason. As the article noted, “as a whole, charters continue to significantly outperform the city’s traditional public schools.” This holds true not only for Buffalo, but for all of New York State.
Citizens are no longer willing to turn a blind eye to the failings of our public school system, and will no longer tolerate the frequent disregard for the education of minority and poor students. Thousands of parents have flocked to public charter schools, eager for their children to receive the quality education that many of these schools are offering.
We’re left to wonder why so many elected officials are reluctant to allow more city students to access these schools. Parents are starting to take notice of who is on their side and who is blocking opportunity for their children. It’s time for our elected officials to stand up against the status quo and start protecting the interests of our children.
June 25, 2008
Senator Smith Is Known As A Booster Of Charter Schools
(From THE NEW YORK SUN, June 25, 2008)
By ELIZABETH GREEN
The increasing likelihood that the next majority leader of the Senate will be the Queens Democrat Malcolm Smith, a founder of two charter schools whose pastor and political mentor is a vocal school voucher supporter, is exciting school choice advocates across the state.
Senator Bruno, the Republican Senate majority leader who just announced he will not seek re-election, is a supporter of charter schools, but Democrats such as Mr. Smith have been a rarer breed.
Mr. Smith has championed efforts to lift the state's charter school cap and has also embraced the idea of tax breaks for parents with children at private schools. The positions have given him an unusual pedigree of cheerleaders and contributors; in addition to the usual list of lobbyists and real estate developers, Mr. Smith is supported by people such as the money manager Ravenel Boykin Curry IV, a founder of the lobbying group Democrats for Education Reform who first became enamored of Mr. Smith at a dinner four years ago at Mr. Curry's apartment overlooking Central Park South.
Continue reading "Senator Smith Is Known As A Booster Of Charter Schools"....
June 12, 2008
Sharpton, Education Plan May Tear Union Ties
(From USA TODAY, June 11, 2008)
By GREG TOPPO
Sharpton, a Baptist pastor and political gadfly, says that for years, civil rights leaders have been silent on education equity issues. But a new group of activists, school superintendents and academics will push education in the 2008 presidential election, he said.
Unions have blocked what many reformers say are innovative ideas, such as alternative pay grades for teachers, expanded charter schools and moving excellent teachers into needy schools.
Continue reading "Sharpton, Education Plan May Tear Union Ties"....
June 11, 2008
Candidates Are At Odds Over K-12
(From EDUCATION WEEK, June 11, 2008)
By ALYSON KLEIN and DAVID J. HOFF
The presumed November matchup produced by the long presidential-primary season that ended last week offers contrasting approaches to K-12 policy, along with some common ground on the basics of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee, and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, who last week secured enough delegates to claim the Democratic nomination, both express support for the NCLB law’s goals and its use of testing to measure schools’ success.
But Sen. McCain would promote market forces as a way to spur school improvement, and would likely seek to freeze education spending as part of a review of the effectiveness of federal programs.
Sen. Obama, meanwhile, promises to search for new ways of assessing students and to invest significantly in efforts to improve teacher quality.
Continue reading "Candidates Are At Odds Over K-12"....
May 28, 2008
Teachers To Have 1st Major Union Led By Women
(From USA TODAY, May 28, 2008)
By GREG TOPPO
Delegates to the American Federation of Teachers' biennial meeting here in July are expected to elect Randi Weingarten their new president, along with two other longtime AFT officials: Antonia Cortese and Lorretta Johnson as secretary-treasurer and executive vice president, respectively.
Continue reading "Teachers To Have 1st Major Union Led By Women"....
April 21, 2008
FORUM: MLK And Education
(From The Washington Times, April 20, 2008)
By KEVIN P. CHAVOUS
On April 3, I visited Memphis, Tennessee for the first time in my life. Like many Americans, I view Memphis, despite all of its charms, first and foremost as the place where they killed Martin Luther King Jr.
Quite ironically, I was asked to come to Memphis by New York Schools Chancellor Joel Klein to participate on a panel with several luminaries such as D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, D.C. Chancellor Michelle Rhee, former Milwaukee Superintendent Howard Fuller, former New Orleans Mayor and National Urban League President Marc Morial and Democrats for Education Reform Executive Director Joe Williams.
Continue reading "FORUM: MLK And Education"....
April 17, 2008
Success In Harlem
(From The New York Sun, April 17, 2008)
New York Sun Staff Editorial
The lottery where one of Harlem's largest networks of charter schools will determine which of its applicants are accepted is tonight, at the Harlem Armory Center, the ports complex on Fort Washington Avenue. The armory was not the lottery's original venue. Just two and a half weeks ago, the charter school network, called the Success Academy, was directing applicants to go to the Mt. Olivet Church, capacity 3,000, to find out whether they had been admitted. Then the applications started to roll in. As of yesterday, the school had counted 3,600, meaning as many as 5,000 parents, children, and supporters could show up, all fighting for a meager 580 spots. The figures suggest 40% of age-eligible children in central Harlem have applied for kindergarten at the network, run by a former City Council member, Eva Moskowitz. The Armory was the only place they could find, short of Radio City Music Hall, to hold that many desperate parents.
Continue reading "Success In Harlem"....
