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Maryland is Race to the Top finalist
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Charter School Bundlers Help Favored Candidates With Donor Math
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July 21, 2010
State Faces Challenges in Implementing Common Core Standards
(From The New Jersey Spotlight, July 21, 2010)
By JOHN MOONEY
When the state Board of Education signed on to the new national standards for language arts and math last month, it joined what is now 24 other states setting a single milestone for what every child should be taught in school and when.
But the real work has only just begun, as the vote set off a flurry of activity for the state to next develop a matching "model curriculum" for schools to follow and move toward new state assessments, both short- and long-term.
"The easy part is adopting the standards," said Willa Spicer, assistant state education commissioner who will be overseeing the standards revisions. "We have a long-range plan for this, and we've started to move on it. But it does take time."
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Further Parsing Perkins/Smikle Filings
(From The New York Observer, July 21, 2010)
By DAVID FREEDLANDER
A source from Basil Smikle's State Senate campaign responded to our post about his race against incumbent Bill Perkins (a proxy fundraising battle, we argued, between the teachers union and charter school advocates) by pointing out that Smikle actually bested Perkins in fundraising this period, despite only being in the race for two months.
Smikle, the favorite of the charter school crowd, grabbed close to $146,000 this period. Perkins, by contrast raised $126,000.
Delving further into the numbers reveals some interesting details about one of the most closely-watched Senate primaries this year. Only a little over $5,000 of Smikle's money has come from voters inside his Harlem Senate district. And while he has received some money from charter school advocates--Charles Ledley who serves on the board of Democrats For Education Reform kicked in $5,000, and Harlem Sucess Academy co-founders Joel Greenblatt and John Petry kicked in another $11,000--Smikle also received a lot of money from the real estate industry.
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July 20, 2010
Charter Backers Flex Political Muscles
(From The Wall Street Journal, July 20, 2010)
By JACOB GERSHMAN
The charter-school movement appears to be catching up to the teachers union in political giving to Albany.
With the help of hedge-fund managers and other Wall Street financiers, charter-school advocates gave more than $600,000 to Albany political candidates and party committees since January, according to the latest campaign filings. That's more than twice as much as in prior reporting periods, according to allies of charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run.
Pro-charter donations appear to have surpassed the $500,000 or so that candidates raised from teachers unions during the six-month period.
The gap isn't quite closed: Labor leaders, who are sitting on millions in political cash and have far more manpower, say they are waiting to see if lawmakers block education cuts before they unleash more money and roll out endorsements.
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July 17, 2010
For Cuomo, a Wide Range of Backers
(From The Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2010)
By JACOB GERSHMAN
Real-estate magnates, the nation's leading gay philanthropist, soda companies, charter-school advocates, a cage-fighting promoter and a major health-care union are among the most generous contributors to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's campaign for governor this year.
A day after Mr. Cuomo reported having raised $9 million since January, giving the Democrat a huge funding lead over his Republican rival Rick Lazio, a review of his filing records shows that the attorney general drew deep financial support from a swath of powerful interests.
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July 3, 2010
Obey pushing for $10 billion to save teacher jobs
(From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 3, 2010)
By DIANA MARRERO
Washington -- Saying teachers across the country could lose their jobs if he doesn't act, Rep. Dave Obey is waging what could become his last major battle in Congress - securing $10 billion to prevent school layoffs.
Obey, a Wausau Democrat who controls a major chunk of the federal budget as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, is asking lawmakers to pay for the education jobs measure by cutting, among other things, $500 million from the $4.35 billion Race to the Top fund that has been a top priority for President Barack Obama. The 41-year veteran of the House is retiring at the end of this year.
So far, Obey has won the latest round in the fight: the House on Thursday approved his proposal as part of a war spending bill before leaving Washington for the July 4 recess. But his stance pits Obey against the Senate - which would have to approve the measure before it can become law - and even the president himself. Obama has threatened to veto the legislation if it includes cuts to education reform programs.
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