EDUCATION & EQUITY NEWS    

NATIONAL

Vouchers: Was a Poll Question 'Cooked'?
The Washington Post, March 12, 2002

A Stanford professor has accused the influential Phi Delta Kappa education association of "cooking the questions" in its closely watched annual survey of attitudes toward school vouchers so it could produce an anti-voucher result.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

D.C. School Board Freezes Much Spending
The Washington Post, March 7, 2002

The D.C. Board of Education yesterday froze spending in many areas of the school system in an effort to prevent a repeat of last year's budget deficit.

MARYLAND

Flexibility on MSPAP in Question
The Baltimore Sun, March 12, 2002

Six days after saying public school systems could decide whether to suspend the eighth-grade portion of Maryland's signature exams in the spring, state Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick told them that they might have no choice in the matter after all. (See also: Federal Rules Could Keep MSPAP Alive, The Washington Post, March 12, 2002; Most Schools Undecided on State's Offer, The Baltimore Sun, March 6, 2002; Md. Officials Divided on Test, The Washington Post, March 6, 2002.)

Once-Lauded MSPAP Undermined by Format
The Washington Post, March 11, 2002

Amid new federal rules for testing and a barrage of criticism from local officials and parents, State Schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick has all but scrapped this year's eighth-grade version of the MSPAP and announced plans to ultimately replace the test with a far more traditional exam.

Students' Use of Technology Lags
The Baltimore Sun, March 12, 2002

According to a new report by the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education, while the vast majority of Maryland schools are wired for the Internet - and most schools have computer laboratories and at least one terminal in every classroom - major gaps in teacher and student use of technology persist.

Board Appeals Ruling on Metts
The Washington Post, March 12, 2002

The Prince George's County school board has filed an appeal in Prince George's County Circuit Court, arguing that the State Board of Education overstepped its authority when it declared invalid a termination clause in Superintendent Iris Metts's contract and reversed her firing.

Metts, Board Clash Again on Leases
The Washington Post, March 9, 2002

A day after pledging to work together peacefully, the Prince George's County school board and Superintendent Iris T. Metts engaged in a contentious debate over whether churches should house Head Start classes.

Educators Vow to Raise Test Scores
The Baltimore Sun, March 8, 2002

In response to a disappointing trend of flat or declining scores on the yearly MSPAP exams, Howard County's associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction, Kimberly Statham, announced the following benchmarks: Howard County will reach the state's goal of at least 70 percent of its students scoring satisfactorily on the annual MSPAP achievement exams by 2005, and gaps between that state standard and test performance by African-American and Hispanic students will be eliminated by 2007.

PG Lawmakers OK Reforming Board
The Washington Times, March 8, 2002

Prince George's County lawmakers voted yesterday to support legislation to restructure the county school board, making four of the nine members appointed rather than elected.

Many Kindergartners Not Prepared, Study Says
The Washington Post, March 7, 2002

A new Maryland study that found only 49 percent of the state's kindergartners were fully ready to begin school.

PENNSYLVANIA

Not Enough Bang for the Buck?
The Christian Science Monitor, March 12, 2002

The recent state takeover of Philadelphia's troubled school system came as no real surprise to a city long struggling with poor test scores, high truancy rates, and a dearth of well-qualified teachers. But few anticipated that the city's charter school movement, which enjoys considerable community support, would also come under scrutiny.

Edison's Marks on a Review Are Shaky
The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 12, 2002

Six months into the management by the for-profit Edison Schools in the Chester Upland School District, several key performance indicators are worse than they were before the company arrived, according to a district evaluation

School Reform Commission
Sees No Rift with Schweiker
Philadelphia Daily News, March 12, 2002

Members of the School Reform Commission said they don't feel a rift has developed between themselves and Gov. Schweiker, despite grumbling from state officials that the commission is moving too slow in reforming the School District of Philadelphia.

Funds at Stake for Schools, Governor Says
The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 9, 2002

Gov. Schweiker has pressured Philadelphia's School Reform Commission to create "at least 60" partnership schools by the fall and hire Edison Schools to run many of them. His spokesman warned that $75 million in school funding could be at stake.

School Reform Deal in Danger
of Failing For Lack of Action
Philadelphia Daily News, March 11, 2002

Top state and legislative leaders, frustrated by lack of action on the part of their own School Reform Commission, are looking at changing the commission’s make-up and even the possibility of altogether scrapping state efforts to run city schools.

List of Partnership Schools
Falls Short of Schweiker Plan
The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 8, 2002

The Philadelphia School District has created a list of about 20 schools that are in line to be run jointly by education organizations and community groups, beginning next fall. That is far fewer schools than originally anticipated by Gov. Schweiker and his staff in planning for the Dec. 21 state takeover of the school district.

VIRGINIA

Prep Course Proposed For Thomas Jefferson
The Washington Post, March 12, 2002

Fairfax County school officials said yesterday that they may offer a test preparation course for students interested in attending Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, which has an admissions process that becomes more selective each year.

The Truth About Title IX
Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 6, 2002

Colleges in Virginia and elsewhere are currently still trying to bring their athletic programs into compliance with Title IX, although the first government deadline for full compliance came in 1978.

SPECIAL ARTICLES & REPORTS

Resegregation Now, Resegregation Forever!
Are charter-school conversions the vanguard for public education or a scam for resegregating the learning experience and making a lot of money?
Miami New Times, February 2002

Transforming the American High School:
New Directions for State and Local Policy (pdf)
Jobs for the Future, December 2001

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