Reform Fatigue In L.A.? "Antonio Villaraigosa Led The Way On Education Reform, But His Potential Successors Are Reluctant To Pick Up The Torch," reads the headline of an L.A. Weekly blog post.. The two top mayoral contenders to replace Villaraigosa at the helm of the nation's second largest school district aren't campaigning Villaraigosa-style reforms. The West Coast city's dynamic seems to echo New York's -- mayoral candidates have eschewed, for the most part, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's big, controversial reform agenda.
School Closures Racist? Yesterday, I sat in on a meeting civil rights and community leaders held in the U.S. Education Department Headquarters about school closures. The advocates say the practice of closing schools discriminates against minorities. Arne Duncan sat in for the first bit. Read more about it here.
Neo-Vouchers Spring Up In Montana? A proposal that would give Montanans tax credits (up to $550 per child) toward private school tuition is attracting strong opposition, reports the Independent Record. The state legislature is considering a pair of voucher-like bills, but Democratic Governor Steve Bullock is coming out against them. "We've been able to keep this out of our state, and I think that is something we should be proud of," said Marco Ferro, the state's teachers union chief.
More Michigan Charterization? Inkster Public Schools, a school district in Michigan that is coping with a $12 million deficit, is considering turning its high school over to a charter school operator. While this sounds extreme, it's not unprecedented: it would be the third district in the state to do something like that. Highland Park School District and Muskegon Heights Public Schools turned all their schools into charter schools this year, reports the Free Press.
Kaplan Cleared Of Discrimination? Kaplan Higher Education Corporation, the Washington Post's education unit, has been cleared of bias against African American job applicants, reports the New York Times. An Ohio judge threw out the case on Monday, but a spokesman for the plaintiff told the Times that the group "is reviewing the district court's decision carefully and is considering all options."