New York City news:
- Gov. Andrew Cuomo is gearing up to announce a commission to plan school reforms. (Daily News, NY1)
- Critics of the Cuomo administration’s education policies say they are wary of new plans. (Politicker NY)
- City-union talks on new evaluations broke down. (GothamSchools, Times, Daily News, Post, WSJ, NY1)
- One in four students at Grace Dodge High School, slated for closure, is pregnant or parenting. (Post)
- The principal the city appointed for Grace Dodge High School has closed other schools before. (Post)
- Donors are planning to fund summer school for students who aren’t required to attend. (WSJ)
- For years, the city has not sought its full eligibility in federal special ed reimbursements. (Times, CBS NY)
- The head of the DOE’s gang unit helps schools deal with seemingly increasing gang activity. (WNYC)
- The principal of Manhattan’s P.S. 64 hasn’t made friends by asking teachers to dress better. (DNAInfo)
- In a lawsuit, a teacher charges that toxins at P.S. 51 caused a fatal birth defect in her baby. (Daily News)
- More about a charter school, Brooklyn Urban Garden, looking for space in District 15. (Brooklyn Paper)
- Michael Rebell, Campaign For Fiscal Equity case director, is still on the job, as we have reported. (WSJ)
- A forthcoming charter school plans to connect students digitally with international peers. (Daily News)
- Investigators found a teacher offered students better grades if they praised her. (Post, Daily News, AP)
- The principal of Manhattan’s Museum School was arrested for driving while drunk. (Post)
- Investigators found a teacher at Boys & Girls High School made inappropriate comments. (Daily News)
Views:
- The widow of the UFT’s founder, Al Shanker, says charter schools have lost their appeal. (Daily News)
- The Daily News said it is better to lose funds than have a sub-par teacher evaluation system.
- The Daily News also lambasted UFT President Michael Mulgrew for costing the city money.
- Chancellor Dennis Walcott slams the UFT for not agreeing to an evaluation deal. (Post)
- The Post says the UFT doesn’t want longer tests only because results could be used to judge teachers.
- Joe Nocera: School reform in Central Falls, R.I., should continue despite the city’s bankruptcy. (Times)
Elsewhere:
- New York says five districts didn’t submit teacher evaluation plans; not all districts agree. (Times Union)
- Since exiting D.C., Michelle Rhee has pushed for education policy changes in many states. (USA Today)
- Michael Winerip: An inquiry into school officials’ free trips raises new questions about Pearson. (Times)
- Advocates for church-state separation say they are seeing more violations in public schools. (Times)
- D.C. is giving “highly effective” teachers large raises, to both applause and criticism. (Washington Post)
- California’s governor is proposing billions of dollars in new funds for cash-strapped schools. (L.A. Times)
- In many ways, N.J. Gov. Chris Christie’s “year of education reform” was a year of frustration. (WSJ)
- Citywide, there were fewer suspicious test erasures last year in D.C. schools. (Washington Post)