More trouble in DC: Not only are there too few spaces in well-performing schools (and simply too few DC schools that aren’t low-performing) to provide transfer options for all students entitled to transfer to better performing schools under NCLB. Today, the Washington Post reports that the district doesn’t have enough money to provide suplemental services tutoring for all eligible students who have requested it, either. This is particularly problematic because district officials had planned to use supplemental services to address the lack of transfer options at the middle and high school levels. Clearly, the candidates for DC superintendent have their work cut out for them.
Texas education officials have removed the Houston school district from probationary status it’s been in for nearly a year since revelations surfaced that drop-out rates for the district’s schools had been dramatically underreported.
Also in Texas, school finance issues the legislature couldn’t resolve last session are headed to court.
And the New York Daily News weighs in on how judges handling the New York school finance adequacy case should resolve those issues.
Recent Claifornia legislation bars school districts from authorizing charter schools outside their boundaries. Although some districts clearly were abusing the practice and the state charter school association agrees stronger authorizing is needed, the new rules could jeopardize the existence of some good charter schools, too, particularly those located in districts hostile to charters. Sounds like California needs some strong new alternate authorizers. Hmmm, wonder where we’ve heard that idea before?
And a new NCES study says there are now 1.1 million homeschooled students in the United States.