Online Education in America

Bloomberg’s charter school expansion plan could double space fights, the Times writes.
The mayor said Thompson was “awfully quiet” when the charter cap was an issue years ago.
Andy Smarick calls Bloomberg’s charter plan an “excellent proposal.”
Most New York voters mistakenly think sex-ed is required in the public schools.
Mayoral control and Bloomberg’s money have put the UFT’s [...]

In the tug-of-war between charter school advocates and opponents over building space for the city’s charter schools, emotions frequently churn and bubble over; protests and shouting matches are not unheard of. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way, a team of district and charter school administrators who share a Lower East Side building [...]

Mayor Bloomberg called for eliminating the state cap on charter schools today and said he would raise millions of dollars for school facilities if he remains in office for a third term.
Citing the recent study by Stanford economist Caroline Hoxby, the mayor declared the city’s charter schools an indisputable success and said he would open [...]

A leaked e-mail shows dissent within the SCA about a controversial DUMBO school project. (Daily News)
City schools have to entice student diners with food produced under difficult constraints. (Times)
Bill de Blasio and John Liu are the Democratic nominees for public advocate and comptroller. (Times)
Duncan, Sharpton, and Gingrich started their national tour in Philadelphia. (Wall Street [...]

OFEA’s Martine Guerrier is the only Tweed dweller to make City Hall News’ 40 under 40 list.
Peter Murphy says the charter movement doesn’t need to ponder equality and diversity more deeply.
Chicago officials are re-tooling their admissions policies since a judge threw out their desegregation order.
The House goes mad for RttT and looks to expand it [...]

The city is suddenly testing kids in pre-K programs, as a rarely enforced state law demands. (Daily News)
Bob Herbert travels with Bill and Melinda Gates on their tour to find out what schools need. (Times)
The EPA wants schools to test for dangerous chemicals found in some city schools. (Wall Street Journal)
Schools can be doing well [...]

Peter Murphy defends charter schools and the Hoxby study against Diane Ravitch’s criticisms…
…While Corey Bunje Bower wonders why New York City charters might be special cases.
The Times profiles Francis Lewis High School, more than 50 percent over-enrolled and still in demand.
A Times op-ed contributor details how arbitrary the scoring of standardized test essay questions can [...]

In anticipation of tomorrow’s runoff election, which is likely to get a trickle of turnout, here’s a quick look at how the Democratic candidates for public advocate responded to GothamSchools’ education questionnaire.
Bill de Blasio, a Brooklyn city councilman, and Mark Green, who was the public advocate during the Giuliani administration, have surprisingly little that they [...]

The principal who was running a business from the rubber room has been told to get back to work. (Post)
New York State’s Race to the Top eligibility is still in question. (Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin)
Bill Thompson’s education record is the subject of attacks by the Bloomberg campaign. (Times)
One of Bloomberg’s TV ads, titled “Apples,” takes [...]

I posted this simple question on Twitter, and I’m reposting it here, too:

Please share your thoughts!

Two percent of the 300 responders to an Insideschools poll said their school has no parent association.
Quick and the Ed defends open-sourced instructional materials against doubts about their quality.
Jay Mathews debates Valerie Strauss over the proper response to accusations of cheating.
Ed is Watching recalls the lessons of the 1994 Denver teachers’ strike.
A federal judge threw [...]

State lawmakers are warning that if the Department of Education doesn’t comply with the new governance law immediately, they will try to force them to.
School officials came under attack earlier this week when they laid out their time-table for implementing changes ordered by the legislature. The law required that community superintendents work exclusively with schools [...]

In a feature today, Anna Phillips reports on what Thompson was really like while president of the Board of Education:
…That was Thompson the manager, whom former board members, colleagues, and even political rivals from that era describe as “fair,” “conciliatory,” and possessing a “quiet leadership,” that created a working majority on an often-fractious board.
“He tamed [...]

Schools that never had extra-large classes before have them now. (Daily News)
Juan Gonzalez reports that a Lower Manhattan school got a $250 million, 30-year lease. (Daily News)
New vending machines in schools will have healthier snacks. (Daily News)
More than 5,000 school custodians are getting instruction in protecting against H1N1 flu. (NY1)
A nationwide school nurse shortage could [...]

A SUNY-Buffalo professor tells NPR that K-third graders should be in classes of fewer than 20 students.
Abacus Mom loves a new comic novel that doubles as a private school admissions manual.
The MTA gave two subway cars for the students of Transit Tech High School to work on.
VH1’s Save the Music Foundation will pay for a [...]