Online Education in America

Throughout 2009, Education Futures experienced a 17.11% increase in readers, hailing from 183 countries around the world. Thank you!
The Society 3.0 series proved to be very popular, accounting for the majority of visits. Here are the top five articles of 2009, listed in descending order of page views:
5. Singularity University: February 2, 2009
4. [...]

Hundreds of Queens residents filled the school’s auditorium. Many had graduated from Jamaica or could name family members who had.

An event billed as a question and answer session about the proposed closure of Jamaica High School quickly became a pep rally for the school’s supporters last night. 
Hundreds of angry students, parents, and teachers packed Jamaica’s [...]

January’s meeting on school closures will now be in easy-to-access Brooklyn. (GothamSchools, Times)
The principal of Jamaica HS told teachers he has “no intention of stepping back.” (Queens Chronicle)
Girls Prep Charter School bused hundreds of supporters to a space rally at City Hall. (NY1)
Budget cuts are taking a toll on the city’s plan to turn schoolyards [...]

Gov. Paterson said the education coalition that sued him today “don’t care about anybody but themselves.”
Alan Lubin of NYSUT, part of that coalition, said raising the charter cap to 400 would be “ridiculous.”
Peter Murphy of the state charter association responds that it’s NYSUT’s position that’s “ridiculous.”
Shael Shuransky responds to more readers’ questions following his defense [...]

Gov. Paterson said the education coalition that sued him today “don’t care about anybody but themselves.”
Alan Lubin of NYSUT, part of that coalition, said raising the charter cap to 400 would be “ridiculous.”
Peter Murphy of the state charter association responds that it’s NYSUT’s position that’s “ridiculous.”
Shael Shuransky responds to more readers’ questions following his defense [...]

The lobbying group Democrats for Education Reform got its start in New York, but is spreading fast. Its latest branch is in Michigan, where it’s going by MDFER (a bit of a mouthful). With chapters in five states, the organization is halfway to its goal of being in 10 states by 2011.
DEMOCRATS FOR EDUCATION REFORM [...]

A meeting to determine the fate of schools marked for closure is being moved from Staten Island to Brooklyn after parents and teachers protested that some would have to travel over two hours to attend.
The Panel for Educational Policy meeting, where members will vote on the Department of Education’s proposals to close 20 schools, will [...]

Gov. Paterson said student Metrocards are his top funding priority, if he gets more money. (Daily News)
Some see the MTA’s student Metrocard cut as a tactic to get the city and state to pay their share. (Times)
Parents say they’ll have to choose between food and school bus fare if the MTA’s cuts go through. (AP)
Paterson [...]

Paterson wants the cap lifted, asks: are we racing to the top, or to the middle?
Here’s how Paterson’s 10 percent school aid reduction break down district-by-district.
It could be “wishful thinking” to expect the state legislature to act on RttT proposals in time.
Peter Murphy says the Regents’ unanimity on the RttT proposals is an important statement.
Some [...]

Kimberly Morcate, principal of Girls Prep’s middle school, rallied with students, teachers and parents on the steps of City Hall this evening.

The city is re-shuffling a set of contentious proposals that would ask Lower East Side district schools to give up classroom space to make room for an expanding charter school.
Last month, the city presented [...]

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is aggressively pushing for the city to link test scores to tenure decisions this year, but state education officials are less confident that the tests are a reliable measure of progress and are proceeding with caution.
Using test scores as a factor in teacher evaluations is one of the most controversial elements of [...]

From left to right: Councilman-elect Jumaane Williams, UFT president Michael Mulgrew, and Councilwoman Letitia James, attended a rally in support of lengthening the school day.

New York State is months from knowing whether it will win coveted Race to the Top funds, but already community groups are offering ideas for how to spend the money.
The Coalition [...]

The Regents unveiled a policy agenda aimed at winning Race to the Top funds. (GothamSchools, NY1)
Much of the plan is unlikely to be made law by Race to the Top’s Jan. 19 deadline. (Daily News)
Thomas Carroll writes that the Regents’ proposal is bold and deserves support. (Post)
The state’s potential RttT yield is about the same [...]

Chris Smith worries that, years into data-driven policies, the city doesn’t see students as people.
Looks like New York State is going to apply for RttT in round one with a lot of competition.
Congress approved the ‘10 education spending bill with a spike in funds for the Teacher Incentive Fund.
Accountable Talk wonders why so many new [...]

State Education Commissioner David Steiner and the Board of Regents today urged the state legislature to increase the cap on charter schools in New York.
While he stopped short of asking for a specific number, Steiner roughly calculated using the Race to the Top application guidelines that a cap of 400, twice the number currently allowed [...]