TinyEDU

Short form news from the education realm. National scope, Southeast focused.

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318,597 students on 357 campuses

- That is how many students are in Clark County, covering in Las Vegas, Nevada, the nation's fifth-largest school district.

The Atlantic attributes the increase in enrollment, up 10,220 students from two years ago, as a "component" of the community's economic forecast.

What does research say about the influence of year-round schools on student achievement? How is Clark County accommodating so many students? 

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"As far as I'm concerned, Common Core is the same as communism," one attendee said at the Wednesday night meeting in Davie. "Marxism!" someone shouted from the audience.

"These standards are just another way for government to control the minds of people," parent Carlos Ramirez said at the Tallahassee meeting.

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A Sun Sentinel editorial compares Florida Governor Rick Scott to former Governor Jeb Bush on education. On Scott's recent fluctuations about Common Core, they write:

Conventional wisdom says it's more about 2014 and the possible alienation of the tea party than the merits of the policy.

As Bush keep pushing for Common Core will Scott keep pushing back?

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A debate in the North Carolina Supreme Court concerns whether or not the state is obligated to provide a preschool program for children living in poverty.

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Board of Education members vote 5-1 against adopting reading samples, writing samples, and math recommendations from the Common Core appendices.

"Isn't that sad that we are sitting here voting on something that is going to have no integrity?" - Kathleen Shanahan, casting the opposition vote.

School grade "Safety Net" also extended through 2014-2015

This prevents school grades in Florida from falling more than one letter grade in a year during transition to new standards.

The controversy continues

"This is lipstick on a pig," said Chris Quackenbush of the grass roots group Stop Common Core Florida. "We still have concerns. The standards are ambiguous gobbledygook. That needs to be addressed."

What will further delays in Common Core mean for Florida students? Will the state be able to roll out a new test in time for 2014-2015?

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Is this push by Superintendent Mick Zais a good move for school flexibility or a slippery slope?

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The board unanimously approved standards Thursday that will likely mean failure rates of more than 50 percent in most of the reading, math and science tests that students took last spring.

Over 50 percent of NC students will fail their tests after tougher standards are implemented. Is this smart preparation or too much?

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Communications Director Joe Follick said tweets about Common Core will disappear while Governor Scott holds public meetings to discuss the standards.

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Is Florida Virtual School in trouble? The online school is out $20 million and at least 10 percent in enrollment.

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Parents from four Florida counties are coming together to challenge the state on education quality.

The parents hope to show Florida has failed on all counts. Among their claims:

• The state does not devote an adequate share of financial resources for a high-quality school system.

• The state gives public money to charter and virtual schools without holding them to the same standards as traditional public schools.

• Public school facilities are not secure and need significant upgrades.

• The state's education accountability system focuses too much on testing and is not efficient.

• The state graduation rate (73 percent) and persistent achievement gap prove that the system is not high quality.

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“I think it’s our responsibility, those of us in public education, to be the voice of those who can’t fight for themselves, or those who can’t get what they should get or what they need,” Stewart said. “I take that very personally. That it is my responsibility.”

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One girl missing the cut to advance to fourth grade by one point raises questions about the decade-old retention law in Florida. She was eventually able to begin fourth grade a month late.

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The new plan bases salaries on enrollment, the percentage of low-income students, the number of students considered high- or low-achieving, and how many don't speak English as a first language. Additional pay hikes would hinge on a principal's overall performance and student test scores.

Demographics over experience: does it make more sense?

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The Tampa Bay Times reports that new Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart needs more time to pick a testing route for the state. There are three options, one of which is going back to the PARCC consortium Governor Scott used executive action to back away from. New testing under PARCC was supposed to roll out during the 2014-2015 school year.

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Boston bus drivers hit the brakes in protest of treatment

More than 600 Boston buses were missing from their scheduled stops on Tuesday morning after a surprise strike, leaving 33,000 kids to find alternative transportation to school. Parents and schools were alerted to the strike, organized by a number of union members, around 5 a.m. Strikers say their actions are in response to unfair treatment by Veolia, the transportation vendor who took over busing contracts this year. 

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Photo: Stephen Savoia/AP

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An educator from New Jersey writes to the New York Times about his views on standardized testing.

In more than four decades of teaching, including 23 years as a secondary-school principal, I have become increasingly dismayed at the growing influence of standardized tests and the test preparation industry for students as young as those entering preschool to those who are preparing to enter graduate-level programs.

In his letter to the Times, Peter Schmidt details that he feels "heartened" by New York City's private schools consideration to drop entrance exams for kindergarten and first grade.

Schmidt offered three pieces of advice for teachers and school administrators:

Colleges and Universities should drop SAT requirements.

Schools should "curve their appetite" for Advanced Placement courses.

Schools should embrace "imagination and creativity" as "cornerstones" of education.