Topic: Charter Schools

Mitt Romney's voucher-like education overhaul (+video)

Romney, who has been reluctant to stray far from the economic issues at the core of the presidential campaign, was outlining the proposal during a speech Wednesday at the US Chamber of Commerce.

Health-care protest bills get Missouri OK

Health-care bills taking a swipe and President Obama's health-care program passed the Missouri legislature this week. One allows employers to refuse health insurance for birth control; the other would let voters decide whether to allow the creation of a health-insurance exchange.

Election 101: Where the GOP candidates stand on immigration, abortion and other social issues

Social policies are a defining issue in this, or any, Republican race. With the GOP electorate increasingly focused on social issues in recent decades, their leaders' views have shifted in kind. Take a look at where each of the candidates stand. 

Getting bin Laden and five other boosts to Obama's reelection bid

"Yes We Can” was so 2008. Now President Obama is the incumbent, with a record to defend. Here are his top six accomplishments, including the killing of Osama bin Laden.

New Chicago schools chief has record of reform, but irked teachers

Chicago Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel taps Jean-Claude Brizard, superintendent in Rochester, N.Y., to head city schools. Brizard is a long-time educator, unlike new leaders of other big-city districts.

Charter schools are the Justin Bieber of education reform – a fad gone too far

Among all the programs that face cuts in President Obama's new budget, education is a clear winner. Charter school funding, however, suffers a slight decrease. And this may be a good thing. Charter schools have become another silver-bullet 'idea fad' racing through education reform.

'Project Censored' lists top stories that go unreported

"Project Censored" criticizes print and broadcast media outlets for overlooking important issues in favor of "junk food news." The group blames political, economic, and legal pressure.

Education reform: eight school chiefs to watch in 2011

Education reform will be on many state education agendas across the nation in 2011. The past year saw Republicans elected or appointed to top state education posts in many states. But a bipartisan group of veteran education leaders has also stepped up to call for more dramatic change in how schools operate.

Here’s a sampling of state education leaders to watch:

US public schools are going broke, yet some spend like a kid in a candy store

The $578 million price tag for the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools complex in Los Angeles is hard to justify at a time when many schools are turning to desperate measures to save teachers' jobs. Voters must respond by pushing profligate public schools to be as frugal as charter schools.

She went to New Orleans to clean up after Hurricane Katrina – and stayed to start a charter school

After Hurricane Katrina, Channa Mae Cook cofounded Sojourner Truth, a charter school with an emphasis on community service and social justice issues, to help lift up New Orleans' embattled school system.

Report: Only 1 percent of 'bad' schools turn around

An examination of poorly performing schools underlines how hard it is to turn them around.

Waiting for 'Superman': movie review

Documentary 'Waiting for "Superman" ' takes a swipe at unions as the cause of America's failing high schools.

'Waiting for "Superman" ': A simplistic view of education reform?

In the eyes of some education observers, 'Waiting for "Superman" ' oversimplifies the problems facing US students and implies an education reform silver bullet for struggling public schools.

Mark Zuckerberg makes massive donation to Newark schools

Mark Zuckerberg is worth $4.9 billion, according to Fortune magazine. His massive donation establishes him as a major player in philanthropy, placing him alongside others made wealthy by technology innovations, including Microsoft Corp. co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

Education secretary Arne Duncan: headmaster of US school reform

As students head back to school, educators nationwide are implementing controversial school reform wrought by Arne Duncan. Pushing competitive market approaches and armed with unprecedented funding and support from the president, he is possibly the most powerful education secretary ever.

After Katrina, how charter schools helped recast New Orleans education

New Orleans has become a laboratory for education reform since hurricane Katrina. Charter schools, which are free to experiment, make up the majority of the city’s schools.

Four ways New Orleans is better than before Katrina

The Katrina floodwaters that drowned New Orleans caused many to wonder if the city could ever recover. Five years later, recovery is evident in spades. January's Super Bowl win helped set the tone for what recently elected mayor Mitch Landrieu is calling “the new New Orleans.” Here’s a look at four signs of progress that could be models for cities nationwide:

Obama refuses to budge on Race to the Top education reforms

Many critics of President Obama's Race to the Top education reforms come from core constituencies of his own party. Mr. Obama took a stand for Race to the Top in a speech Thursday.

Study: On average, charter schools do no better than public schools

But the study also found more nuanced evidence that the most effective charter schools are those serving lower-income students, especially in urban areas.

Kalamazoo high school grads win celebrity speaker: President Obama

Kalamazoo Central High School beat out more than 1,000 schools to win the Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge.

Education reform: California to join Race to the Top rush

States are scrambling to pass education reforms to be eligible for the Obama administration's $4.35 billion in Race to the Top grants. California was set to confirm far-reaching reforms Tuesday.