Patrick Wall | Chalkbeat NY

“The struggling schools in New York City’s ‘Renewal’ improvement program serve nearly 6,300 fewer students today than when the program started, a sign that many families are still shunning the schools even as the city spends hundreds of millions to revamp them.

Eighty-one of the 94 schools in the program — or 86 percent — enroll fewer students now than they did when the program launched in fall 2014, according to a Chalkbeat analysis. The schools with high school grades lost an average of 146 students each, with many shedding far more: DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx serves nearly 600 fewer students today than it did in 2014.”

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Alejandra Matos | StarTribune

“Two decades.

That’s how long it’s been since the Minneapolis School District was last led by a white superintendent.

But Tuesday that changed when Ed Graff, superintendent of Anchorage, was named the district’s next leader.

Some community members immediately raised concerns about selecting a white superintendent at a time when the district is struggling with a huge achievement gap between white and black students, little diversity in the teaching ranks and complaints of institutional racism.”

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Mike Szymanski | LA School Report

“Attorneys representing the students in Vergara v. California filed a petition Tuesday to take the case to the California Supreme Court. Last month the Court of Appeal overturned a Los Angeles Supreme Court ruling in the case, which challenges teacher tenure, layoff laws and dismissal policies.

‘The Court of Appeal flatly got it wrong,’ said Josh Lipshutz, one of the attorneys for the students who claimed they were wrongfully discriminated against by being assigned ineffective teachers because they lived in low-income areas. ‘This is extremely important to the California education system and the children of the state, and we hope the California Supreme Court will see the merits of our petition.'”

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Alejandra Matos | StarTribune

“Ed Graff is the new superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools, pending the outcome of contract negotiations.

The outgoing head of Anchorage Public Schools was appointed Tuesday night by the nine-member school board in a 6-3 vote. State Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius had also been in the running for the job.

‘I am very excited to be ­chosen as superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools,’ Graff said through a Skype interview with news media.

His appointment capped a tumultuous 16-month search for the district’s top leader. In December, the board selected Sergio Paez, a Massachusetts educator, but rescinded its offer after allegations of abuse at a school in Paez’ district came to light just days after he was to be named superintendent.”

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Jonathan Cetel | PennLive

“Earlier this month, Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a bill designed to protect teachers with a strong track record of performance from being laid off when school districts are forced to furlough teachers in order to cut costs.

Legislation sponsored by Rep. Steve Bloom, R-Cumberland, has the support of an unusually broad coalition of business, civic, and education organizations who, frankly, are embarrassed that Pennsylvania is one of only six remaining states that require seniority to serve as the sole factor in determining layoffs.”

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Pat Pheifer | StarTribune

“Just 24 hours before the Minneapolis school board votes on who will be the next leader of the state’s third-largest school district, about three dozen people showed up to a public comment session at district headquarters.

The two finalists — Brenda Cassellius, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education, and Ed Graff, outgoing superintendent in Anchorage, Alaska — were not there and the nine members of the board said little. But those who spoke had plenty to say.”

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Beth Hawkins | The 74

“(Minneapolis, Minnesota) The conspiracy du jour last week involving the Minneapolis Public Schools was this: A superintendent search committee Friday night advanced its two finalists for the job, Minnesota Commissioner of Education Brenda Cassellius and some guy from Alaska.

The dark horse, Ed Graff, is the outgoing superintendent in Anchorage. His contract was not renewed earlier this year because his board felt someone else was needed to drive aggressive academic growth.”

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Jenny Sedlis | The 74

“The shift in New York City to mayoral control of public schools was the culmination of a hard-fought effort to bring accountability to the education system. Beginning in 2002, decisions would no longer be made by a group of faceless bureaucrats; the buck would stop right at City Hall. If voters were unhappy with the state of their schools, they knew who was responsible. This core principle of accountability was the bedrock of the landmark education reforms achieved under Mayor Michael Bloomberg.”

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Charles Thompson | PennLive

“Gov. Tom Wolf made good Wednesday on his threat to veto legislation that would stop public school districts from making teacher layoffs based on seniority.

The bill has, and may continue to be, a policy priority for House and Senate Republicans, who mounted a major public relations effort over the last two weeks to try to get the Democratic governor to change his mind.

Under their proposal, seniority levels would be replaced with recent teacher evaluation ratings as the first priority by which school administrators assign furloughs in the event of budget-based staffing cuts.”

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Claudie Washington | Duluth News Tribune

“Every child in the state of Minnesota deserves equal access to a ‘uniform and thorough education,’ according to the state Constitution. Yet if every child is entitled to a quality education, why are fewer than 40 percent of poor students and students of color meeting grade-level standards in math and English while nearly 70 percent of their more affluent and white classmates meet or exceed them?”

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