Philadelphia Archdiocese may close 'staggering number' of schools

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Capital Area School for the Arts considers applying to become a charter school

Published: Friday, December 23, 2011, 12:00 AM

By DAVID N. DUNKLE, The Patriot-News 

In two years, talented central Pennsylvania students interested in theater, music, dance or the visual arts might no longer be able to attend the Capital Area School for the Arts.

They might instead be going to a new entity that could be called the Capital Area Charter School for the Arts.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/12/financially_struggling_capital.html

State offers to help investigate Vitalistic charter school

Pennsylvania Department of Education offers Allentown and Bethlehem school officials help examining charter's financial and special education records.

By Steve Esack, Of The Morning Call, 9:46 p.m. EST, December 31, 2011

State officials have offered to help the Allentown and Bethlehem Area school districts with their joint investigation of Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School of the Lehigh Valley.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-bethlehem-vitalistic-charter-school-20111231,0,5088857.story

Philadelphia Archdiocese may close 'staggering number' of schools

By Martha Woodall, Inquirer Staff Writer Posted: Sun, Jan. 1, 2012, 6:53 AM

The landscape of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is about to undergo a seismic shift as the schools grapple with a one-third drop in enrollment over the last decade.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20120101_Philadelphia_Archdiocese_to_close__staggering_number__of_schools.html?page=1&c=y

What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland's School Success

The Atlantic by ANU PARTANEN   DEC 29 2011, 3:00 PM ET 

Everyone agrees the United States needs to improve its education system dramatically, but how? One of the hottest trends in education reform lately is looking at the stunning success of the West's reigning education superpower, Finland. Trouble is, when it comes to the lessons that Finnish schools have to offer, most of the discussion seems to be missing the point.

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/what-americans-keep-ignoring-about-finlands-school-success/250564/

In Washington, Large Rewards in Teacher Pay

New York Times By SAM DILLON Published: December 31, 2011

WASHINGTON — During her first six years of teaching in this city’s struggling schools, Tiffany Johnson got a series of small raises that brought her annual salary to $63,000, from about $50,000. This year, her seventh, Ms. Johnson earns $87,000.

That latest 38 percent jump, unheard of in public education, came after Ms. Johnson was rated “highly effective” two years in a row under Washington’s new teacher evaluation system. Those ratings also netted her back-to-back bonuses totaling $30,000.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/education/big-pay-days-in-washington-dc-schools-merit-system.html?_r=1&ref=education