News
TN: Crucible of Change in Memphis as State Takes On Failing Schools. Most of the schools will be run by charter operators. All will emphasize frequent testing and data analysis. Many are instituting performance pay for teachers and longer school days, and about a fifth of the new district’s recruits come from Teach for America. New York Times
LA: Civil Service panel approves hospital outsourcing. A Gov. Bobby Jindal administration plan to outsource the health care services provided by LSU’s public hospital in Baton Rouge received approval Tuesday from the state Civil Service Commission, paving the way for employee layoffs. San Francisco Chronicle
MS: Bill would allow private contracts for Miss. DHS. The Mississippi House on Tuesday passed the final version of a bill to let the Department of Human Services hire private contractors to collect overdue child support. But lawmakers said House Bill 1009 would not stop at child support collections. Opponents said the bill is so broadly written that it would allow DHS to privatize a wide range of its duties. Seattle Post Intelligencer
NY: Washington County workers getting laid off in trash privatization. More than 200 additional county employees face layoffs this year as the county moves toward privatizing Pleasant Valley nursing home and most of the Public Health Department. Post Star
Fitch: Virginia Port Decision May Hurt Other Privatizations. Virginia Port Authority’s decision to discontinue negotiations with two potential lessors of its ocean terminals may create negative momentum for other large port privatization projects because of the length of the negotiation, the strong brand names of the bidders, and the meaningful pricing that was considered. It would have been the first privatization of a major U.S. port facility. In our view, the privatization of smaller, individual terminals is less likely to be affected. Fort Mills Times
Will charter schools survive the charter movement?. Just as states across the country are ramping up efforts to increase the number of charters, loosen government regulations of these schools and transfer accountability responsibilities from local boards and education administrative bodies to charter enthusiasts, proponents of charter schools are calling for tougher oversight of these schools that would result in many more of them being closed down. Washington Post