Front Page News!

The lead article in today's Globe announces that Governor Patrick is filing legislation today to raise the cap on charter schools in the 30 lowest performing districts in the state. Definitely a turn-around from previous incarnations of his school reform plan.

Highlights:

• In said districts, the cap will rise from 9% of students to 18% of students.
• Boston stands to gain more than 5,000 additional seats, which could go to either new charter schools or expansions of existing schools.
• Across the state, 27,000 additional seats will be available.
• Patrick has abandoned attempts to tie a rise in the cap to a change in the charter school funding formula. Also abandoned: the proposal that would have required charter schools to use a modification of the lottery-based admission system to admit quotas of low-income, special needs, and ELL students.
• Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be on hand at the formal press conference.
• As expected, district public school advocates are up in arms about losing funding.

Can't wait to see the details of the legislation, but it seems like a step in the right direction.