Cable in the Classroom is pleased to present via podcast [MP3, 54MB], the April 19, 2007 edition of the U.S. Department of Education's Education News Parents Can Use.

Today, parents have more choices than ever— they can choose from neighborhood schools, charter schools or other public schools of choice, or transfer their children to another public school in or out of district. Families can also select private schools, either religious or secular, or teach their children at home. Free tutoring programs are also available to families with students in certain low-performing schools. This episode highlights Bush Administration proposals to expand public and private school choice, as well as successful charter and school choice programs, as educators, policymakers and parent-leaders discuss key issues such as:

• What are the latest tools and options for parents under No Child Left Behind?
• How has the charter school and school choice movement impacted academic achievement? What does a high-performing choice program or charter school look like?
• If a child is attending a school “in need of improvement,” where does a parent go to find out information on school choice options and free tutoring providers?
• What are Opportunity Scholarships and how might they benefit parents whose children attend chronically underperforming schools?
• What kinds of new choice initiatives can parents look forward to under No Child Left Behind?
• What resources does the Department provide to inform parents about the full range of options available to them under the law?

For more information about this program, please see the U.S. Department of Education's show notes.

Those seeking more information about exemplary charter school programs might be interested in learning about those profiled in several past editions of Cable in the Classroom's Threshold, including most recently here.

Finally, in concert with the producers of Education News Parents Can Use, we would like to add our heartfelt condolences to those touched by the recent Virginia Tech tragedy. Last fall, Cable in the Classroom partnered with the Council of Chief State School Officers to produce a special edition of Threshold focused on disaster preparedness in the 21st century, including advice and resources for school officials charged with emergency planning for schools.

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