AM News: Special Ed, Charter Problems In NY and PA

Special Education Provider Bilked City of Millions NYT: The audit, which is being issued on Thursday, is the latest to examine the $2 billion preschool special-education program, which relies on contractors to deliver services to more than 60,000 children in the state between 3 and 5 years old who have physical, learning, developmental and other disabilities.

'Significant barriers to entry' at many Philadelphia charters, says District report PhiladelphiaNotebook: A School District review found “significant barriers to entry” to numerous city charter schools, according to a draft report obtained by theNotebook/NewsWorks. In at least one case, an unidentified charter made its enrollment application publicly available on only one day during the year.

Cuomo Vetoes Bill on Placement of Special Education Students NYT: Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo vetoed a bill on Tuesday requiring public school officials to take into account the “home life and family background” of special education students when placing them in schools, a measure that would have given religious parents more power to demand that the public pay for private education.

Questions Dog Common Test Development EdWeek: On the verge of signing a contract to help design assessments for the common standards, ACT Inc. has withdrawn from the project amid conflict-of-interest questions sparked by its own development of a similar suite of tests.

Florida education chief resigns amid controversy Washington Post:  Gerard Robinson is resigning as Florida’s education commissioner at a time of growing discontent with — and a series of blunders involving — the state’s standardized test-based accountability system.

Teacher union boss bends to school reform winds Reuters: One convention highlight came when the 3,000 delegates, in a spirited floor vote, unanimously backed a "special order of business" promising the union's full support for "AFT educators in hostile bargaining environment who are fighting to defend fair contracts and the right to bargain collectively."

Study: Students who slip before they succeed still at risk later on GothamSchools: Not all high school graduates are created equally: Some had to make up ground after falling behind along the path to graduation day. Identifying those future graduates early could be key to getting them to succeed in college later, according to a new report.