Many states are looking at expansion of charters

From The Wall Street Journal: Some cash-strapped states and school districts are signaling a major expansion of charter schools so that they can be eligible for some of the $5 billion in discretionary federal education funds. Last month, the Louisiana legislature voted to eliminate that state's cap on new charter schools. The Tennessee legislature recently passed a bill expanding charter schools. And the Rhode Island legislature reversed a plan to eliminate funding for new charters. In Massachusetts, Gov. Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino are proposing new state laws that would give them broader power to overhaul troubled schools, open more charter schools and revamp collective-bargaining agreements.