WEEKEND READING: May 30-31 [updated]

The Real Cost of High-School Dropouts Daily Beast
Graduation season, typically a celebratory time, has taken on a more somber feel.

Battling Over Employee Free Choice In These Times
When Congress votes on the Employee Free Choice Act, it will decide not only whether workers will be able to organize unions more easily and whether America will build a stronger economy based on shared prosperity. It will also decide how democratic America will be.

7 Best Moments from the Scripps National Spelling Bee The Daily Beast Video
A star is born, another goes down courtesy of a synonym for bovine rabies, and the judges try but fail to steal the show.

Secretary Duncan Speaks About Education Reform CQ
MODERATOR: Isn’t it sort of backward, though, offering $5 billion divided among 50 states as a reward for spending $95 billion wisely?

School Segregation and Teacher Quality Ezra Klein
As low-income African-American students streamed into the schools nearer to their homes, high-quality teachers streamed out.

More below!

How do they come up with words for the Spelling Bee? Slate
How do bee organizers come up with the tournament's word list?

Kavya Shivashankar, spelling champ The Week
Why a 13-year-old Kansan's spelling bee win was so riveting

Let the Kid Be NYT
Could the era of overparenting — also known as helicoptering, smothering mothering, alpha parenting or child-centered parenting — be over?

"If we kill schoolgirls, you shouldn't be surprised" Salon
Responding to threats from the Taliban, at least 10 girls' schools have shut down in northern Afghanistan.

New Kids on the Hill TAP
To see where the parties are headed, look to the youngest members of Congress.

My organization helps needy kids but makes them sit backstage during our black-tie fundraising gala. Slate
My organization helps needy children but makes them sit backstage during our fundraising gala.