News: Lawmakers Push Back Against Duncan Focus On Competitive Grants

Duncan questioned on move to cut funding for Teach for America Washington Post:  Education Secretary Arne Duncan faced unusually sharp questioning from House Democrats Thursday over the Obama administration's proposals to eliminate a grant for the Teach for America program and hold the line on new funding for many other education programs [Title I, IDEA, TRIO].

Teachers to appeal mass firings at RI high school AP:  The entire staff of teachers fired in a radical attempt to improve one of the worst performing high schools in Rhode Island will appeal their dismissals to school authorities, the head of the teachers union said Thursday.

PLUS:Mass firings at R.I. school may signal a trend USA Today.

Chicago Schools CEO Projects $1 Billion Deficit WBBM:  Increasing class size would not be enough to close the budget gap. Boosting classes from 28 to 31 students would save $40 million, which is a fraction of what is needed, and would require layoffs of up to 600 teachers.

The charter school test case that didn't happen LA Times:  No charter received a high school and only one, Magnolia Science Academy, will run a middle school -- on a campus it will share with a separate teacher-run school. Functioning as a neighborhood school remains beyond the experience of nearly all charters except Green Dot, which broke ground by taking over low-performing Locke High in July 2008.

Expansions of State Voucher Programs Gain Momentum EdWeek:  Bipartisan support for Florida’s tax-credit voucher program and efforts in other states cheer choice advocates.