AM: Smaller Edujobs Provision Still In The Mix

Spending fight freezes war bill Politico:  The $10 billion to help teachers is less than half of what was first proposed and would be offset by spending cuts and about $4.4 billion in new legislative savings, chiefly at the expense of the drug industry. ... Going for grants: 31 states join to create national academic tests USA Today:  Individual states will still determine whether to use the high school test as a graduation requirement, said Chris Barron, spokesman for the Washington state education department... Three Groups Apply for Race to Top Test Grants EdWeek:  The consortia submitted applications to the U.S. Department of Education for money to craft assessments aligned to the common standards... Michelle Obama emphasizes nutrition Politico:  FLOTUS announces the President’s Council on Fitness and Sports will now include nutrition... Small schools up graduation rates for struggling NYC kids USA Today:  They were known as dropout factories: Big high schools in poor neighborhoods where only a quarter to a third of students graduated... Mass. school district under fire for condom policy AP:  A new policy in a Massachusetts public school district that makes condoms available to all students, even those in elementary school, is drawing criticism from some who say it goes too far.

Comments

[Al]

The real problem w/ testing is the nature of the education so often presented as the "best and proper education."
School systems that based credits and curriculum on University entrance standards do a disservice to the majority of students. The universities themselves are in a power play(they'll always present themselves as experts- there is no concern for the multiple learning types and skill sets required for a functioning society)to grab as many warm bodies for their seats(and money) as they can snatch up.
An expensive and short sighted approach that is showing itself in inappropriate testing, curricula, inflexibility of training opportunities and a shortage of entrepreneurs, craftsman, tradesman, and technicians.