AM News: Lawmakers Concerned About NCLB Waiver Applications

Eyebrows Raised Over Initial NCLB Waiver Bids EdWeek: Two influential Democrats worry that some waiver applications may water down accountability.

K-12 Marketplace Sees Major Flow Of Venture Capital EdWeek: Industry observers attribute the rise to heightened interest in ed-tech initiatives, decreasing technology costs, and the move to Common Core standards.

Shareholder lawsuit accuses K12 Inc. of misleading investors Washington Post: A shareholder has filed a lawsuit against the virtual-schools operator in federal court, alleging that the firm violated securities law by making false statements to investors about students’ poor performance on standardized tests.

Federal government tries to learn from Portland schools’ example Bangor Daily News:  A senior adviser to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said he plans to bring lessons from his tour of Portland schools back with him to the nation’s capital, where federal officials are seeking to learn how best to help struggling schools.

Obama wants schools to speed digital transition USA Today: The Obama administration is asking every U.S. school to accelerate the transition to digital textbooks.

Feds Say More Students May Qualify for Disability Services EdWeek: The U.S. Department of Education warns schools to think more broadly about who gets special services under federal disability laws.

MORE NEWS ITEMS INSIDE

IFF study of D.C. schools: The pushback begins Washington Post: Deputy Mayor for Education De’Shawn Wright has encountered some sharply negative responses to the study.

Books Allegedly Banned From High School Being Smuggled Back To Arizona HuffPost: A caravan of cars, full of activists and writers will be heading soon from Houston, Texas, to Tucson, Arizona.

Mayoral Hopefuls Protest School Closings NYT: A week before the city's Panel for Educational Policy is scheduled to vote on plans to shrink or phase-out 25 more struggling schools, four potential mayoral contenders joined opponents of the mayor's school reform policies at a news event on the steps of City Hall.

DOE’s press chief leaving to become Rupert Murdoch’s top aide GothamSchools: The NYC Department of Education’s press office will be getting a new director in less than two weeks.

Surprised Pasadena teacher receives national honor LAT:  At a student achievement assembly he helped organize at Muir High School, Manuel Rustin is stunned to learn that the Milken Family Foundation chairman had come to present the Milken Educator Award.

Educators say funding key to reducing dropouts Chicago Tribune: Gov. Pat Quinn is pushing state lawmakers to raise the age students can legally drop out of school from 17 to 18, a move aimed at improving graduation rates but one that local educators say won't accomplish much unless the state also provides the money to keep at-risk students in school.

California Steps Up Focus on English-Language Learners EdWeek: The state schools chief has assigned an expert team to boost the achievement of the state's 1 million English-language learners.