AM News: Chiefs Chafe At District Waivers

State Chiefs to Duncan: Don't 'Undermine' Us With District Waivers Politics K12: During an hour-long Q-and-A session in Washington Monday at a legislative conference of the Council of Chief State School Officers, Duncan mostly danced around the issue of district-level waivers.

Florida and Hawaii Get Dinged Again for Race to Top Woes Politics K12: Along the Race to the Top timeline, we are halfway to the finish line. 

Ed. Dept. to Split Race to Top Money Between Districts, Early Ed. Politics K12: A new $550 million pot of money for another Race to the Top contest will have to be split between two education-policy worlds: early education and district-level reform. 

California Urged To Address Teacher-Layoff Policies Teacher Beat: An analysis from California's Legislative Analyst's Office urges the state to consider revamping its teacher-layoff policies, including reducing the emphasis on seniority.

Despite more college grads, U.S. workforce needs even more USA Today: The number of adult Americans who have earned college degrees has been increasing, but not fast enough to keep up with workforce demands.

School districts woo superintendents in their own fashion Baltimore Sun: Searching for a new school superintendent in Maryland sometimes takes the skills of a CIA agent, including clandestine meetings and flights to faraway places.

MORE NEWS ITEMS INSIDE

Lawmaker Looks To Ban School Disciplinary Fines HuffPost: Following a media firestorm prompted by outcry from parents and students at schools in Chicago's Noble Street Charter Network, Illinois legislators are now considering a bill that would prohibit schools from levying fees for student misbehavior.

On Stage, Chicago Students Tackle Immigration, Poverty, Race NPR: Students at the Albany Park Theatre Project in Chicago research, write and perform plays about their own communities, tackling tough issues like immigration, poverty and race while learning about theater in an area where extracurricular activities are few and far between.

Private Schools Intensify Fund-Raising Efforts NYT: With private schools hitting the upper limits of what they can charge for tuition, consultants, parents and school heads say the race for donations has become notably more intense.

City Will Add Seats to Schools, But Still Fall Short of Demand NYT: New York City's Education Department says it plans to add a total of 34,000 new seats over a five year period. But the number lags behind an estimated 50,000 seats needed to meet demand.

Elementary Students in Large Classes Tripled, Report Shows NYT: The number of students in classes of 30 or more has tripled in the last three years as a result of teacher attrition and budget cuts to public schools, according to a report released by a city councilman.

What Do Teachers Think About Education Reform? HuffPost: Revamping the makeup of the teaching profession through tweaks such as altering tenure and teacher evaluations has become a policy debate du jour, one that has riled many a state house in recent years. As it turns out, teachers themselves support that overhaul, according to recent survey data.